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Top Customer Reviews
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Sorely disappointed
By
DerCribben
on
March 25, 2016
Verified Purchase
You can check my reviews, I generally give fair, in depth reviews honestly describing what I loved, or did not love about an item. I just returned my second set of this RAM, yes it is the correct RAM for my Lenovo T400 laptop (running Win 7 Pro 64 bit). I got my first set of this memory about a week or so ago, I was IMMEDIATELY ticked because what was in the package was Corsair "Value-Select", low end, OEM RAM. Nowhere in this listing is it listed as such and the pictures shown are 100% different than what came in the box which I've included photos to show. But hey, lets try it out, it can't be that bad right? Yeah, so no, not right. I installed it (laptop laying on top of my anti static mat, me wearing my anti static wristband, just in case) fired up my machine and pause...some blinking, and then loud system board beeping 1-3-3-1 which means either you have bad RAM installed, or the board itself is no longer recognizing RAM installed in it. So I take it back out and put the 4 gigs of OEM crucial RAM back in, laptop fires right up. Ok, so Amazon is great with returns and refunds, I submit a return request, they give me a free return label, and two day ship me out another set, set arrives lickety split and, I install (the same, bright yellow, "Value-Select" RAM that came the first time) it and I get the same 1-3-3-1 beeping. I put my Crucial back in and submit another return request. Sadly, Amazon didn't offer the option of a credit so I could purchase another brand so I just went with refund and bought an 8GM set of Crucial, it'll get here tomorrow. I'm sure a bunch of memory sets come through working great, but two sets, back to back, DOA? It says a LOT about the quality control of this series of Corsair RAM. I have some great Corsair memory in my desktop so I never would have guessed. And I was warned of "Value RAM" but since this listing makes no mention of the actual product line I didn't put 2 and 2 together. If you have time and money to kill, then go ahead and buy a set and return them until you get a working set. I don't have a surplus of either so I'll probably not be buying any more Corsair products. It's a shame, they would have been my go to brand other wise. I can't in good faith recommend that anyone buy this memory, try something else.
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A quick and easy upgrade!
By
RAO
on
March 7, 2013
Size: 8 GB
Verified Purchase
I purchased this 8GB kit to upgrade the 4GB of RAM that came with my mid-2010 model MacBook Pro. I settled on the Corsair after reading all sorts of reviews online regarding brands. Basically, "RAM is RAM" was the overwhelming sentiment I got from all the research. That in mind, the price was great (cheapest here on Amazon), it was "Mac tested," and I'm extremely happy with my decision.
Using the detailed instructions provided on Apple's website for upgrading RAM, I was able to install and start using my computer again in less than 10 minutes. Basically, removed the bottom, popped out the old RAM, plugged in the new RAM, fired up the computer, and voilà. I should point out that, while I have upgraded RAM on previous PC once before, I'm definitely not a pro.
The process was painless, and the difference was immediately noticeable. Prior to the upgrade, having multiple programs open (Mail + Power Point + Safari +....) became increasingly sluggish and difficult. After the upgrade, I'm reminded of that fresh shiny new machine I unpacked back in 2010. Having used it over a week now, I can report that I've had no problems or unexpected glitches. If I do, I'll be sure to come back and report it. I'm extremely happy with the upgrade and recommend upgrading with this kit without reservation.
Pros: Cheap way to make your computer feel like new again.
Cons: None come to mind.
This kit is good if Apple recommends the following:
2 memory slots
Maximum memory: 8 GB or more
Specifications: Double Data Rate Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (DDR3) format
67.6mm x 30mm (1.18 inch)
2 GB or 4 GB
204-pin
PC3-12800 DDR3 1600 MHz type RAM
They also recommend that you fill both memory slots, and install equal sized memory modules in each slot. This kit does the job.
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Real boost in performance!
By
DawgFan
on
August 12, 2013
Size: 8GB KIT (4GBx2)
Style: DRAM
Verified Purchase
I bought this upgrade to the 2 x 2GB sticks in my Mid-2010 Macbook Pro 15" i5. I had no compatibility issues and it produced a very noticeable speed boost. If you feel your Mac is in need of more memory, I would recommend the following to know if your RAM is the issue: Open Utilities folder -> Open "Activity Monitor" -> Click the tab at the bottom labeled "System Memory" -> Just below that, you should see a few sets of data...The important ones are:
"Free" : If your "Free" memory is low (or 0!) you probably need more memory.
"Page Outs" : If the "Page Outs" is high, this means that your computer is using hard disk rather than RAM for memory functions and produces a severe loss in speed.
"Swap Used" : This gives a rough estimate of how much hard disk is used for RAM. This will give you a rough idea of how much RAM you should add. i.e. if this is 4 GB, then you should add at least 4 GB.
You should check these numbers while doing the types of activities you normally use your computer for. Not just at idle with nothing running!
As far as this item goes, Crucial is a known Apple-friendly RAM and is unlikely to give you any issues. It is also a high quality manufacturer and is much more reliable than some cheaper brands. Remember, RAM is dirt cheap these days so don't save a few $$ to buy inferior quality RAM! You should just not buy any if you are going to buy a terrible brand.
For people with a Macbook Pro, install is quite easy. You can find many manuals on the internet (I prefer iFixit). Don't be intimidated buy installing it. You can save a lot of money by doing it yourself. If you feel uncomfortable, then by all means have someone qualified to do it for you.
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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: 8GB KIT (4GBx2)
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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Just what the MAC MINI needed!!!
By
Bitwave
on
March 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Purchased for 2010 MAC MINI and they work perfectly! My mini only had 2GB and was sluggish running media files, with the new memory installed there is no noticeable lag. I went to the crucial website and loaded the web tool and found my options I had to choose from as always as a prime member I could not find a better deal so I order the kit. It arrived ahead of schedule delivery and was well packaged. I promptly inserted the new modules and was up in running in minutes! I would purchase again.
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Better Than Expected: Inexpensive and Entirely Satisfactory
By
Asher Taylor
on
July 30, 2015
Size: 8 GB
Verified Purchase
I replaced the OEM RAM in my ASUS U32U-ES21 notebook PC (originally specced with 4 GB RAM) with Corsair's 8 GB ValueSelect RAM kit.
Sure, I could have bought a single 4 GB SO-DIMM, but it wouldn't have saved me all that much money, and when possible I like to run matching memory modules in my machines.
I also could have paid one and a half times as much for a different set touting itself as specifically-designed for ASUS' U-series and their ilk, but considering that I paid less than five hundred bucks for the U32U when it was new, Corsair's comfortably-priced ValueSelect option seemed worth a try.
Corsair's packaging was clearly labeled and easy to open. I don't usually comment on packaging in product reviews, but it seems relevant here: the manufacturer's packaging for this upgrade kit is designed so you don't have to wave sharp objects around to extract your new memory modules, nor do you have to worry about getting label adhesive on your fingers and transferring it onto the precious cargo within.
A little round sticker at the top of the box kept it closed; I just ripped that whole part of the box off and went to town. Inside, the memory modules were packaged in a little two-piece plastic shell that came apart easily with finger pressure while still keeping the modules contained until I was ready for them.
The modules themselves are pretty much your standard DDR3 SO-DIMMs: green circuitboard, gold pins, bunch of black chips. They feel nice and rigid, with just enough flex to help get them in and out of their seats. They're definitely pretty durable (they certainly withstood the abuse they took during installation).
I don't particularly love the giant sticker that covers the whole front side of each module, but it doesn't appear to impact performance in any way, so I'm not knocking off a star for that. Maybe if I could knock off a quarter of a star, I would, but that's mostly a matter of taste. For all I know, it might actually serve some purpose (maybe it's glued on with cooling paste, or something?).
Installation was a pain in the neck, but that's not Corsair's fault -- it's a function of the way the clamps that hold the modules are arranged in my particular machine. Your installation experience will vary based on the design of your particular computer. If one or more of the modules is seated incorrectly, of course, the machine won't boot, leaving you to pop the cover back off and fiddle with it some more. Once the modules were properly seated (after much grumbling, dramatic sighing, and gnashing of teeth), my previously-wheezy old notebook booted right up.
I expected a performance boost, but was actually really surprised by exactly how significant a boost I got.
The U32U-ES21 was never intended to be a high-powered machine, but it's much, much quicker and more fun to use now. MS Office applications pop right up; Chrome runs like ... well, if not a cheetah, at very least a pretty fast pony; even a concurrent session of Photoshop, Pidgin, and a handful of Chrome windows flows along swimmingly.
I guess I'll have to find a new window in my day for making a cup of tea; I no longer even remotely have time to do it while Photoshop launches. Meanwhile, Sims 2 and Sims 3 are significantly less slow, if not exactly blazing fast.
In short, and perhaps rather obviously, dropping in 8 gigs of shiny new RAM won't turn your lazy old work mule of an notebook into a blazing gaming hoss. It can make you feel like you've got a whole new, much-peppier mule, at any rate -- and, in my case, I got a much peppier new mule than I was expecting, which is really quite nice.
For about fifty bucks (at the time of purchase) with fast Prime shipping, I'm very happy with it.
Full disclosure: one of my first "real" jobs was working in ASUS' tech support center; Corsair was one of the brands of RAM we routinely recommended for its reliability based on our experiences kludging together various motherboards and so forth that we got to build up in-house so we'd know what our callers were facing. That certainly influenced my purchasing decision. However, I have long since wandered away from the hardware-support world (though I do still do some tech-oriented work), and I paid Amazon's full price for this upgrade kit.
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![Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1066 MHz (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory 1.5V]({"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xZMEDJGqL._SX450_.jpg":[218,450],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xZMEDJGqL._SX522_.jpg":[253,522],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xZMEDJGqL._SX425_.jpg":[206,425],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xZMEDJGqL._SX466_.jpg":[226,466],"https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61xZMEDJGqL._SX355_.jpg":[172,355]})
