[olemed]

Purchased a stock 2.66ghz MacPro this weekend. I only added wireless and BT.

In any event the stock memory is 512x2 for a total of 1 gig. I want to buy an additional 4 gigs.
I read that 1 gig per core is ideal and Photoshop itself tends to prefer at least 3 gigs so a total
of 5 gigs for now seems ideal.
Now I'm not sure about the configuration of memory that I wish to put in. I've read so many
things regarding the 256-bit addressing and the latency and bandwidth of the memory that
I'm so confused. I'm not a power hungry user but speed sure is nice when doing intense
Photoshop tasks.

So here's my current thinking:

Purchase memory in the configuration of 2x2gb (putting that in one riser) and sticking the stock 2x512MB from Apple in the other riser for now - for a total of 5GB. The 2x2gb pair seems to have more longevity to it; I can always hold onto it if I choose to max out the machine's RAM. Maybe much later I could add the additional 2x2 gb for a total of 9 gigs of memory.

Or:

Purchase memory in the configuration of 1x4gb. This would be ideal for '256-bit' addressing from what I've read.

Any opinions on the latency/bandwidth issue? Is it ideal to have matching pairs in each riser
(a pair of 1gb in one riser, and a pair of 1gb in the other)?

At most I suspect 8 gigs of RAM (in 1 gig increments) is more than ideal for my personal use but one
never knows down the road. Who knows what memory expectation Leopard may have and who doesn't love to multi-task? I expect to hold onto this machine for 6 or 7 years like the former G4 tower its replacing. My use is mainly photo editing (Photoshop) and some occasional video editing (FC and iMovie).

Right now FB memory sticks have gone down in price. I could get 4 gigs (in either 4x1 or 2x2 for about $300-$350). Would anyone recommend Transcend over Crucial? Transcend has a deal of $70 per 1 gig stick on New Egg and $135 for a single 2 gig stick. Crucial is selling 2x1 for $176. Not too shabby but just a bit more than the Transcend.

[mduell]

With 2x512MB and 2x2GB, you've got the 256-bit bus. Unless you know that your application is latency sensitive, it's generally inconsequential; the latency of an FB-DIMM is already so high that another few nanoseconds doesn't make a difference. Go with whatever configuration gives you the most amount of memory for the lowest price.

I'd go with Crucial any day over Transcend; especially when the price difference is that small. Be sure you're looking at memory for the Mac Pro, not generic FB-DIMMs; the Mac Pro needs oversized heatsinks.

[SierraDragon]

Add 2x2 GB RAM DIMMs from either OWC or Crucial. Bargain hunting for RAM is risky.

-Allen Wicks

[olemed]

I'm going with the Transcend, since Apple recommends it for the Mac Pro:

1GB DDR2-667 Fully Buffer DIMM for Mac Pro

If it's good enough to be recommended by Apple, it's good enough for me.

[ottyee]

I to have purchased a MP 2.66 and just added 4gb of ram. The strange thing is that the computer says it recognizes 5gb but PS CS3 only "sees" 3gb. Is this a limitation of PS CS3? Is the other 2gb of ram wasted?

[ninahagen]

Originally Posted by olemed 

I'm going with the Transcend, since Apple recommends it for the Mac Pro:

1GB DDR2-667 Fully Buffer DIMM for Mac Pro

If it's good enough to be recommended by Apple, it's good enough for me.

Gosh, why even bother posting, if you plan to ignore, with rude dismissal, what far more experienced people have to say. Apple may recommend Transcend as a legit and suitable vendor, but have you bothered to ask who makes the memory that Apple actually buys for their machines? There must be a reason Apple itself doesn't save the money by buying from Transcend. But anyway, it seems I am wasting my breath.

[ninahagen]

Originally Posted by ottyee 

I to have purchased a MP 2.66 and just added 4gb of ram. The strange thing is that the computer says it recognizes 5gb but PS CS3 only "sees" 3gb. Is this a limitation of PS CS3? Is the other 2gb of ram wasted?

There are numerous posts on this thread that will help you understand the issue...

http://forums.macnn.com/65/mac-pro-a...configuration/

[olemed]

Originally Posted by ninahagen 

Gosh, why even bother posting, if you plan to ignore, with rude dismissal, what far more experienced people have to say. Apple may recommend Transcend as a legit and suitable vendor, but have you bothered to ask who makes the memory that Apple actually buys for their machines? There must be a reason Apple itself doesn't save the money by buying from Transcend. But anyway, it seems I am wasting my breath.

RAM, for the most part, is RAM. And I wasn't being rude, just realistic. And if you think you're wasting your breath, then you probably are.

[MarkLT1]

Originally Posted by olemed 

RAM, for the most part, is RAM.

That is where you are mistaken. For a typical desktop, that is not being overclocked, yes, RAM is RAM. For fully buffered, ECC RAM, that DEFINITELY isn't the case. The MacPro does not take your every day PCxx00 RAM. It takes a higher quality, error correcting RAM (the type of RAM you put in a server). Fully buffered ECC RAM runs at higher temperatures than your typical desktop RAM, and thus the components used to make such RAM are more sensitive to quality standards. All you have to do is look back from when the MPs first came out, and you'll see MANY a horror story of what using sub-par RAM can do. To save you a search, this includes data corruption and kernel panics.

Of course you are free to put whatever you want in your machine. That being said, there is a very clear reason people here are making the suggestion to go with a more reliable manufacturer.

[olemed]

I'm familiar with the ram requirements for the Mac Pro. I do recall reading the early horror stories from the Apple discussion boards. However, now, a year later, improvements have been made in this regard.

Nonetheless I've gone with Crucial 4x1. Figured I'd save myself some headaches.

[ninahagen]

Glad to hear that.

Was the 2 x 2 much more expensive?

[olemed]

Originally Posted by ninahagen 

Glad to hear that.

Was the 2 x 2 much more expensive?

$838.99 is the price for 2x2 for Crucial RAM through NewEgg - which is absolutely absurd and NewEgg does have some of the best prices so not sure why this is the case. However, it's 379 through Crucial direct. I did order the 2x1 kit (2 of them for a total of 4 gigs) of Crucial Ram from NewEgg for $176.99 per kit. It went down from $199 in a few days. Through Crucial it's $199 per 2 gb kit. The Transcend 2x2 was $135. I ordered through NewEgg because if I spend $500 I don't have payments for 6 months through their preferred account. I also ordered a 500 gig WD hard drive and Spyder2 Express in addition to the ram.

I decided to stick with 4x1 because I don't see myself needing more than say 10-12 gbs of ram. Though I did want to allow room for expandability should I need to tax the machine in years to come. Eventually I'll sell the 2x512 and outfit the remaining slots with 2x2.