Apple selling 8GB memory upgrade kits for 15" MacBook Pros
It will cost you an arm and a leg, but Apple is now offering an official 8GB memory upgrade kit for the mid- and high-end models of its current 15-inch unbibody MacBook Pro family, AppleInsider has discovered.
The kit containing a pair of 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SO-DIMMs is available immediately for a whopping $1200, or nearly the price of the company's entry-level 13-inch unibody MacBook.
According to a page on the company's online store, the upgrades are available only for the 2.66GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro (link) and 2.93GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro (link), but not the 2.4GHz model.
It's unclear whether the memory modules are compatible with the 2.53GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, which was introduced in October and replaced this month by the 2.66GHz model.
The upgrade kit doubles the maximum amount of memory supported by the 15-inch MacBook Pro, bringing it up to spec with its 17-inch cousin.
Its addition to the Apple online store appears to be fairly recently, as the technical specifications printed on the product page for the 15-inch MacBook Pro still indicate that the 2.66GHz MacBook Pro "supports up to 4GB" of DDR3 SDRAM.
Update: AppleInsider reader Stu just spoke with an Apple store support representative online who claims the 8GB upgrade kit is indeed compatible with the 2.53GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro. A copy of the chat transcript follows:
The kit containing a pair of 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SO-DIMMs is available immediately for a whopping $1200, or nearly the price of the company's entry-level 13-inch unibody MacBook.
According to a page on the company's online store, the upgrades are available only for the 2.66GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro (link) and 2.93GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro (link), but not the 2.4GHz model.
It's unclear whether the memory modules are compatible with the 2.53GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, which was introduced in October and replaced this month by the 2.66GHz model.
The upgrade kit doubles the maximum amount of memory supported by the 15-inch MacBook Pro, bringing it up to spec with its 17-inch cousin.
Its addition to the Apple online store appears to be fairly recently, as the technical specifications printed on the product page for the 15-inch MacBook Pro still indicate that the 2.66GHz MacBook Pro "supports up to 4GB" of DDR3 SDRAM.
Update: AppleInsider reader Stu just spoke with an Apple store support representative online who claims the 8GB upgrade kit is indeed compatible with the 2.53GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro. A copy of the chat transcript follows:
Comments
This is all just wishful thinking as I have the 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro and would benefit greatly from the memory bump.
Aren't the 2.53 GHz Macs the same spec (except for the CPU speed) as those that support the 8GB of memory? CPU speed should not be able to dictate something like this, should it? And even so, with such a small gap in speed between the two models, you'd think you could install the 8GB on the original unibody Macs.
This is all just wishful thinking as I have the 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro and would benefit greatly from the memory bump.
I have the Unibody 2.4 GHz and wondering the same thing! I thought the only difference was the processor speed and the 512 MB video card! I am not interested in getting the 8GB (not for $1200) but would like to know why it is only for the 2.66 GHz!
Here is the text from MacBook Pro specs:
2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
$1200??? How can anyone justify this price? Oh wait, it's an Apple forum.
That's not the point, ass. The point is being able to support that amount of memory and buy it from some other retailer like Kingston or Corsair.
That's not the point, ass. The point is being able to support that amount of memory and buy it from some other retailer like Kingston or Corsair.
What good is all that memory if the screens flicker?
What good is all that memory if the screens flicker?
Mine doesn't flicker. You may want to get yours checked out.
Mine doesn't flicker. You may want to get yours checked out.
Please. Teckstud can't afford any of the stuff he complains about here incessantly. If he did, he would know that most of his complaints are wrong.
Also, my MBP doesn't flicker, either.
Incidentally, Crucial's 1x4GB DDR3 upgrade is $979. Apple's $200 markup is chump change.
Just got off the phone with the Apple Store, and unless the sales guy is mistaken (which is certainly possible), the 2.53 GHz MBP doesn't support 8GB. grumble grumble
I just don't see how that's possible. Don't they both have the same front side bus and chipset?
Incidentally, Crucial's 1x4GB DDR3 upgrade is $979. Apple's $200 markup is chump change.
Other World Computing has the 4 GB SIMM for $370, works great, I have it next to my 2GB stock SIMM. A slight performance hit with the mis-matched pair, but the extra memory more than compensates.
The only reason I could see to purchase the Apple memory is for warranty reasons. Make sure you save your original memory if you need to send the unit into the repair depot, they insist on having it sent back stock.
Please. Teckstud can't afford any of the stuff he complains about here incessantly. If he did, he would know that most of his complaints are wrong.
Dude - thread upon thread have been posted about new MacBook Pro screen issues. Get your head out of your A$$.
Aren't the 2.53 GHz Macs the same spec (except for the CPU speed) as those that support the 8GB of memory? CPU speed should not be able to dictate something like this, should it? And even so, with such a small gap in speed between the two models, you'd think you could install the 8GB on the original unibody Macs.
This is all just wishful thinking as I have the 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro and would benefit greatly from the memory bump.
I have the Unibody 2.4 GHz and wondering the same thing! I thought the only difference was the processor speed and the 512 MB video card! I am not interested in getting the 8GB (not for $1200) but would like to know why it is only for the 2.66 GHz!
Here is the text from MacBook Pro specs:
2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB
I can't think of any realistic scenario where someone would want to spend so much on RAM, but then skimp on the additional cost of faster processor I think this is only for marketing, that there is no actual limitation preventing you form installing 2x4GB yourself. You should also be able to install 2x4GB in the cheapest unibody MB.
Just got off the phone with the Apple Store, and unless the sales guy is mistaken (which is certainly possible), the 2.53 GHz MBP doesn't support 8GB. grumble grumble
Lesson learned- never buy new products from Apple. Wait my friend, wait.
Other World Computing has the 4 GB SIMM for $370, works great
Is that ECC memory, or non-ECC?
I agree, though; Apple's mark-up is really for the warranty. I'm just tired of asshats complaining about Apple's pricing as if it's something shocking or new.
It's unclear whether the memory modules are compatible with the 2.53GHz 15-inch MacBook Pro, which was introduced in October and replaced this month by the 2.66GHz model.
They aren't. Those machines don't support 8 gigs of memory. Its pretty clear when you stop and think and realize that it would be listed as compatible if it was.