[The Godfather]

I am pretty sure I don't know ALL RAM vendors, so I am not sure whether I am getting the best deal. Could anyone point me out to the cheapest 2GB for my Macbook?

[shecky]

my experience with cheap RAM on my TiBook was a lot (i mean a LOT) of kernel panics and general buggyness (on 2 different sticks of cheap Kingston memory). i think that good RAM is a heck of a lot more bang for the buck than cheap RAM. Crucial or OWC seem to be the best in my experience, with OWC being noteably cheaper.

[HouseSold]

Originally Posted by shecky

my experience with cheap RAM on my TiBook was a lot (i mean a LOT) of kernel panics and general buggyness (on 2 different sticks of cheap Kingston memory). i think that good RAM is a heck of a lot more bang for the buck than cheap RAM. Crucial or OWC seem to be the best in my experience, with OWC being noteably cheaper.

Prices dropping daily.

I posted a month ago that a memory rep told me price wars coming after school starts; some rebate programs already here. Look at flash memory too. 2gb USB for $29.00AR

http://techbargains.pricegrabber.com.../sortby=priceA

check daily, unless you need it now.

[ibook_steve]

http://www.dealram.com

Check it out! No, not an ad, I just always use it.

Steve

[masugu]

I never heard of mushkin RAM till I asked on these boards...Perfect memory - slid right in - and great service...http://www.mushkin.com. Only $92.75 per gig. Dam...I paid about $125!

[HouseSold]

Originally Posted by masugu

I never heard of mushkin RAM till I asked on these boards...Perfect memory - slid right in - and great service...http://www.mushkin.com. Only $92.75 per gig. Dam...I paid about $125!

I have Mushkin in a Blackbook too. Prices will continue down til year end. It may be downright disgusting what some will pay in December compared to what we paid.

I see $49.oo and less for 1gb sticks.....Makes the coming 2gb sticks more affordable. Imagine if Apple offered those now. One stick of 2gb is more than a Black MacBook now.

What no one has mentioned is future RAM specs of DDR3 and DDR4 next year. It will be neat to have a laptop with no spinning hard drive in the future, just an 80gb flash drive and 8gb RAM soldered in.

Talk about quiet Books, only fans running and mooing.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by HouseSold

What no one has mentioned is future RAM specs of DDR3 and DDR4 next year. It will be neat to have a laptop with no spinning hard drive in the future, just an 80gb flash drive and 8gb RAM soldered in.

The problem is that hard drive size requirements are increasing faster than flash memory sizes are. By the time we have 80GB flash modules, I guarantee the average computer will come with much more than an 80GB HD.

[MacPhly]

I have just ordered a MacBook from Amazon and now looking to buy 2 GB RAM. The best price seems to be from Newegg.com which is $72 for each 1GB stick. The customers' comments were all good primarily because of the price, but majority of them complained about the difficulty in pushing the new RAM into the MacBook slots.

It seems that the original stock RAM that come in the Macbook are of Hynix brand and are thinner and easier to insert into the slots. If you managed to buy the Hynix RAM for your Macbook, or any other brand RAM which is thinner, can you tell us where to buy?

Memorysolutions.com is selling generic RAM of one matched pair 1GB (i.e. 1GB x 2 sticks) for $160 which is the next best price to Newegg.
Ref: http://www.memorysolutions.com/2mapa1x2dd66.html

Can anyone comment on this memorysolutions vendor or the generic RAM claimed as suited for the Macbook?

Thank you.

[HouseSold]

Originally Posted by MacPhly

I have just ordered a MacBook from Amazon and now looking to buy 2 GB RAM. The best price seems to be from Newegg.com which is $72 for each 1GB stick. The customers' comments were all good primarily because of the price, but majority of them complained about the difficulty in pushing the new RAM into the MacBook slots.

It seems that the original stock RAM that come in the Macbook are of Hynix brand and are thinner and easier to insert into the slots. If you managed to buy the Hynix RAM for your Macbook, or any other brand RAM which is thinner, can you tell us where to buy?

Memorysolutions.com is selling generic RAM of one matched pair 1GB (i.e. 1GB x 2 sticks) for $160 which is the next best price to Newegg.
Ref: http://www.memorysolutions.com/2mapa1x2dd66.html

Can anyone comment on this memorysolutions vendor or the generic RAM claimed as suited for the Macbook?

Thank you.

We have two Amazon MacBooks. Amazon is always 3-4 weeks behind Apple's own inventory. We just received a week 27 MacBook from Amazon that they "just received and shipped." I hope yours is later than week 28, since this one still moos and whines. Others ordering from Apple are getting week 31's, the current production week with hopefully no mooing, no whineing and no random shutdowns and no mushy trackpads and somewhat cooler running.

We have Mushkin in one MacBook and AData in the other. The newer Macbook had these changes:

The same Mushkin memory glided in like a dream and clicked in place compared to the other earlier MacBook where it was a struggle to insert and remove. Also the screw heads were 2 different sizes in the 2 MacBooks (1 week 20 and 1 week 27)
The screw heads in the later MacBook are surely smaller Philip head probably 00
Buy the right screwdriver with as long a shaft as possible (the width of the battery compartment or more) from Radio Shack or Sears or Lowes etc.
I noticed the removed 256mb RAM sticks had the appearance of 'wire brushing' along the contact edges to clean fit them; the came out almost too easy.

This is a deal of the week: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231069 with 5 stars from almost everyone (MacBookers)

[kobi]

Outpost.com has 2GB of Patriot ram for $109.99 after a $25.00 rebate.

I ordered 4 sets

Link:
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4789099

[HouseSold]

Originally Posted by kobi

Outpost.com has 2GB of Patriot ram for $109.99 after a $25.00 rebate.

I ordered 4 sets

Link:
http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4789099

I had rebate troubles ordering 2 individual sticks because there was a one to an address per house hold issue. This program definitely solves the two shipping addresses I had to use.

The price wars (drops) are beginning just as I was told.

[ak1nza]

We have two Amazon MacBooks. Amazon is always 3-4 weeks behind Apple's own inventory. We just received a week 27 MacBook from Amazon that they "just received and shipped." I hope yours is later than week 28, since this one still moos and whines. Others ordering from Apple are getting week 31's, the current production week with hopefully no mooing, no whineing and no random shutdowns and no mushy trackpads and somewhat cooler running.

How do you know what week your Macbook is? I'd like to check mine.

Regarding ram. I upgraded to GSkill ram from Newegg and paid around 140 for it. It's working just fine! I didn't have any difficulty installing it. You just have to use some pressure to push it into it's socket but I wouldn't say it's difficult.

[bradoz71]

I just put G.Skill from Newegg in it and paid $149 shipped.

[HouseSold]

How do you know what week your Macbook is? I'd like to check mine.

Click: 'About This Mac' from the Apple menu (under Blue Apple)

Point to the grey Version number and click once

Click again on Build and read your serial #

ie: 4H627xxxxxx where 27 is the week number

It is also on the computer in the battery compartment under the battery, on the box the computer came in and again in the more info in the Apple profiler.

Post your week number for curiousity.

[MacPhly]

Thanks for your quick response, HouseSold. I'm surprised that Amazon is 4 weeks behind in new supplies considering that it is a big time quantity seller. However, when my Macbook arrives Aug.8 I'll check out the moo/whine/shut down problems and report to you guys.

My reason for not buying from Apple retail store is their pixel policy and restocking fee. Say, if you get 3 dead pixels around center of LCD, which does not qualify for exchange and you end up paying 15% restocking fee (abt $150 ) to return it.

In contrast, I can return the Macbook to Amazon for any reason and not hit by any stocking fee. The only penalty is shipping cost for returning. Amazon deducts shipping from the refund, and their UPS shipping on the iBook that I returned last year was abt $15 - perhaps it was merchant rate, compared to $30 if you had to pay direct to UPS. So, the risk in buying from Amazon is $15, compared to $150 from Apple retail store.

Buying from Amazon is time-consuming compared to driving to the Apple store, but if I had to return twice, or thrice, then I would know Macbook is not ready for prime time and not buy it.

REGARDING RAM: I have checked customers' comments on: G.Skill, Jetram, Patriot. Many complained of difficulty in inserting the new ram. No one mentioned easy sliding in. In contrast, regarding Mushkin, you earlier mentioned ease of sliding in and Yakov (in another thread) also wrote on similar ease. So, I am tempted to go with Mushkin although it cost $20 more for each 1GB stick.

REASON: About a month ago, someone in this MacNN forum wrote that his new ram jammed while inserting. In the process, something in the socket broke, and Apple genius felt it was owner-damaged and I think he had to pay a few hundred dollars to replace the motherboard or something major, I forgot. The point is, the risk of damage when replacing the ram is quite costly. So, I wouldn't mind paying a little more if others find a ram that is easy to insert into the Macbook.

I welcome comments regarding my views on buying from Amazon, and if your ram replacement was a breeze, I would be grateful to know what brand you purchased.

[nickw311]

I have OWC and it works great. I think 1 gig is plenty for me at this time.

[HouseSold]

Originally Posted by MacPhly

Thanks for your quick response, HouseSold. I'm surprised that Amazon is 4 weeks behind in new supplies considering that it is a big time quantity seller. However, when my Macbook arrives Aug.8 I'll check out the moo/whine/shut down problems and report to you guys.

My reason for not buying from Apple retail store is their pixel policy and restocking fee. Say, if you get 3 dead pixels around center of LCD, which does not qualify for exchange and you end up paying 15% restocking fee (abt $150 ) to return it.

In contrast, I can return the Macbook to Amazon for any reason and not hit by any stocking fee. The only penalty is shipping cost for returning. Amazon deducts shipping from the refund, and their UPS shipping on the iBook that I returned last year was abt $15 - perhaps it was merchant rate, compared to $30 if you had to pay direct to UPS. So, the risk in buying from Amazon is $15, compared to $150 from Apple retail store.

Buying from Amazon is time-consuming compared to driving to the Apple store, but if I had to return twice, or thrice, then I would know Macbook is not ready for prime time and not buy it.

REGARDING RAM: I have checked customers' comments on: G.Skill, Jetram, Patriot. Many complained of difficulty in inserting the new ram. No one mentioned easy sliding in. In contrast, regarding Mushkin, you earlier mentioned ease of sliding in and Yakov (in another thread) also wrote on similar ease. So, I am tempted to go with Mushkin although it cost $20 more for each 1GB stick.

REASON: About a month ago, someone in this MacNN forum wrote that his new ram jammed while inserting. In the process, something in the socket broke, and Apple genius felt it was owner-damaged and I think he had to pay a few hundred dollars to replace the motherboard or something major, I forgot. The point is, the risk of damage when replacing the ram is quite costly. So, I wouldn't mind paying a little more if others find a ram that is easy to insert into the Macbook.

I welcome comments regarding my views on buying from Amazon, and if your ram replacement was a breeze, I would be grateful to know what brand you purchased.

The replacement MacBook was 7 weeks newer than the earlier one and perhaps the reported difficulties have been remedied in later editions, socket wise. We also own a week 19 which had extra oomph necessary to insert RAM, but I have some background experience in mechanics and circuit board electronics which gave me a better feel even though it was my 1st experience with a MacBook. Common sense rules.

Mushkin fits well in the week 19 with only a 'two thumb pressure' to seat it and an almost audible click. When you remove the factory installed RAM, after releasing one stick using the lever, reinsert it once or twice while it is still in the slot to teach yourself that feel and observe the notch in the RAM when you do remove it.

Lay a cushiony bath towel on your table to work on. Rest the MacBook vertically on your table or lap when reinserting RAM.
Remember, this is not something you have to do more than once or twice. (remove if you send it in for service or move to another computer)

[mduell]

Wait, do you want the cheapest or the best deal?
Not all RAM is created equal.

[R0CK3TM4NN]

I got 2 GB of cheapo G.Skill ram off of newegg.com for $70 per stick and have had zero problems whatsoever - runs at full speed and everything.

[mrgaskell]

I got 2GB from Buyaib.com for $158 with 2nd day air 2 weeks or so ago. Had some problems getting the RAM in, but I think I was being a bit too gentle while inserting it. Just push hard and rock it back and forth until you feel a resounding 'click'.

[masugu]

Again, for anyone not wanting to push like Superman....Mushkin slipped in like a you-know-what. and good customer service.