What is the max ram Macbook pro 2.5ghz can take?

[iangibson]

Hardware Overview:

Hey hey, just wondering what is the maxmum and type of RAM I can install in this puppy. I wanna go big, any tips? What brand is the best?

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP41.00C1.B03
SMC Version: 1.27f1
Serial Number: YD84*********
Sudden Motion Sensor:
State: Enabled


Thanks!

 

[rdowty]

The new models max out a 6GB.

 

[GGJstudios]

Hardware Overview:
Hey hey, just wondering what is the maxmum and type of RAM I can install in this puppy. I wanna go big, any tips? What brand is the best? ...

You'll find answers to this and many other commonly asked questions under the Guides tab at the top of this page:

• Guides : Hardware: MR Guide to Buying RAM
• Guides : Hardware: MR Guide to Understanding Intel Mac RAM
• Apple charges more than double the price you would pay with other reputable RAM providers (for example, $200 for 4GB RAM.)
• A great source for Mac-compatible RAM is OWC. Their MacBook and MacBook Pro 4GB upgrade kit is $99 (£50). You can check their site for other configurations.
• Another source is Crucial memory from newegg.com.
• Installation for a Macbook or a MacBook Pro or a late-2008 MacBook Pro (page 42) or iMac is easy and does not void the Apple Warranty or the AppleCare Protection Plan, unless you damage something in the process.

If you have questions that these sources doesn't cover, you can check to see if it has been answered in another thread by doing a Google search of the forums. I hope this helps!

The new models max out a 6GB.

Try reading the specs from Apple's site:

 

[11800506]

The SR Macbook Pros, like the new ones only officially support up to 4 GB but unofficially they can use 6 GB without problems.

 

[Pr0digy]

Entering your mac's serial number here: http://www.appleserialnumberinfo.com will show you some handy info including max. amount of RAM for that machine.

 

[ru4real]

The SR Macbook Pros, like the new ones only officially support up to 4 GB but unofficially they can use 6 GB without problems.

6GB? That seems random... would that be 1 x 2GB + 1 x 4GB? Why would 6GB work, but not 8? I'm not questioning whether you're right, just how it works

 

[Neolithium]

Holy thread resurrection batman!

 

[gnasher729]

6GB? That seems random... would that be 1 x 2GB + 1 x 4GB? Why would 6GB work, but not 8? I'm not questioning whether you're right, just how it works

The explanation: Every computer is built to have a certain amount of "address space", usually 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and so on. That address space is mostly used by RAM, but some space is needed for things like video card and other hardware. So a computer with 8 GB address space _cannot_ use 8 GB of RAM, maybe only 7.5 GB.

Now if your computer has 8 GB address space, which is not enough to use 8 GB of RAM, and you put in 6 GB, then everything is fine. If you put in 8 GB of RAM (2 x 4 GB chips) then depending on precisely how the computer is designed, _one_ of the following three things _must_ happen:

1. The computer only uses the first chip because it cannot use both (4 GB).
2. The computer only uses the first chip and 3.5 GB of the second chip (7.5 GB).
3. The computer uses both chips, but because it cannot handle it, things go wrong (kaboom).

The old MacBooks seem to fit in category (3). The new MacBooks apparently have 16 GB or more address space, so they can handle 8 GB with no problem. If the old MacBooks had been designed a bit more clever, then you could have plugged in 8 GB and used 7.5 GB.