I recently tried to upgrade a G4 running Mac OS X 10.2 from 64MB of RAM to 128MB. The SIMM I put into the G4 came from a Umax machine. It fit the slot okay, but now when I power up the computer it will not boot. Even after restoring the original SIMM alone it will not work. The power supply fan starts spinning and then shuts off. I realize I probably inserted an incorrect RAM type. Is there any way to repair this problem or did it do something permanent to the board?
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Failed RAM Upgrade in G4
- Thread starter abcd1234
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If it was old RAM out of a Umax, then aside from it being the wrong kind of memory, it also might not have been the right voltage rated memory either. I used to have an old mac clone and I think a lot of those machines used 3.3 voltage RAM chips. Either way, it doesn't sound good. Don't mean to beat you up, but what were you thinking trying to put such old RAM in a newer machine without checking specs?
Man, you better cross your fingers and hope you didn't fried the RAM sockets and channels. I don't get how you can just jam anything in there w/o checking 1st. This is like adding diesel to your unlead gasoline engine because you found some in the garage and thought it's free.
Let's see you stuffed 168-pin 5 volt EDO or fast-page DRAM, into a slot that needs 3.3v 168-pin PC100 or PC133 SDRAM because it just happened to fit into the slot. 
Could have shorted out the motherboard and/or the CPU.
Now that's what I call an intelligent means of trying to save $20.
Could have shorted out the motherboard and/or the CPU.
Now that's what I call an intelligent means of trying to save $20.