Mac Mini .....Cheap Ram?

[zagato27]

Thinking of getting a Mac Mini and am looking to upgrade the ram. I saw a post on a forum (not sure if it was here or not and I have been looking) that there was some "generic" 1gb ram for the whopping price of $66. I'm ready to jump on that. Anyone have any recommendations? Thks. Cheers

[e²Studios]

Thinking of getting a Mac Mini and am looking to upgrade the ram. I saw a post on a forum (not sure if it was here or not and I have been looking) that there was some "generic" 1gb ram for the whopping price of $66. I'm ready to jump on that. Anyone have any recommendations? Thks. Cheers

Buy ram from a reputable company. I had apple do mine for me, after i sold my 512 stick it cost me $225 installed.. the ram is covered under warranty (if you install your own youre voiding the mini warranty and the ram isn't covered). Then again ive never been cheap when it came to doing things the RIGHT way.

Ed

[freeorangeshoes]

there is no way installing ram voids your warranty.

[e²Studios]

there is no way installing ram voids your warranty.

Call apple care, why do you think ram is a SERVICE PART and not an ACCESSORY for the mini? I was told by 4 separate apple care reps and the apple store that it would void your warranty. Try looking on the apple store for mac mini ram, you wont find it since its a service part and not a user serviceable case.

I've said it before and ill say it again, just cause you can open the case and not break it doesn't mean that legally it doesn't violate the contract you have between yourself and apple. For 100 or less its not worth it to me to risk something that cost you more to replace if it did break or fry something during installation.

Its like the people that buy a BMW, put crappy fuel in to it and then wonder why their engine knocks.. stop being so cheap and get it done the right way and you wont risk losing your mini to a $100 savings..

Ed

[freeorangeshoes]

sigh, i dont make this stuff up.

You may install memory (RAM, VRAM), and other customer-installable parts without voiding your Apple warranty.


Apple's warranty states:
"This warranty does not apply...if the product has been modified without the written permission of Apple..."

Adding memory (DRAM, VRAM) or other user-installable upgrade or expansion products to an Apple computer is not considered a modification to that Apple product. Therefore, it is not necessary to obtain Apple's written permission to upgrade or expand an Apple computer. While Apple strongly recommends that you retain the services of an Apple Authorized Service Provider to perform any product upgrades or expansions, you will not void your Apple warranty if you choose to upgrade or expand your computer yourself. However, if in the course of adding an upgrade or expansion product to your computer, you damage your Apple computer (either through the installation of, or incompatibility of the upgrade or expansion product), Apple's warranty will not cover the cost of repair, or future related repairs.

found on:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13946

so get your stuff straight before you go playing the big smart know-it-all. cool?

hugs and kisses.

dra

[skubish]

sigh, i dont make this stuff up.



found on:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13946

so get your stuff straight before you go playing the big smart know-it-all. cool?

hugs and kisses.

dra

tru dat
ciao

[e²Studios]

sigh, i dont make this stuff up.



found on:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13946

so get your stuff straight before you go playing the big smart know-it-all. cool?

hugs and kisses.

dra


This doesn't apply to the Mac mini, call applecare and find out for yourself, or even better call the apple store and ask to order ram for a mini, you will get transferred to applecare since its a service item, see there is the difference ive been through this all and ive spoken to apple reps on this it seems YOURE the one that doesn't know :) make a call and you do some research before opening your know-it-all trap

Ed

[freeorangeshoes]

simply not true. you were either told wrong or misunderstood. its explicit. read the link i gave you. there is no reason the mac mini would be excluded from that.

[e²Studios]

simply not true. you were either told wrong or misunderstood. its explicit. read the link i gave you. there is no reason the mac mini would be excluded from that.

It's excluded because the mini is NOT USER SERVICEABLE which part of that statement don't you understand?

Being cheap and risking your mini for such a little savings just isn't worth it.. But to each their own if they feel like taking the risk.

Ed

[joshua_msu]

It doesnt void your warranty. Evn if it did, you could just take the RAM out before you send it in.

[e²Studios]

It doesnt void your warranty. Evn if it did, you could just take the RAM out before you send it in.


So ignorance is bliss essentially? hehe i suppose this is what you get when you draw the PC crowd in. :D

Have fun with your Mac whatever the OP decides to do, enjoy your mini :)

Ed

[zagato27]

Sorry about opening up a can of worms :( . I just wanted to find some cheap ram. Still looking, anybody help me out? Cheers

[zagato27]

Well, been doing some searching in other forums and found some 1gb ram (Corsair) from Newegg. It's about $88. Couple of guys have installed it in their Mini's and no problems. Sounds good to me. Cheers ;)

[maxterpiece]

here it is for $81 (http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=D27PB1GJ&show=p)
It's $111 from crucial. IF you're gonna go no name then you might as well just go ebay:
here it is for $67 including shipping. (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=74942&item=6770563063&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW)

[CanadaRAM]

Mumble mumble mumble

#1: You don't want no steenking heat-spreaders on your RAM, it won't fit properly in Minis or iMac G5's. Scratch that $81 unit.

#2: Corsair do not warranty their ValueSelect, CMS or TwinX RAM for Macs. NewEgg does not guarantee mac compatibility. NewEgg charges 15% fees on non-defective returns (according to their written policies). I don't know why someone would buy PC Generic RAM from NewEgg for their Mac

#3: I REALLY don't know why someone would risk their money buying RAM on eBay. Esp. from someone who says returns have to be made within 7 days. How do you suppose you'll get any warranty honoured from an eBay seller???

My advice is to buy RAM from a reputable dealer who guarantees Mac compatibility, tested on your specific model, offers a lifetime warranty and a no-charge return if it doesn't work.

[Freg3000]

Saving a few bucks on bad RAM isn't worth the kernal panics if you know what I mean. Make sure you buy something that is guaranteed to work.

Hopefully this will end the dicussion and not flare it up again, but upgrading the RAM in the Mac mini will not void your warranty.

In addition to freeorangeshoes' link, here is another from MacWorld (http://www.macworld.com/2005/03/features/insidemini/index.php).

Note that although opening up the mini won’t void your warranty, Apple would clearly prefer that you leave the surgery to the experts at your local Apple Store.

I am very confident that upgrading your RAM will not void your warranty and that the Apple reps are most likely just trying to get you to fork over some cash to do the task.

Good Luck.

[solvs]

Well, been doing some searching in other forums and found some 1gb ram (Corsair) from Newegg. It's about $88. Couple of guys have installed it in their Mini's and no problems. Sounds good to me. Cheers ;)
Go with that RAM from Newegg, it's ok stuff. Just BE CAREFUL when you install it in the mini. It doesn't void your warranty... unless you break it. Then you're screwed, and those things ain't easy to open. Have an Apple tech do it for you (for a small fee), or get a putty knife and do everything really gently. Just be prepared for the worst. It is value ram, but it should work fine in your mini. If it doesn't, you're out the shipping costs, but Newegg will send you a replacement. I use them all the time.

I sell on eBay all the time and I'm pretty scrupulous, but not everyone there is. I've been screwed a couple of time there. Luckily, it's all been small stuff. I'd never trust them for stuff like this, especially when you're saving so little.

[Gary King]

Installing RAM on your own does indeed void your warranty. I just called AppleCare a few times to make sure, and yes, it does void your warranty unless you get it done by an AASP.

[solvs]

Installing RAM on your own does indeed void your warranty. I just called AppleCare a few times to make sure, and yes, it does void your warranty unless you get it done by an AASP.
They don't always know the answers, and this has been argued ad naseum, but if you don't break anything it doesn't void the warranty.

Additional memory should be installed by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

[jaw04005]

It does indeed void your warranty now. You can "have" upgraded RAM installed by an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but if you install the RAM yourself... according to Apple phone support and my local Apple Store it will void your AppleCare or 1-Year Limited Warranty.

Intially, one of Apple's hardware execs said it would not, however Apple's policy has changed. Call them up and ask yourself! Memory is not a "user-installable" part on the Mac mini.

[solvs]

Additional memory should be installed by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
I don't know why they're telling people it'll void the warranty. It's just recommended. If you don't break anything, they'd never know anyway. Judging by the posts on Newegg, a lot of people are doing it without issue.

Just be careful when you do it.

[mrgreen4242]

Regardless of what any of Apples docs, reps, techs, etc say, Apple CANNOT void your warranty for upgrading RAM. They can, and will, deny warranty coverage if you damage something during the install, or if the RAM is somehow responsible for the problem. However, the act of installing new RAM will not effect the warranty of the rest of the system.

This is very clear under US law, specifically the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. A company cannot require that you buy additional parts or service from them in order to maintain warranty status on an original purchase. This is true for all products, from computers to cars (does Ford void your warranty if you get your oil changed at Jiffy Lube?).

You can read more about this here (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/warranty.htm). Or you can go back to arguing about what a sale monkey at an Apple store told you. For those of you who aren't going to read the link, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty.

Also, if something should go wrong with you mini, say the HD fails, after you upgrade the RAM, and Apple tries to claim that the RAM was what caused it, the burden of proof is on them to prove that it was the RAM. In other words, they can't just deny service because you have upgraded it yourself. They have to PROVE that your upgrade was the problem. This law is very important to the after-market car types, and is becoming more important to computer owners as machines get so fast that we don't NEED to get a new computer as often, as an occasional upgrade will suffice.

[morph3ous]

For everyone debating the issue of whether installing RAM voids your warranty, it apparently does. I installed a gig of RAM in my mini. It worked flawlessly for more than 4 months, and then the hard drive went out. Now they claim that since I opened it, I somehow broke it. How's that for being honest with them.

Here is the email:
---
Dear (my name),

(Removed), enclosed is your quote to complete your repair.

As I explained to you at the bar when you brought your unit into the store, the Mac Mini has no customer installable parts.

Since the unit was opened, this unit is now OOW.

After reassembling & testing the unit, I confirmed that the HD & optical drive need to be replaced. Since this is not a covered repair, I have not taken out the media currently stuck in the optical drive.

Current Quote:
661-3438 (Drive, Combo, 24X, Slot Loading) $165.52
661-3439 (Hard Drive, 40 GB, 2.5", 4200 rpm) $198.96
S1490LL/A (HARDWARE REPAIR-LEVEL 1) $90.95
Total Cost of Repair: $455.43

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call: 305-234-4565 (Option 5).

Sincerely,

Nestor A. Gonzalez
 Mac Genius
Apple Store - The Falls
8888 SW 136 ST, Suite 450
Miami, FL 33176
305-234-4565
---

I emailled him back and let him know that I would like to receive the machine back unrepaired and I will just put a new hard drive in myself. I hope that someone here can help me out. It sounds like they should have to prove that I broke it, which I can assure you I did not.

[Eidorian]

*grumbles* It looks like I'm taking my iMac in for some Apple RAM then...

[Gary King]

*grumbles* It looks like I'm taking my iMac in for some Apple RAM then...
The iMac is different. I believe it has user installable parts.

[iKwick7]

For everyone debating the issue of whether installing RAM voids your warranty, it apparently does. I installed a gig of RAM in my mini. It worked flawlessly for more than 4 months, and then the hard drive went out. Now they claim that since I opened it, I somehow broke it. How's that for being honest with them.

Here is the email:
---
Dear (my name),

(Removed), enclosed is your quote to complete your repair.

As I explained to you at the bar when you brought your unit into the store, the Mac Mini has no customer installable parts.

Since the unit was opened, this unit is now OOW.

After reassembling & testing the unit, I confirmed that the HD & optical drive need to be replaced. Since this is not a covered repair, I have not taken out the media currently stuck in the optical drive.

Current Quote:
661-3438 (Drive, Combo, 24X, Slot Loading) $165.52
661-3439 (Hard Drive, 40 GB, 2.5", 4200 rpm) $198.96
S1490LL/A (HARDWARE REPAIR-LEVEL 1) $90.95
Total Cost of Repair: $455.43

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call: 305-234-4565 (Option 5).

Sincerely,

Nestor A. Gonzalez
 Mac Genius
Apple Store - The Falls
8888 SW 136 ST, Suite 450
Miami, FL 33176
305-234-4565
---

I emailled him back and let him know that I would like to receive the machine back unrepaired and I will just put a new hard drive in myself. I hope that someone here can help me out. It sounds like they should have to prove that I broke it, which I can assure you I did not.

$200 for a 40 gig hard drive??? And $165 for the combo drive? Disgusting, especially the hard drive. Uggh!

[iWillard]

The iMac is different. I believe it has user installable parts.

The Mini is the only Apple computer that doesn't have user installable RAM... If you open it up you void the warranty...

Every other Apple computer you can do it yourself fairly easily, and it doesn't void your warranty...

[GanChan]

If I bought my Mini at Fry's, does that mean that their service department can install my RAM for me without warranty issues? And does it have to be Apple RAM, or can I still buy from Crucial or others?

[Eidorian]

The iMac is different. I believe it has user installable parts.I thought so... I went to my local Apple store and they gave me a spiel on how cheap RAM isn't tested enough. I think I'll just got with Crucial or 18004MEMORY.

1GB MODULE FOR APPLE IMAC G5 PC3200 DDR SAMSUNG ORIGINAL
SAMSUNG - p/n AN4064U/1GB/Q2I5S $137.50 $125.00

This looks good.

[morph3ous]

There is a big discussion about this issue on DSLReports.com:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13716128

Those who I have spoken to at Apple maintain that opening the Mini voids the warranty. MacWorld says that Apple executives explicitly told them that installing RAM in a mini is not grounds for termination of the warranty, as long as the installation of the RAM is not the cause of the failure.