"1600" is the data transfer rate per second specified in millions (the technical term is "clock frequency") - "1600" here means it supports up to 1600 million transfers per second - in your case, it will be slowed down to 1066 million transfers per second since that's what your Mac is designed for."DDR3" is the type (and must be the same as what your computer has).However, your system will operate at the speed of the slowest memory module. Memory is designed to be backward-compatible, so generally speaking, you can safely add faster memory to a computer that was designed to run slower memory. Here's some relevant information from Crucial on memory speeds (emphasis mine):
#Mac mini ram upgrade mid 2010 pins pro#
The whole thing should take less than five minutes.You could add the 1600 MHz memory for your MacBook Pro even though it's designed for a slower memory (1066 MHz) - it ought to work, but you'd be better off buying from a place that accepts returns. All you have to do is pop open the access panel, remove the existing RAM modules, add your new modules, and then replace the panel. You can see below that upgrading the RAM in a 27” iMac is a simple job. And obviously, you won’t find guides for models that don’t let you upgrade the RAM. Each guide has links to all the components and tools you need to do the job. Head to iFixit and find the guides for your Mac model. They also sell all the tools and components you need to make the upgrade. They have detailed guides for replacing the RAM in any Mac where it is possible. Instead, I’m going to pass you over to our friends at iFixit who specialize in this sort of thing. It’s far beyond the scope of this article to talk you through every possible Mac RAM upgrade. MacBook Pro 15” with Touch Bar (All Models).MacBook Pro 15” with Retina Display (All Models).MacBook Pro 13” with Touch Bar (All Models).MacBook Pro 13” with Retina Display (All Models).You currently cannot upgrade the RAM yourself in these Mac models: Unfortunately, in the last few years Apple has taken to soldering the RAM to the motherboard of the computer-particularly on laptops. As things stand now, you can upgrade the RAM yourself in the following Mac models: Other modelss, like the latest 21.5” iMac models, require you to remove the screen and logic board-a process that will take at least a few hours.
When you know what model you have, you can find out whether you can upgrade the RAM yourself. I’ve got MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015). On the Overview tab, you’ll see your Mac’s exact model. To find out exactly what Mac you have, click the Apple logo in the top left corner of the menu bar, and then select the “About This Mac” command. A 21.5” iMac from 2012 and a 21.5” Retina iMac from 2016 might look the same at a casual glance, but they’re totally different computers. Macs are regularly refreshed and even if newer models don’t look all that different, big changes can happen on the inside. If you’ve got an old Mac that’s out of warranty, you can take more risks than if you’re thinking about tearing open a brand new MacBook Pro. Adding more RAM can breath new life into an old Mac.Īs always, make sure you know what you’re doing before diving in.
While Macs certainly aren’t as easy to upgrade as a typical PC, it’s surprisingly simple to upgrade some components like RAM-especially if you’ve got a Mac desktop or an older laptop.