MBP 1,1-10,2 Can a mid-2010 MacBook Pro accept faster RAM?

[King Mustard]

The 6,2 supports DDR3-1066 (PC3-8500) RAM.

If faster DDR3 RAM was installed, would the laptop still work? (though, of course, running the RAM at a slower speed)

 

[Fishrrman]

For a 13-year-old MBP...
... you're going to have to try it, and tell us what your results were...

 

[theMarble]

You can run one SODIMM of higher speed (eg: 1600MHz), but one still has to be 1066MHz otherwise it won't POST.

For a while, I had my 2010 MacBook 7,1 (identical to the 2010 MBP apart from the chassis) running 10GB of RAM with a 2GB 1066MHz SODIMM and a 8GB 1600MHz SODIMM. It worked fine. As soon as the 1066 is replaced with a 1333/1600, it won't POST anymore.

 

[GMShadow]

You can run one SODIMM of higher speed (eg: 1600MHz), but one still has to be 1066MHz otherwise it won't POST.

For a while, I had my 2010 MacBook 7,1 (identical to the 2010 MBP apart from the chassis) running 10GB of RAM with a 2GB 1066MHz SODIMM and a 8GB 1600MHz SODIMM. It worked fine. As soon as the 1066 is replaced with a 1333/1600, it won't POST anymore.

Yep, had that issue with mine as well, but mine has 1GB/8GB. The Nvidia chipset is *super* picky on speed like that.

 

[Amethyst1]

For a while, I had my 2010 MacBook 7,1 (identical to the 2010 MBP apart from the chassis) […]

The OP’s 6,2 is the 15” MBP which uses a Nehalem CPU and an Intel chipset compared to the 7,1’s Core2Duo/NVIDIA.

 

[theMarble]

The OP’s 6,2 is the 15” MBP which uses a Nehalem CPU and an Intel chipset compared to the 7,1’s Core2Duo/NVIDIA.

Hmmm.

Well the 2010 15"/17" max is 8GB 1066, however I'm not sure about whether RAM speed can be changed. On one hand, being an Intel chipset should be mean it's less finicky with RAM speed (eg: i945 or whatever Merom was and Sandy Bridge) than an NVIDIA MCP chipset. Then as well, it's pre-Sandy Bridge, which is when RAM became less finicky on both Apple and Non-Apple laptops.

I'd say that 1 1066MHz and 1 higher speed should work fine, not sure about both being higher speed.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I haven't played around much with the only 320M Mac I have, but my 9400M Macs are all happily running 1333MHz RAM in both slots. I've found the trick is to use low-density RAM with them to make it play nicely. I've got it going in a 2009 mini, late 2008 15" MBP, and early 2009 13" MBP.

 

[theMarble]

I've found the trick is to use low-density RAM

Are you meaning 1Rx8 memory?

 

[ozaz]

Have stumbled across this thread after trying to replace the PC3-8500 sticks on my mid-2009 MacBook Pro with PC3-12800 sticks. Although not the same machine as the OP, in case my experience is useful for anyone else who stumbles across this - for me the faster sticks don't seem to work, either when two are installed or when one is installed alongside one of the original slower sticks.

 

[ricom2ger]

Have stumbled across this thread after trying to replace the PC3-8500 sticks on my mid-2009 MacBook Pro with PC3-12800 sticks. Although not the same machine as the OP, in case my experience is useful for anyone else who stumbles across this - for me the faster sticks don't seem to work, either when two are installed or when one is installed alongside one of the original slower sticks.

It needs 1.5V sticks, not 1.35V?

 

[ozaz]

It needs 1.5V sticks, not 1.35V?

Tbh I wasn't even aware there were differences in voltage within ddr3 sticks. But according to Wikipedia article on ddr3...

Memory specified to DDR3L and DDR3U specifications is compatible with the original DDR3 standard, and can run at either the lower voltage or at 1.50 V

 

[ricom2ger]

Tbh I wasn't even aware there were differences in voltage within ddr3 sticks. But according to Wikipedia article on ddr3...

I do have the same MacbookPro5,5 and mine does not work with 1.35V sticks. If you use sticks with different speed then the slower one has to be in bank 0.

 

[NewbiePPC]

Sometime ago I was upgrading a Mac mini 4.1 but I can't find the right ram speed so I encountered this video, that helping me to underclock one ram stick, at the end I manage to get 16 gb of ram with a 1333 sticks. The 8500 is really hard to get in my country

 

[ojfd]

The 8500 is really hard to get in my country

I thought 8500 / 1066 was still available in Europe, although not on every corner and not exactly cheap*. Where are you from, if it's not a secret?

* When I bought 2x4GB for my now retired 13" 2009 and 2010 MPBs just a few years ago, the street prices for the brand name sticks were in 50-80 Eur/pair range.

 

[NewbiePPC]

I'm from Colombia, but the thing was to get 2x8 at that specs.

 

[ozaz]

Sometime ago I was upgrading a Mac mini 4.1 but I can't find the right ram speed so I encountered this video, that helping me to underclock one ram stick, at the end I manage to get 16 gb of ram with a 1333 sticks. The 8500 is really hard to get in my country

Thanks. 8500 is easy to get and cheap where I live (at least it is on used market) so I already ordered a couple before seeing your post. But this is useful nonetheless.