8 GB on a Macbook 6.1 (white unbody late 2009)

[aleSilver]

Hi all,

I have a Macbook 6.1 white unibody late 2009

Boot ROM: MB61.00C8.B00

SMC : 1.51f53

Originally the mac was equipped with 2 GB DDR3 1066MHz.

Thus, I upgraded it to 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz and it worked perfectly.

Now I installed 8 GB DRR3L 1600MHz. Initially it did several beep and did not start at all. After I put one module of 2GB 1333 MHz and one of 4 GB 1600 MHz, in total 6 GB of RAM and works properly.

My questions are:

does it support only 6 GB?

I have read around of a firmware upgrade using the firmware of the macbook pro late 2009. is it safe?

Thanks

 

[thats all folks]

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...13-polycarbonate-unibody-late-2009-specs.html
8GB it is. should work. did you try the other 4GB chip paired with a working 2GB chip? maybe one of them is defective.

 

[aleSilver]

Yes I did try both of them paired with one of the 2 GB. The problem I guess is that they are 1600 MHz. Instead putting one module of 1333Mhz the system still manage to downgrade the clock speed to a supported one.

Do you have any other suggestion?

 

[thats all folks]

I just noticed that your 4GB chips are L (low voltage). theoretically they should work but maybe off enough that the machine wont recognize them in that particular situation. I got nothing else.

 

[DeltaMac]

I think that you were jumping to a speed that the chipset in your Macbook just doesn't support (too fast)
The original speed is the 1066 MHz. Those models can sometimes be finicky with some RAM sticks, so if you struggle with an upgrade, you may want to return that RAM, and get a stick that is more likely to be supported.
Get the same brand as your current 2GB sticks, and hopefully 1333 MHz will work.
And, to more directly answer your question - 2 x 4GB for 8GB will work. You just have to be careful that you get supported speed. Sometimes it is worth your time (and money) to go through one of the sites that knows Mac RAM, and will supply you with correct RAM - such as OWC, or Data Memory Systems.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Should recognize the capacity fine, but won't work with the low-power DIMMs. You'll need regular DDR3, not DDR3L.

 

[curmudgeonette]

Should recognize the capacity fine, but won't work with the low-power DIMMs. You'll need regular DDR3, not DDR3L.

The industry spec is that all DDR3L RAM chips work at DDR3 voltages.

 

[aleSilver]

The industry spec is that all DDR3L RAM chips work at DDR3 voltages.

The MAC is correctly recognizing the ram. Thus, no problem for the voltage.

The only problem is the speed. The strange fact is that now I have 2 module of ram. A 2GB module DDR3 1333MHz and a 4GB module DDR3L 1600MHz. However, originally my mac was equipped with 1066 MHz DDR3 modules.

Conclusion
It can downgrade the ram speed from 1333 but not from 1600. Any combination with a module slower than 1600MHz works. Both module at 1600MHz won't work.

 

[frenchfrog]

Hi all,

I have a Macbook 6.1 white unibody late 2009

Boot ROM: MB61.00C8.B00

SMC : 1.51f53

Originally the mac was equipped with 2 GB DDR3 1066MHz.

Thus, I upgraded it to 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHz and it worked perfectly.

Now I installed 8 GB DRR3L 1600MHz. Initially it did several beep and did not start at all. After I put one module of 2GB 1333 MHz and one of 4 GB 1600 MHz, in total 6 GB of RAM and works properly.

My questions are:

does it support only 6 GB?

I have read around of a firmware upgrade using the firmware of the macbook pro late 2009. is it safe?

Thanks

in my experience, if you are matching them close enough... it doesn't work well. The higher you try to get the more you have to pay attention the your stick being the same, as in bought together in the same package. Not sure if you mentioned what you did, as in did you add 2gb to your original 2gb?

If you want to go to 8gb, I would make sure all the sticks are the same. my two cents.

 

[elf69]

if it an a1342 unibody with 2.26GHz cpu will take 8GB, mine has it right now as i type this on it.

if your lucky enough to have the 2.4GHz model then with a firmware update it can take 16GB ram.

The ram does NOT have to be the same!

I have 4gb 1066 and 4gb 1600.
As long as one stick is 1066 the other will slow down, two 1600 and it will beep on boot.
I tried it.
It does not matter which slot the slow ram goes in if you mix speeds as long as one is 1066 it will work.

I have the 2.26GHz model, but it is to be sold sunday

 

[aleSilver]

I have one module of 1333 and one of 1600 and they are working as well.

I have the model of 2.26 GHz

 

[citan]

I'm in the same boat, running 6 gigs on a mid-2010 macbook. When i put in the 2nd 4gb (for 8) i get the beep and no boot.
I RMA'd the ram, and still issue with new stick.