The MacBook Air was the first subcompact notebook offered by Apple after the 12' PowerBook G4 discontinued in 2006. I am not sure whether showing up there means it works.It was also Apple's first computer with an optional solid-state drive. Some people allege in various places that 1600 MHz will work because it shows up in 'About this Mac' when installed:įirst, there is the question of whether it will pass memory tests (see the first section).Īlso, I am unsure on how one can test if it is not being clocked down to 1333 MHz and the full 1600MHz are being used. It's likely that it may not be worth it to get the 'faster' memory.Īlso take into account the risks if it doesn't work: you'll have to return it (if even possible). If the decision between two MHz-ratings of RAM comes down to price, take a look at the real-world performance increase and judge whether it's worth it. So find out if Intel supports it, but that is no guarantee. However, Macs are notoriously picky about RAM, and while 1600 MHz memory might be compatible with Intel, it doesn't meant it'll be compatible with the Apple logic board.

Intel's spec for my i7 processor (2760QM on a Late 2011 MacBook Pro) says that 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM is compatible.īut does that translate for Macs? Yes according to OWC.

'But it's compatible with my Intel processor'

So follow the advice below at your own risk. These could have simply been faulty RAM modules, or just not 100% compatible with my machine. I installed 1600 MHz RAM on my laptop and found that it failed the Apple Hardware Test, Memtest OS X, and the Tech Tool Pro memory tests. Installing higher MHz RAM is a risk, and here's why: The short answer is that it will depend on the model of your machine, and the RAM manufacturer you buy from - but I can't tell you any specifics on either.

Change memory apple macbook pro 2011