Corsair 8GB SODIMM Mac Memory Kit (CMSA8GX3M2A1066C7)
Does your Mac only have 4GB of RAM? Upgrading the memory in your system is still one of the quickest and easiest ways to boost its performance. Buying it from a memory company instead of Apple will save you TONS of money. Though, unlike high performance desktop memory, there aren’t as many distinguishing factors when considering which SODIMM to buy. Pretty much all the major manufacturers have similar stated performance specs, so why would you choose Corsair’s Mac Memory Kit over the others?
PROS
- Great price
- Tested at Apple’s compatibility lab
- Proven reliability
- Excellent support
- Lifetime warranty
CONS
- Hard to remove from packaging
INSTALL & MEMORY TEST
Installing the Corsair Mac Memory kit in a 15-inch MacBook Pro was quick and easy, though I struggled a little bit trying to remove the modules from the plastic packaging. The memory was immediately recognized by OS X and everything ran quickly and smoothly. Rember verified the memory size, type and speed.
The Corsair kit also passed memory tests with flying colors.
RELIABILITY, VALUE & SUPPORT
The timing for the CMSA8GX3M2A1066C7 is 7-7-7-20, which is the same as the kits offered by the other manufacturers. So then why would you consider the Corsair memory kit over the others? The most obvious is price. The Corsair kit has a very competitive street price. Did you know that Apple charges $400 for an 8GB memory kit?!
What might be less obvious is that the Corsair kit has been tested at Apple’s compatibility lab. This ensures that the memory you buy has actually been tested to work with Apple’s products. Though I’m sure that kits by other manufacturers have been tested for compatibility, the fact that Corsair went through the trouble of testing their memory at Apple, provides extra peace of mind and tells me that Corsair is willing to go the extra mile for their customers.
Additionally, Corsair’s top notch support is always something to consider. Sure, like Corsair, many memory makers provide lifetime warranties, but how good is their support and how simple is the RMA process? If your Corsair memory goes bad, getting a replacement takes just a few short steps and their turnaround time is very reasonable. If you’re in a hurry, you can even request an advance replacement (provided that you give them a credit card #, just in case you don’t return the defective memory).
SPECS
| Density | 8GB (2x4GB SODIMM) |
| Speed | 1066MHz (PC3-8500) |
| Timing | 7-7-7-20 |
| Type | DDR |
| Format | SODIMM |
| Pins | 204 |
| Voltage | 1.5V |
| Warranty | Lifetime |
CONCLUSION
You can buy memory for your Mac from anybody, but why would you? You’d might as well get it from a company known for high-performance, reliable memory, who actually tested their memory at Apple’s lab. The 8GB Corsair Mac memory kit is a terrific value and I recommend it to anyone looking to maximize their Mac’s performance without sacrificing reliability or top notch support.
Available from Amazon.com
* Review unit provided by Corsair.
Thank you for that nice suggestion.
I also ordered this 8gb kit for my MacBook pro 13″ (mid 2010), but still wait for it.
@Tobias You’re very welcome! I think you will be very happy with it. Just be very careful when removing the memory from the packaging. I tried to pop one memory chip out and it literally flew two feet into the air. Luckily, I caught it on the way down. Thanks for reading and take care!
Ed
This is the result from my test. What should i do?.
Memtest version 4.22 (64-bit)
Copyright (C) 2004 Charles Cazabon
Copyright (C) 2004-2008 Tony Scaminaci (Macintosh port)
Licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2 only
Mac OS X 10.6.8 (10K549) running in multiuser mode
Memory Page Size: 4096
System has 2 Intel core(s) with SSE
Requested memory: 6698MB (7023591424 bytes)
Available memory: 6698MB (7023591424 bytes)
Allocated memory: 6698MB (7023591424 bytes) at local address 0×0000000101000000
Attempting memory lock… WARNING: Testing with unlocked memory may be slower and less reliable
ERROR: Memory lock failed – reason unknown.
Partitioning memory into 2 comparison buffers…
Buffer A: 3349MB (3511795712 bytes) starts at local address 0×0000000101000000
Buffer B: 3349MB (3511795712 bytes) starts at local address 0x00000001d251c000
Running 2 test sequences… (CTRL-C to quit)
Test sequence 1 of 2:
Running tests on full 6698MB region…
Stuck Address : setting 1 of 16 ok
Linear PRN : setting 1 of 16 ok
Running comparison tests using 3349MB buffers…
Random Value : ok
Compare XOR : ok
Compare SUB : ok
Compare MUL : ok
Compare DIV : ok
Compare OR : ok
Compare AND : ok
Sequential Increment: ok
Solid Bits : setting 1 of 64 ok
Block Sequential : setting 1 of 256 ok
Checkerboard : setting 1 of 64 ok
Bit Spread : setting 1 of 128 ok
Bit Flip : setting 1 of 512 ok
Walking Ones : setting 1 of 128 ok
Walking Zeroes : setting 1 of 128
FAILURE! Data mismatch at local BUFA address 0x00000001bf7cff58, BUFB address 0x0000000290cebf58
BUFA Data: 0×0000000000000004, BUFB Data: 0×0010000000000004
Test sequence 2 of 2:
Running tests on full 6698MB region…
Stuck Address : setting 1 of 16
@Tito Do you get the same test results every time? I would either try to exchange it from where you purchased it, or contact Corsair support. You can contact them at http://www.corsair.com/support. I’ve never seen Corsair memory fail, but I’m sure it happens from time to time. Good luck!
Yes, I get the same results in every test. Now i change my memory back, to my 4Gb.
@Tito Have you tried running the test on your old memory? Does it pass OK? Have you tried to exchange the Corsair RAM?
Yes, my 4Gb is pass all tests
arghh…i loose my US$500 for 8Gb
sorry, loose US$800 i mean
too many “0″ US$80
I’ve the same problem that Tito
I’m even having some random crashes 
@Raphael
That seems unusual to me, but I’m sure if you get in touch with Corsair, they’ll RMA it for you both, no problem.
Good luck!
There is a lot of people experiencing the same problems with this faulty memory. Read up on any popular site and you will find users dealing with random crashes.
Corsair needs to fix this product or recall their recent batch because this is just causing a lot of stress for both seller and customers.
Why continue to promote and produce a faulty product when you’re just going to ruin your creditable along with losing money on fixing the memory kits.