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jasonsRX7 · Nov 9, 2003, 01:20 AM

I posted about this before, but I though the problem had gone away when I installed Panther.

When I first got my 1.6 G5, I was having major beachballs happening all the time. After installing Panther on launch day, they had gone away up until yesterday. I've had to force a power off on my G5 6 times in the past two days. It's really almost unusable. Anything from Safari, to Photoshop, to iTunes can cause a lockup. I've already done a fresh reload of 10.3.

I'm not using the stock ram, I'm using two 512mb Crucial 333 modules. I don't have the stock 128 modules available to me any more, so I can't test with them.

I'd like to know how conclusive the Apple hardware test really is. I've run it and it never indicates a problem with anything. Is it pretty reliable? I can take the ram out and run memtest86 on it in a PC if I need to, and I've already reseated it in the Mac a couple of times.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or is it starting to look like I might have a lemon?

dantley · Nov 9, 2003, 03:53 AM

Sounds like bad ram to me.

WizOSX · Nov 9, 2003, 04:34 PM

I don't think the Apple hardware test really tells yo very much about RAM. I had a Dual 867 a year ago and bought a 512 DDR dimm locally for a pretty good price made be a reputable manufacturer. I had serious problems until I removed the RAM. I returned it and bought a 512 stick from a local Apple dealer. More expensive but no problems. But Apple's hardware test always said that the bad RAM was OK.

jasonsRX7 · Nov 9, 2003, 05:04 PM

I took the ram out, put it in my PC, and ran memtest86 on it for 10 loops (over 3 hours). It never had an error, so I think the ram is ok. It could still be a compatibility problem between the G5 and the ram, however Crucial's page lists it as compatible.

Has anyone else had compatibility issues with Crucial ram and their G5?

The problems I'm having are too sporadic to reproduce. I've tried crashing the machine but it only happens at the most random times.

rocheb · Nov 9, 2003, 09:43 PM

Originally posted by jasonsRX7:
I took the ram out, put it in my PC, and ran memtest86 on it for 10 loops (over 3 hours). It never had an error, so I think the ram is ok. It could still be a compatibility problem between the G5 and the ram, however Crucial's page lists it as compatible.

Has anyone else had compatibility issues with Crucial ram and their G5?

The problems I'm having are too sporadic to reproduce. I've tried crashing the machine but it only happens at the most random times.

I had a Dual 800 G4 that was doing something like this. Of course it happened as I was trying to finish a film -- but anyways, Apple ended up sending me two different hard drives (they thought it was a bad drive). THEN they replaced one of the processors (since the computer seemed to work in OS 9, which only uses one processor, they thought they figured it out). This didn't work either. Apple now said it was a bad logic board. At this point I had spent many hours on hold/talking to Apple and was starting to lose it

. I only have a cell phone and the bill was reaching $300.

Finally apple allowed me to replace a G4. I called the local Apple store and explained my situation -- a film being due in a week now, a loss of sanity...and they were sympathetic.

I ended up getting a Dual 1 GHz Mirror for my Dual 800 Quicksilver, and my film has won a few awards.

So, you may have a big hassle in front of you, but it may be worth it in the end.

Landos Mustache · Nov 9, 2003, 10:50 PM

Many people have reported problems with Crucial RAM.

Kenneth · Nov 10, 2003, 12:43 AM

On my DP 1.25 FW800 G4 machine, my AE always cuts off after a day or so. I called Apple many times and I tried to remove all my extra HDs and Crucial RAM, it worked fine as stock config.

So far, I don't rule out the bad RAM modules yet on my case. Since the ATA busses could be over-stressed. The low-end G5 should use the same RAM modules as my G4 does, right?
PC2700.

roders · Nov 10, 2003, 12:53 AM

HAd the amse prob as you, I also had bought two sticks of Crucial Ram, which after installing I started having stability (crash's kernal Panics) problems with (never so much as hickcupped before).
One difference though AHT did report ONE of the Crucail ram sticks as faulty, and since there used in pairs...
AHT only noted a prob with the Ram on the extended test, the Ram's gone back to crucial, and everythings fine now.

Arkham_c · Nov 10, 2003, 08:40 AM

Originally posted by Landos Mustache:
Many people have reported problems with Crucial RAM.

Most people here rave about Crucial RAM. I doubt their RAM is any better or any worse than anyone else's, but the response to them here has been pretty positive.

All RAM, regardless of manufacturer, is made in the same factories in Korea, whether you buy from Kingston, Crucial, or the cheapest place on pricewatch or ramseekers or dealram.

Buy on spec. Get the best spec. Then test the hell out of it with the hardware tester.

Landos Mustache · Nov 10, 2003, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
Most people here rave about Crucial RAM. I doubt their RAM is any better or any worse than anyone else's, but the response to them here has been pretty positive.

Fine, many people here who have problems with G5's and crucial RAM are NOT complaining about crashing problems then. I just said that for fun.

osxisfun · Nov 10, 2003, 10:31 AM

my crucial ram is fine.

ourisman · Nov 10, 2003, 03:27 PM

My RAM from Crucial was also good... and very economically priced.

I actually ordered my crucial.com RAM from a computer in the AppleStore. The salesperson did not have the authority to negotiate the price of RAM to go with the purchase of a Dual G5.

jasonsRX7 · Nov 10, 2003, 04:50 PM

I've always used Crucial ram and never had a problem, but then again, this is my first time purchasing a new Mac, so I'm very green to troubleshooting Apple specific issues. However, this ram was manufactured almost a year before my G5, so I certainly can believe that there have been manufacturing changes since then to maintain compatibility with newer systems.

Either way, it's not really stable now, so I've either got to try to RMA this ram, or buy some new stuff. Crucial has a lifetime warranty, but I'm sure how that carries over to ram that's not really bad, but just doesn't work well in one particular system.

climber · Nov 10, 2003, 11:50 PM

Just a FYI

Crucial is a US company. It is owned by Micron. All ram is NOT made in Korea as was stated earlier. Micron, who makes the ram for Crucial, has a manufacturing plant in Idaho and a new one in Utah.

By the way they make good ram and stand behind al of their products.

ebuddy · Nov 12, 2003, 07:37 AM

I feel sorry for someone in need of help sometimes.

Crucial RAM is the best for the G5. Period! There are countless posts regarding this within MACNN and they all conclusively state-GET CRUCIAL RAM. Had the problem myself with RAM 'til I got Crucial. This must've been on the "competant" belt of the assembly line.

jcadam · Nov 12, 2003, 09:04 AM

In all my time using Macs, the Apple Hardware test has never resolved any problems for me. EVER. I don't bother using it anymore. It is useless.

BTW, I only use RAM from Mushkin. Never had any problems with it. Good customer support also. Have been using them since my PC days.
They even sell 'mac certified' RAM (Though their PC2100 BASIC RAM has been working fine for my MDD 867 Dualie). Not the cheapest, but reasonably priced and good quality stuff.

RAM is like crack cocaine. Once you find a dealer you trust, stick with them

.

Hey! My 900th post.....

jasonsRX7 · Nov 13, 2003, 10:27 PM

Alright well I just ordered another 1gb of ram from Crucial. It specifically says it's for the 1.6 G5's (whereas I ordered my original Crucial ram from Newegg, although it has the exact same specs). If this doesn't solve my crash problems, then it's going to be time for Apple to take a look at this box.

Thanks for everyone's assistance, I'll post again after I get the new ram.

What's weird is that even with all the crash problems I'm having, I still absolutely love this Mac

bitwiz · Jan 14, 2004, 04:34 PM

I've had similar freeze on my new stock dual 1.8Ghz G5 machine (10.3.2). After looking all different forums, I've come to the conclusion that it's probably a Panther bug. Seems like a lot of people are having the exact same kind of lockup, with 10.3.x being a common denominator. BTW, my RAM is the stock 512Mb that came with it. I love the machine, but these random freezes (that require powerdown) are really getting annoying. Also, I ran the Apple hardware test program numerous times and haven't seen a hardware problem reported. Oh, and I reset the PRAM and open firmware on the suggestion of an apple tech, but that had no effect on the problem.

The Ginger Rat · Jan 14, 2004, 05:39 PM

Is it hard to push in the stick? I thought I read somewhere that sometimes the DIMM isn't seated properly and is touching at some point. Seating the sticks properly seems to a bit of a trick at times.

The Placid Casual · Jan 16, 2004, 05:07 AM

Originally posted by Landos Mustache:
Many people have reported problems with Crucial RAM.

I am very surprised...

I have used Crucial in the UK for years and years, and must have bought 40 Gigs+ of the stuff in my time from them, all without a single hitch!

I have had issues overclocking their stuff, but it has always run for me at the stated speeds without problem...

Another illusion shattered.

Peace,

Marc

jasonsRX7 · Jan 16, 2004, 11:15 PM

I forgot to post again after getting the new ram. I got a Powerbook recently and have been playing with that lately rather than my G5.

Anyway, no, the new ram did not solve my problem. It has the same beachball lockups as before. I've run the Apple hardware test several times, and it's never found a problem. I've also tested the ram in a PC for over 48 hours of burn in tests and never found an error (tested using Prime95 in XP and booting to Memtest86).

I really don't think it's the ram. Also, my G5 shipped with 10.2, and it had the same beachballs as 10.3 is having. I can go two weeks sometime and not have so much at a hiccup, and then sometimes it will happen 3 times in one day.

The Placid Casual · Jan 17, 2004, 04:09 AM

Originally posted by jasonsRX7:
I forgot to post again after getting the new ram. I got a Powerbook recently and have been playing with that lately rather than my G5.

Anyway, no, the new ram did not solve my problem. It has the same beachball lockups as before. I've run the Apple hardware test several times, and it's never found a problem. I've also tested the ram in a PC for over 48 hours of burn in tests and never found an error (tested using Prime95 in XP and booting to Memtest86).

I really don't think it's the ram. Also, my G5 shipped with 10.2, and it had the same beachballs as 10.3 is having. I can go two weeks sometime and not have so much at a hiccup, and then sometimes it will happen 3 times in one day.

Call Applecare ASAP...

You shouldn't have that kind of instability...

Peace.

kaz7777 · Jan 17, 2004, 07:14 PM

my Crucial Ram works dandy.