[allformac]

I am going to be purchsing a Power Mac dual G5 in the coming week.

I checked Apple's prices for adding more ram to the machine and it is ridiculous. So I figured I would purchse the amount of ram I want from CRUCIAL and save some money.

My question though is...

Will buying this 3rd party ram and installing it void my Applecare warranty?

I want to still be covered.

Thanks for your guy's help.

[AssassyN]

Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, in your instruction booklet that'll come w/ the machine, Apple will include instructions on how to install RAM on your own.

P.S. - Even Crucial.com is too expensive; get it from www.coastmemory.com ...great prices, fast shipping, and it's certain to work in the Mac you select from their RAM selector.

[allformac]

Thanks for the great help.

[idyll]

I believe www.newegg.com has the cheapest memory and extremely fast shipping.

[Xaaron Swiftblade]

Well I looked it up:

Coastmemory (second price listed is 'web' price)

512mb APPLE POWERMAC G5 DDR 400 PC3200
PC3200 (400) FOR 1.8GHZ AND DUAL 2.0 GHZ VERSIONS
GENERIC - p/n MA4064U/512/Q2V $97.90 $89.00

256MB APPLE POWERMAC G5 DDR 400 PC3200
PC3200 (400) FOR 1.8GHZ AND DUAL 2.0 GHZ VERSIONS
GENERIC - p/n MA4064U/256/Q2V $64.90 $59.00

128MB APPLE POWERMAC G5 DDR 400 PC3200
PC3200 (400) FOR 1.8GHZ AND DUAL 2.0 GHZ VERSIONS
GENERIC - p/n MA4064U/128/Q2V $31.90 $29.00

------

Crucial

512MB DDR PC3200
• CL=3 • Non-parity •
CT322476
$94.99 (USD)

256MB DDR PC3200
• CL=3 • Non-parity •
CT322477
$53.99 (USD)

128MB DDR PC3200
• CL=3 • Non-parity •
CT322478
$29.99 (USD)

------

Newegg

GEIL DDR RAM 512MB PC-3200 Value 400MHz Ultra- CAS 2.5, 2T CommandGL5123200B Value. DDR400, CAS 2.5, 184 Pin Dimm, 6 Layer PCB, Aluminum Heat Spreader, bulk pkg - Lifetime Warranty. Model#: GL512PC3200B $87.00

KingMax DDR memory 256MB PC3200 MPXB62D OEM
Specifications:
Performance range - 200MHz ( DDR400, CL2.5 )
Double-data-rate architecture; two data transfers per clock cycle
Auto & self refresh capability (4096 Cycles / 64ms)
Single 2.5V ±0.2V power supply Programmable Read latency 2, 2.5 (clock)
Programmable Burst length (2, 4, 8) Model#: MPXB62D $43.00

Crucial 128MB 16x64 PC-3200 DDR RAM, Model CT1664Z40B - OEM
Specifications:
Module Size: 128MB 184-pin DIMM DDR PC3200
Configuration: 16Meg x 64
DIMM Type: Unbuffered
Error Checking: Non-parity
Speed: 5ns
Voltage: 2.5V
SDRAM Timings:CL=3 Model#: CT1664Z40B $30.00

-------------------------------

It seems Newegg wins, and from what I've heard, their reliability can't be beat

[Starry Night]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by allformac:
I am going to be purchsing a Power Mac dual G5 in the coming week.

I checked Apple's prices for adding more ram to the machine and it is ridiculous. So I figured I would purchse the amount of ram I want from CRUCIAL and save some money.

My question though is...

Will buying this 3rd party ram and installing it void my Applecare warranty?

I want to still be covered.

Thanks for your guy's help. [/QUOTE

Installing 3rd party ram, of itself, does not void the warranty. However, if you happen to somehow manage to botch the job, which is hard to mess up on given it's like changing a lightbuld, the warranty will not cover whatever damage you cause.

Also, let's say down the road your machine has a problem and you take it in for repair. If the problem is determined to be your defective 3rd party ram, you will receive a repair bill from Apple. A good idea is to remove all 3rd party ram before taking the machine in for repair, that way they can't blame your ram!

All in all, it's a good idea to stick with very reliable 3rd party ram vendors, even if quality costs a little bit more. Imho, crucial offers a nice balance between quality and price.....