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Cheaper Crucial Memory? (UK)

superleccy

superleccy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 31, 2004
997
187
That there big London
Hi there

I am a recent switcher looking to upgrade the memory (an extra 512Mb) on my new iBook. The posts in this forum about where to buy the best value memory have been very useful... and the stuff about Crucial's "dynamic pricing" has been quite an eye opener.

On the UK Crucial website, when finding the memory via their online upgrade tool thingy, I get this, with a quote of £90.46.

However, when I try and locate the memory via technical spec, I get this, with a quote of just £68.14.

So what do you think?

Is the £90 memory that they reccomend actually different from the £68 generic memory? Or, have they just figured that most people who've just got a new iBook will probably want to go for the 512Mb upgrade, and so are inflating the price by £22 if they know that's what you're up to?

And... will the cheaper memory work in my iBook? Is it worth the risk?

I would love to know what you think...

Thanks & regards
Superleccy
 
superleccy said:
I am a recent switcher looking to upgrade the memory (an extra 512Mb) on my new iBook. The posts in this forum about where to buy the best value memory have been very useful... and the stuff about Crucial's "dynamic pricing" has been quite an eye opener.
Click to expand...
As far as i know, this isn't being run in the UK yet. Well, wasn't last time I bought memory, about a month ago.
On the UK Crucial website, when finding the memory via their online upgrade tool thingy, I get this, with a quote of £90.46.

However, when I try and locate the memory via technical spec, I get this, with a quote of just £68.14.

So what do you think?
Click to expand...
They're suckering those who aren't quite sure what kind of memory they need. You need a 200-pin, PC2100 CL3 SODIMM, non-parity. Any old stick will do, go for the cheap one.
 
brap said:
They're suckering those who aren't quite sure what kind of memory they need.
Click to expand...
Cheers brap, I thought as much...

brap said:
You need a 200-pin, PC2100 CL3 SODIMM, non-parity. Any old stick will do, go for the cheap one.
Click to expand...
Are you sure it's CL3? The Crucial advisor thing says CL2.5.

BTW, I have one of the new 14" G4 iBooks, 1.33GHz.

Cheers
Superleccy
 
While you may be fine with the generic memory, Apple notebooks tends to be choosy about what RAM they will work with. I have a 15" Powerbook and purchased two lots of RAM from a local supplier, both of which caused the Powerbook to lock up while booting, perhaps I was unlucky, but when I purchased the RAM using Crucial's configuration wizard it worked first time. I have been reading these forums for the last two years, and from time to time people have start up problems that they can trace to the additional cheap and cheerful memory they have installed. However I also know that people have had success with cheaper memory, it just appears more risky. I guess you can always return it, if it does not work.
 
superleccy said:
Are you sure it's CL3? The Crucial advisor thing says CL2.5.
BTW, I have one of the new 14" G4 iBooks, 1.33GHz.
Click to expand...
That's because Crucial only sell CL2.5 SODIMMS ;)
If I remember correctly, all the soldered memory runs at CL3... though maybe I'm just tripping out. Doesn't matter either way, so long as it doesn't read a higher latency you'll be all good.
James Craner said:
Apple notebooks tends to be choosy about what RAM they will work with...
Click to expand...
I guess mileage varies. I've bought Crucial, Kingston and even generic stuff, it's always worked (just FYI I've always had iBooks, until this one)
 
I searched for a 512Mb module memory for a Dell Latitude D600 and an Apple iBook. As far as I can tell, these two modules are *identical* but the one for the Dell is much cheaper than the one marketed for the Apple.

If this is right, then Crucial sucks big time :mad:


CT372707 £90.46 200pin PC2100 512Mb SODIMM non-parity 2.5v DDR266 64meg x 64

CT294049 £68.14 200pin PC2100 512Mb SODIMM non-parity 2.5v DDR266 64meg x 64

Or am I missing something? :confused:
 
dobbin said:
I searched for a 512Mb module memory for a Dell Latitude D600 and an Apple iBook. As far as I can tell, these two modules are *identical* but the one for the Dell is much cheaper than the one marketed for the Apple.

If this is right, then Crucial sucks big time :mad:


CT372707 £90.46 200pin PC2100 512Mb SODIMM non-parity 2.5v DDR266 64meg x 64

CT294049 £68.14 200pin PC2100 512Mb SODIMM non-parity 2.5v DDR266 64meg x 64

Or am I missing something? :confused:
Click to expand...


a similar thing happens if you just go on raw specs versus specific apple memory on their site (uk).

1GB is £313 and the same spec (though different serial number as above) is around £259ish.

for the americans reading, yes a crucial 1gb stick for a new powerbook is around $500!!
 
Thanks for all your help guys.

My guess is that given Crucial's "reputation" with the dynamic pricing thing in the US, I wouldn't put it past them to employ this tactic to squeeeze more money out of apple users because they think we have more money burn than PC users. But that's just my opinion, of course.

I think I'm going to risk going for the cheaper one. If I don't chicken out at the last minute, I'll post back here when it arrives and tell you if it works or not.

Cheers lots,
Superleccy
 
Well, I knew it was a gamble...

superleccy said:
I think I'm going to risk going for the cheaper one. If I don't chicken out at the last minute, I'll post back here when it arrives and tell you if it works or not.
Click to expand...

Well, after some delay (because I found that "just 256Mb" really wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated for the stuff I was doing) I finally went for the cheaper option... and no, it doesn't work. :(

So now I need to figure out if I've bought the wrong memory, or if Crucial have just sold me a dud. Can anyone help? When I try and boot up my iBook (1.33 GHz), I get 3 beeps and a blank screen. I figure this is a "beep code", but what does it mean?

I've taken out the memory now, and it doesn't seem to have done any damage to my iBook... except, for some reason, my Airport reception doesn't seem as good.

Does anyone have any useful advice?

Thanks & Regards
Superleccy
 
brap said:
Could you post a link to the product page of the actual memory stick you bought?
Click to expand...

Cheers brap... here is the link.

I think it's a duff stick. Just realised, the Dell laptop that work make me use needs exactly the same memory, and also has a 512Mb stick. So, I swapped them round. The memory that was in the Dell works fine in the iBook (I'm using it now), but the the Dell won't boot with the Crucial memory. I'll try and get an RMA number from Crucial tomorrow.

Regards
Superleccy

PS: An interesting observation. Reduce my 1.33GHz iBook's memory to 256Mb, and it only struggles if I'm running a few big apps. Reduce my Dell's memory to 256Mb, and it runs like a one legged dog.
 
let me know if your replacement works as i am after some RAM for an iBook soon myself and dont want to be ripped off
 
Just found this thread from a Google search after I was wondering the very same thing myself.

I also just used Crucial US's online web agent to ask about the difference and this was the answer (read it from bottom to top):

Jennie> Is there anything else that I can help you with?
Jennie> The Apple systems need a special chip configuration.
Adam> Is there a technical reason available for this as it seems that on
paper (at least) these two products are identical so I feel like I am
being forced to pay more just for the "Apple Approved" badge??
Jennie> This part is specific to your Apple system. You need to order
your systems make a model.
Adam> I'm looking to buy a 512Mb upgrade for my Apple iBook G4
1MHz. Your online tool recommends part CT372708 but I also found another
part with identical spec CT6464X265 which is 30% cheaper. Is this
compatible?
Jennie> Hello Adam. How can I help you?

It's funny coz I just found another thread on here where somebody posted a similar question to the so-called "Jennie" who for them responded very differently (they didn't mention how they had found these two products or that it was for Apple - they simply asked "what's the difference?" - Jennie said - I can't see any difference - go for the cheaper one).

Don't suppose you've made any progress with your replacement yet Superleccy?
 
holtyboy said:
Don't suppose you've made any progress with your replacement yet Superleccy?
Click to expand...

The dead memory was posted back to Crucial on Friday, after they sent me an RMA number. Then they mailed me today saying their returns lab is "processing my request".

So, no replacement yet, but at least their returns process seems pretty efficient. I will post here when I get the replacement.

Cheers
Superleccy
 
Nice one Superleccy.

Just to pass on, before I found this thread I had posted a related question over at uk.comp.sys.mac. I just had a reply from somebody saying that the cheaper memory from crucial worked fine. So fingers crossed...
 
Just to say - I took the plunge and ordered one of the £61 Crucial sticks. It arrived today and I'm pleased to say it and the iBook are getting along very nicely!
 
wow, i was thinking about buying some new ram for my ibook too, glad i read this, will save me 25 quid, has anybody else had problems with this module in their ibooks?
 
Happy ending

The Crucial stick arrived today, just three working days after I sent it back to them.

Yes, it works.

So, thumbs up to Crucial for their fast and efficient returns service, and for selling nice cheap memory. Thumbs down for their questionable morals and for selling me a duff stick in the first place.

Also, I fixed the problem with the Airport reception I was having. See here.

Thanks to all who helped, glad everyone had a happy ending too.

Thanks & regards
Superleccy
 
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