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redhot_nyc · Jun 13, 2005, 08:58 PM

I found all of these, around the same price...

Corsair Value Select 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz (184pin)
Ultra 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory (184pin)

tokamac · Jun 14, 2005, 05:21 AM

I don't know for your "value select", but take care, I bought a (apparently very good) 512 MB Corsair XMS (Extreme Memory Speed) Platinum, unbufferred, non-ECC, 184-pin DIMM PC3200 DDR400 CL2 memory module ("CMX512-3200C2PT" PDF here), and it doesn't work in my new iMac G5 rev.B

(beeeeeeeep at startup). Has anybody experimented the same? Can someone explain me why this RAM is non compatible?

James41 · Jun 14, 2005, 10:23 AM

Yes, the Corsair Value Select 1 gig ram chip will work just fine in the Mini. I have one stick of it in my iMac G5 and 2 sticks of it in my Powermac G5. If you found it on newegg for $95 per stick that is the exact ram i have. Works great.

Probably the reason the other Corsair ram didn't work was because the Mac does not need the high speed (gamers type) ram. It uses C3 ram, not the C2. I also tried some of the high speed stuff once and it wouldn't even boot.

Zubir · Jun 14, 2005, 11:00 AM

I bought a 1gb stick of Kingston ValuRam, CL3, 2.5v, PC 2700 at Bestbuy for $58. Works fine.

liquidtrance123 · Jun 14, 2005, 11:27 AM

i picked up this stick from newegg awhile back, looked at the comments and feedback and others had already said they got it to work with the mini.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820141166

Zubir · Jun 15, 2005, 10:13 AM

"I don't know for your "value select", but take care, I bought a (apparently very good) 512 MB Corsair XMS (Extreme Memory Speed) Platinum, unbufferred, non-ECC, 184-pin DIMM PC3200 DDR400 CL2 memory module ("CMX512-3200C2PT" PDF here), and it doesn't work in my new iMac G5 rev.B (beeeeeeeep at startup). Has anybody experimented the same? Can someone explain me why this RAM is non compatible?"

I may be wrong, but I think that the G5 systems like CLK3 RAM, at 2.6v.

chenyichung · Jun 18, 2005, 06:16 AM

Zubir,

hey, how'd you get the 1gig Kingston RAM from Best Buy for only $58? was there a mail in rebate? is that still on sale?

-Yi Chen

James41 · Jun 18, 2005, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by Zubir

"I don't know for your "value select", but take care, I bought a (apparently very good) 512 MB Corsair XMS (Extreme Memory Speed) Platinum, unbufferred, non-ECC, 184-pin DIMM PC3200 DDR400 CL2 memory module ("CMX512-3200C2PT" PDF here), and it doesn't work in my new iMac G5 rev.B (beeeeeeeep at startup). Has anybody experimented the same? Can someone explain me why this RAM is non compatible?"

I may be wrong, but I think that the G5 systems like CLK3 RAM, at 2.6v.

Because like i said in message 3, the Mac doesn't use the high speed ram, it uses a standard pc3200 400 C3 unbuffered ram, not the high speed stuff like the xms line. The xms stuff uses tighter timings and is meant for gamers who like to overclock their systems and the Mac wants the standard timing ram. I tried installing some of the high speed stuff and the computer would not even boot....no beeps, just no boot.

turtle777 · Jun 19, 2005, 01:25 AM

Originally Posted by chenyichung

Zubir,

hey, how'd you get the 1gig Kingston RAM from Best Buy for only $58? was there a mail in rebate? is that still on sale?

-Yi Chen

Yeah, I want to know, too. Sounds like a great deal.

-t

Zubir · Jun 19, 2005, 06:40 PM

I just walked in, and there it was. And that's before the mail in rebate, lol.

tokamac · Jun 20, 2005, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by James41

Probably the reason the other Corsair ram didn't work was because the Mac does not need the high speed (gamers type) ram. It uses C3 ram, not the C2. I also tried some of the high speed stuff once and it wouldn't even boot.

Originally Posted by Zubir

I may be wrong, but I think that the G5 systems like CLK3 RAM, at 2.6v.

Originally Posted by James41

Because like i said in message 3, the Mac doesn't use the high speed ram, it uses a standard pc3200 400 C3 unbuffered ram, not the high speed stuff like the xms line. The xms stuff uses tighter timings and is meant for gamers who like to overclock their systems and the Mac wants the standard timing ram. I tried installing some of the high speed stuff and the computer would not even boot....no beeps, just no boot.

So it is very weird, because in iMac G5 Developer Note, you can read this ("RAM Expansion" section):
"The iMac G5 supports CAS latencies of 2, 2.5, 3, 4, and 5."

So high-speed CL2 DDR-SDRAM (PC3200 unbuffered, non-ECC) should work!

James41 · Jun 21, 2005, 09:58 AM

Perhaps it is just a difference in hardware and configuration, all i know is when i tried to use some of the high speed stuff it would not see it was there on one of them and on another one would not even boot with it in the machine.

Rainy Day · Jun 28, 2005, 04:07 PM

Here are the technical spec's from Apple for Mac Mini RAM:

The RAM expansion modules for the Mac mini are 184-pin SDRAM DIMMs that are 2.5 volt, unbuffered, 8-byte, non-parity, and PC2700 compliant. The speed of the SDRAM devices must be rated at 167 MHz or faster.

Important: RAM expansion DIMMs for the Mac mini must use DDR SDRAM devices. If the user installs a DIMM that uses EDO or SGRAM devices, the computer will beep several times when the user attempts to restart the computer. …

The RAM DIMMs are required to be PC2700 compliant. To obtain information about the PC2700 specification, see the reference information at “RAM Expansion Modules”.

The SDRAM devices used in the RAM expansion modules must be self-refresh type devices for operation from a 2.5 V power supply.

DIMM Configurations
The largest DIMM supported is a two-bank DIMM of 1 GB using 512 Mbit using SDRAM devices. The largest bank size supported by the memory controller is 512 MB. The maximum number of devices per DIMM is 16. CAS latency is 2.5.

NewEgg currently has a PQI 1Gb RAM stick which exactly meets those spec's for $89 (free shipping).

Rainy Day · Jun 28, 2005, 04:11 PM

Database burped when trying to post; duplicate deleted.

Luca Rescigno · Jun 28, 2005, 04:16 PM

I have this one in my Mac mini. Geil Value 1 GB PC3200. I paid $130 for it when I got it, but the prices have dropped even more since then so now it's only $85 + shipping.

Actually that heatspreader is kind of a liability... I'm sure it's unnecessary (since it's not even possible to overclock your RAM in a Mac unless you enjoy soldering) and it's a bit of a tighter fit in a Mac mini because of it. It still fits, though.

loki74 · Jun 28, 2005, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by liquidtrance123

i picked up this stick from newegg awhile back, looked at the comments and feedback and others had already said they got it to work with the mini.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820141166

i picked up these pqi sticks for my dual 2.5 and they work great. A lot of reviews say they work good in the mini as well, and that they can operate at a lower latency than what it says, and the price is excellent. Thats like 3x goodness!

The only thing is you dont get one of those cool looking heat spreaders, but hey who cares i guess.

Rainy Day · Jun 29, 2005, 12:57 PM

That's the same stick i linked to above, loki74! Glad to hear you've had a good experience with it, cause i thinking of getting one for a mini. The spec's for this stick match Apple's spec's for the mini to a tee. And best of all, the price has dropped $3 since i posted the other day.

The fact it doesn't have a heat spreader is very good news cause it implies it doesn't create enough heat to need it (i.e. it runs cool enough). Then again i think the heat spreaders are mostly to be found on faster PC3200 RAM, which can be pushed harder than PC2700. One advantage to the more efficient PPC architecture: slower running CPU's mean less heat from CPU and RAM.

For what it is worth, i have heard that PC3200's are slightly out-of-spec for the Mac mini (by 0.1v). If this is true, it is likely to mean some (but certainly not all) PC3200's could prove to be flakey in the mini. While not enough to cause across-the-board problems (i.e. many folks can probably get away with using it), it is enough to push me in the direction of PC2700 for sure.

I have bought TechWorks RAM for years. They have been consistently good quality. But they are a bit spendy. While i know better than to buy the cheapest crappy RAM available, i suspect there are many good quality, lower cost brands. Crucial is a name which keeps coming up in a positive light, but it is about a third again as much as the PQI stick from Newegg.

How is PQI as a brand? I've heard a few folks say good things about it, but not as many as say good things about Crucial. Maybe Crucial spends more on advertising?