change both sticks of RAM at same time?

[latigid]

I'm getting a MBP 2.16ghz C2D pretty soon loaded with the base 1 gig of ram.

Could I just get a generic 1 gig card for the other RAM slot or would I need to buy 2 cards of the same brand RAM and replace them at the same time.

Are there any known advantages of keeping both slots filled with the same exact brand of RAM?

Sorry if this has been covered but I searched and couldn't find the answer.

 

[CanadaRAM]

You should be OK getting a second 1 Gb module, as long as it is a MacBook compatible module. The 2 modules have to be the same size and speed, of course.

If you really want, you can wait until the Mac gets there, open it and see what brand Apple used, then canvass the third party sellers for a module of the same brand.

As always, choose a reputable seller who knows Macs instead of a PC generic seller or discounter or random dude from eBay.

(Technically, the RAM does not have to be the same brand to make a matched pair, it just has to match in terms of speed, size and 'composition', which is how the chips are arranged logically on the module. You don't have much hope of determining composition from where you sit, so you'd have to chance that)

 

[grapes911]

If you have matched pairs, then the computer can run dual channel. You'll get a little extra performance boost, but nothing extremely noticeable. More RAM will generally outperform dual channel with less RAM.

On a side note, I'd never put generic RAM in a Mac. Macs are picky about RAM specs. I'd only shop from a retailer/manufacturer who guarantees the RAM will work in your particular Mac.

 

[latigid]

thanks for the quick reply.

Are there any real advantages to using the same brand though or is it just percieved piece of mind for later on

down the road?

edit: thanks grapes911.

I've been reading through a lot of the RAM threads on here and I'm getting a lot of useful, albeit conflicting info.

 

[mattscott306]

Not to hijack the thread but is there a way to tell if your MBP is running dual channel?

 

[rogersmj]

Not to hijack the thread but is there a way to tell if your MBP is running dual channel?

Do you have two identical memory modules in there? Then it's running dual channel.

To the OP: they don't have to be the same brand, and they don't have to be the same size. Just the same type: DDR2-667 SO-DIMM. Make sure you buy it from a place that will accept returns easily in case it doesn't work -- or buy from a place that guarantees compatibility in the first place.

 

[Eric1285]

I got a 1GB stick of G.Skill ram from Newegg. Lots of reviews up on Newegg said it worked fine with the MBP and MB, so I went for it. Got here, popped it in, and it works flawlessly. Great price too at $75 shipped.

 

[tivoboy]

2 sticks

I'm getting a MBP 2.16ghz C2D pretty soon loaded with the base 1 gig of ram.

Could I just get a generic 1 gig card for the other RAM slot or would I need to buy 2 cards of the same brand RAM and replace them at the same time.

Are there any known advantages of keeping both slots filled with the same exact brand of RAM?

Sorry if this has been covered but I searched and couldn't find the answer.

don't the macbooks and mbp come with 2 sticks of 512? It makes upgrading a bit of a pain.

 

[latigid]

mbp comes with 1 gig stick and 1 free slot.

mb comes with 2 512 cards, one in each slot.

 

[TheBrazilianGuy]

I got a 1GB stick of G.Skill ram from Newegg. Lots of reviews up on Newegg said it worked fine with the MBP and MB, so I went for it. Got here, popped it in, and it works flawlessly. Great price too at $75 shipped.

I saw this offer and I am about to jump on it.

Does anyone have benchmarks comparing the jump from 1Gb to 2Gb on
the portable line ? I remember someone posted a link about the speed
differences somewhere else.

 

[grapes911]

Does anyone have benchmarks comparing the jump from 1Gb to 2Gb on the portable line ? I remember someone posted a link about the speed differences somewhere else.

There performance difference cannot be accurately measured with a benchmark. It really depends on what you use your Mac for and how you use it. The typical user will rarely need over 1GB of RAM. Unless of course, they leave every App open all the time. A good check is to periodically look at your Activity Monitor and check your RAM usage. If you constantly have 300+ MB of RAM available, then extra RAM will probably not do anything for you.

 

[thegrandmaster]

If you fired this into a new MBP 2.16 C2D would it run dual channel?

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=8A03DE80A5CA7304