Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

4GB Memory shows up as 2GB

S

serverplads

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 16, 2008
49
0
UK
Hi

I have just installed 2 x 2 GB Memory from OWC in my new Mac Pro (early 2008). I have followed the video on OWS’s website in terms of where they should be placed!

Here is what I have tried:

Apple 2 x 1GB in Riser A slots 1 & 2
OWC 2 x 2GB in Riser B slots 1 & 2

OWC 2 x 2GB in Riser A slots 1 & 2
Apple 2 x 1GB in Riser B slots 1 & 2

(It should be 6GB in total)

Both options only show up as 4GB in total, where the OWC is 1GB each. Have tried to reset the PRAM, without any luck.

I then tried to take out the Apple memory, so only the new OWC was in and this then showed up as 3GB. Switched them around ant still only 3GB, but in a different order in the riser! So one on the OWC memory sticks must be faulty.

It is just strange that one of the OWC sticks only show up as 2GB when the Apple memory is not installed as well…

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Thanks
 
Perhaps OWC sent you the wrong RAM. Or maybe it is defective. Take out the Apple stuff and just try the OWC stuff in Riser A slot 1 & 2 and see it if shows up as 4G or not.
 
when you have more than 2 sticks you need to pair them on the same card, not like on the old G5 like you have done, card a slots 1 + 2 need to be the 1GB sticks, then 2x 2GB in 3 and 4 then staart on the second riser card
 
Thanks for the quick reply’s

Ye, i have tried with only the OWC memory! That’s where they show as 3GB! And if the switch the OWC around they still show up as 3GB. So one of them must be faulty!

They might have sent me the wrong one, but both stickers on the memory says 2GB.

Another interesting thing is, when I run the Apple hardware test! If I run it with both Apple and OWC installed the Mac Pro freezes, and can’t complete the test! If I run it with only the OWC it comes up with an error! Isn’t it strange that it freezes when both the Apple and OWC is installed?
 
speakerwizard said:
when you have more than 2 sticks you need to pair them on the same card, not like on the old G5 like you have done, card a slots 1 + 2 need to be the 1GB sticks, then 2x 2GB in 3 and 4 then staart on the second riser card
Click to expand...

No this is not true. A1 A2 B1 B2 is correct

Have you tried only putting one OWC stick in at a time?
Click to expand...

Not an option. RAM must be installed in pairs in Mac Pros.

OP: It's a defective module, OWC will replace the memory - call them. No need to experiment further.
 
I have talked to OWS tech, and they send me a list of things I should try! None of them worked out! They will gladly exchange them for e new set if I send them back to them.

I waited 20 days for there to arrive because something went wrong with the shipping. If I send them back I’ll have to pay the shipping, plus I will have to pay import tax for UK one more time! And most important of all, I have to wait a long time for them new set to arrive again.

But if it’s only one of them that are defective, right! How can it be that when I have them installed together with Apple’s they booth show up as 1GB. But when I only have the OWC installed, one of them shows up as 2GB? That is strange…!
 
serverplads said:
I have talked to OWS tech, and they send me a list of things I should try! None of them worked out! They will gladly exchange them for e new set if I send them back to them.

I waited 20 days for there to arrive because something went wrong with the shipping. If I send them back I’ll have to pay the shipping, plus I will have to pay import tax for UK one more time! And most important of all, I have to wait a long time for them new set to arrive again.
Click to expand...

Is there no inexpensive source in the UK for Mac Pro RAM? Seems like a pain to have to import from the states.
 
But isn’t it weird none of them shows up as 2GB when they are installed together with the Apple memory, since one of them do when thet are installed alone?
 
"No this is not true. A1 A2 B1 B2 is correct "

If the orignal 2gigs of RAM are in slot A1 than isnt it...

A1-B1-B2-A2 (matched pairs in each)....IE...the first slot where the RAM is originally placed stays...then, on the bottom rack....the first slot with a pair, then the second slot....then back to the first rack (when bottom is full) and fill the second slot in the original rack...isn't that correct? I think that is what I did (and read in the manual/back of Pro cover)...and it sees all RAM.

Never mind...I'm babbling:)

Jeremy
 
akdj said:
"No this is not true. A1 A2 B1 B2 is correct "

If the orignal 2gigs of RAM are in slot A1 than isnt it...

A1-B1-B2-A2 (matched pairs in each)....IE...the first slot where the RAM is originally placed stays...then, on the bottom rack....the first slot with a pair, then the second slot....then back to the first rack (when bottom is full) and fill the second slot in the original rack...isn't that correct? I think that is what I did (and read in the manual/back of Pro cover)...and it sees all RAM.

Never mind...I'm babbling:)

Jeremy
Click to expand...

The Penryn Mac Pros ship with

A1 - 1 GB
A2

B1 - 1 GB
B2

These must NOT be left there when you upgrade the RAM. You must relocate the stock RAM so that each pairs is in consecutive slots on the same riser.


A1 - 2 GB
A2 - 2 GB

B1 - 1 GB
B2 - 1 GB (Apple RAM relocated)


I waited 20 days for there to arrive because something went wrong with the shipping. If I send them back I’ll have to pay the shipping, plus I will have to pay import tax for UK one more time! And most important of all, I have to wait a long time for them new set to arrive again.
Click to expand...
Sorry, it sux but that's the risk you take for buying international to get the lower price. You saved on the purchase, and have to pay the freight on the warranty replacement. BTW - the replacement RAM should be declared as "Warranty Replacement of returned goods, no commercial value" or something similar, so that it will be exempt from VAT or duty. Check with your country's Customs regulations for the correct wording or forms required.
 
CanadaRAM said:
Sorry, it sux but that's the risk you take for buying international to get the lower price. You saved on the purchase, and have to pay the freight on the warranty replacement. BTW - the replacement RAM should be declared as "Warranty Replacement of returned goods, no commercial value" or something similar, so that it will be exempt from VAT or duty. Check with your country's Customs regulations for the correct wording or forms required.
Click to expand...

You're right! Thanks for the tip regarding Customs regulations!

But do you know why none of them are show up as 2GB when they are installed together with the Apple memory. But one of them do when thet are installed alone?
 
Seen stranger things with Apple riser board issues... but unless you have two other sticks of memory, going to be hard to test.

With two modules - they will be recognized if installed alone into slots A1 and A2. While this isn't the optimum performance mode, it still should allow an opportunity to see if they show as 4GB that way or only 2GB. If they show as 4GB... something else going on. If show as 2GB - then one module is reporting as a 1GB and both then get addressed as 1gB.

100% of our Mac Pro memory is actually tested in Mac Pros. I can honestly say it's very rare to have issue. And in the case if with the memory, we are of course here to make it right:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Service/RMA_Request.cfm

or send me an email direct owc@macsales.com

Thanks!


serverplads said:
You're right! Thanks for the tip regarding Customs regulations!

But do you know why none of them are show up as 2GB when they are installed together with the Apple memory. But one of them do when thet are installed alone?
Click to expand...
 
Hi, thanks for your reply!

So what you’re saying is that I could try and place OWC 2 x 2GB in Riser A1 & A2 and NOT in A1 & B2, and also leave the Apple memory out? Or am I getting it wrong?

Thanks
 
Ok, i have now tried to place OWC 2 x 2GB in Riser A1 & A2, and they both show up as 1GB each. So i'm sending them back to OWC now...

I tried to talk to the post office regarding Customs regulations, but they didn't know anything about! Does anyone know a number i can call?

thanks
 
...now I am confused...I need to look at how I did it initially...I have two new 2gig sticks of RAM to add this weekend and I think I have one empty (2 slot) area and I had thought I had left A2 open on the initial install (2x1g in A1, 2x2gig in B1, 2x2gig in B2)....I was going to add the newly acquired 2x2gig sticks to A2...for a total of 14gigs. Does this sound right? I am not in front of my Mac, so I can't be certain, but it seems the way I have done it...I want Windows XP to see all 4 gigs it can...does this mean I need to move the 2x2gig sticks to A1 and the 2x1gig sticks to A2?

This is ridiculously confusing as I have written it (yet so simple when I did it and it has worked fine and recognized all RAM since the beginning, so I think I did it right...just want to make sure I am getting the "optimum" performance).

Take care,

Jeremy
 
I don't think Windows XP can see more than 2G in the 2008 Mac Pros. This is based on my experience, and from what I've read. If this has been fixed, I don't know about it. I sure hope it does get fixed tho!
 
32-bit Windows won't see more than 3 GB on any machine, and on MacPros it is limited to 2 GB (a combination of the EFI Firmware and Windows limitations).

As posted before, the only way more than 2 sticks of RAM will work in a Mac Pro is in pairs on the SAME riser (conventionally, the risers are called by letter, and the slots on each riser numbered from 1 - 4)

A1 A2 (first pair, should be your largest modules)

B1 B2 (second pair)

A3 A4 (avoid using these slots unless you have more than 4 modules)

B3 B4 (avoid using these slots unless you have more than 6 modules)
 
Hilarious

I just read your posts this morning...yesterday, I added the extra 2x2g sticks. A total of 14gigs...6x2g and 2x1g....all slots are filled. I moved the 2 original sticks of 1 gig down and replaced with the 2x2...Windows XP home is still only seeing 2gb...I should've checked before I got so excited....however, I do have a 32/64 Vista Ultimate Upgrade that I bought when it first came out (I was excited to pick up the Bill Gates autograph edition:)) I haven't used it on any of my machines yet as I already have a new PC with Home Premium.

I may do the upgrade to Windows XP Home on my Mac Pro...but from what I hear, I have to do a complete format and re-install of the upgrade because of the XP 32 bit...does anyone know if this is true? I was hoping to be able to boot into Windows through bootcamp, insert the upgrade disk, and wait 3 hours for it to be done:) I know this is totally off topic and I am sure I can do some searching in the Windows on Mac dept for the answers.

FWIW...My XP is installed on it's own drive in my Mac.

Jeremy
 
I had the same problem with me 2x1GB kit from Transintl.com.

Turns out the APPLE RAM was bad. Can you believe that? :-(

Hope you have better luck fixing it than I did...

The good news is that once I did remedy that, and put a fast boot disk in...

This machine has been FLAWLESS :)

-Enjoy!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back