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iMac hard drive pre-order questions...
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Aug 2005
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- Do the hard drives have 8 MB of cache? (Didn't see this spec listed at the page)
- Since you can upgrade the RAM in 512, 1 GB and 2GB sticks, I take it the RAM is not running dual-channel?
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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- It's hard to find SATA disks with less than 8MB cache, but since Apple explicitly says 8MB on the PowerMac and does not on the iMac, they may have found some 2MB cache drives.
- Correct. I don't think the iMacs ever supported dual-channel; before they just had two usable slots.
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Senior User
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: UK
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I can remember that with the first round of G5 iMacs at least, they would support dual-channel if you put two identical RAM cards in.
David
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Since the new iMac is not as user-serviceable, I'd hate to order one if it came with a 2 MB cache drive.
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Senior User
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by No Time 4 Love Dr. Jones
Since the new iMac is not as user-serviceable, I'd hate to order one if it came with a 2 MB cache drive.
i was wondering this actually.... are you saying that you can't open the thing up to replace the hdd or the original ram stick (the 512mb stick that is included)? i was hoping this wasn't a problem with the new design... actually, i was hoping it was easier that the doing it to the last imac flat panels. that sucks if it is not the case.
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Forum Regular
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Originally Posted by ph0ust
i was wondering this actually.... are you saying that you can't open the thing up to replace the hdd or the original ram stick (the 512mb stick that is included)? i was hoping this wasn't a problem with the new design... actually, i was hoping it was easier that the doing it to the last imac flat panels. that sucks if it is not the case.
You can upgrade the RAM just as easily, but that is apparently the extent of the upgrades the end user can complete with ease.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Originally Posted by ph0ust
i was wondering this actually.... are you saying that you can't open the thing up to replace the hdd or the original ram stick (the 512mb stick that is included)? i was hoping this wasn't a problem with the new design... actually, i was hoping it was easier that the doing it to the last imac flat panels. that sucks if it is not the case.
Apple says you can't replace the HDD (or optical, or logic board, or screen, or etc) anymore. A single RAM module is the only CIP (Consumer Installable Part).
The included 512MB is soldered to the logic board, not in a slot. You cannot replace it.
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Senior User
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by mduell
Apple says you can't replace the HDD (or optical, or logic board, or screen, or etc) anymore. A single RAM module is the only CIP (Consumer Installable Part).
The included 512MB is soldered to the logic board, not in a slot. You cannot replace it.
weak. 
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Admin Emeritus  Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
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It IS a consumer machine.
As for everyone freaking out about hard disk cache size: remember that for ATA and SATA drives, cache size is nearly irrelevant. The difference in performance between a 2MB and 8MB model that is otherwise identical is practically zero. Don't sweat it! It's just marketing!
tooki
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Posting Junkie
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Originally Posted by tooki
It IS a consumer machine.
As for everyone freaking out about hard disk cache size: remember that for ATA and SATA drives, cache size is nearly irrelevant. The difference in performance between a 2MB and 8MB model that is otherwise identical is practically zero. Don't sweat it! It's just marketing!
Crack open any Dell/HPQ/IBM consumer machine and you're welcome to swap the HDD, optical drive, all the RAM slots, etc.
Bbbbbut that's an extra 0.04 seconds of reading from the drive cache!! 
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Senior User
Join Date: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by mduell
Crack open any Dell/HPQ/IBM consumer machine and you're welcome to swap the HDD, optical drive, all the RAM slots, etc.
Bbbbbut that's an extra 0.04 seconds of reading from the drive cache!!
i am not concerned with the cache, but it is FAR more cost effective to replace parts on your own that to pay apple's ridiculous mark up on such things as ram and hdd. consumer or not.... it is yours when you buy it, thus we should be able to reasonably replace parts that they themselves can replace. ram and a hdd are such parts.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Nov 2005
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The model number in my new iMac 20" iSight machine is listed as this (WDC WD2500JS-40MVB1). The specs are here
http://store.westerndigital.com/product.asp?sku=2643747.
Looks like they are 8meg cache drives.
Caustik
Originally Posted by No Time 4 Love Dr. Jones
- Do the hard drives have 8 MB of cache? (Didn't see this spec listed at the page)
- Since you can upgrade the RAM in 512, 1 GB and 2GB sticks, I take it the RAM is not running dual-channel?
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