Upgrading memory

[danaeris]

When an apple laptop's specs say "supports up to 2GB memory", if I put in 4 GB memory would it be able to use it?

And, when a computer's system bus speed is 667 MHz, can it use memory faster than that (such as 1066 MHz)?

Likewise, if a computer originally shipped with DDR2 memory, can it use DDR3 memory?

Comments

[laura47.livejournal.com]

on the 4 g memory: i think that is a hard limit. if it is not, i totally need to upgrade, but i think peter told me that it's a serious limit.

[sol3.livejournal.com]

It depends on the hardware. For some machines, the 2 gig limit was simply because it took 2 so-dimms and 2 gig so-dimms didn't exist at the time - and so those could take 4 gigs of ram. You'd need to provide a bit more details on the hardware in question though, to find out for sure.

Generally speaking, you can use faster ram in slower systems.

DDR3 ram is not compatible with systems that want DDR2 ram.

Finally - Macbook pros post-2007 can actually use up to 6 gigs of ram. I have 6 in my MBP from the summer of 2007 right now, and it rocks (one 4 gig so-dimm and one 2 gig). Alas, it can't take 8 because the chipset/VM controller can only deal with six. Don't ask me why.

[nathanjw]

4GB is a bad bet; often the memory controller chipset just can't do that, or not enough of the pins are wired up to make it work. So I'd tend to trust that information. What sol3 said about the limits being in terms of what exists today is occasionally true but you shouldn't expect it. Faster of the same type will be fine (but not faster than the controller's max speed); a different type (and ddr3/ddr2 are different) won't. Probably won't even physically fit; they tend to juggle the connector arrangement when changes like that happen.

[coraon.livejournal.com]

you have a mac, the answer to all the questions is you have to take it to the mac store anyway to get it installed.

re: DDR3

[etherial.livejournal.com]

I have a stick that has been lying uselessly on my desk since I bought my mini.