10.5: Use 4GB of RAM in older MacBook Pros

Feb 06, '08 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

I'm surprised this one hasn't come up earlier, actually. I recently purchased a 4GB Techworks upgrade kit for my previous-generation (2.33GHz) 17" MacBook Pro. From what I'd read, due to either limitations in the Intel logic board, or limitations in the EFI firmware, I'd only be able to access 3.3GB of it.

Not so. Running 10.5.1 Leopard, after installing the RAM, I found I could address all 4GB of it. As seen in both System Profiler and Activity Monitor, I have the full 4GB available, running in dual-channel mode.

Third-party SO-DIMM RAM is cheaper than ever at the moment, so previous-gen MacBook Pro owners who've installed Leopard have no excuse but to upgrade now, really.

[robg adds: I can't confirm this one, but MacTracker lists 3GB as the RAM limit for the 2.33GHz 17" machine. If you have 4GB of usable RAM in some other previous-generation MacBook Pro, please post in the comments...]

Update: Please read the comment below (by macavenger) for the full story on the RAM expansion limits. I've left this one comment and cleaned up all the rest, so that anyone searching can easily see the proper explanation.]

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