PowerBook G4 Memory PC2100 or PC2700

[MacBoyX]

All,

I just got a new 1GHz 12" PowerBook. Apple's site says it uses PC2100 DDR RAM and the guy at the MicroCenter (my local geek store that sells Macs) sold me PC2700 memory.

I got a kernel panic last nite while copying files (my first since I put cheap memory in my PB 15 over a year ago) and I am worried that it might be the memory.

Does anyone know if PC2100 machines can use the higher speed PC2700? Does it automatically back down to the right speed? I wanted some Ammo before I tried to take the RAM back.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

macboyX

[robbieduncan]

PC2700 should throttle back to PC2100. There have been some posts here indicating that this does not always work as intended.

[Lanbrown]

Some memory won't throttle back while others can. Your best bet would be to use memory from a reputable company that actually builds memory to the manufacturers specs. Look at Kingston Crucial and some of the others.

[Icekey]

Try running the hardware test from your installation DVD. If it returns some sort of error for your memory module, you'll know. Hope that helps

[MacBoyX]

Thanks for all the feedback. According to the guy at the store this memory DOES throttle back. It's from SimpleTech and is actually labeled as APPLE MEMORY UPGRADE. I have used them before. I am going to reseat the memory 2nite and run the AHT (i am dying to try it off the single dvd that came with the PB).

Thanks again!

macboy X

[Lanbrown]

I have had horrible experiences with SimpleTech and wouldn't use their products at all. They sold memory that was labeled wrong and refused to do anything about it. All they would say is that their systems shows it's this speed, but yet their box showed something else. The part number on the memory and the box matched, but yet there was a misprint on it and they could careless.

If I were you, return it and get memory from a company that actually cares and stands behind their product.

[fraeone]

I have had issues in the past with memory that was supposed to 'throttle back'. Considering you're just now getting kernel panics, I think you're wise to suspect the memory.