Will 16 GB work in MB pro 7,1

[Straitsfan]

Hello all. I just want to confirm something. OWC has a 16GB upgrade for the MB pro 7,1, which I have. Has anyone upgraded to 16GB and if so have you had any problems with it? I just find it curious that this particular MB Pro can be upgraded, while other 2010 models can't.

 

[Horsa]

I don't know the answer, but there appears to be some relevant information here:

16gb in mid 2010 7.1 macbook pro - Apple Community

 

[lclev]

It depends on what you want the MB pro to do. It has a Core 2 Duo processor which I happen to love but it is old. Increasing the memory will bring some improvement and if you add an SSD drive that will also give it new life. But still keep in mind it is eleven years old.

I have a 2008 12" Macbook (white case not a pro), Core2Duo, with 4GB of memory. I can max the memory out but that would only give it 6GB - not worth it. I did re-thermal pasted the CPU and added a 250GB SSD. It now runs Windows 10 very well. But all it does is run a lighting program. It is not my everyday computer as it is just not beefy enough for what I need.

Oh, and from what I can find all 2010 models are able to have their memory upgraded. They all have slots and non-soldered memory chips. I believe(?) Apple quit allowing user memory upgrades with their 2012 models. I had a 2011 MB Pro that I upgraded to 16GB.

BTW: OWC backs their memory and actually all their stuff so I would not worry about if it doesn't work. They will make it right.

Lisa

 

[Slydude]

@Strtaitsfan Lisa's on the right track as usual. I've done memory upgrades in slightly older machines and seen some performance improvement but often not as much as I expected.

You didn't mention which OS version you're running. Still, the following steps might give you some insight into how much a memory upgrade will boost performance: Where exactly you click to complete the steps will vary slightly depending upon which version of macOS you have installed:

1. Reboot the Mac and log in as usual.
2. Launch Activity Monitor (in Applications/Utilities) and click on the memory tab
3. Launch any other programs that you normally use and go about your normal routine.
4. If you start to notice a slowdown, glance at Activity Monitor and see which processes are using the most memory.

The best overall measure of memory performance will be in the memory pressure section of the screen. If that graph stays mostly green or even turns yellow for brief periods of time, a memory upgrade isn't likely to make a significant difference in performance. You can use similar steps to look at drive performance to see if that is the source of a bottleneck.

 

[pm-r]

Has anyone upgraded to 16GB and if so have you had any problems with it?

That MBPro should have no problem with 16GB RAM installed:
See: MacBook Pro 13-Inch "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 Mid-2010 Specs (Mid-2010 13", MC375LL/A, MacBookPro7,1, A1278, 2351*): EveryMac.com

I had an earlier 2007 MBPro that Apple said was restricted in its RAM use and the installed 16GB RAM worked just fine and no problems and it just breezed along. Adding a solid-state drive didn't hurt it one bit. And by the way, It's still in use by my cousin after her MacBook died.

PS: As mentioned, OWC stands behind and Guarantees and supports all the memory they sell, Heck, they might even buy back your old surplus memory if you have any leftover.


- Patrick
=======

 

[wenfeen]

It depends on what you want the MB pro to do. It has a Core 2 Duo processor which I happen to love but it is old. Increasing the memory will bring some improvement and if you add an SSD drive that will also give it new life. But still keep in mind it is eleven years old.

I have a 2008 12" Macbook (white case not a pro), Core2Duo, with 4GB of memory. I can max the memory out but that would only give it 6GB - not worth it. I did re-thermal pasted the CPU and added a 250GB SSD. It now runs Windows 10 very well. But all it does is run a lighting program. It is not my everyday computer as it is just not beefy enough for what I need.

Oh, and from what I can find all 2010 models are able to have their memory upgraded. They all have slots and non-soldered memory chips. I believe(?) Apple quit allowing user memory upgrades with their 2012 models. I had a 2011 MB Pro that I upgraded to 16GB.

BTW: OWC backs their memory and actually all their stuff so I would not worry about if it doesn't work. They will make it right.

Lisa

If OWC says it will help, go for it. They are an incredible company which I've used for many years. I also upgraded all of our drives in older laptops to SSD drives purchased from OWC which speeded up processing.

 

[Ferdie]

Yes, it does work. In fact I am typing on it right now. I was undecided whether 8 or 16 GB of ram would be reasonable as an upgrade so, also out of curiosity, I went for 16 GB. The limiting factor, in my view, is the processor (and graphics chip) that are the first components to slow down the system and increase the fan speed. Other than that, for example for office applications, the MBP is still of great use. I am actually repeatedly stunned that this device is already 11 years old. We have installed an SSD several years ago and in my view, even before upgrading the RAM, this is the most important part to improve the system.

I have bought Mushkin components but this was due to availability reasons, I have installed OWC memory in my iMac and it runs flawlessly as well.

The 15" and 17" MBPs use a newer chipset with integrated graphics. These graphic components seem to be limiting the memory size to 8 GB, the 13" is still using a Core 2 Duo with separate graphic chipset and therefore is able to address all 16 GB.

 

[Pasquanel]

I bought a late 2012 Mac mini, 4 GB ram and a 512 GB spinner drive. Great little machine but somewhat lacking in performance. Contacted OWC and purchased one of their Extreme SSD and 16 GB of ram!
Huge improvement and well worth the extra expense IMO.