Is Newegg a good place to buy RAM?

[Phil9579]

I occainsaly hear stories of people whose Macs were messed up because of bad third-party RAM. I want to upgrade my MacBook from 512 to 2GB, and Newegg is so cheap, especially when compared to the overpriced RAM that Apple sells. Is there generally positive experiences when ordering RAM from newegg? Also, if I did, this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233050) would be the correct one to buy, right?

[p0intblank]

New Egg is a GREAT site and I've been shopping there for a while now. Their prices are great and shipping times are very fast. So yes, definitely go with them. And as far as I can tell, that is the correct RAM. :) Good luck!

[aristobrat]

That RAM looks fine for the MacBook. Nice to see the reviews are all "5-star" and all mention they bought the RAM for their Macs. :)

[pianoman]

it generally matters less where you buy your RAM and more the company who manufactures it. Newegg is good because their prices are so low. but they also sell some crappy RAM.

the Corsair you linked to is very good RAM. don't think twice.

as an aside, RAM prices are falling like crazy! in august '06 when i bought my 2x1GB set for my MBP it cost me $200. now these sets are selling for $140, sometimes less!

[AstrosFan]

While I was searching for RAM, I remember reading here at MR that you should buy RAM from sites that guarantee compatability with Macs and that offer lifetime replacements. The 3 most common sites mentioned were DataMem (www.datamem.com), Crucial (www.crucial.com) and OWC (www.macsales.com).

While there are places you may find RAM for slightly cheaper, there was no guarantee of compatability or long-term reliability.

I have used DataMem on several occasions & have been tremendously pleased with them. The memory is reasonably priced and they will gladly change out a stick if there are any concerns.

You may try searching for prior threads on RAM - I especially found CanadaRAM's posts helpful.

Best wishes!

[Phil9579]

:eek:

http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=6C41F532A5CA7304

Crucial's RAM just dropped to be even cheaper then Newegg!

[Mpulsive81]

I wish i would've jumped on it yesterday, newegg had 2gig pc2-5300 for $114. I'm checking to see if they still have it avail.

update:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231116

I can't afford it yet now that i just bought a router, so save me some!!

[Phil9579]

I wish i would've jumped on it yesterday, newegg had 2gig pc2-5300 for $114. I'm checking to see if they still have it avail.

update:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231116

I can't afford it yet now that i just bought a router, so save me some!!

:eek:

That seems almost too good to be true. Does anybody else have experiences with this particular set of RAM?

[Mpulsive81]

:eek:

That seems almost too good to be true. Does anybody else have experiences with this particular set of RAM?


Most of the people on this site have great experiences w/ G. Skill. Plus it's newegg, so you can't go wrong. I actually learned about this particular type of ram from this site (macrumors).

[Mpulsive81]

:eek:

http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=6C41F532A5CA7304

Crucial's RAM just dropped to be even cheaper then Newegg!

I just found Crucial Ram even cheaper:

go to dealmac.com:

$97
Crucial 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Dual Channel Desktop RAM Kit for $97
mwave.com offers the Crucial 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Dual Channel DIMM Memory Kit (with two 1GB DIMMs), model no. CT2KIT12864AA667, for $107. Coupon code "SAVE10C" slashes it to $97. With around $8 for shipping, that's a $17 drop since last week and among the best deals we've seen for this size and type of RAM.
Today at 7:12 am ET tell a friend more DDR DIMM

Granted, i'm not saying what to get, just looking for good deals for all.

[Mpulsive81]

so now we just need to figure out if crucial of g. skill would be the better purchase from a reliability standpoint. But have good reviews. Whatcha think?

[e12a]

I ABSOLUTELY love Newegg...best place to deal with online IMO.

SUPER fast shipping especially in So Cal. order one day, in 2 days you'll more than likely receive your item(s).

[Nevrsadie]

I can vouch for Gskill from newegg. I have been running a gig of that stuff for over two months, and it is lifetime guaranteed. It passed overnight memtest without a hitch and is very cost effective. In the past I could see getting apple certified, but now that they are intel macs I dont think its neccesary.

[CanadaRAM]

I just found Crucial Ram even cheaper:

go to dealmac.com:

$97
Crucial 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Dual Channel Desktop RAM Kit for $97
mwave.com offers the Crucial 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Dual Channel DIMM Memory Kit (with two 1GB DIMMs), model no. CT2KIT12864AA667, for $107. Coupon code "SAVE10C" slashes it to $97. With around $8 for shipping, that's a $17 drop since last week and among the best deals we've seen for this size and type of RAM.
Today at 7:12 am ET tell a friend more DDR DIMM

Granted, i'm not saying what to get, just looking for good deals for all.

Gee, and the BEST part of this offer is when you cut the 240 pin DIMM (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?imodule=CT2KIT12864AA667)module in two in order to make it fit the 200 pin SODIMM socket, you have these nifty ends left over, which are great for gifts or making craft jewellery with. Cool :rolleyes:

[Mpulsive81]

Gee, and the BEST part of this offer is when you cut the 240 pin DIMM (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?imodule=CT2KIT12864AA667)module in two in order to make it fit the 200 pin SODIMM socket, you have these nifty ends left over, which are great for gifts or making craft jewellery with. Cool :rolleyes:

Didn't catch that it was desktop ram, my bad. Just tryin to help out a lil.:D

[Phil9579]

I can vouch for Gskill from newegg. I have been running a gig of that stuff for over two months, and it is lifetime guaranteed. It passed overnight memtest without a hitch and is very cost effective. In the past I could see getting apple certified, but now that they are intel macs I dont think its neccesary.

Alright, I'm gonna go for the Gskill, the price is too low to resist. :D

I have a question though. When you buy RAM like this from Newegg, do you get any sort of warranty? In case the RAM ends up being defective or something, I wanna make sure...

[orangemacapple]

http://shop4.outpost.com/product/5045745

$49.99 at FRY's

[Xeem]

Newegg rocks: it is very reliable, and they ship very quickly. I used to use TigerDirect way back in the day, and the switch to Newegg was like night into day. I still get upset remembering my futile attempts of trying to explain to the India-based customer support that they had sent me the wrong motherboard (they sent the stripped-down SE version of an Asus MoBo I ordered and tried to pretend that the original version never existed).

[CanadaRAM]

Thing to check on ANY of the discounters
How much will you have to pay if it doesn't work in your machine?

NE and Frys do not guarantee compatibility. Neither does Kingston on the KVR or Corsair on the ValueSelect. So what happens if the RAM is OK RAM but it doesn't work in your Mac?

NewEgg has a restocking fee of 15%, and according to PCWorld's customer satisfaction survey, they apply that fee at double the industry average rate.

Also, who pays shipping on RAM that doesn't work, you or the vendor? That $5 savings can turn into a $15 loss if you have to foot the bill for shipping.

A good Mac oriented vendor will offer you a guarantee of compatibility, and will pay shipping in both directions in the case of a DOA.

Check it out before you lay down your money and decide for yourself if the risk of generic RAM is worth it for the savings.

[Phil9579]

Thing to check on ANY of the discounters
How much will you have to pay if it doesn't work in your machine?

NE and Frys do not guarantee compatibility. Neither does Kingston on the KVR or Corsair on the ValueSelect. So what happens if the RAM is OK RAM but it doesn't work in your Mac?

NewEgg has a restocking fee of 15%, and according to PCWorld's customer satisfaction survey, they apply that fee at double the industry average rate.

Also, who pays shipping on RAM that doesn't work, you or the vendor? That $5 savings can turn into a $15 loss if you have to foot the bill for shipping.

A good Mac oriented vendor will offer you a guarantee of compatibility, and will pay shipping in both directions in the case of a DOA.

Check it out before you lay down your money and decide for yourself if the risk of generic RAM is worth it for the savings.
If Newegg doesn't guarantee compatibility, what sites do? I do not plan on buying from Apple, as they are ridiculously overpriced. I wouldn't mind spending an extra $15-20 if I am getting guaranteed compatibility though.

[WildCowboy]

If Newegg doesn't guarantee compatibility, what sites do?

They've already been mentioned, but both DMS (http://www.datamem.com) and OWC (http://eshop.macsales.com) guarantee compatibility, make great RAM, have competitive prices, and have terrific customer service.

[siurpeeman]

Gee, and the BEST part of this offer is when you cut the 240 pin DIMM (http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?imodule=CT2KIT12864AA667)module in two in order to make it fit the 200 pin SODIMM socket, you have these nifty ends left over, which are great for gifts or making craft jewellery with. Cool :rolleyes:

oh, you guys. :D i can vouch for the g.skill ram; i've got 2 gigs. now i'm wishing i'd waited a bit for prices to go down. wow, these are insanely cheap. a bit off topic, but does anybody here have 3 gb of ram for the macbook? is it a noticeable improvement over 2 gb?

[Phil9579]

They've already been mentioned, but both DMS (http://www.datamem.com) and OWC (http://eshop.macsales.com) guarantee compatibility, make great RAM, have competitive prices, and have terrific customer service.
Does Crucial guarantee compatibility? Looks like a great site, and has a nice price too. ($131)

[CanadaRAM]

Does Crucial guarantee compatibility? Looks like a great site, and has a nice price too. ($131)

They do if you choose the RAM from their selector on their site.
http://www.crucial.com/store/listProductLine.asp?cat=RAM&mfr=Apple&submit=Go



They do not if you buy their generic part through a third party.

Edit: Actually, don't use that link -- use the link at the top of this MR page, so MacRumors makes a little commission on the sale to keep the servers fed.

[gr8tfly]

OWC has had the best prices lately and a very good track record. Just bought a 2GB module from them for my MBP C2D.

They will take your old RAM as trade-in, although for a 256MB module it's probably not worth the effort (only $5 as of today).

[Mpulsive81]

Thing to check on ANY of the discounters
How much will you have to pay if it doesn't work in your machine?

NE and Frys do not guarantee compatibility. Neither does Kingston on the KVR or Corsair on the ValueSelect. So what happens if the RAM is OK RAM but it doesn't work in your Mac?

NewEgg has a restocking fee of 15%, and according to PCWorld's customer satisfaction survey, they apply that fee at double the industry average rate.

Also, who pays shipping on RAM that doesn't work, you or the vendor? That $5 savings can turn into a $15 loss if you have to foot the bill for shipping.

A good Mac oriented vendor will offer you a guarantee of compatibility, and will pay shipping in both directions in the case of a DOA.

Check it out before you lay down your money and decide for yourself if the risk of generic RAM is worth it for the savings.

I would agree and say do your homework before you purchase something, just like anything else in life. You won't have to worry about compatibility issues if you check for compatibility. NewEgg has made a name for itself because of it's customer service and prices. Almost every company, regardless of its merchandise or specialty, will rely on the buyer to pay for the return shipping (unless it's a recall of some sort). Walmart isn't going to start paying for your gas when you return something to them and most companies won't either.

I'll have to do research on the restocking fee average, however I know Best Buy and Circuit City have similar return policies on similar electronics. But a restocking fee wouldn't apply if I received a dead stick, only if I decided I no longer wanted what I purchased.

Personally, I'd like to spend $115 (saving $100) and "take my chances" that I may get a dead stick and have to pay up to $15 to ship it back to newegg. It's either that or pay $200 for memory from a mac oriented vendor and be assured they'll pay my shipping for me.

That's just my humble .02 on the subject. :p