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NordicMan · Nov 23, 2004, 05:48 PM

I just ordered a G5 PowerMac from the Apple Store, one of their certified refurbished ones. The price was down from 2500, to 2099, as per this site. I did not elect to wait, I hope I am not too impulsive, I reckon our business can use such a machine, if I find that I wish that I had waited, after January.

Anyway, from Macintouch, I read that people have had difficulties with the RAM, even though diagnostic tools may indicate that the RAM is fine. Now the brand of RAM that I remember seeing praised here was from Crucial. I will purchase RAM for it, and a graphics card, a Radeon 9600, anyway. Yes, I did read through all the posts I could find on RAM for G5s on this site.

The two places that I see that seem to have good reputations are OtherWorld Computing, and Transinternational. I know there are others. I don't know what brand of RAM OtherWorld Computing uses, last time I bought RAM from them, it worked, except one module for my G3 ended up not working. I don't recall that they told me what brand of RAM it was, but the other stuff I bought from them was fine.

So, whereabout do you folks recommend purchase of Crucial RAM, or do you just go to Crucial?

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 23, 2004, 06:05 PM

I bought Transintl for my Pismo Powerbook and it worked fine. I usually buy Crucial for my Macs and PC computers. Usually works great. The one time I got bad ram, they swapped it out no problem.

Cruicial may not be the cheapest, but any extra you pay, know that they will stand behind the product.

Which Mac did you get? A dual proc I hope...

NordicMan · Nov 23, 2004, 06:10 PM

Thanks for the answer. Yes, I bought the dual 2 Ghz G5. Apple would not put in a different graphics card, they did sell me a bluetooth card. They suggested that I just buy a Radeon, or whatever graphics card I wanted, and put it in.

For the RAM, did you just go to Crucial? We do have a Best Buy within 60 miles, the nearest Apple Store is in Minneapolis, 200 miles away. So you got the Crucial from Transinternational?

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 23, 2004, 06:16 PM

Just buy Crucial from Crucial

Prolly get to you before the Mac does.

http://www.crucial.com

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 23, 2004, 06:18 PM

Do not buy RAM from Apple. Several times too expensive.

Best buy prolly does not have anything other than PNY or something.

Go with Crucial and don't look back.

NordicMan · Nov 23, 2004, 06:44 PM

Thanks my fellow man. Good day to you.

vmichaelsf · Nov 24, 2004, 02:28 AM

I've been using Apple computers for over fifteen years and have always purchased generic RAM that has a lifetime warranty- never had a problem, never had to send anything back. A week ago I purchased a GIG (PC3200 512MB x 2, for a Dual 1.8 G5 Rev. B) from 1-800-4-MEMORY for $149 total with free shipping and no sales tax in California! Installed them, no problems, everything is great. This was AFTER I had purchased name brand RAM from Fry's Electronics for the first time ever (it was on sale!), installing it and having my system crash after launching GarageBand and stalling while restarting. Anyway, I would recommend 1-800-4-MEMORY or anyone else who specifically lists their memory as being Apple compatible and offers a lifetime warranty. Don't pay more for memory; it's a waste of money. If you haven't already taken a look, point Safari to http://www.ramseeker.com.

sodamnregistered2 · Nov 24, 2004, 03:03 AM

I think 1GB (2x512) at Crucial was $180, so a $30 premium over what you paid.

I know the new Macs are more finicky than ever before over ram tolerances. My take on the situation is that cheaper ram vendors treat ram like a commodity, ie, the ram you buy one week may not be the same ram they are selling four weeks later. Just depends on what they have in stock at the time.

If you think the vendor is gonna stay in business a few years and they offer a lifetime warranty, go for the savings. Otherwise, I'm pretty much a crucial customer and the one time I had a problem, they refunded my money without any hassle.

dav · Nov 24, 2004, 10:02 AM

you may want to delay on the graphics card upgrade. my refurbished dual 2ghz g5 (purchased october) arrived with a 9600xt and a 250gb hd! ...so you never know.

NordicMan · Nov 24, 2004, 04:38 PM

dav, Thanks for the thought, that would be wonderful. I will do that, wait. I see that the 9600xt is 99$. True to what UnixMac said on another thread, the Nvidia is available from Apple for 499$. I had not seen it at the Apple site before.

I was looking at Crucial.com, and I think that I will purchase from them. I have bought from OtherWorld Computing before, and was pretty much happy. I did have one RAM module which seemed to go dead, or my system profile was not reading right, because when I first put them in, it was fine, on my G3. But then later I would check it, and the total ram was short. It was mystifying to me. I think there is a difference in the world of ram, often times. I got the 2 2 2 ram then, but I think that one module was not that.

Macintouch has these reports of Mac users having crashes on account of ram, which is why I started the thread. It is tiresome to have to mail and talk back and forth with vendors, or manufacturers, and they can try to get out of making things good, and so I prefer to find a product and seller which will of a surety stand behind their product.

jcadam · Nov 24, 2004, 05:22 PM

I buy mushkin: http://www.mushkin.com

not as cheap. Good, Quality, high-performance shiznit.

sheer · Nov 25, 2004, 05:20 PM

I'd go with Crucial simply because if it doesn't work you've got a swap out/cash back, always worth a few extra quid for the piece of mind. I've even started using Crucial with my PCs (got some Cruical Ballistix PC4000 in my A64 box runing 215mhz at 2,2,2,5 1T timings). And you can't fault their delivery times. Last batch I got, I ordered on a Saturday morning, it was with me Monday morning. Crucial, along with Plextor (who turned an RMA round at not cost to me with a pickup Tuesday, replacement drive with me by Friday the same week, and that included shipping from the UK to Belgium and back) do things as they should be done...

UnixMac · Nov 25, 2004, 11:53 PM

I've got 4GB of Crucial dual channel RAM in my system that has been completely trouble free.

They are the best overall RAM company out there IMHO, and their prices are very good. Never buy cheap RAM, especially with how touchy the G5 is.

And see about getting at least the ATI9800.... The 9600 is going to be long in the teeth very soon with the added benefits from Tiger.

mikellanes · Nov 26, 2004, 11:43 PM

Ive got 2 sticks of 512MB Apple BRAND PC3200 (what most G5's use) for sale in the marketplace, asking $170 shipped

That is less than what crucial brand is asking and this is apple branded... costs $300 from apple... http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....5.0.1.0.5.0.3

Mac Hammer Fan · Nov 27, 2004, 01:49 PM

http://www.transintl.com/macupgrades/index.cfm
1GB KIT PC 3200 (2x512 - $159

and
http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgr...=Show+Upgrades
1GB PC3200 PowerMac G5 Memory Upgrade Kit (2x512MB Matched Pair)
DDR 400MHz CAS 3.0 184 Pin 6-Layer Major.
$175.99

Which of you bought these and can recommend them?

TIA