Can I insert 16Gb RAM into MacBook Pro early 2011?

I don't understand your comment. My MacBook Pro 2011 hard drive is built in. How would I not use my hard drive?

I think the reference is that if you're still using a "platter-type" hard disk drive (HDD), then it's worthless.. But I think that's a crap explanation. An SSD hard drive will perform much faster than a platter-type HDD. Think of it as a calculator vs a pencil, when doing math. A calculator is much faster, as it's all digital/electronic. A pencil, like a standard platter-type HDD is much slower (by comparison) to the calculator as it is a "mechanically-read" device.

A HDD is not useless, but it's true that an SSD is easily the most effective upgrade for any computer that doesn't have one yet. In a Macbook, you can still keep the HDD for slower large scale storage if you sacrifice the optical drive. I went with optical drive + SSD, but I'm constantly running out of disk space, partially because I hope too much swap that OS X doesn't seem to clean up. I'm hoping the extra RAM will solve that, bringing this question full circle.

@mcv I have already tried this with a 17" and a 15" the problem is that most of the time the Mac doesn't recognize the new HDD that was put on the optical drive bay!!! It's a total nuisance

Putting 16GB of RAM in a computer is not like dropping a 600HP Hemi in a car… It's more like adding a towing package to a car, truck or SUV… if you're already pulling a big load a tow package (e.g. more RAM) helps get the job done more efficiently. Does that make sense? If you were not using processor intensive applications (Applications used in content creation applications like PhotoShop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro) before the switch, then no you'll not notice a change after. RAM determines how many applications and how much data the Mac can keep track of without having to read from or write to the storage medium (access VMEM which slows a process down). The speed of e-mail or web browsing… or playing music will not noticeably change after Maxing RAM. The machine is already running those Apps as fast a human can detect, and the App allow.. those uses simply don't benefit from having 16GB RAM.

"If you were not using processor intensive applications " from originalmachead

I'm pretty sure he meant RAM intensive, not processor. Though they can be one in the same, they aren't necessarily. Opening a huge picture in photoshop can be RAM intensive; running a complex filter can be processor intensive. It may be helpful to have more RAM, but won't speed up a processor intensive task.

So this is to originalmachead. I also have a MacBook Pro 2011, and since El Capitan it's been getting slower and slower. I don't usually use apps like Photoshop or InDesign...just Apple Mail, Google Chrome and Pages. So you're saying if I increase the RAM, it won't help the ever-slowing speed of the computer?

@euchreyou - I would focus on doing some HD clean up first. Your system slowing down implies the drive is getting full and the files are fragmented. Run Disk Utility from an external bootable drive, then run Disk Doctor or some other cache & log cleaner. Then clean out as much junk you can. You want to have at least 1/4 of your drive free a smaller drive needs more (1/3). Once you have the free space run a good defragmenter app like: Drive Genus. Once your drive is whipped back into shape you should see a big improvement!

As for the next step I would increase your RAM given the fact you are doing image editing. Most likely your drives problems was due to the fact your usage created many frag'ed files as it didn't have enough RAM to hold the image in RAM. I would also look at either swapping out the HD to a big SSD (1 or 2 TB) if you can afford it. or think about a SSHD. I wouldn't jump to a dual drive unless your system can support it (there is an issue in some models)

Hello MIlan. Can you tell the brands that worked and the brands that did not work? THX

@contact There are many kits for this upgrade that can be found on ebay they may be more expensive but are far more likely to work

Brian, I do agree with part of your statement '8GB is enough for most people'. I do take exception on your remark on Apple clearly stated 8GB is the limit. Apple's limit is based on day one of the models history not what memory modules came out later. While it's true Apple has not gone back to test the newer memory modules others have. In addition, some systems (Core2 Duo) do have a limit due to the CPU and the memory controller logic used in them. Systems that can address more memory (i3/i5/i7) and the most current OS-X can leverage it. The last piece here is the application: not all apps can use all of this memory (nor need it). Running different applications concurently can allow each running app all the memory each require. Having a single app having the ability to access all of this higher amount of RAM would need to be verified by that given app vendor. As an example CadCam can leverage this added RAM.

VM's only confuses the issue here as the the memory limit of the VM's OS would need to be factored in and lastly, the number of VM's and why you are using VM's. Most people using a VM need to run Windows or UNIX/Linux to gain access to a given app and then the same story applies what is the limit of the OS & the app per that given VM. Then the CPU, storage (HD/SSD) and/or network performance becomes the performance limit. The GPU is only reflecting the systems ability to process. So a bogged down system will encounter issues independent of the amount of RAM it has. People fail to consider all of the pieces and the balance of each element that makes a computer. Which is the bottom line here and I do agree with you on that point as well.

I down voted this answer because it is incorrect.

I strongly recommend to replace the HD by SSD. You will see a lot of improvement in the boot time and the overall performance.

Whether you will see the impact of a memory upgrade depends entirely on your usage. I'm not running any VMs, but I'm using 7.9 GB and my Mac creates way too many swap files. I think more memory would do me a lot of good. RAM is cheap.

It might shock you to hear that OS X 10.8 and above, and all the hardware capable of running 10.8 and above, is 64 bit. To the best of my knowledge, the only machines that will address more than 8GB of RAM that won't run 10.8 are the last-generation G5 towers and the first-generation Mac Pro towers.

A 32 bit computer can't even address more than 4 GB. Even 8 GB is a waste in that case.

Is that true? I had no idea. Thanks. 8 GB is half the price of 16.. thought 16 feels like a modern baseline. Even 8 on my newer MBP feels weak af

I just added 16 gigs to my early 2011 MacBook Pro and when from slug to a race machine. It also improved the internet. If you upgrade look at the activity monitor and it actually uses over 10 gigs to operate.

I used consair Mac memory.

My machine slowed with each OS upgrade and I think it's Apples method to tell you need a new machine. I use a lap link cable to capture pictures from my camera Raw files and now it works great.

If you had a 4GB system then you could have stopped at 8GB and seen the same result. The bigger win here is cleaning your drive of collected junk. One good tool is Disk Doctor you can download from the App Store. The next thing is to run Drive Utility from a another bootable drive and repair & fix the permissions. The last thing is defrag your HD as over time the files do get fragmented. If you can swing it get a SSHD or SSD to replace your slower HD. Combined with the 8 GB of RAM you'll have a screamer!

Now that it is January 2018, is it still a wow or have you had any issues? And are you using a ssd or the original hd? And which operating system are you running? I have a 2011 macbook pro running 10.6,8 and was thinking of updating the OS but I reading these thought I should do the memory also. Which brand memory did you use? Also want to make sure cs3 will work on new operating system.

Two years later I bought a late 2011 MBP, It was great, I went to 16 gig ram and my happiness doubled, I then put in an Intel SSD for Mac(535 series) and my happiness doubled again. I had an ASUS VX7 in 2011 which had 16 gig ram and same i7 as this MBP, Apple kicks ASUS VX7 butt. Now I have a 30 second start up on dual boot windows 10, sometimes less and it has a lot of programs. How can you be so happy with a 9 yr old computer? All up with new ram and new ssd not 2ih, it cost me around $750 ($450 original price on eBay. There is not a new windows computer I would swap this 9 year old MBP for, none of them could meet my expetations after tis and I fiddle at computer shops to examine speed not just fancy written down specs. Oh, running Catalina with ease and fully functional. Catalina boots faster than 30 second windows, is it a freak?

@Ric Glass that is a very good spiritual mode, I have the same Mac and after reading your answer I decided to go for it.... thanks!

10GB RAM... R u sure abt that

I just put in 16gb on my macbook pro 13 inch early 2011 and "about mac" only shows 8gb with one slot open. I am also on high sierra. I am also wondering if my computer just doesnt recognize it??

Likely have a bad socket or you hadn't fully seated the SO-DIMM

So guys, what's the verdict? Do I upgrade or not?

Not going to happen! Just because the CPU architecture has the ability, that doesn't mean Apple enabled all of the address lines or setup the memory so it could be done. It was tested before 32GB isnot workable.