2GB DIMM's

[kirk.davis]

How long do people think it will be before 2GB DIMM's are available for MacBook Pro's? I'm running at 512mb at the minute so clearly need an upgrade! I was going to buy a 1GB stick but I think if it's not going to be too long I would wait for the 2GB sticks?

 

[MRU]

How long do people think it will be before 2GB DIMM's are available for MacBook Pro's? I'm running at 512mb at the minute so clearly need an upgrade! I was going to buy a 1GB stick but I think if it's not going to be too long I would wait for the 2GB sticks?

2gb sticks are available NOW. The fact that they cost around $1700 each is the downside.

That's why Apple say the limit is 2gb rather than 4, simply because it would be unfeasaable of them to offer a $3500 memory upgrade on a consumer desktop or laptop.

All we can do is hold our breath and wait for the price to fall to a realistic figure.

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.Asp?IMODULE=CT25664AC667

 

[Artful Dodger]

2gb sticks are available NOW. The fact that they cost around $1700 each is the downside.

That's why Apple say the limit is 2gb rather than 4, simply because it would be unfeasaable of them to offer a $3500 memory upgrade on a consumer desktop or laptop.

All we can do is hold our breath and wait for the price to fall to a realistic figure.

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.Asp?IMODULE=CT25664AC667

Yeah, if the prices were lower (way lower) that would be nice to have 4GB of RAM in my iMac and not 2GB. I hope once the prices drop those sticks will work as that's really all I need to upgrade with, well more I mean

 

[kirk.davis]

Ok, thanks! I'll put my order in for a 1GB stick then!

 

[WildCowboy]

According to this thread, MBs and MBPs won't boot with more than 2 GB of RAM installed. The guy's machines will boot with just the 2 GB chip, but won't when he adds another 1 GB module.

And DMS has 2 GB sticks for $636.

 

[mmmcheese]

2gb sticks are available NOW. The fact that they cost around $1700 each is the downside.

That's why Apple say the limit is 2gb rather than 4, simply because it would be unfeasaable of them to offer a $3500 memory upgrade on a consumer desktop or laptop.

All we can do is hold our breath and wait for the price to fall to a realistic figure.

http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.Asp?IMODULE=CT25664AC667

Well, I don't know if it's as simple as that. Likely, Apple doesn't officially support more than 2GB but unofficially it will work....but there's always the chance that it won't actually work.

 

[mmmcheese]

According to this thread, MBs and MBPs won't boot with more than 2 GB of RAM installed. The guy's machines will boot with just the 2 GB chip, but won't when he adds another 1 GB module.

And DMS has 2 GB sticks for $636.

Well, that's DDR2-533 and Apple calls for DDR2-667. So if those specs are different, who knows what else is different (specs wise). There's a reason it is "cheap" and that may have a lot to do with it. Until someone has a pair of high quality 2GB DIMMs to play with, we won't know anything conclusive.

 

[WildCowboy]

Well, that's DDR2-533 and Apple calls for DDR2-667. So if those specs are different, who knows what else is different (specs wise). There's a reason it is "cheap" and that may have a lot to do with it. Until someone has a pair of high quality 2GB DIMMs to play with, we won't know anything conclusive.

Sorry...my bad. Linked to the wrong page. Here's the correct one...$671. DMS is very reputable and offer a lifetime guarantee on their modules.

 

[mmmcheese]

Sorry...my bad. Linked to the wrong page. Here's the correct one...$671. DMS is very reputable and offer a lifetime guarantee on their modules.

I wasn't questioning the reputation of DMS...most companies sell multiple qualities of parts. That pretty much looks like it's a generic brand. Until someone tries it with say a 4GB dual channel kit from Corsair or Crucial, the results are up in the air. All we know is that someone guy tried one cheap 2GB stick, and it didn't work...

I'm still hopeful...we just won't know until someone sits down with a few of these kits, a few MBPs and does some real thourough testing.

 

[Bill Gates]

It also may be that a firmware update is needed to support 4GB of RAM. It's physically supported so that may be the case.

 

[mmmcheese]

It also may be that a firmware update is needed to support 4GB of RAM. It's physically supported so that may be the case.

Well, the chipset physically supports it...if the 2GB DIMM has tighter requirements on trace length, for example, and Apple has not designed the logicboard to support all the way up to 2GB DIMMs, it may actually be a hardware issue.

I'm just speculating...but there is more going on than just whether or not the chipset supports it or not. The chipset supporting it is a huge step forward though, and there may be no difference in requirements between 2GB and 4GB of memory.

 

[vv-tim]

Any ram that costs more than $500 isn't "cheap". I'm sure they guarantee that thing to work on any computer that claims to support 4GB.

Just because it's not Crucial or Corsair doesn't mean it sucks (or for that matter -- just because it IS Crucial or Corsair doesn't mean it's great).

Most RAM companies make varying types of RAM for overclockers, not for normal users... and part of the different types of RAM is all about marketing -- not actual performance difference.

And the MacBook Pro runs fine on 533mhz ram. The chipset supports either. I'm running 2GB of 533.

 

[mmmcheese]

Any ram that costs more than $500 isn't "cheap". I'm sure they guarantee that thing to work on any computer that claims to support 4GB.

Just because it's not Crucial or Corsair doesn't mean it sucks (or for that matter -- just because it IS Crucial or Corsair doesn't mean it's great).

Most RAM companies make varying types of RAM for overclockers, not for normal users... and part of the different types of RAM is all about marketing -- not actual performance difference.

And the MacBook Pro runs fine on 533mhz ram. The chipset supports either. I'm running 2GB of 533.

Well, considering the going rate is $1500 per DIMM, $500 should be considered cheap. Also, Apple DOESN'T claim the Intel based Macs support 4GB...the opposite in fact.

I'm not saying that it won't work because it's generic...I'm just saying that to get a machine that unofficially doesn't support 4GB to work with that much, someone is going to have to sit down with all sorts of different quality of ram and try it out, not just one person who tried one stick of generic ram in a machine that doesn't officially support it.

Sure, 533MHz RAM may work in the machine, but site provides no other information. What are the latency timings, etc. on that stick? Officially, Apple says it must be DDR2-667...if you stray from that, it MAY cause problems. So if someone is testing a larger than supported DIMM, at lower than supportted speeds, with DIMMs of unknown quality, we can't make ANY conclusions about the support of Intel based Macs.

Not only that, you're missing the point...all I was saying is that someone needs to sit down with some high quality RAM that exceeds the specs required (possibly many different kits to try), and see if it's even possible to do with the absolute best equipment money can buy. Once it is show that it will work with that, then we can talk about finding some cheaper alternatives.