Maximum RAM for a MBP Core Duo?

[Ace King]

Hello people,

New to the board here, have been lurking around for a about a week or so.

I purchased a MBP Core Duo 15" 2.16 Ghz back in November primarily because im a college student and wanted something that i knew was worth it and also because i record music in my spare time so i figured this was a no brainer.

Im very happy with the purchase, i record on the MBP all the time.

i was just wondering what the MAX RAM that this laptop expands to? ive read around and looked at the buying RAM guide on here. So far, if im not mistaken, this model expands to 2GB and not 3GB? I orignally thought it was 3 but after seeing some articles around the web, they state 2GB, so i really just want to get a firm and final answer to i can max out my RAM.

Thanks in advance!

 

[coledog]

It's 3gb...according to Apple. Hopefully they know!

Congrats on the purchase!



I am going to correct myself...I'm not sure because it's a Core Duo. I need to work on my reading comprehension

 

[mBurns]

Coledog is mistaken..

I have a Core Duo 2.16 Ghz MacBook Pro. The maximum amount of ram that all Core Duos can hold is 2 gigs. I think it has something to do with the 32 bit chip architecture. The maximum ram the C2Ds can hold is 3 gigs. I hope this helps.

FYI -- I have 2 gigs in my machine. It rocks!

 

[zioxide]

I'm going to guess 3GB.. it runs on the same platform as the C2D one using the same chipset, so it should be able to address the same amount of ram.

 

[Ace King]

thank you both for the help. at first i thought it was 3, but liks mBurns stated, im pretty sure its 2GB max.

Well now that i know the maximum amounts, its time to go purchase the damn thing!

haha, i dont really NEED to max it out, but adding more RAM cant hurt me only help so im on my way to 2GB.

thanks alot !

 

[coledog]

Coledog is mistaken..

I have a Core Duo 2.16 Ghz MacBook Pro. The maximum amount of ram that all Core Duos can hold is 2 gigs. I think it has something to do with the 32 bit chip architecture. The maximum ram the C2Ds can hold is 3 gigs. I hope this helps.

FYI -- I have 2 gigs in my machine. It rocks!

Yup, I wrote too quickly...I stand corrected!
I was just reading this from an Amazon review:
"One of the best thing that apple did is that they installed 1 gb ram in one slot, which enable you to upgrade to 2 GB of ram with ease."

Sorry about all the confusion!

 

[zioxide]

Coledog is mistaken..

I have a Core Duo 2.16 Ghz MacBook Pro. The maximum amount of ram that all Core Duos can hold is 2 gigs. I think it has something to do with the 32 bit chip architecture. The maximum ram the C2Ds can hold is 3 gigs. I hope this helps.

FYI -- I have 2 gigs in my machine. It rocks!

32-bit chip architecture can address up to 3.4 GB of ram, which is the limit for the current C2Ds. Since the CD and the current C2Ds run on the same platform and chipset (Centrino Napa, Intel 945), they should be able to address the same amount of ram, which should be about 3.4 GB. Of course, Apple just says 3GB because it would be a waste to get another GB and only be able to use 40% of it.

 

[Ace King]

ok, seems like theres some disaggreement with this issue which is why i brought it up, because i myself wasnt sure what the max would be.

im not on my MBP at the moment, and will not be until tonight. is there anyway i can check on the mac what the max is?

if i go to "About this mac", will that tell me ?

 

[coledog]

I'm not sure how to check on your Mac...I would recommend possibly waiting until tomorrow and calling Apple. (1-800-275-2273) Ask them what the max for a Core Duo MBP is.

 

[Ace King]

cool beans...waiting till tomorrow isnt a sweat. id rather wait and get exactly what i need more than rushing and feeling stupid..

and thank u for listing their phone number. All the feedback is appreciated

 

[mBurns]

I'm positive it's 2 gigs. When I bought my machine, I not only asked the salesman, but also checked with the genius bar. I'm almost 100% sure their official amount was 2 gigs, but Apple tends to under-estimate their official ram totals so it could take 3 gigs.

Let me know how this turns out. I'm interested in hearing..

This was bugging me so I decided to look into it further...

I went on to the Apple Support site at looked up the Core Duo technical info.

The following came directly from the MBP Core Duo 15 inch tech overview:

"For a performance improvement when working with large fi les, two easy-access slots
allow you to upgrade your MacBook Pro with up to 2GB of memory. And if both slots
are loaded with an equal amount of RAM, you can take advantage of the system’s
dual-channel memory architecture for an additional performance boost. With a dual-
channel memory interface, both banks of SDRAM can be addressed at the same time,
enabling MacBook Pro to reach a memory throughput of up to 10.7 GBps."

 

[HFU]

It's 2GB for MBP CD. 2 banks of 1GB module.