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'Secret' Firmware Update Unlocks Support for 8 GB RAM on 'Late 2008' Notebooks

Work in Leopard

Any idea if this will work under 10.5.8? My boot rom matches up, but I haven't upgraded to SL because I don't want to break the functionality of my Duel Adapter to read/copy Panasonic P2 cards - essentially my reason for getting this model, the last 15" w/ an express card slot!

Thanks,

David
 
Can anyone tell me what kind of RAM I have to buy for a late 2008 MBP? On Crucial it won't tell me because their website thinks that this machine only supports 4 GB... Can I just get the 8GB RAM kit for the mid-2009 MBPs?
 
Been running 8gb in my late 08 2.53ghz MBP for 3 months now with no ill-effects.

If you use photoshop and any VM app at the same time it's easy to bump into your max ram. As I type I'm checking my activity monitor and I only have 165mb free/1.63gb inactive.
 
LimeiBook86 said:
I have a 2.66 15" Late 2008 MacBook Pro, my firmware matches the upgraded listing to allow 8GB of RAM. Pretty cool :)
Click to expand...

AFAIK, the 2.66 has always accepted 8GB. I've been running 8GB in my Late 2008 2.66 for quite some time with no issues.
 
I just put 8 gig in mine

I just read this story this morning. Went and bought some ram a few hours later. Works like a charm.
 
Same Spec

baryon said:
Can anyone tell me what kind of RAM I have to buy for a late 2008 MBP? On Crucial it won't tell me because their website thinks that this machine only supports 4 GB... Can I just get the 8GB RAM kit for the mid-2009 MBPs?
Click to expand...

I didin't get my ram from crucial, but I did use that spec from their site for the ram. Just match the spec of the ram and you should be fine.


I just got 2 of these:http://www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/44639/Corsair-Memory-4GB-SODIMM-DDR3-1066MHZ-204-pin
 
throttlemeister said:
Boohoo. ;)

How many page ins? Close to or over a million? If the # of page outs is < half # of page ins, there is absolutely no reason at all to upgrade memory. It won't make your system any faster or better responsive. If it is more than half, your system could use a memory upgrade and the closer the two numbers are together, the higher your need for memory.

Number of page outs are completely irrelevant and don't mean diddle squat, unless viewed in relation to the number of page ins.
Click to expand...

Can you enlighten us a bit more as to where you get these proportions? Looking at my 4GB MBA I see that there is nearly no free RAM, the page ins are at 1.52GB, and the page outs are a measly 22.6 MB with a swap of 6 MB. How does no free RAM equate with your rational above?
 
Does this also apply to the late 2008/early 2009 white macbook? Or am I still limited to 4GB?

Edit: Nevermind. Reread again saw that the article stated alum Macbooks. I guess I just got a little excited there. At first glance, thought the artice was talking about all Macbooks in general...
 
Last edited:
throttlemeister said:
Boohoo. ;)

How many page ins? Close to or over a million? If the # of page outs is < half # of page ins, there is absolutely no reason at all to upgrade memory. It won't make your system any faster or better responsive. If it is more than half, your system could use a memory upgrade and the closer the two numbers are together, the higher your need for memory.

Number of page outs are completely irrelevant and don't mean diddle squat, unless viewed in relation to the number of page ins.
Click to expand...

It's 1.5 Million Page Ins and 83,053 page outs (just took a new reading, same as yesterday) IT'S HEARTBREAKING!!!! Don't worry little Mac, OWC has more RAM on the way...
 
Seems to work!

Just received my 8GB upgrade from Crucial this morning and have had it installed all day. Seems to work fine and everything v. quick!

I have a Late-2008 MBP 2.8GHz.
 
Any success with late 2008 MB (not MBP)?

Just wondering if anyone has upgraded to 8GB with the regular MacBook (not the pro). I saw people talking about it above but didn't see where anyone was successful.

Also, would it take the same exact RAM as the Pro?
 
roccitman said:
Just wondering if anyone has upgraded to 8GB with the regular MacBook (not the pro). I saw people talking about it above but didn't see where anyone was successful.

Also, would it take the same exact RAM as the Pro?
Click to expand...

I took 8 GB of OWC RAM out of a 17" Macbook Pro and put it in my 2008 Aluminum Unibody Macbook (NOT pro) and it works wonderfully. I have not tried putting all 8GB in a white macbook.
 
I just bought 8GB Kingston DDR3 RAM and put it into my Late 2008 Macbook Unibody. Works fine so far. :D
 
Late 2008 2.8 Memory Upgrade

mikeydelamonde said:
Just received my 8GB upgrade from Crucial this morning and have had it installed all day. Seems to work fine and everything v. quick!

I have a Late-2008 MBP 2.8GHz.
Click to expand...

Mikey, I also have a late 2008, 2.8 Ghz machine, can you tell me the web url or part number of the 8 GB memory you ordered from Crucial.

Thanks
 
I still regret not jumping on that $65 Crucial 8 GB ram from about a month back! One of these days...
 
Reporting another successful upgrade

Working flawlessly and feels like a new machine.
I highly recommend it.
Should carry me at least another year.
 
After reading through this thread I went ahead and ordered 8GB of ram, upgrading from 4GB. I'm hoping it helps my load times in Starcraft II.
 
So they had it limited intentionally until recently with this update? I don't get it. Why was it limited to 6 until now? It's not like anything was added to the hardware by magical pixies while we slept. It looks like it was intentionally limited to 6 when it could have been 8 the entire time.
 
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