Bought a Tested 8GB RAM Kit for My Mid-'09 MBP & it Wouldn't Boot. Bad RAM or Bad Machine?

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

It's odd... it was RAM that was tested and everything before shipping. I put it in and got the three beeps of denial. Was my Mac treating this 'Samsung' RAM unfairly, or could there have been a freak issue with the RAM?

Here's what I tried: (PRAM reset did nothing, BTW) I tried one stick of the old and one of the new. [KEEP IN MIND THAT MY OLD RAM SHARES THE SAME SPEEDS AND MODEL NUMBERS AS THE OLD STICKS'. THE OLD STICKS ARE JUST 2x2GB, and the new are 2x4GB.] The machine actually booted with 6GB in there (one old and one new). However, oddly enough, when I tried the same combination, but with the other stick of new RAM, it didn't work. I then tried one stick ONLY of the new RAM, and no boot. One stick of the old RAM only? Boot. Both sticks of the new again? No boot. Really odd.


So... could my Mac be incorrectly detecting the RAM as a threat, or did something happen to this RAM upon its shipment? I am sending the new RAM back, but I am afraid to even buy another pair from a different seller, as I'm concerned that this issue might be caused by my Mac, therefore forcing me to return yet another pair of RAM sticks. (Also, keep in mind that I have no other Mac with which to test them.) In all, only ONE of the RAM sticks worked, but it ONLY worked when coupled with one of the old 2GB sticks of RAM.

Should I try purchasing a new pair from someone else? Maybe I should get ahold of an ASD disc and check my RAM slots?

Thanks,
-MDD

 

[shoehornhands]

It's odd... it was RAM that was tested and everything before shipping. I put it in and got the three beeps of denial. Was my Mac treating this 'Samsung' RAM unfairly, or could there have been a freak issue with the RAM?

Here's what I tried: (PRAM reset did nothing, BTW) I tried one stick of the old and one of the new. [KEEP IN MIND THAT MY OLD RAM SHARES THE SAME SPEEDS AND MODEL NUMBERS AS THE OLD STICKS'. THE OLD STICKS ARE JUST 2x2GB, and the new are 2x4GB.] The machine actually booted with 6GB in there (one old and one new). However, oddly enough, when I tried the same combination, but with the other stick of new RAM, it didn't work. I then tried one stick ONLY of the new RAM, and no boot. One stick of the old RAM only? Boot. Both sticks of the new again? No boot. Really odd.


So... could my Mac be incorrectly detecting the RAM as a threat, or did something happen to this RAM upon its shipment? I am sending the new RAM back, but I am afraid to even buy another pair from a different seller, as I'm concerned that this issue might be caused by my Mac, therefore forcing me to return yet another pair of RAM sticks. (Also, keep in mind that I have no other Mac with which to test them.) In all, only ONE of the RAM sticks worked, but it ONLY worked when coupled with one of the old 2GB sticks of RAM.

Should I try purchasing a new pair from someone else? Maybe I should get ahold of an ASD disc and check my RAM slots?

Thanks,
-MDD

Macs can be really finicky with RAM (I've seen sticks of identical size, speed, timings where one brand works flawlessly, while another doesn't boot).

If you aren't able figure it out though, here's some RAM that will work with a Mid-09 MBP (I've used it in that exact model): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LTBJFM

 

[DeltaMac]

You can still boot OK with both old RAM sticks installed, correct?
And, regardless of what else you have installed, one of the new sticks does not work, and in either slot?
Then, you have one bad stick of your new pair.
Did you try only one of the new sticks, installed by itself, trying the stick in each slot, then testing for a boot.
That would quickly determine that you have only one bad stick.
Finally, send the bad one back, you likely only need to swap that one new stick.

If you want to swap out both, get a refund and go with Crucial. The set from the above post will be great.

 

[MacInTO]

I have a 2009 and it's finicky with ram also. I tried two different brands (both the same speed and size), one of them would only work sometimes.

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

You can still boot OK with both old RAM sticks installed, correct?
And, regardless of what else you have installed, one of the new sticks does not work, and in either slot?
Then, you have one bad stick of your new pair.
Did you try only one of the new sticks, installed by itself, trying the stick in each slot, then testing for a boot.
That would quickly determine that you have only one bad stick.
Finally, send the bad one back, you likely only need to swap that one new stick.

If you want to swap out both, get a refund and go with Crucial. The set from the above post will be great.

Yeah, I tried one stick of the new one - ALONE. It wouldn't work. I think I'll just go with the Crucial one.
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I have a 2009 and it's finicky with ram also. I tried two different brands (both the same speed and size), one of them would only work sometimes.

Which brand did you settle upon?

 

[MacInTO]

Which brand did you settle upon?

I think Hynix.

 

[DeltaMac]

Yeah, I tried one stick of the new one - ALONE. It wouldn't work. I think I'll just go with the Crucial one.
...
Which brand did you settle upon?

Did you also try the OTHER new stick, alone, and in both slots?
But, never mind if you want to choose to go with Crucial. It's a good choice!

 

[PowerMac G4 MDD]

Did you also try the OTHER new stick, alone, and in both slots?
But, never mind if you want to choose to go with Crucial. It's a good choice!

Yeah, neither wanted to work. Just realized that Crucial and Micron are the same company. I think my existing RAM might be Micron. Better go with the Crucial, then.

 

[mindquest]

I have a mid 2009 iMac and OWC ram has been a perfect fit. One stick went bad in 2015 and they replaced it free and fast. Support is top notch! I also have OWC ram in my 2010 MBP and no problem there as well.

 

[saulinpa]

If you got an old and a new module working together most likely the new is just too fast.
Some can be slowed down to work. http://www.softnology.biz/tips_macbookpro.html