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Ralf_Wiggum · Jul 21, 2005, 07:47 PM

Can I use any memory in my G4 MDD as long as its pc2700. It seems that there are some brands and stores that are cheaper than buying rip off ram from apple. But if it does not specificaly say on the package macintosh compatible will it still work? thanks
...i have a crayon up my nose

Scotttheking · Jul 21, 2005, 08:16 PM

www.crucial.com

Ralf_Wiggum · Jul 21, 2005, 08:22 PM

thanks for the site info. is $65 the cheapest 512 ram out there? also CL=3....what does that mean. is it important? thanks again
...i pasted macaroni to my ear

Big Mac · Jul 21, 2005, 08:37 PM

Scott, respectfully, crucial isn't the only name brand vendor in town. Their site isn't even that great.

You're right Ralf, it does not have to explicitly state it is Mac compatible; in fact, I've never seen any RAM packaged in that manner. The RAM's specifications have to match the specifications required by your Mac. In the case of speed, the RAM can even exceed the speed required by your Mac. For example, your MDD requires DDR333 PC2700, but it can also use DDR400 PC3200. But unless you find a good deal on the faster RAM, it will be more expensive and thus needless, unless you plan on upgrading to a Mac that requires 3200.

There is both generic and name brand RAM; I now purchase only name brand RAM. There are a number of name brand vendors, such as Kingston, Mushkin, Viking, PNY, Corsair, Samsung, Corsair. . . I personally like Kingston and Mushkin. You may want to look at http://dealram.com/ to get a sense of pricing. CL=3 concerns timings, and it only makes a difference if you're attempting to overclock the RAM.

edit: Here's Newegg.com Mushkin PC2700 512 for $47. And here's eWiz PC2700 512 for $50. I have purchased from, and recommend, both of those resellers.

Ralf_Wiggum · Jul 21, 2005, 09:25 PM

thanks big mac.. any of those names you'd stay away from?
again thanks for the info!
...i found a moonrock in my nose

OogaBooga · Jul 22, 2005, 12:43 AM

...i found a dildo in my exhaust pipe.

Seriously, what's up with the random statements?

tooki · Jul 22, 2005, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Scott, respectfully, crucial isn't the only name brand vendor in town. Their site isn't even that great.

No, but they're reliable and reasonably priced. The small premium you pay for Crucial is well offset by the fact that it is top-quality product that has been tested to work in a Mac. That saves a TON of time compared to testing cheap RAM to see which does and doesn't work.

tooki

mhuie · Jul 22, 2005, 02:43 AM

Originally Posted by tooki

No, but they're reliable and reasonably priced. The small premium you pay for Crucial is well offset by the fact that it is top-quality product that has been tested to work in a Mac. That saves a TON of time compared to testing cheap RAM to see which does and doesn't work.

tooki

It's a pretty large premium.

I bought a pair of Corsair Valueselect DDR3220 1gb sticks for $~85 each.

Crucial lists the 1GB stick for $126.

$40 more per stick is almost a 50% premium.

Big Mac · Jul 22, 2005, 03:01 AM

[dp]

Big Mac · Jul 22, 2005, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by OogaBooga

...i found a dildo in my exhaust pipe.

Seriously, what's up with the random statements?

He's in the guise of Ralph Wiggum, son of Springfield's Chief of Police Clancy Wiggum. . .

Btw, Ralf, I bet your cat's breath smells like cat food. . .

Ralf_Wiggum · Jul 23, 2005, 10:00 PM

does it make a difference between getting a gig stick or 2 512 sticks. also is kingston valueram any good. thanks
...I ate the blue ones ... they taste like burning

dragonfly006 · Jul 25, 2005, 01:01 AM

For those of you who have the new G5s, does Apple still use Samsung memory? I'd like to ensure absolute compatibility.

Big Mac · Jul 25, 2005, 01:22 AM

For your G4, Ralf, you should get the largest DIMMs you can afford; I do like Kingston Value RAM. As for dragonfly's question, there's no reason to match the brand of RAM. Any high quality RAM with matching specs will be fine.

tooki · Jul 25, 2005, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by mhuie

It's a pretty large premium.

I bought a pair of Corsair Valueselect DDR3220 1gb sticks for $~85 each.

Crucial lists the 1GB stick for $126.

$40 more per stick is almost a 50% premium.

$40, in absolute terms, isn't very much money. It's well worth the effort saved troubleshooting marginal RAM.

tooki

dragonfly006 · Jul 25, 2005, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

For your G4, Ralf, you should get the largest DIMMs you can afford; I do like Kingston Value RAM. As for dragonfly's question, there's no reason to match the brand of RAM. Any high quality RAM with matching specs will be fine.

Fair enough, but I am still curious.

hedgehogfrenzy · Jul 25, 2005, 12:37 PM

What's everyone's hangup on generic RAM. I have 2 gigs of Other World Computing RAM and have had no problems. As long as the specs are the same, there shouldn't be a difference.

I built PCs for 3 years in starting in 2001 and always used generic RAM, and only had a bad stick once. I don't see how the premium you pay for brand name makes a difference.

I've read tests on multiple websites where peple ran benchmarks with the highests quality RAM and the generic RAM, but never saw a difference in speed.

Todd Madson · Jul 25, 2005, 04:48 PM

I also purchased the Corsair Valueselect matched pairs of ram for my G5 tower and
have had smooth sailing, no glitches.

danman · Jul 26, 2005, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

$40, in absolute terms, isn't very much money. It's well worth the effort saved troubleshooting marginal RAM.

tooki

It is when you buy 4 1GB modules that are $40 cheaper. That's a savings of $160! And the Corsair ValueSelect has a lifetime warranty.