I have a MacBook Pro mid 2010 Model 6.1 i7 17" with 8GB RAM inside. I want to upgrade to 16GB. I have seen that it should be possible on the model 7.1 but I have 6.1 Can I upgrade? Does it work on my MacBookPro?
MacOS – upgrade the MacBookPro Model6.1 8GB (2x 4GB) to 16GB (2x 8GB)
macbook promacosmemoryupgrade
Related Solutions
(Note: The original post said "No", which was right at the time it was written, but as of February 15th, 2014, the OWC page says that you can install up to 16GB of RAM on mid 2010 MacBooks (2.4GHz).)
It Depends.
OWC continously tests the max RAM which apple computers support - which is usually more than Apple officially states.
The mid-2010 MBP is size dependent. The 13" will support 16GB. The 15" and the 17" will not.
The following table shows that the max RAM supported by your Macbook Pro based off size (mid 2010) is 16GB (officially 8GB).
1) RAM Upgrade
As far as I'm aware, the laptop cannot be upgraded beyond 8GB. This is due to restrictions by the CPU and chipset architecture in that particular model. Unless you are a real power user who does lots of video editing or likes to have a lot of applications open at a single given point in time, 8GB should be perfectly fine.
DDR4 ram is NOT supported. It is only a new technology (literally only about a month old) and presently is only compatible with 3 CPU's that were released this year and certain motherboards with a specific chipset and socket for these new CPU's. Bottom line is, your 2010 laptop will not be able to use this type of memory. DDR3 is your only option given the type and generation of hardware inside the laptop.
2) Secondary HDD
It is possible to install a second hard drive, however this will involve removing the CD drive. This will also cause trouble if you ever take the laptop to a genius bar for technical assistance on an unrelated failed component as you have tinkered with the laptop beyond what is allowed. If you're willing to take the risk and do some DIY within the laptop, this is the part that will allow you to install a secondary drive.
3) Fresh Install of OSX
Yes. Wipe it clean now with Mavericks. Updating to Yosemite when it launches will be extremely simple so there's no need to wait for it. Use this guide to help you create a bootable installer USB drive to completely wipe the drive and put a fresh install of Mavericks on the computer.
4) Higher screen resolution
Unfortunately you cannot modify the screen resolution. No such third party screen exists. Generally speaking 15" laptops (especially around the 2010 time period) never had 1920x1080 resolutions and only few laptops today have them (commonly known as high density displays, or in the apple world, retina displays). Only the 17" model had a resolution that high (1920x1200 - 16:10 aspect ratio) and that model has been discontinued for a few years now. So I'm afraid that you're stuck with the resolution you've got.
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Best Answer
Apple's specs for the Mid 2010 17" MacBook Pro state the maximum is 8GB.
OWC maintains a list of Macs that can accept more RAM than Apple's official numbers. Unfortunately the Mid 2010 MBP is not on that list. (Do not confuse it with the Mid 2010 13" MacBook.)