According to Intel specifications, some Sandy Bridge mobile processors support DDR 1600.
These compatible processors are the quad-core ones running in the 15 and 17" models, minus the 2 GHz one (the ones in the 13" models are not compatible). Since several readers have asked us to check if the compatible models were effectively supporting that type of memory, we installed 2 DDR3 1600 MHz RAM modules from Kingston in a 15" 2.3 GHz McBook Pro.
Unfortunately, even with several reboots, and even an SMC reset, the computer refused to see anything higher than DDR3 1333 MHz.
We are almost sure that Apple omitted the support of that faster memory in the EFI of those computers. It is too bad as that support would allow a 20% gain in the memory bandwidth, which is pretty big.
Still, it is possible that in a later EFI update, these modules could be recognized with their full potential.
