Kernel panic because of 16GB of RAM??

[ndDesign]

I keep getting a kernel panic (the computer forces a message telling me I must restart) with a MBP I just bought off ebay.

It's a MacBookPro8,2 (late-2011), 2.4GHz, i7 - the seller installed 16GB of RAM and assured me that it would be compatible in this model. Once I got it it worked fine but only briefly. After a few hours of using it I started getting this kernel panic whenever I tried to do something, even while trying to reinstall Lion so I took it into the Apple store. They tried to run a diagnostic but once it got to checking the RAM it just froze up. They said this MBP was only rated for 8GB of RAM and that I should go to down to that and it should be ok.

When I came home I took (2) 4GB sticks out of my old MBP and installed them in the one I just bought and it's been working fine.

My question is, can the MacBookPro8,2 handle 16GB of RAM?

If so, is this type of RAM compatibile...?

Komputer Bay brand
8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 1333Mhz
8192MB NON EEC 9-9-9-25


Thanks.

 

[rpang]

Apple only supports 8GB ram officially, but you can install 16 GB unofficially.

It may be that the 16GB you have are faulty. Get something more reliable like Corsair or Crucial RAM. Or pick up sticks from OWC which is guaranteed to work on macs.

 

[T5BRICK]

My question is, can the MacBookPro8,2 handle 16GB of RAM?

Yeah, as the other poster said, Apple says it is limited to 8GB, but 16GB will work fine.

If so, is this type of RAM compatibile...?

Komputer Bay brand
8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 1333Mhz
8192MB NON EEC 9-9-9-25

It doesn't sound like that RAM works. I like Corsair, but I've actually used g.Skill with no problem in the past. Check out the reviews on newegg or Amazon for feedback on how works with your computer.

 

[thekev]

Kernel panic because seller purchased off brand hit or miss ram. I wouldn't trust anything from a brand that isn't well reviewed. Some of it is junk that didn't test well. I've been suggesting Crucial. They guarantee it to be compatible if purchased through their memory finder, or you can find basically the same thing off newegg with the appropriate spec. It's still normal to memtest it when it arrives, as it's always possible to get a bad stick. I run it in single user mode 5 cycles. It may need to run overnight to complete that. Apple will still not support it if brought to them with 16GB installed. I'm not sure of their stance on 1x8, but they don't certify 16GB. The real problem is that it's junk ram here, but if you do need support, you'd need to be able to take it in with a supported configuration.

It may be that the 16GB you have are faulty. Get something more reliable like Corsair or Crucial RAM. Or pick up sticks from OWC which is guaranteed to work on macs.

All of those brands have ram that they guarantee to work on macs. It's not exclusive to OWC. You do pay a little more if you're purchasing their guaranteed versions though. As for typical stuff of the same brand off Amazon or Newegg, I see the fewest complaints with Crucial. Sometimes people say Corsair fails during testing.

 

[alphaod]

The RAM sounds defective. I would get the RAM replaced; RAM usually has lifetime warranty.

RAM fails from time to time, even with reputable brands.


However on another note, I find every sale that says, "We'll install XXX hardware upgrade for you," as an excuse for them to sell you a used machine as new.

 

[daneoni]

Either you didn't sit it properly or the RAM is crap. Komputer Bay is notorious for using rubbish chips a lot of the time, which is why they're so cheap. You literally are getting what you pay for.

 

[ndDesign]

Seller has offered to buy this RAM:

Corsair

Will this work better?

 

[T5BRICK]

Seller has offered to buy this RAM:

Corsair

Will this work better?

Did you read through the reviews? There are at least four reviews on the first page that confirm they work in Macs.