upgrading RAM in a 2008 Mac Pro

[reel2reel]

I'm using a MacPro3,1 at work with 4 x 2GB Apple memory. I want to upgrade it to 16GB. Is it possible to buy four more matching sticks, or am I better off just pulling it all and buying 16GB from OWC, so I know everything is matched?

 

[Hellhammer]

You can buy 4x2GB and use it with your Apple RAM without any issues. Need to use matched pairs is history and there shouldn't be any difference if you mix different brands

 

[DualShock]

Well, you still need to install them in matching pairs. Meaning, the 2 FB-DIMM's in each pair must match.

But each pair need not be from the same manufacturer.

 

[reel2reel]

OK, I see. Thanks! I thought the brands had to match and everything, but just the pairs need to match. That makes things easier.

 

[carl l]

That's a lot of memory, I didn't know that much was compatible. My MBP's been used for a lot of video editing and I've found 8GB handled it with ease. Out of interest, how come you need 16GB or is it a want thing (nothing wrong with that)?

My only complaint is this thing gets way hotter than anything I've had before. Can't be a good thing for longevity.

 

[DualShock]

That's a lot of memory, I didn't know that much was compatible. My MBP's been used for a lot of video editing and I've found 8GB handled it with ease. Out of interest, how come you need 16GB or is it a want thing (nothing wrong with that)?

My only complaint is this thing gets way hotter than anything I've had before. Can't be a good thing for longevity.

Mac Pro, not MacBook Pro

 

[carl l]

Mac Pro, not MacBook Pro

Ah, I'll get ma coat

 

[reel2reel]

That's a lot of memory, I didn't know that much was compatible. My MBP's been used for a lot of video editing and I've found 8GB handled it with ease. Out of interest, how come you need 16GB or is it a want thing (nothing wrong with that)?

My only complaint is this thing gets way hotter than anything I've had before. Can't be a good thing for longevity.

It's more a bottleneck when running multiple app's. Sometimes when I'm running multiple app's and rendering at the same time (if not rendering in two app's at once), it gets so I can't even scroll in firefox.

 

[666sheep]

It's more a bottleneck when running multiple app's. Sometimes when I'm running multiple app's and rendering at the same time (if not rendering in two app's at once), it gets so I can't even scroll in firefox.

Rendering is more CPU than RAM hungry. Of course more RAM will be better, but I doubt that with 16 GB you'll be able to scroll in Firefox better than before
(when you'll render in two apps at once).

 

[Caviar]

Im on a Mac Pro 2008 and have official Apple RAM installed (the actual brand was Hynix), and added Elixir RAM, a total of 12GB and hav'nt had any problems so far. Its been more than a year since I added the Elixir RAM.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Im on a Mac Pro 2008 and have official Apple RAM installed (the actual brand was Hynix), and added Elixir RAM, a total of 12GB and hav'nt had any problems so far. Its been more than a year since I added the Elixir RAM.

Same. Originally 2x1 GB, then added 4x2GB from OWC, no problems, for a total of 10 GB.

 

[reel2reel]

Rendering is more CPU than RAM hungry. Of course more RAM will be better, but I doubt that with 16 GB you'll be able to scroll in Firefox better than before
(when you'll render in two apps at once).

Just a bad example. My point is when those big app's get busy, my whole system lags, whether rendering or not. I could have MPEG Streamclip and Compressor encoding away and not get the lag. It's just that Color, FCP, probably AJA also are working together to eat up my memory. I've been using computers long enough to know what it feels like.

I see what you're saying, though. I'm running an 8-core 3.2, btw, fwiw.

 

[lannister80]

I have Apple, OWC, and iRAM brands in my 2008 Mac Pro (18GB). Works fine, no errors or issues.