Maximum RAM capacity on the new Mac Pro?

[alfa147x]

According to Everything Mac

12 GB of RAM is installed as three 4 GB modules and 16 GB of RAM is installed as four 4 GB modules. One or no slots are free, accordingly. Apple formally supports 64 GB of RAM in this model.

But both my Mini and 13" MBP were said to only handle 8GB of RAM and I have 16GB on each.

According to Intel the Xeon Processor E5-2697 v2 supports up to 768 GB of ECC RAM. Now AMD has this 32GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC DDR3 1333 for $600.

What are the chances I could run 4 of these in a Mac Pro for a total of 128 GB of RAM?

Edit: It seems like the new mac pro uses DDR3L
So I guess something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Regis.../dp/B008L5HUQ8

 

[TheStu]

Well, spend $2400 and let us know.

 

[alkemyst]

Where did you read a 2013 MBP only supports 8GB?

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Oh. You want to know the "limits" as in if you can go higher than 16GB per slot. Right?

 

[alfa147x]

Well, spend $2400 and let us know.

HA!

Where did you read a 2013 MBP only supports 8GB?

It was suppose to say: 13" MBP

I have a 2011 MBP

Oh. You want to know the "limits" as in if you can go higher than 16GB per slot. Right?

Yup!

 

[manly]

about every review I've read suggests that will work.

 

[Childs]

Its probably more of an issue of validating higher density dimms. If Apple only sells 16GB dimms, they are not going to validate anything higher. If you can get higher density dimms, it would probably work.

 

[Rakehellion]

According to Intel the Xeon Processor E5-2697 v2 supports up to 768 GB of ECC RAM. Now AMD has this 32GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC DDR3 1333 for $600.

What are the chances I could run 4 of these in a Mac Pro for a total of 128 GB of RAM?

If the chip supports it, I don't see why not.

 

[manly]

If the chip supports it, I don't see why not.

It's not the CPU that matters, but the chipset and mainboard support.

With just 4 slots, the best case scenario is 256 GB? I think DDR3L that the OP referenced are LRDIMMs, a new type of RAM.

 

[Mixolydian]

Since the beginning of time, Apple has low-balled their RAM ceilings. Even back in the PowerPC and 68k days. I think it largely has to do with the RAM modules that are available at the time.

Usually you can go higher than Apple's published RAM ceiling, but not always.

 

[alfa147x]

It's not the CPU that matters, but the chipset and mainboard support.

With just 4 slots, the best case scenario is 256 GB? I think DDR3L that the OP referenced are LRDIMMs, a new type of RAM.

The chipset C602J has no information but the CPU does E5-2697 v2 (768 GB) which I found odd.

 

[alfa147x]

Hmm with the new 64GB LRDIMMS you could stuff 256GB of RAM in a box

 

[manly]

Hmm with the new 64GB LRDIMMS you could stuff 256GB of RAM in a box

oops, didn't mean to get your hopes soaring like a bird. DDR3L are low-power DIMMs, while LRDIMMs are a completely different thing.

I'm sure the C602 chipset has a RAM ceiling, but it's also dependent on the mainboard's number of slots. Like I said, everybody expects 32 GB DIMMs to work whether Apple ever validates it or not.

 

[alkemyst]

Is the Gorilla in the room no one is addressing, why do you need 128GB on a laptop?

Heck even in most non-server (DEDICATED SERVERS), 16-32GB is even over kill.

 

[TheStu]

Is the Gorilla in the room no one is addressing, why do you need 128GB on a laptop?

Heck even in most non-server (DEDICATED SERVERS), 16-32GB is even over kill.

Perhaps the gorilla is actually an elephant because the Mac Pro isn't a laptop, it's a desktop.

 

[alkemyst]

Perhaps the gorilla is actually an elephant because the Mac Pro isn't a laptop, it's a desktop.

I thought he was talking about doing it in his MBP as well...

Either way is why?

 

[TheStu]

I thought he was talking about doing it in his MBP as well...

Either way is why?

He was saying that Apple's official spec for the new Mac Pro is 64GB RAM, but that he has experience with exceeding Apple's spec on his MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.

The why is simple... MOAR RAM BETTAR!!! Certain tasks need more RAM, and if you're doing things like... hooking up 6 1440p displays, or 3 4Ks, and doing high res image editing... more RAM better.

 

[alkemyst]

He was saying that Apple's official spec for the new Mac Pro is 64GB RAM, but that he has experience with exceeding Apple's spec on his MacBook Pro and Mac Mini.

The why is simple... MOAR RAM BETTAR!!! Certain tasks need more RAM, and if you're doing things like... hooking up 6 1440p displays, or 3 4Ks, and doing high res image editing... more RAM better.

I agree, but there is a point of diminishing returns and 128GB in insane outside a server.

Even in those that have more cores.

 

[Rakehellion]

The fact that the new Pro has a single processor makes me sad.

 

[alfa147x]

I end up eating up 75% - 90% of the server's RAM. Our boxes cost $100K - $500k each for 512GB - 1TB of RAM + 2TB - 5TB of SSD storage. A 12 core / 24 vCore Mac Pro that has 128GB - 256GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $10,700 I'll have a portable box good for temporary use such as testing or for a PoC.

oops, didn't mean to get your hopes soaring like a bird. DDR3L are low-power DIMMs, while LRDIMMs are a completely different thing.

I'm sure the C602 chipset has a RAM ceiling, but it's also dependent on the mainboard's number of slots. Like I said, everybody expects 32 GB DIMMs to work whether Apple ever validates it or not.

Since it won't be for production use validation doesn't really matter.

The fact that the new Pro has a single processor makes me sad.

Your comment is not relevant to this discussion.

 

[phreaqe]

I end up eating up 75% - 90% of the server's RAM. Our boxes cost $100K - $500k each for 512GB - 1TB of RAM + 2TB - 5TB of SSD storage. A 12 core / 24 vCore Mac Pro that has 128GB - 256GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for $10,700 I'll have a portable box good for temporary use such as testing or for a PoC.

out of curiosity what servers are you buying that cost that much for so little? the dells we buy can get 32 cores, 1TB of ram and 4TB of SSD for like $50K list before any discounts...

 

[alfa147x]

out of curiosity what servers are you buying that cost that much for so little? the dells we buy can get 32 cores, 1TB of ram and 4TB of SSD for like $50K list before any discounts...

I honestly don't know the exact cost that's why I put the range up there. Most of boxes are Cisco, IBM and HP. Dell doesn't have the best reputation around here.

This would be a box at the lower end of that scale

4 x Intel E7-8870 2.4 GHz
512GB RAM
1.2TB Fusion-io
8 x 900GB SAS data

 

[Emulex]

problem is the bandwidth not the size of the ram, only 4 dimms is going to limit 12 cores more so than 18 dimms of older school ddr3 might go towards 6 and 6 cores.

 

[Zaap]

I agree, but there is a point of diminishing returns and 128GB in insane outside a server.

Even in those that have more cores.

I agree. There's almost nothing that can be done with a single-user desktop that actually will even use (let alone require) that much RAM. I guess you could run several VM's each with gobs of RAM at once.

But I do understand the concept: having more because you can is much better than not enough because you're limited.

 

[smackababy]

I agree. There's almost nothing that can be done with a single-user desktop that actually will even use (let alone require) that much RAM. I guess you could run several VM's each with gobs of RAM at once.

But I do understand the concept: having more because you can is much better than not enough because you're limited.

To be fair, I max 8GB RAM as a single user, but I am a developing doing a lot at once. =)
I am running multiple websphere servers at once and they love memory. I suppose a general user wouldn't have the same usage as me, but some of us (which, I would assume is the Mac Pro target audience) could use a lot of extra memory.