Aluminum MacBooks don’t like memory upgrades
Macs are notorious for being intolerant when it comes to memory upgrades. They have been known for years to start exhibiting problems when RAM goes bad and especially when third party RAM upgrades are installed. Savvy Mac owners know there are a few vendors that produce RAM modules that work fine in Macs and know that to use RAM modules from other sources is asking for trouble.
I was aware of this reputation so when I decided to upgrade my new aluminum MacBook to 4 GB I played it safe and bought the memory from Crucial. Crucial memory has long been acceptable to use in Macs and I expected no problems from the upgrade. That was overly optimistic as it turned out. Continue on for the upgrade experience details.
I installed the 4 GB of RAM with no problems yesterday afternoon and used the MacBook fine all evening. Today I started using it and everything went fine until the system froze. Nothing was really running other than background processes but the MB froze. I had to manually power down and back up again which worked OK. The system eventually froze again and I started getting a bad feeling. A reboot fixed the problem again after which the MB ran for another half hour. That’s when the screen got all garbled with noise and hung up a third time.
I was beginning to suspect the memory upgrade to be the root of this problem as the Mac had run fine until upgrading the RAM. I went online and searched and entered a world of surpise. I found an Apple support forum where a large discussion is ongoing about the difficulty many are having upgrading the MacBook RAM. Many folks have tried upgrading the RAM in their new MacBooks using modules from acceptable vendors like Crucial and OWC only to have their Macs start exhibiting the same symptoms as mine. A number of people have tried exchanging the memory for other brands only to have the problem return.
The reports indicate that as soon as the original RAM, which happens to be Samsung branded modules in my case, is reinstalled the Macs run just fine again. Some folks have found luck using OWC branded RAM, others find Crucial RAM works fine, and others can’t get any third party RAM to work. The folks who end up returning the third party RAM and visiting Apple to purchase an "official" upgrade see their problems go away. It seems that the Samsung RAM that Apple has commissioned Samsung to produce must be manufactured to more stringent tolerance than the RAM other folks produce.
This is a bit surprising as I have not seen any reports of RAM problems appearing anywhere. It was only when I specifically suspected the cause of this problem and went searching for it that I found out it’s a bigger problem than I thought. I have not checked to see if the new MacBook Pros have the same difficulty so it may be more widespread than this. Interestingly Apple shows no memory upgrades are available online for the new MacBook or MacBook Pros so I wonder if they know something?
I upgraded my Late 2008 (Aluminum) MacBook to 4GB of RAM using Crucial memory and have had no problems for about 7 weeks now.
I purchased the RAM from NewEgg. Here is a link to the type of RAM that I installed:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148191
upgraded to 4GB OWC on my 2.4 macbook. I hope I don’t see the problems you wrote about.
Rick, that’s the same Crucial memory I got. Some folks are not having problems with 3rd party RAM, but many are.
Why is it everytime you do something its the vendors (Apple) fault? First of all you are BREAKING your warranty. Secondly if you do order your RAM order the correct one!!!
actually, you are not voiding your warrenty by installing new ram, even if it is third party. if you read the macbook instruction guide it tells you how to do it
I also upgraded my 2.4GHz Alu Macbook with 4GB memory from MacSales(OWC) without any problem. I think the problem is just with Crucial’s chipset.
FWIW, I have always had great results with OWC memory modules, all the way back to my G3 PowerBook days…
Is upgrading Ram breaking warranty in the US? It’s not in Australia. Not unless the RAM you install causes another problem or breaks something else.
Gordon
So far so good for me. Does anyone know if this really is widespread, i.e. hundreds of thousands (5% or more) of owners or it it more likely hundreds?
On the forums, some are having problems with OWC RAM too. This is not restricted to just one party’s modules.
Jeff, this article said nothing about it being Apple’s fault. Plus, upgrading the RAM does not void the warranty. And third, the RAM I ordered is in fact the correct one. It’s working for some folks but not for others. Which is what the article indicated.
@jeff
Easy big fella. Upgrading ram on a portable mac hasn’t been “BREAKING” your warranty for a long time and I’m sure JK got the right kind of ram. As the article clearly states macs are notorious for being super-picky about ram.
Just another reason to NOT buy a Mac.
I’ve used OWC’s guaranteed RAM on a G4, G5 and MacBook Pro.
Never a hint of a problem.
Maybe they just sprinkled some pixie dust on the Apple branded Samsung memory for it to run perfect…
RAM upgrades can be notorious, even for PC notebooks, which is why it is the one thing I never skimp on today when configuring a laptop – Always order with the maximum amount allowable. I’ve never owned an Apple, however, so if Apple isn’t offering an upgrade for a particular model, I would say it either doesn’t support higher RAM (quote me wrong here if you like) or it requires memory incompatible with existing modules, and Apple has yet to procure higher capacity samples.
It’s too bad Crucial modules are playing up in your unit James, I’ve used their modules for years now and have never had any issues.
I’ve been buying Mac RAM from Ramjet.com for over 10 years. They have never sold me a bad stick.
I upgraded my new 2.4Ghz Aluminum Macbook with their 4GB kit and everything has been working great.
Although I have purchase RAM from Crucial in the past, I always suggest Ramjet as your first source. If there IS anything special about Apple RAM, they seem to have a handle on it.
You posted this just after I ordered 4GB from Crucial for my new MacBook. I guess I’ll see how you go for a couple of days before installing it. I have 7 days in which to return it under UK distance selling regulations, provided I don’t open it.
I’ve also just ordered (and today installed) a 4Gb kit for my Alu Macbook…
I’ll be carrying a screwdriver and my old Apple RAM for a few days just to be sure… but Phil, you should bear in mind that Crucial offer a lifetime warranty. I’ve used it in the past to get a refund on RAM that turned out not to be 100% compatible.
Not a great start… an hour or so after installing the RAM, my Macbook drops off my wifi network. Stopping and starting the Airport adapter gets me another ten minutes before it drops again.
I’ve reinstalled the original RAM and it’s been working properly for a couple of hours now.
More testing after I return from Sweden.
Upgrading memory often requires doing a PRAM reset — at least it used to be that way with earlier models. Have you tried that with your MacBook Pro to see if it helps?
Hi Folks,
One of the BIG things that many people overlook is static damage to RAM. If you wore your synthetic underwear this morning or walk across the carpet to install your RAM you can potentially cause damage to the fragile silicon from about an inch away. You won’t see a spark or hear a pop of discharge because contact does not even need to be made and by the time you do feel that spark voltages are so high damage is certain.
The funny thing about static damage is that it will not necessarily break your RAM completely. It will tend to cause it to give up the wrong answer occassionally … maybe something like 1 time in a million … maybe enough to cause your Macbook to lock up weekly or hourly. And it will act like a gremlin in your machine seeming to come and go as it pleases.
So the rules for installing your own RAM are – get your RAM from a good source one that has not handled it without proper static protection (small suppliers and chain stores are notorious for not training staff in anti static procedures). Earth yourself against the laptop chassis before opening the packet. Open the packet, pick up the RAM, gorund yourself again to the chasis with the opposite hand. Insert RAM. I bet you guys will find a higher success rate.
I believe one of the reasons old macbooks used to have a very high RAM failure rate is it was very had to accidently ground yourself due to the all plastic casing. Most PC laptops expose metal on the underside to assist in cooling and accidental grounding to remove your static during disassembly is common.
The businesses we consult to we generally recommend they get static matting and ion generators to aleviate the need for these procautions. This is one of the big differences in PCs from the likes of Dell, HP and IBM – assembly in quality and static controlled environments.
I had an experience with the same upgrade issue but a different conclusion was reached. I has 2 identical Aluminium MacBooks both purchased at the same time, both upgraded with the same brand 3rd party ram. Only 1 of the 2 started to exhibit the freezing and hanging issue. I took it back to my reseller who confirmed the issue (Machine worked fine with 2GB of ram but not 4GB and after ruling out the ram was “Faulty” (As it worked fine when swapped into a MacBook they had) decided to replace the Logicboard of the affected machine. Since then even with the same 3rd party ram installed that originally caused the hangs and freezes, the fault has not returned. This has lead me to believe that there could be an issue with the memory controller on the logicboard itself, not a problem with the ram. An interesting note with my situation was that the machine worked fine with either of the 2GB modules installed, just not with both.
Apple’s price for RAM has decreased.
JK
The Crucial link you have in your piece here links to DDR2 MacBook memory.
The new Aluminum MacBooks use DDR3 memory, which is at this link:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=MacBook%202.4GHz%20Intel%20Core%202%20Duo%20%2813-inch%20DDR3%29%20MB467LL/A
God, I hope your memory issues isn’t related to something as elementary as having purchased DDR2 memory instead of DDR3!
BTW, Crucial sells a 4GB kit for $126. Apple will ship the system with 4GB for $150. Time to post an update about new RAM prices from Apple.
I have fixed the link. I assure you, I purchased DDR3 RAM, DDR2 wouldn’t even work at all. I am not the only person having this problem as the article states, many people are having the same problem and using different brand RAM. Not everyone who buys a particular brand is having problems with it.
Welcome to NVidia. Anyone who has used an NVidia performance chipset will tell you they are the pickiest, more unstable stuff around. But it you cross your t’s and dot your NVidia i’s – it is fast and can be made stable (usually).
Generic ram from Crucial won’t cut it, plain and simple. Add to that Crucial today is not what it was a few years ago. Unless Crucial specifically rates a specific part for a specific system, it’s generic and it’s a hit or miss problem for these systems.
For these new unibody systems I’d suggest sticking with proven high performance ram that is produced to a consistent spec from specialists like OCZ and Corsair. Perhaps the higher performance parts from G.Skill and Patriot. DDR-3 can be very unforgiving with regard to the system it is used in. Timings, voltages and numerous other factors greatly impact it’s stability and compatibility – much more so than DDR-2 or DDR and especially with systems that requires a very tight and specific spec to function, as with NVidia.
As for suggesting Apple might be hiding an issue – not really. No question that NVidia is a much tougher system to reliably spec than Intel, but Apple has spec’d a part and they sell it. What you put into it on your own is really more your problem than Apple’s if you aren’t using the Apple spec’d part.
IMO Apple did us no favor in going with a 1st gen NVidia platform (1st mobile platform for them) over Montevina.
My 4GB arrived from Crucial this morning. I’ve decided not to install it. I’m going off to the local Apple Store this afternoon to get them to install the 4GB upgrade. They will do it for £4 more than I paid at Crucial and I’d rather have peace of mind having read about the problems others have had.
Apple is not only using Samsung-RAM in the new MacBooks. Mine came with Hynix-RAM.
I upgraded to 4 GB with the same Hynix-RAMs Apple is using. But it did freeze, too.
I think, Apple is using a third brand of RAM in some countries.
Next time I’ll try the Samsung-RAMs. Hopefully they will work better.
Shame on Apple for this.
It would help alot if Apple would say something to this issue. But they don’t. That is so lame.
Sounds like a real bag of hurt.
Well my memory upgrade from the Apple Store is now complete. I’m really pleased I went there in the end since they also took into account the change in UK VAT that happened just after I bought my MacBook. That meant the upgrade cost £74 as opposed to the £98 I paid for the RAM from Crucial. I’m pleased UK consumer law allows a 7 day cooling off period on all internet sales
From our own testing customer support – we believe that the issue is most likely with the actual MacBook Pro Unibody itself. There are wide reports on the Apple forums of units even shipped direct from Apple with 4GB factory installed having these problems.
Essentially with only 2GB installed – the machine really isn’t being ‘tested’. It’s when you have 4GB (or 6GB) that bottlenecks are reduced to where the processors can run up more to full potential.
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/Macbook_Pro_15_Memory_Benchmarks
With that said – if there is a problem with the system, it is more likely to become evident when it’s at a higher level of operation. Having 4GB of memory allows that higher level of operation.
In one recent tracked case, our customer got a replacement from Apple and the replacement had no further issue with 4GB of memory. The memory is not the problem… be it a hardware problem or something Apple will resolve with a firmware update (although that would be interesting since this is affecting only a small percentage of units (very high percentage in terms of consideration of these actually factory defective unibodies) to expect a firmware solution) – the issue is one for Apple to resolve.
I commented on Macnn sometime ago when they mentioned the issue:
http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/10/30/ram.and.macbook.crashes/
Also – of interest, the frequency of this issue being reported has been declining. In my opinion, this is an Apple hardware issue and it appears to be resolved with more recent productions.
Just a small update… re-installed the 4gb of RAM, updated the firmware that was recently released…
No wireless problems… so far.
same problem.
i ordered 2x 2GB DDR2 chips for my 1st gen macbook pro from OWC
installed them, no startup sound, no boot.
replace them with stock 1GB chip, restart, no problem.
can’t mix the 1Gb apple and the either 2gb OWC either.
I am having the same problem with my brand new macbook 2.4GHz. i didnot check with 2GB ram the one provided by apple. i bought kingston 2 x 2Gb ram, after installation, i am having a problem. the system get crash and with cur cur cur sound. i pressed power button for a while to turn of my book.
I don’t know, what to do now. please help me. i have spent lot of money for my macbook. looking for solution.
Hi!
Bought my Macbook Alu w/2GB at Amazon 2 Weeks ago.
Then ordered Kingston KTA-MB1066K2/4G Kit, which Kigstons memory configurator suggesta as Macbook Alu compatible.
With the 4GB Kingston modules I get crashes after some minutes watching DVD oder Videotrailers. Screen scrambles an then I have to do a power off.
Using 3GB only it works fine – same problem as described.
In another feed I read that they changed the logic board to solve the problem. Maybe only some revisions have this problem?
Anyone found a solution or maybe is it a problem of the logic board?
hi!
r u sure that, it works good with 3gb ram. if it works good, i will upgrade my mac.
I just got my 4GB Cosair Ram came in today. I was so excited to put the new memories to the Alumium Macbook 13.3 2.0mhz. After about 1/3 an hour the screen froze as the article described. It keeps happening for 3 times now.
*At first i thought that i was prob running too many applications which might cause the cpu or video card heat up and froze. Addition to that i might block the air circulation in the system (which is rare because i never expericence that)
*Then I thought about the memory that i just installed might caused this. I went to research and found this article.
What should I do? return the memory i just purchased? Cosair a good brand for RAM? (I thought it was) Crucial and OWC is recommended?
i have replaced my 4gb ram to 2gb ram now. it is working fine. my opinion is better dont go for 4gb ram. i wasted 64 pounds for ram it self.
sai.
2xGB DDR3 1067
OK working better faster
BANK 0/DIMM0:
Size: 2 GB
Type: DDR3
Speed: 1067 MHz
Status: OK
Manufacturer: 0×014F
Part Number: 0×54533235364D534B36345631552020202020
Serial Number: 0×0007F3B0
BANK 0/DIMM1:
Size: 2 GB
Type: DDR3
Speed: 1067 MHz
Status: OK
Manufacturer: 0×014F
Part Number: 0×54533235364D534B36345631552020202020
Serial Number: 0×0007F223
thought i would put my 2 cents in ….. upgraded my late 2008 macbook with 4 gigs of owc ram and is running just fine…… good luck to everybody…
I have an Alum MB that I just installed 4GB from OWC and I am now having problems. It won’t wake up from sleep when I open it, and I have to restart it. ARRRRGHH!
I tried 4GB corsair memory and my system froze too.
I change back the original 2GB..
Can I put ddr2 in this macbook ??
No.
Always, always, zap the PRAM after installing memory. I’m using Crucial 4GB with no issues. I’ve been buying Macs since 1984 and i do not agree at all that Macs have any more issues with memory than any other type of computer. As an IT architect with 18 years experience I have seen countless desktop and server boxes have issues with memory including memory supplied directly by the vendor.
I think these problems have been going on for long before the recent macbooks. My old powerbook 15″ had the same problem back in 2005, random freezes, after I installed new memory.
In that case, I had added a 1gb chip to go along with the 1gb factory chip to give me 2gb.
But here’s the catch: The problem, as I discovered, WASTN’T entirely that the new ram was bad. I know that because when I replaced the factory chip with another new 1gb chip exactly the same make as the other new one, the powerbook ran fine forever after.
So my conclusion was that the powerbook was rejecting the ram because the two chips weren’t the SAME MAKE, and NOT because one of the chips in and of themselves, was bad.
Rather odd indeed.
I have just installed 2 x 2GB Kingston RAM into my MacBook Pro 15″ – and I have exactly the same symptoms as JK had right at the top. It works for a bit then everything crashes completely. The problem hasn’t gone away – that’s for sure
Curious if you’re running Leopard or Snow Leopard. I did the upgrade after Snow Leopard and haven’t had a single problem.
Over a month ago I upgraded the MacBook to Snow Leopard and tried the same memory that was failing in this article. It’s been working fine for all that time, the only difference being Snow Leopard.