How many sticks are in this Macbook Pro?
February 22, 2007 2:39 PM   Subscribe

I'm thinking of buying a refurbished Macbook Pro from Apple, but I want at least 2 GB memory. Most of them have 1 GB, but I don't know if it's using two slots (512x2), or just one slot with the second one open. Is there a way to know by looking at the description?

Under memory, it says "1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)"... how can I know for sure? I have no problem buying a new 1 GB stick, if the slots available, but I'd hate to buy it and find two 512 sticks, and then need to shell out for two 1 GB sticks.

Any suggestions on how I might find out?
posted by (bb|[^b]{2}) to Computers & Internet (9 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Apple always splits up RAM between two sticks, so if you're buying it from Apple and it's got 1G then the configuration will be two 512M PC5300 SO-DIMMs. They make specific performance recommendations about matched RAM pairs. I dunno why they're saying it's a single SO-DIMM.
posted by hollisimo at 2:48 PM on February 22, 2007


All Macbook Pros ship with only one RAM slot used.

Additionally, the extended description of a given part will always say. For instance, the one MbP I see on Apple Refurb right now, a 2.16 GHz 17", says on the second line,

1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
posted by coolhappysteve at 2:50 PM on February 22, 2007


I asked a similar question (about my Macbook) that might help.
posted by JPowers at 2:51 PM on February 22, 2007


Hollisimo, that's only now true on Macbooks because the Intel Integrated Graphics requires it.

2.0 GHz Core Duo Macbook Pros shipped with dual 512 DIMMs (the $1999 model), but all Core2 machines now ship with single 1 GB sticks (unless you configure up, of course), just as all but the cheapest Core Duo Macbook Pros did.

I should have been more specific before, for shame.
posted by coolhappysteve at 2:53 PM on February 22, 2007


Response by poster: So when the description says "1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)," that means there's only one memory stick, with a slot left open... is that right?
posted by (bb|[^b]{2}) at 2:59 PM on February 22, 2007


Best answer: "single SODIMM" means it ships with one stick, yes.
posted by raf at 3:08 PM on February 22, 2007


(And when I bought a stock 2 GHz C2D Macbook Pro with 1 GB of RAM, it came with only one stick.)
posted by raf at 3:08 PM on February 22, 2007


Same here. Definitely go for another gig after, cause i found I was regularly floating round 1.2gb
posted by furtive at 6:19 PM on February 22, 2007


I bought a refurb MacBook Pro with 512Mb, took that out, and stuck in two Mushkin sticks from NewEgg. Works fine.
posted by dws at 6:28 PM on February 22, 2007


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