Why is the Core Duo Macbook Pro limited to 2GB?

[MGLXP]

Hi,

I was wondering why the Macbook Pro with the Intel Core Duo is limited to 2GB while the new Core 2 Duo MBP is limited to 3GB. I thought they both used the Intel 945PM chipset. So do you guys think that it would be possible to put 3GB into a previous generation MBP and have OS X recognize it? I wouldn't mind putting 3GB into my MBP as I'm having Page Out problems with 2GB while running Parallels and other PowerPC programs like Office and Photoshop. Thanks.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

Hi,

I was wondering why the Macbook Pro with the Intel Core Duo is limited to 2GB while the new Core 2 Duo MBP is limited to 3GB. I thought they both used the Intel 945PM chipset. So do you guys think that it would be possible to put 3GB into a previous generation MBP and have OS X recognize it? I wouldn't mind putting 3GB into my MBP as I'm having Page Out problems with 2GB while running Parallels and other PowerPC programs like Office and Photoshop. Thanks.

I doubt that the previous generation macbook pro is capable of taking 3GB of RAM. if that were the case we definitely wouldve seen one with that much in it by now.

 

[garfield2002]

This question was addressed yesterday. There was a link in the thread to someone who tried.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/245324/

 

[Eraserhead]

Hi,

I was wondering why the Macbook Pro with the Intel Core Duo is limited to 2GB while the new Core 2 Duo MBP is limited to 3GB. I thought they both used the Intel 945PM chipset. So do you guys think that it would be possible to put 3GB into a previous generation MBP and have OS X recognize it? I wouldn't mind putting 3GB into my MBP as I'm having Page Out problems with 2GB while running Parallels and other PowerPC programs like Office and Photoshop. Thanks.

Basically after reading the Ars thread the chipset can support 4GB but only at 533Mhz and Apple's computers cannot support that RAM because of EFI

 

[MGLXP]

This question was addressed yesterday. There was a link in the thread to someone who tried.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/245324/

Thanks for the link.

 

[NJuul]

I would love to know the answer to why the core duo doesn't support 3 gigs.
As far as I can tell both CD and C2D use the same logic board. The CD is well capable of handling 3 gigs, so there should be no reason why the CD shouldn't support the same amount of memory. Except if Apple have crippled them deliberately to push the C2D as "capable of handling more memory".

 

[Sayer]

The components that make up the motherboard must be able to address physical memory addresses of some range, currently 3 GB for the new MacBook Pros.

While the CPU may be able to address more RAM, there are discrete chips on the motherboard that actually connect physically to the RAM modules. Sometimes these discrete chips have limits because of their design (max. number of addresses they can use) or other technical reasons (newer RAM specs that were not available when the chip was selected/designed).

Apple engineers design the computers way in advance, in some cases a year or more before release. With the rapid changes in PC tech, the physical limits of technology (power/size/capacity) and scarcity of ultra-big RAM modules the engineers make compromises.

This is not a "scam" by any means, it is the reality of designing a very complex electronic system with massive time-to-market constraints (and the perfectionist running the company). You have to ship at some point, you can keep waiting for chip tech to catch up to your expectations.

If you think you can do better designing a MacBook Pro motherboard, by all means go apply to Apple.

 

[NJuul]

If they use the same chip-set, the C2D is just a drop-in replacement. So there should be no reason why the old one shouldn't support the same amount of memory, especially as they take the same memory modules.
Btw, I didn't suggest it was a scam. It's all business