1.83 core duo ram question

[kant]

I wanted to put my 2.5ghz's MBP's 1gb chips into a friend's 1.83ghz core duo macbook. When I pulled one of the chips out of the macbook it didn't 'click' as it unlocked. I didn't think anything of it until I couldn't get the 1gb to lock into the slot. Or either of the original 256mb chips. They'll slide in but the computer won't boot with a chip in that slot. It works just fine with a 1gb chip in the second slot so she does have twice as much ram as before the evening started.

My questions are:

1. Is 1gb in a single chip better than 2x256mb? Not certain how this dual channel ram works.
   
2. Is there any chance that there is a simple way to get the first slot to work again? (She didn't buy the extended warranty so any repairs are on my dime. I don't 'think' I did anything to cause the problem, but it worked before I took the battery out.)
   
3. The chip that came out of that slot was white on the leading edge of the contacts. Any ideas as to why/what that might be and if it could be connected to the slot not working any more?

 

[CanadaRAM]

I wanted to put my 2.5ghz's MBP's 1gb chips into a friend's 1.83ghz core duo macbook. When I pulled one of the chips out of the macbook it didn't 'click' as it unlocked. I didn't think anything of it until I couldn't get the 1gb to lock into the slot. Or either of the original 256mb chips. They'll slide in but the computer won't boot with a chip in that slot. It works just fine with a 1gb chip in the second slot so she does have twice as much ram as before the evening started.
My questions are:

Is 1gb in a single chip better than 2x256mb? Not certain how this dual channel ram works.

Yes. The extra RAM trumps dual-channel

[*]Is there any chance that there is a simple way to get the first slot to work again? (She didn't buy the extended warranty so any repairs are on my dime. I don't 'think' I did anything to cause the problem, but it worked before I took the battery out.)

Yes, you simply haven't pushed the module all the way into the socket. It goes in about 1 inch and stops. You have to get both thumbs on it and push it in another 1/8 inch to seat the pins into the contacts. If your thumbs don't end up with dents in them, then you haven't pushed hard enough.

[*]The chip that came out of that slot was white on the leading edge of the contacts. Any ideas as to why/what that might be and if it could be connected to the slot not working any more?

That's a lithium type grease that Apple uses as a lubricant to speed up assembly of the machines coz the RAM sockets are so $#^&$g tight.

 

[kant]

Yes, you simply haven't pushed the module all the way into the socket. It goes in about 1 inch and stops. You have to get both thumbs on it and push it in another 1/8 inch to seat the pins into the contacts. If your thumbs don't end up with dents in them, then you haven't pushed hard enough.

As encouraging as I find your informative (and prompt ) answer, it looked as if it was in just as far as the other one. But I'll definitely give it another shot when she comes back from school next weekend. I thank you for the info. More importantly, my credit card thanks you for the info. I live 90 miles from the nearest Apple repair shop, so my automobile thanks you too.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Just make sure you have the module oriented the right way -- see the diagram on the MacBook that shows which side the slot in the contact strip goes on.

There isn't really a 'click' at all to let you know it's in. You have to do it by feel.