2011 MacBook Pro's support up to 16GB of RAM

[(un)reason]

Originally Posted by djanthonyw

Apple MacBook Pro Memory Upgrades and Drive Upgrades

It looks like the 2011 MBP's can run up to 16 GB of RAM. OWC is selling 12GB and 16GB RAM packages. There's a pretty big price jump though.

Seems about time. It was early 2009 when they introduced the 8gb models, and the sticks cost near $1000 at that point. Give it another couple, and they'll be dirt cheap and they'll start to bring in the 32gb ones, and then they'll have to switch to DDR4 for the iteration after that in 2015. Moores law continues to apply for the moment.

[BradLyons]

drooooooooooooooooool!

[6strings]

Before anyone gets too excited...

$1599 for two 8GB sticks.

When I get mine soon, I'll plan on living with the 8GB for a while...

[djanthonyw]

Yea, they are expensive, but they always are when they're first released. In a year or two they'll be affordable, about the same cost as the current 8GB set. The important thing is that the current MBP's do support this much RAM, which is 1/2 of what the current Mac Pro's support. Pretty awesome, desktop killers if you ask me.

[6strings]

Originally Posted by djanthonyw

Yea, they are expensive, but they always are when they're first released.

Sure, but in a year or two, we'll all be looking to sell while lusting after the newly-design MacBook Pro (rumored for 2012).

[djanthonyw]

Yes, but it's nice to know that these models do support up to 16 GB. Everyone was saying the max was 8 GB. I am certain that by next year the limit will not be any higher than 16.

[chazwood]

Originally Posted by djanthonyw

Pretty awesome, desktop killers if you ask me.

Would it be the 12 core 64 GB desktops that get killed?

[djanthonyw]

Sorry, but I didn't say they beat the hell out of everything. What I'm saying is that they without a doubt offer the performance of a desktop workstation and give anyone that usually works with a laptop and a desktop the convenience of just using a laptop. These new MBP's are as fast as some of the recent Mac Pro's.

[operaman]

Absolutely. You can use this as the central hub and use slave desktops with it. Now I have a mobile workstation so I do not have to transfer ideas. It is an awesome notebook. I am typing on the 17" 2.3ghz now.

By the way, the screen is BEAUTIFUL.

[zephonic]

IMO the MBPro can only be a desktop replacement with 512GB SSD. The internal HDD (even at 7200rpm) does not cut it for streaming large sample libraries. It is my understanding that SSD will ammelliate the internal HDD's inherent shortcomings. Hope it's true.

Still, with a 512GB SSD the MBPro is firmly in MacPro $$$ territory...

[Fred Story]

Why does Apple's website report that the new MB Pros only support 8gb of RAM? Interesting that OWC has updated their site with 16gb options, and contradicting what Apple says.

Anyone have solid info?

[operaman]

It is a matter of choice. I travel as an opera singer so I need the portability. This can approximate what my i7 920 was doing and is within shouting distance of my i7 970.

The truth is most of my compositions at most would be 30-40 tracks. Once I get into big orchestrations I got the desktops for the necessary grunt to stream. Really, the Macbook Pro is a marvel. 7 hours of battery life, portability, and the power of an i7 920 right at your finger tips. As for SSD's, of course they are nice to have.

[operaman]

Originally Posted by Fred Story

Why does Apple's website report that the new MB Pros only support 8gb of RAM? Interesting that OWC has updated their site with 16gb options, and contradicting what Apple says.

Anyone have solid info?

Apple probably has not tested the 16GB option, and really given the cost it is rather silly to make such an investment now, unless you are making money with the unit and need that kind of RAM for a live show. Really, 8 GB for me is plenty right now. I am glad the16GB will be an option in the future, as that will allow more virtual instrument usage along with the SSD's.

[gdoubleyou]

Just picked up the 15 inch i7 quad, good to know 16GB is possible.

But I also will be living with 8GB for a while.

[6strings]

Originally Posted by operaman

Apple probably has not tested the 16GB option, and really given the cost it is rather silly to make such an investment now,

...and if OWC has to charge $1599 for 16GB, you know Apple's usual mark-up would probably put it closer to 3k!!

[Fred Story]

I have 18gb RAM on my Mac Pro, and harbored hopes of being able to transfer projects back and forth between my desktop and MB Pro. (With a very fast external HD for the Macbook, of course.) I use some rather large orchestral templates, so 16gb would be terrific. But, whoa Nelly...at THOSE prices?

[JonesH]

Holy moley that's expensive. Think I'll stick with 8 GB for a while but it's great to know that it might be possible. Seeing as how I haven't seen this on any other Mac newspage it might still be unconfirmed though.

[FFTT]

OWC is a great vendor, but so is DataMemorySystems for high quality
Apple guaranteed lifetime RAM.

[jamwerks]

Great news, hopefully prices will drop in the coming months!

[novacainestudio]

I think if everyone writes or calls to OWC and tells them that the price point is ridiculous that that will drive the price down... tell them what you're willing to pay. Prices are set by what the market will bear.

I wrote them and said I'd be willing to pay $700-$800 for 16 GB of RAM... if enough of us tell them instead of telling each other they might get the hint - especially if we don't buy it at $1599...

Just my 2 cents

[depulse]

Originally Posted by novacainestudio

I think if everyone writes or calls to OWC and tells them that the price point is ridiculous that that will drive the price down... tell them what you're willing to pay. Prices are set by what the market will bear.

I wrote them and said I'd be willing to pay $700-$800 for 16 GB of RAM... if enough of us tell them instead of telling each other they might get the hint - especially if we don't buy it at $1599...

Just my 2 cents

'


Good luck....

OWC buys their RAM from other sources that sells it for a certain price, I don't think the markup is more than 100% (only Apple can have these kind of margins) the normal markup in the IT sector is 10-30%. Only when the market price goes down can OWC lower their price. It's called market economy.

[flsh333]

Originally Posted by djanthonyw

Yes, but it's nice to know that these models do support up to 16 GB. Everyone was saying the max was 8 GB. I am certain that by next year the limit will not be any higher than 16.

I'm confused by this as I have the MBP 2011 (April) i7 2.2Ghz and Apple still say its maxed at 8GB, but other outlets and online says its now 16Gb?

But will it work properly and see the whole 16GB as its not 'officially' supported? or am I best to stick with 8GB?

[skiltrip]

Originally Posted by flsh333

I'm confused by this as I have the MBP 2011 (April) i7 2.2Ghz and Apple still say its maxed at 8GB, but other outlets and online says its now 16Gb?

But will it work properly and see the whole 16GB as its not 'officially' supported? or am I best to stick with 8GB?

Nah. Feel free to go 16gb if you want. Nothing bad is going to happen as a result. And if OWC us selling it, then it works just fine.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Gearslutz App

[Khazul]

Also in the UK: 16GB kit (8GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-10600 upgrades for Apple MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 (17-inch DDR3) Early-2011 Laptop/Notebook, CT2625455 from Crucial.com

Specifically states the 2.3Ghz 2011 MBP 17 for some reason (luckily the one I have) £150.66 ex. VAT, so I'm quite tempted - loads more elbow room for runnig virtual machines in parallels

Im guessing those of us with Apple Care need to keep hold of the old modules in case the machine ever needs to go back to apple, else I guess you could seel them on ebay or whatever.

[SSquirrel]

Newegg.com - CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Memory for Apple Model CMSA16GX3M2A1333C9

16GB Mac memory for MBP for $150. Still about $100 more than going to 8GB, but much cheaper than this time last year.

Same amount of memory at OWC is $244.

[Phaidon]

Originally Posted by SSquirrel

Newegg.com - CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Memory for Apple Model CMSA16GX3M2A1333C9

fyi, I had problems,lke BSODs,with Corsair memory on MBP i7 2.2 GHz.
No probs after installing 16GB OWC.
I think OWC or Crucial is the most safe bet for MBP.

Cheers
P.

[flsh333]

Originally Posted by Phaidon

fyi, I had problems,lke BSODs,with Corsair memory on MBP i7 2.2 GHz.
No probs after installing 16GB OWC.
I think OWC or Crucial is the most safe bet for MBP.

Cheers
P.

Thanks, as this is what 'i worry about!

I think I would go Crucial UK

[flsh333]

I looked at the Activity monitor, and although my "swap used = 0 bytes" when running 3 programs with 8Gb, my "system memory" used page = 5.83Gb of 8Gb , so getting near to its total?

[(un)reason]

Originally Posted by flsh333

I'm confused by this as I have the MBP 2011 (April) i7 2.2Ghz and Apple still say its maxed at 8GB, but other outlets and online says its now 16Gb?

But will it work properly and see the whole 16GB as its not 'officially' supported? or am I best to stick with 8GB?

It does baffle me how tardy they're being with RAM and hard drive size increases at the moment. 3tb ones have been out for ages, and 4TB ones are just starting to appear, and yet all the internal options are stuck on 2 for both the imacs and mac pros.