Putting 16 gigs of RAM in a non-Retina Display MBP

I see that the "new" non-Retina Display MacBook Pro shows a max of 8 gig of RAM. But I'm seeing kits for 16 gig, and even the Apple Store people seem equivocal about whether it will handle 16. Is there any harm in putting 16 gig in it? Any benefit? For that matter, is there a general answer to this question? What prevents me from putting as much RAM as I can find in? I'm told that there are firmware limitations, but again, I'm hearing different answers from different sources. Thanks!

BobFromIN wrote:
Pardon my ignorance, but what are Apple PROMS?
Correctly stated I should have used "eprom". That is the firmware programming on the memory module that tells the computer what the memory is, how it is laid out and tells the memory how to behave. Memory without Apple eproms tends to either not work or to function erratically in a Mac - literally no guarantees. Hence the recommendation is to always get your memory from an retailer that has a history of testing their memory. Those retailers should all give 'lifetime warranty' and you want retailers that have been around a while. There have been tons of memory suppliers that lasted only a couple years.
The other side of the equation is that not all memory is created equal. Some memory modules are made by the chip manufacturers. Micron is the only US chip manufacturer and they make Micron Original and Crucial brand memory. Samsung, Hynix and several others are all high end chip companies that also make their own modules. If the chip manufacturer also made the module then they are referred to as 'original'. (the module being the PC Board containing the chips and afore mentioned eprom) Modules can be made by anyone. Anyone can buy any chips from any manufacturer and make up a module with them. These are typically called 'third party' or 'non-original' memory. WIth those the quality runs the full spectrum with much wider quality control than from original manufacturers.
There are good third party memory! Don't get me wrong. You just want to make sure the retailer that sells it to you has enough reputation to care whether they are selling good stuff or not.
Rick

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Best spec-ed non-retina 15" MBP?

I've had my 13" macbook white for 4 years, now, and am finally getting something new. I was looking for something around these specs (consider I'm getting a good amount of money coming in the next few weeks, so pricing isn't an issue):
15" screen;
Quad-core CPU (the newer, the better, obviously);
8+GB RAM (I have a 1333 MHz 8GB set on my macbook and could swap with the new one, if it came with 4GB, but I'd rather have a 1600 MHz 8+GB set OOTB);
Replaceable storage (I have an almost new 1TB HDD in my current macbook, and a second HDD on where used to be the superdrive slot, both the HDD and the superdrive-to-HDD adapter I plan to use on the new macbook - I could get a MacBook Pro with 500GB HDD and use it as a secondary drive, with the 1TB as the primary, or have a 512GB SSD and use the 1TB drive as secondary, either of the setups is fine);
USB 3.
So far, I've seen a few options:
1. Get a current-gen 13" MBP and live with the smaller screen, subpar (by today's standards) resolution, and dual-core CPU (even the i7 upgrade available on store is a dual-core model);
2. Get a retina 15" MBP, have it set with a 1TB PCI-e SSD and live without the possibility to upgrade storage (I don't think larger PCI-e SSDs will be available in a near future with a reasonable pricing) or RAM (since it's soldered), also needing to buy some adapters (I have a MagSafe 1 power supply at the office and another I carry around with me, plus I need to deal with cabled networks sometimes) and dealing with a harder transfer setup (I though seriously about simply putting the 1TB drive I currently use on the new macbook and being good to go);
3. Get an older-gen 15" non-retina macbook.
The last option seems to be the harder to figure out, for me. Since I plan on having this computer for about 5 years, I need its non-swappable parts (CPU and GPU) to be future-proof, and I'm not so sure an older MBP could handle this. Plus, USB3 is really a thing, and I'm probably going to change my devices to ones that support it in the coming months, so this is a must-have, which I'm not sure older MBPs support.
Finally, my question is: is there any option that could fit my needs perfectly? The last available non-retina 15" MBP (which is about 2 years old since launch, now, from what I can recall) can be found with GPUs and quad-core CPUs of reasonable "futureproofness" and USB3?
Thanks in advance

Consider that the MacBook White was the most basic offering in its time. If it was a Windows notebook (which I came from), I couldn't even keep it half of that time, probably. Getting a higher grade MacBook could easily bring me more time with the computer before retiring it. 4 years with the most basic computer in the lineup seems pretty good for me, so I think I'd be very comfortable keeping a MBP for 5 years, or even more (not sure if I could keep it longer than that considering its hardware is already 2 years old, though).
A thing I really miss about buying a computer that's no long available from Apple is configuring some internals, like display (get a 1680x1050 rather than the original 1440x900) RAM (all the ones I saw come with 8GB, get a 16GB set would be nice) and VRAM (I'm not sure which is the standard, I saw 512MB and 1GB ones in various situations). Is there any online store I could try to get similar configuration options? It's kinda hard to get ready-made ones with these specs, they all seem to be tha base model (500 GB - though some come with 750GB -, 1440x900, 8GB RAM, etc). Since I'm buying overseas, getting there in brick and mortar stores is even harder. Plus, there are different models: MD104LL, LZ and BZ, and I can't find the difference in the base models. How to tell them, since official Apple support documents don't provide this information?

Why ipad mini released with a non-retina display.. The only reason i didn't buy that..

I was so much after the ipad mini..
but released with the non-retina display and this put me down a lot and I didnt buy this one at all.
Now I am looking one but with a larger screen and where i can use that as a phone around 4.5" min.
Thanks

There are a few "phablets", small tablets that are also phones, but Apple does not make one. Thus far these "phablets" are not proving to be very popular, but if you think one would meet your needs, by all means look into them.
Regards.

I am using Mac book pro non retina display with Yosemite and it is taking time to on the Mac . Please suggest me

hi,
i am using Mac book pro with non retina display with latest software yosemitte. When I on the Mac it is taking much time to on the mac / to get main screen. Please suggest us if any option to make it fast

There are several things that could make the computer run slower than expected
or slower than previously experienced from time to time; if a new system was
installed into a computer with slowness and other issues, that may compound the
problem since an upgrade to an OS X is not necessarily a remedy for old trouble.
If the issue may be a performance concern, there are cause and effect reasons
behind computer functionality. And if the computer was super quick, then after
an upgrade to a newer OS X, super slow, there could be several things going on.
The software previously working in the computer may not be correct for a newest
operating system; or the computer hard disk drive may be getting too full of content
that has no relation to the function of the device. Not enough unused storage space
or capacity can contribute to an overall slowness. And this also would relate to the
computer's use of resources. More installed chip RAM can help a computer run
better, and if you have extensive saved content in the computer you made, get an
externally enclosed hard drive and see about how to go & move that accumulation
off the computer's limited space so it could run better.
•Mac Performance Guide - thesafemac:
http://www.thesafemac.com/mpg/
•Tech Guides - in addition to the above - from thesafemac:
http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-guides/
There may also be adware or other kinds of malware inadvertently installed in your
computer; so that is something else to consider, find & remove. Note info in guides.
You could use the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder (see Go in Finder menu) to
see if there are applications or processes running extensively that could point to
some waste of system resources. If there is something actually using anything at all
out of the ordinary. These kinds of things are hard to judge - if you aren't familiar.
So, anyway, hopefully you can get some ideas from the above site pages to help.
Good luck & happy computing!

What is the Best Price(Place to Buy) For 13" MB Pro(non-retina display)

What is the Best Price(Place to Buy) For 13" MB Pro(non-retina display)?
I am in PA, but close to Delaware, which is tax-free shopping.
Thanks!

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD101/refurbished-133-inch-macBook-pro-25ghz-d ual-core-intel-i5
You would have to web-order directly from Apple. Retail stores and resellers usually do not stock refurbs. All the Macs in our family that are in current use are refurbs and have provided excellent service. None have arrived with any cosmetic defects.

13inch vs 15 inch non retina display for university

13 inch or 15 inch Non retina display macbook for university?
I've been going back and forth for so long and I only have a few more weeks before I go to university.
My major is psychology, so I don't need it specifically for my major. I will be using my macbook for writing essays, researching, watching movies, and occasional gaming (Sims 4 when it comes out). I would be getting the higher end models of 13 inch or 15 inch. I like the portability of the 13 inch, but I feel like the screen is going to be too small and I really don't want to have an external monitor. Also I heard that sims doesn't work as well on the 13 inch. I like the screen on the 15 inch and I like that its quad-core, but I'm worried that's its going to be too heavy; its also a lot more expensive, but if I really have to, ill pay it. My campus is small so it not like I have to walk for very long. I don't like taking notes with a laptop anyway, so I may not bring it to class often.
I've been going back and forth with decision for so long I just want someone to tell me which one would be perfect for me!!!
P.s if I did get the 13inch would an LED 19" flat screen tv work as an external monitor?

Go to the store and try both the 13" and 15". The extra two inches makes a big difference when writing papers.
Neither is a good gaming computer but the 15" is better.
If you will be collaborating on papers, turning in assignments done on the computer, make sure you are running the same programs as your colleagues and professors. If they are using Windows programs then you will want to be running Windows on your computer. I would opt for the 15" for running Windows. The 13" will work but the extra computing power of the 15" will be better.
The 15" is not too heavy to carry in a backpack. I've taken mine all over the world and never wished I had a smaller computer.

Retina Display MBPs have 20% lower brightness than non-retinas?

I've been waiting until going off to graduate school to make a new computer purchase, and when I saw the MBP with Retina I thought that this was the computer for me. I do a ton of photography work, and Aperture is my lifeline, so the retina display really seemed like one of the best things that could happen to a Mac.
I went into the Apple Store yesterday and left extremely disappointed, however. The new MBPs were stupid fast and truly a work of engineering art, but there was one thing that I just could not shake...
The screen seemed dim at max brightness.
Because the laptops were locked down, I asked a customer who had last year's model of the MBP to place it side-by-side with the Retina one at max brightness. While the retina display was clearly sharper and far more vivid, it was significantly dimmer than last year's model.
Sure enough, a google search showed that the retina display uses 4x the battery life of a non-retina display because it has to push 4x the pixels. To conserve battery, Apple lowered the maximum level of brightness that the display can reach by 20%.
This is a huge bummer (though understandable). I often work with my screens at maximum brightness. In the Apple Store, with the powerful fluorescent lighting, light color interior design, and the huge windows letting in a lot of light, it really emphasized how dim the retina monitor appeared. While some people argue that the retina display's superior black levels make up for this loss in screen backlighting, I would have to respectfully disagree.
I was wondering if there is any way that this limitation on screen brightness is an artificial software limitation imposed by Apple? If yes, and there is a workaround to force the brightness to 20% higher to match last year's MBP model, I will instantly buy the MBP with Retina (whenever one gets in stock!). It is truly an incredible machine, but for my purposes it is severely hindered without a screen that "pops".
I am not too familiar with how the technology in a monitor works to create brightness, so perhaps this is a hardware limitation. In that case, I think I will consider an MBA... But I'd really rather the superior hardware, especially the dedicated graphics card for when I'm pushing the computer on a multi-monitor setup.

I think one of the reasons is a hardware limitation. Look at these pictures of various LCD screens and resolutions under a microscope and compare the iPad retina and iPad 2.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5689/the-new-ipad-retina-display-analysis/2
Notice how much of the surface area is actually black compared to the tiny pixels, and how the tiny pixels just can't be as bright as huge pixels. Why is this? While four green Retina pixels are roughly the same size as one non-Retina pixel, the hi-res four pixel combo has to be darker because in the same amount of space, the hi-res combo must have black grid lines occupying a significant part of its surface area.
It has been said that because the amount of black grid also goes up as the number of pixels goes up, the Retina display requires more power to push the backlight through the black grid and brighten up those tiny pixels to the same level as the older bigger pixels. It looks like part of the problem is inherent in LCD technology itself, and if there was another practical mass-production technology that could be used that could eliminate the black grid altogether, brightness could go up by quite a lot.
In one sense I won't mind a dimmer display, because when working with images, modern LCDs are often too bright if you're trying to calibrate to paper brightness levels and so I often run my MBP below maximum brightness. But when working next to sunny windows, trying to overcome gloss reflections and glare, or general use, it's nice to have a bright screen.

MacBook Pro (summer 2012) non-retina display and SSD upgrade?

Looking to upgrade to a SSD in my MacBook Pro (summer 2012) non-retina display. Are there ones that work better in a MacBook Pro?

In theory at least, any SSD will work fine. There are some additional considerations to make, however. It mostly revolves around updating the drive's firmware. Many SSD companies do not offer Mac-friendly ways to perform this procedure. From the list Clinton provided, you can drop Corsair and Samsung immediately for this reason.
I would not consider OWC, Intel, or any SSD that uses a Sandforce chipset because of spotty reliability. Yes, improvements have been made, but I still do not trust them. Of the dozens of SSDs I've owned and deployed over the last 2-3 years, the only ones to need replacement were ones with Sandforce.
That leaves Crucial, Plextor, and OCZ. The former two basically use the same Marvell chipset. While I can't speak for Plextor, Crucial's firmware updates are OS agnostic. You simply down an .iso file, burn it to CD, boot from that disc, and perform the update. It works perfectly on a Mac. Doing a quick check of Plextor's support site, it seems the proedure is the same.
For OCZ, I'm only focusing on the Vector and Vertex 4. The former is brand new, having just hit the market within the last couple weeks. If you're looking to buy right now, I would stick with the Vertex 4 as it's a more proven commodity. OCZ has created a suite of tools that you copy to a USB flash drive. You can boot from it, and it takes you to what I think is a very heavily modified Linux distribution. From there, you can do a firmware update, check drive health, and perform a SATA secure erase to return the drive to its "out of the box" state. To get the most from the tools, you should have a USB mouse plugged in. Also, firmware updates require the use of a hard-wired Ethernet cable; you can't use wireless.
Bottom line - for an SSD upgrade, stick with Crucial, Plextor, or OCZ as they are the most Mac-friendly (aside from original Apple parts, of course).

Will putting a Zagg screen protector on my retina display degrade its sharpness?

Will putting a Zagg screen protector on my retina display degrade its sharpness?

Doing a search, I found one poster who wrote the following regarding a ZAGG and retina
needleman-mark: https://discussions.apple.com/message/17950309#17950309
i bought the Zagg HD for my Ipad3 - good protection - does not seem to distort the retina display - I guess Im lucky in that there is a Zagg kiosk in the mall near me - they didnt have the HD protector so i had to order it from Zagg - but when it cam i took it to the person at the kiosk and they put it on for me ( charged $10) - there were a few bubbles but they disappeared by the next day

Acrobat XIPro Blurry with retina Display MBP

I have the new 15" MBP with retina display and my PDF documents, when opened in Acrobat XIPro, look extremely blurry even when the majority of the file is vector based graphics. In fact, the entire Acrobat interface is extremely blurry. The file looks crisp and clear when displayed using Apple's Display Software. Is there a fix? Is Adobe behind on an update to this problem? I've already messed around with the preferences to no avail. Thanks for your help...

Hi,
The experience described above mentionning crystal clear UI but some blurry text in the PDF is consistent:
With Acrobat and Reader 11.0.1 we have improved the user interface so that it supports retina display. If the UI looks sluggish, it means you have 11 or an earlier version then please upgrade to 11.0.1. It should fix it.
However the rendering of the PDF itself is more of a long run and will be available with a future release (likely 11.0.4).
That being said I'd appreciate your help regarding the different issues you seem to experience:
Placing Reader and another Retina ready application (let's pick Preview) side by side, it doesn't jump to my eyes that the rendering is 'sluggish'. There is a significant difference indeed, but if settings are correct the pixel size in Acrobat/Reader should be the same than it is on a non-retina display which is acceptable - that's how Mac OS supports non retina applications and it works pretty well for most people.
If it looks worst than that, it's very likely that some settings for display/resolution in Mac OS have been changed to use larger fonts, then the pixel ratio (which is 2 by default for a non retina app rendering on a retina display) can be pushed to 3, 4 or even more, and it then looks really bad.
Can you share your display settings?
I have a picture of head anatomy that looks pretty sharp and renders beautifully fast, and a 28MB 3D PDF of a head anatomy that barely displays at 3 frames per second. The 3D looks very sharp on my retina display. What kind of PDF is the head anatomy you refer to? Can you share your file with me? Maybe I'm missing something and any help would be useful!
G. Miles seems to mention some performance issues? 11.0.1 runs smoothly on my two Mac laptops - one is a 4 year old Mac Book Pro, the other one is a 15' Retina. I'd be curious to know what files you are viewing, in which resolution, and anything that can be of value for us to investigate and improve your experience. Can you share a file with us?
Finally, as for the delay responding to Retina support (and I apologize for taking several weeks to answer this thread) it's a different story to perfectly render PDF including all the entities and rendering modes it supports. In order to ship Acrobat or Reader with an official support for Retina display, this includes everything PDF supports, unlike other applications mentionned above which usually support PDF 1.4 best case (the current standard is 1.7). This includes multimedia, 3D, forms, etc.
Thanks,
Luc

HT4889 Problems with migration assistant from 2010 MBP to Retina Display MBP using ethernet

I am trying to use migration assistant from my 2010 MBP to my Retina Display MBP using ethernet (with thunderbolt adapter) however it can not find the computer. It only finds it over wifi. I have updated all my software on monutain lion. Can anyone help?

I know I am not answering your question but I would try to use FW800.
I imagine the 2010 MBP does not have TB or it whould be better a TB direct connection.
Last try: have you managed to use migration assistant "both ways" ? I mean you can manage to use it from each of the 2 connected Macs.

Which is a better buy for college a non-retina display 15 inch macbook pro with a 2.6ghz processor or a 2.9 ghz 13 inch non retina max specs macbook pro both with 8 gb of ram will be using to write papers basically for general use im a Science major

im a college student im studying to be a vet tech and i want this computer too last which a more sound investment the non retina macook pro 15 inch with these specs:2.6 ghz 1 tb ata hd with 8 gb of ram or a maxspec 13 inch mac book pro: 2.9 ghz 1Tb and 8gb of ram any help is appreciated thank you

Hi,
I am a researcher so I store a lot of papers, data, and use numerical software. I have had a 17inch high spec macbook pro for over a year now. I find that apart from the large screen, it was unnecessary to get the high specs. This is why. Firstly, the hard drive is easy to replace and upgrade, apple charge a lot for their own ones. Secondly, the ram in my one was upgradable (which i didnt know when i bought it) and i since upgraded to 16gigs from 8 and its amazing. Thirdly, the newer macbook pros run hotter than the previous ones.
The retina is overrated and the programs for retina need more memory and processing power, so what you find is that your hard drive will get taken over sooner, your mac will run hotter, and battery life lower.
I would say to you, dont worry about the processor speed, the normal speed offered is perfect, more than that is not necessary unless you are running highly demanding apps, the mac will run hotter too. Dont bother getting a large hard drive in the macbook. Get a flash SSD drive, and buy a good portable 2tb HD, like a WD one, and use that to store as much of your work as possible. I believe apple started soldering their ram cards to the motherboard or something so that people cant upgrade. Check in advance and see if the macbook you want can be ram upgradable, then get a lower ram model and buy good 8gb ram cards to make 16gig. Very very easy to install them, took me about two minutes to do mine, it will be much cheaper.
If I think of anything else i will post back. Dont forget to install GFX card status too and use integrated only when on battery, i get up to ten hours of battery life without wifi, around 8 with wifi.
edit. I forgot to mention that if you buy your mac and try to open it you will void the warranty.

Does the imac 5k use the same ram as the non retina imac 27inch from 2013?

Hello all, I have just ordered my first ever apple product, an imac 5k. I don't know much about imac's, I want to buy some ram for my new imac. Can someone please confirm whether it uses the same ram as the 27inch non retina imac from 2013?

The answer to your Question is YES
I they both spec with 1600MHz DDR3 memory; four SO-DIMM
AND
I just took out 32G out of a late 2012 iMac and replaced the 8G that my new
Retina 5K iMac came with and all is working FINE.....
BTW the Retina iMac display is incredible .......

13" 2012 Non-Retina display cuts out

Like the title says, I'm having an issue with my 2012 non-retina 13" display cutting out when the bottom cover is installed. Without the bottom cover, the computer is perfectly fine and the display is normal. However, once I put the bottom cover on and begin tightening the screws or put any pressure (metal to board contact?) the display cuts out, displays lines or begins or distorts.
What is the issue causing this? I'm pulling my hair out at this moment

If I were you, I would take the machine into your local Apple Store and compare it with similar models on display. My late 2011 15" has a bright, vibrant screen and so should your new 13".
If you see that your display is simply not up to par, exchange your computer for another - you have 14 days from date of purchase to exchange or return for a full refund.
Good luck,
Clinton

Is there a way to connect 1 external thunderbolt display and 1 external HDMI display to a mid 2012 MBP (non-retina display)?

I've had a 24" Asus HDMI montitor for a while, and just got a 27" Apple thunderbolt display. I was wondering if there was a way to connect both of these to my mid-2012 Macbook Pro (non-retina). I know you can daisy-chain 2 thunderbolt displays, so I tried plugging my Asus into the thunderbolt display (using an HDMI to mini-display port adapter) and it didn't work. Suggestions??

Mini DisplayPort displays and adapters don't work directly with a Thunderbolt display, but will if you connect a Thunderbolt disk drive (with two Thunderbolt ports) between the Thunderbolt display and the Mini DisplayPort device.

Putting 16 gigs of RAM in a non-Retina Display MBP

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