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Top Customer Reviews
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Works perfectly on a Late 2011 MacBook Pro & it Works on 2012 Models too
By
ReneB
on
January 8, 2014
Size: 16GB KIT (8GBx2)
Verified Purchase
I'm pleased to report that indeed, 16 GB of RAM does work correctly in the 2011 MacBook Pro, and, it is even recognized at it's full speed: 1600 MHz. All the functions of the MacBook Pro work correctly, including waking from sleep. Having this much RAM may seem like too much, but it is great if one uses several programs at a time or works with large datasets or image files.
Installing this RAM is relatively easy. There are instructions in the MacBook Pro's User Manual and online at Apple Support; even nicer instructions with step-by-step pictures can be found at sites like ifixit. Basically all one has to do is remove the screws on the bottom of the case, being careful to keep track of location of three of the screws that are longer than the rest.
As for quality of the Crucial RAM, the actual memory chips are by Micron, a respected manufacturer that supplies Crucial with most of the RAM they sell. After installing the RAM, I used the Apple Hardware Test (AHT) to verify that this RAM worked as it should in my MacBook Pro. I followed up on the AHT by running Memtest overnight to test the RAM - it passed with flying colors!
You may wonder how come it's ok to use 16 GB of RAM when Apple specified a maximum of 8 GB of DDR3 1333 MHz RAM for the 2011 series of MacBook Pro laptops? As you can see if you peruse the web, there are many, many reports of users installing and successfully using a maximum of 16 GB of RAM in the 2011 MacBook Pro laptops. The reason why Apple specified only 8GB as a maximum is that when these MacBook Pros were released, RAM modules denser than 4GB were not available in the appropriate sized SO-DIMM. With the subsequent improvement in RAM manufacturing technology, it's now possible to use up to 16 GB of RAM in the 2011 MacBook Pros. It's simply the case that Apple has not upgraded the specifications of the 2011 MacBook Pro.
In sum, if you are considering increasing the RAM in your MacBook Pro, and it's a 2011 model, it's safe to use this DDR3 1600 MHz RAM instead of the 1333 MHz RAM. You may ask why would one want to use 1600MHz vs. 1333 MHz. I choose to do so because, surprisingly, the 1600 MHz version was actually cheaper than the slower 1333 MHz type. It may not always be the case because RAM prices are very volatile, but it bears checking into if you are shopping for new RAM.
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Great upgrade for Lenovo Y410P, HP Chromebox. CT2K8G3S160BM/CT2C8G3S160BM and CT2KIT102464BF160B/CT2CP102464BF160B are identical
By
ƒůℤźϔ ωൠ≥ζŷ ♥☮♭♩♪♫♬♮☯☺♡✈
on
January 31, 2014
Size: 16GB kit (8GBx2)
Verified Purchase
I purchased the Crucial CT2K8G3S160BM 2x8GB to increase the memory in my Lenovo Y410P laptop from 8-GB to 16-GB. My Y410P has two memory slots, and one slot was already occupied by a factory-installed Samsung M471B1G73QH0-YK0 8-GB memory card. I probably could have just added another 8-GB card. But to avoid any possible memory glitches, I prefer not to mix-and-match memory cards of different types. The existing Samsung memory was PC3L/DDR3L, with the 'L' signifying that it is low-voltage 1.35V memory, whereas the standard PC3/DDR3 memory uses a higher voltage of 1.50V. You should not combine memory of different voltages or use memory with incorrect voltage since your laptop may not even boot up. To further maximize compatibility with my laptop, since it came equipped with CL11 1600-MHz memory, I likewise wanted to stick with CL11 CAS Latency speed, instead of going for memory with a faster (lower) CL rating. Some CL9 memory cards have faster specifications, but I really think that most people will not notice 2-nanoseconds of extra latency. So I ordered this CL11 1600-MHz memory because I wanted to exactly match the specifications of my laptop's original 8-GB memory card to ensure compatibility since using mismatched memory can cause system instability. And this memory has been working flawlessly in my laptop!
In real-world applications benchmarks, there is barely any difference between using CL11 memory and using some fancier CL9 memory, and the unnoticeable speed difference is not worth paying extra money for more-expensive models of CL9 or faster memory. With most applications, if you compare CL7, CL9, and CL11 application benchmarks, the differences mostly amount to 2% to 4% differences in benchmark timings. Along with the CL listing, another important memory performance indicator is bandwidth, and this Crucial memory's DDR3 1600MHz has a very good maximum bandwidth of 12800MB/s. But what does this mean in real-world performance terms? Relatively little. As long as you have enough memory to hold the applications that you are running without paging, RAM speed is only very rarely a performance bottleneck. Even with quad-core CPUs, the bottleneck is more likely still going to be the CPU . The reason for this is that the CPU's branch prediction algorithms are so accurate that, in the vast majority of circumstances, the data is already in the cache when the CPU needs it. So direct calls to RAM are quite rare. The branch predictor is like the CPU's personal assistant; it guesses what piece of information the boss needs next and makes sure it is already on his desk by the time he needs it. Occasionally, the assistant will get it wrong and the boss will have to forage around and find the information himself. In CPU terms, "foraging around" means retrieving the information from RAM, or (worst case scenario) disk, while if it is "on the boss' desk", that is equivalent to it being in the CPU's cache. And if your computer is equipped with an SSD using Intel's "Smart Response Technology" or if your computer uses SSDs instead of hard disks, it may retrieve the data from the speedy SSD instead of reading from a slower hard disk.
So the days are long-gone when purchasing high-end expensive RAM actually makes a tangible difference to your computer's performance. As long as it meets the basic specifications that your chipset requires, there is not much to be gained by paying more. Some performance gains are possible from buying better RAM, but these days, most tests tend to show that such performance gains are minimal... far, far lower than you will get from adding more RAM (not necessarily faster RAM, just *more* RAM) or a faster CPU. This was not always the case. When the Pentium IV first came out thirteen years ago, it used a new type of RAM that had, at the time, very high bandwidth, but also very high latency. AMD's Athlon used traditional RAM with lower bandwidth and lower latency. Some types of applications (e.g. video and audio conversion) were very sensitive to bandwidth, but less sensitive to latency. These types of applications showed significant performance gains with the Pentium IV. Other applications (typically games and office applications) were more sensitive to latency and favored the Athlon.
Overall, this Crucial memory is a great buy! Don't overspend on memory just because a brand or model of memory touts better specifications. If you are a hardcore computer gamer with a $4000 gaming laptop, you may opt for faster high-end memory to complement your top-of-the-line CPU and graphics. But most people should focus far more on how compatible that memory's specifications are for your system because the differences between CL ratings are negligible if you are considering CL rating differences of 2 or 3, while using memory that is not correctly matched or compatible with your computer can cause a variety of problems.
After I removed the original Samsung 8-GB memory from my Y410P laptop and added these two Crucial SODIMM cards, I reran the Windows Experience Index benchmark and got the same WEI "Memory operations per second" score of 8.1 that I had with the Samsung memory. The WEI "Processor: Calculations per second" also remained unchanged at 8.1. This was not surprising considering that both the original Samsung memory and this Crucial memory have the same specifications.
I also purchased a single 8GB card of this same Crucial memory to upgrade my HP Chromebox, which comes equipped with only 2GB in its single memory slot. There is a lot of misleading information on the Internet stating the maximum memory that you can use in the HP Chromebox is 4GB. But that is incorrect since the HP Chromebox can fully use 8GB of memory. After I upgraded my HP Chromebox, the Memory Monitor app on its Chrome OS displayed the memory capacity as 7.9GB. 2GB of memory is sufficient for a Chromebook/Chromebox if you are just browsing with a few tabs open. But if you want to open up lots of tabs and run lots of apps, or if you plan to install Linux or Windows on your Chromebook/Chromebox, then adding more memory will help with performance.
Note that Crucial has two identical 16-GB 2x8GB kits with identical specifications, with each memory product having two different part numbers: CT2K8G3S160BM/CT2C8G3S160BM [[ASIN:B008LTBJFW Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V/1.5V Mac Memory CT2K8G3S160BM]] , and CT2KIT102464BF160B/CT2CP102464BF160B [[ASIN:B007B5S52C Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V/1.5V Notebook Memory CT2KIT102464BF160B]]. CT2K8G3S160BM/CT2C8G3S160BM and CT2KIT102464BF160B/CT2CP102464BF160B are exactly the same memory cards, with the only difference being that the CT2K8G3S160BM/CT2C8G3S160BM product is packaged for Macs with the words "Mac Compatible" on the package. But all four of these part numbers are totally interchangeable because they contain identical memory cards. So if you determine that this is the right memory for your computer, just get whichever of these four Crucial part numbers is cheapest :-) I purchased the CT2K8G3S160BM/CT2C8G3S160BM on Amazon because it was $30 cheaper than the CT2KIT102464BF160B/CT2CP102464BF160B product listing at the time (of course, prices can vary each day). Both of these products are dual-voltage and can work in either 1.35V PC3L/DDR3L or 1.50V PC3/DDR3 memory slots. Both products are Mac-compatible, but they are also not Mac-specific or PC-specific, and they work equally well with PCs, Macs, and Chromebook/Chromebox.
If my review helped you to make an informed buying decision, please click the [Yes] button below. If not, please offer suggestions for how I can improve this review. If you have questions, please ask.
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Upgraded my iMac 27-inc, Mid 2011, from 4 GB to 20 GB of total RAM.
By
Marco Garibay
on
December 10, 2014
Size: 16GB KIT (8GBx2)
Style: DRAM
Verified Purchase
I've added this pair of memory modules to my iMac 27-inc, Mid 2011, to upgrade from 4 GB to 20 GB of total RAM.
Despite the Apple documentation claiming that 16 is the maximum capacity for this model, I researched and found that you can max out to up to 32 GB.
For those people that have no clue (like me), the installation was really easy:
1 - Turn off your iMac. Touch the iMac frame to discharge you (electrostatic), and unplug it from A.C. Place your iMac "face down" in a towel.
2 - unscrew the 3 bolts from the memory bay at the bottom of the iMac, remove the memory cover.
3 - leave the 2 RAM modules in their slots (I had 2 RAM modules, of 2 GB each).
4 - Insert the NEW 2 RAM modules (8 GB each) in the 2 available slots.
5 - Screw the 3 memory cover bolts, get it up back in place and turn it on. That's it.
By looking at the "About this Mac > Memory" screen, I went from:
[ 2 GB ] [ 2 GB ]
[ ] [ ]
To:
[ 2 GB ] [ 2 GB ]
[ 8 GB ] [ 8 GB ]
Hope this helps!
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Works on Early 2011 Macbook Pro
By
Buy-Use-Review
on
July 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
Works on perfectly on my 15 inch, Early 2011 Macbook Pro.
The tech specs listed by Apple say that this Macbook can only support up to 8GB of RAM, however this product does, and continues to, work as described on my macbook.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who ones the same macbook as me, since I have first-hand experience that it does in fact support 16GB RAM.
* The only thing I would advise when considering whether or not to buy this product is to assess whether or not the slight performance advantage between 8GB and 16Gb is worth the price difference. Hope this helps!
* * I would also advise you to run many tests on the RAM upon installing it to make sure that it is properly performing.
EDIT: (5/25/14) - Still working perfectly. Very satisfied with the purchase.
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MUST READ IF BUY FOR A LATE 2015 27" iMac!!!!
By
Jerry C.
on
June 10, 2016
Size: 16GB Kit (8GBx2)
Verified Purchase
I have purchased from both amazon and crucial in the past and can say that I have always been pleased with both companies and their products.
I recently purchased a late 2015 27" iMac with the base 8GB from Apple as I wanted to avoid the Apple Tax and perform the upgrade myself. I also ordered a set of these from Amazon. After reading the reviews, I was sure these would be the correct memory modules. To my surprise, the DID NOT run at the full 1866Mhz but rather at 1600Mhz (See photos). I called Crucial and they confirmed that although the specs are identical, these are non mac specific memory modules. He also stated that they may have worked for other users but would not recommend them.
I recalled seeing a very similar product - [ASIN:B0181JTF66 Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3L 1866 MT/s (PC3-14900) SODIMM 204-Pin Memory For Mac - CT2K8G3S186DM] - and referenced it to the Crucial Support Rep. He then confirmed that these are the ones that are certified to be compatible with Macs. The specs are identical but these are made specifically for Macs.
Save yourselves the trouble and frustration and get the CT2K8G3S186DM modules instead as they will operate at the full 1866Mhz speed.
I am only taking out 1 star as I feel that this should be specified in the description but I have no issues with Amazon or Crucial's products or services.
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Perfect upgrade for a 2015 27" 5K iMac
By
C. Niemira
on
January 5, 2016
Size: 16GB Kit (8GBx2)
Verified Purchase
These memory kits are easy to install, and run at the correct speed. Best of all, they're only a fraction of the price that The Fruit wants to charge you for the same upgrade. I installed two of the 16GB kits (a total of four 8GB sticks) and replaced the RAM that my machine shipped with. Took less than five minutes to install, and the iMac is now running perfectly, with memory to spare.
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