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Apple RAM vs. Non-Apple RAM

R

radioman10

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 9, 2010
64
0
Besides the fact that you don't have to purchase a RAM upgrade after you order your MacBook Pro, is there any advantage to having Apple-installed RAM versus purchasing it somewhere else? (Amazon, Newegg, etc.)

Would 16GB of non-Apple RAM drain the battery life more so than the 8GB of Apple-installed RAM? Are there any other negative effects?

Thanks!
 
radioman10 said:
Would 16GB of non-Apple RAM drain the battery life more so than the 8GB of Apple-installed RAM?
Click to expand...
There's no such thing as "Apple RAM".



There are many factors that impact your battery life, but installed RAM has very little impact. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the following link for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
 
radioman10 said:
Besides the fact that you don't have to purchase a RAM upgrade after you order your MacBook Pro, is there any advantage to having Apple-installed RAM versus purchasing it somewhere else? (Amazon, Newegg, etc.)

Would 16GB of non-Apple RAM drain the battery life more so than the 8GB of Apple-installed RAM? Are there any other negative effects?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No. Apple is installing the same kind of ram that you can buy from Newegg. So save yourself tons of money and buy from a third party
 
radioman10 said:
Besides the fact that you don't have to purchase a RAM upgrade after you order your MacBook Pro, is there any advantage to having Apple-installed RAM versus purchasing it somewhere else? (Amazon, Newegg, etc.)

Would 16GB of non-Apple RAM drain the battery life more so than the 8GB of Apple-installed RAM? Are there any other negative effects?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

same RAM the only difference of having apple install it is they will warranty the RAM works other companies you might have to ship it to them for replacement


personally id rather spend 20$ for shipping than $200 for apple to install it
 
The only advantage to purchase from Apple is convenience. I can think of many people who wouldn't want to open up their computer, my parents included.

Otherwise I see no reason not to go with a DIY solution. You get lifetime warranty with all RAM you buy these days, yet Apple will only warranty it for 3 years (with AppleCare).
 
radioman10 said:
Would 16GB of non-Apple RAM drain the battery life more so than the 8GB of Apple-installed RAM? Are there any other negative effects?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
As other have said RAM is RAM. There is nothing special about the RAM you get from Apple.
I have never heard about RAM effecting battery consumption. Especially having more RAM. If anything having to little RAM might drain the battery a little more if the OS constantly has to swap stuff to disk.
 
The only difference between what Apple sells and what you can buy aftermarket is the price, Apple $200 for 8GBs and they keep the 4GBs they were going to install, Aftermaket $40-$50 and you keep the 4GBs Apple installed as standard, and the fact that Apple will warranty it. But that warranty is only good for 1 year, standard, or a total of 3 years with Applecare extended warranty.

But most all RAM you buy aftermarket, if you buy from manufacturers like Crucial, comes with a LIFETIME warranty. Which is better then the Apple warranty.

To me it is a NO brainer, Aftermarket all the way. Save money and get a better warranty.


NOTE:
No RAM manufacturer offers any warranty for RAM installed by any computer manufacturer, Dell, HP, Sony, Toshiba, Apple, whoever. The manufacturer is responsible for all warranty. So once that runs out if the RAM goes bad it is up to you to replace it as your expense.
 
I have bought ram in the past for my macbook pro and when i installed it, my laptop ran hotter and the fan speed went nuts. Same spec and everything.
I removed the ram straight away and bought another. The new ram does not have this issue.

I thought the first set of ram was just not compatible with my laptop, but i installed it in another friend's laptop and it cased the same issue.
 
I believe that there is no real difference. Upgrade with a reputable brand and you'll be fine.
 
Definitely go aftermarket. Apple's RAM upgrades are overpriced by 400% and you can get the same if not better RAM from a different source. I'd recommend OWC (otherworldcomputing.com) because their products are specifically designed for Macs. Been using their RAM for years and they've been perfect for me.
 
Apple RAM is... err Samsung RAM....

I recently replaced the 4GB of "Apple" RAM in my Mum's Macbook Pro 13" with 8GB of Corsair RAM. The upgrade cost me £36.50 not the £320 Apple charge for an 8GB upgrade kit:

http://store.apple.com/uk/memorymodel/ME_MB_W11_13_2_4 :mad:

The RAM I removed was manufactured by Samsung and clearly labelled as such. I then sold it on to a 27" iMac owner for £20 (including fitting) so she now has 8GB too. Apple would have charged her an additional £100 for it and she would have had to fit it herself:

http://store.apple.com/uk/memorymodel/ME_IMAC_S11_27 :eek:

Apple RAM upgrade kits are a rip; don't go there. :D
 
A big thank you to all of you for your prompt, great replies! I really appreciate it.
 
For me its about knowing the memory is 100% compatible and the comforting fact that should anything go wrong with it I can simply give it to Apple to fix. So far I've had 0 issues with the computer, memory, ssd, etc....

You pay for a premium product, why on earth would you skimp on parts??? If I were trying to save money I would have bought a Dell or an HP.

My two cents.
 
ELA2 said:
For me its about knowing the memory is 100% compatible and the comforting fact that should anything go wrong with it I can simply give it to Apple to fix. So far I've had 0 issues with the computer, memory, ssd, etc....

You pay for a premium product, why on earth would you skimp on parts??? If I were trying to save money I would have bought a Dell or an HP.

My two cents.
Click to expand...

Apple RAM does not exist. Apple uses RAM from at least 5 different makers such as Toshiba, Samsung, Memorex, etc. Apple sells 8 GB of RAM for $400 on their website. Notice they do not show an actual picture. That is because the part that comes will vary based on whatever they get for cheapest from their suppliers. You can get the same RAM for $40 online that Apple sells for $400. Same brand, same quality, same CL rating, same everything. So while you may prefer RAM sold by Apple, the computability of RAM sold by Apple and the same RAM sold elsewhere is virtually the same. Because they are the same, both will have the same fail patterns as well. For $400, you can almost buy 16 GB of RAM and a pretty nice 256 GB SSD.
 
takeshi74 said:
Because there's no need. Don't confuse "you" with "I".
Click to expand...

Buying ram from Apple is just paying $200 more to have a "certified" employee install it. I quote certified, because they are just that. Every experience I have had with a genius, made me think the complete opposite of their title. My $.02
 
Wirelessly posted

Wasn't talking about you specifically. Don't get your panties in a bind.
 
Wirelessly posted

NickZac said:
ELA2 said:
For me its about knowing the memory is 100% compatible and the comforting fact that should anything go wrong with it I can simply give it to Apple to fix. So far I've had 0 issues with the computer, memory, ssd, etc....

You pay for a premium product, why on earth would you skimp on parts??? If I were trying to save money I would have bought a Dell or an HP.

My two cents.
Click to expand...

Apple RAM does not exist. Apple uses RAM from at least 5 different makers such as Toshiba, Samsung, Memorex, etc. Apple sells 8 GB of RAM for $400 on their website. Notice they do not show an actual picture. That is because the part that comes will vary based on whatever they get for cheapest from their suppliers. You can get the same RAM for $40 online that Apple sells for $400. Same brand, same quality, same CL rating, same everything. So while you may prefer RAM sold by Apple, the computability of RAM sold by Apple and the same RAM sold elsewhere is virtually the same. Because they are the same, both will have the same fail patterns as well. For $400, you can almost buy 16 GB of RAM and a pretty nice 256 GB SSD.
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't make processors, memory, displays, etc it's all other companies. Yes you can find memory from other resellers and I realize that apple is using the exact same parts. Yes even the stuff from apple can fail. However having apple install it at a premium means that it's 100% compatible. I do think that apple parts undergo a rigerous battery of compatibility testing which some would like to dismiss but I do think exists. Above all if it breaks I don't have to fix it....apple can't say whoops you put shoddy memory in and it caused the board to fail so we won't fix it.
 
ELA2 said:
Wirelessly posted
Apple doesn't make processors, memory, displays, etc it's all other companies. Yes you can find memory from other resellers and I realize that apple is using the exact same parts. Yes even the stuff from apple can fail. However having apple install it at a premium means that it's 100% compatible. I do think that apple parts undergo a rigerous battery of compatibility testing which some would like to dismiss but I do think exists.
Click to expand...

While Apple certifies RAM it sells - I doubt they test every one beyond what the manufacturer does to ensure it meets the specs set by Apple. If you buy it from Apple then you know it will work; but there are also many other sellers of RAM that meet Apple's spec and are of the same quality at a much lower price.

It's a matter of choice - how much are you willing to pay for comparable quality and how much of a premium are you willing to pay for having the brand name?

Above all if it breaks I don't have to fix it....apple can't say whoops you put shoddy memory in and it caused the board to fail so we won't fix it.
Click to expand...

Again, it comes down to how much extra are you willing to pay for having an Apple warranty? Some people understandably don't want to open their Mac, for them the assurance it will work and nothing gets broke in the upgrade process; for others the cost savings justifies the risk.

Neither approach is fundamentally right or wrong since it's an individual decision.

Personally, I put in my own RAM and SSD at a fraction of the cost of an Apple product, but YMMV.
 
ELA2 said:
Wirelessly posted



Apple doesn't make processors, memory, displays, etc it's all other companies. Yes you can find memory from other resellers and I realize that apple is using the exact same parts. Yes even the stuff from apple can fail. However having apple install it at a premium means that it's 100% compatible. I do think that apple parts undergo a rigerous battery of compatibility testing which some would like to dismiss but I do think exists. Above all if it breaks I don't have to fix it....apple can't say whoops you put shoddy memory in and it caused the board to fail so we won't fix it.
Click to expand...

I've gotten bad RAM from Apple. There is no guarantee of compatibility anywhere. I have been told Apple's test for memory is the Apple Hardware Test, which is an excellent test. They may use other programs such as Rember, but if there is an issue with RAM, the AHT knows. Heck, there is even no guarantee that if the Apple RAM kills the logic board that Apple will cover it, as companies routinely deny warranty over stupid things. But I have never heard of anyone installing the correct RAM type from Corsair, Kinston, Memorex, Crucial, Samsung and others in any Apple and having it cause damage. As a general rule, RAM works or does not work. When RAM fails, it causes catastrophic effects on the OS temporarily but upon replacing the bad RAM everything returns to normal without damage elsewhere. Of course I am sure exceptions exist but I just don't know of them.

I see what you are saying but there is no guarantee anywhere. And for the price of the 8GB of RAM from Apple, you can buy half of a 13 inch MBP or MBA. Apple enables us to do rigorous testing via the AHT and Rember. If they felt that the customer themselves would likely screw the machine up or present a hazard, then they probably would not make the RAM and hard drive user replaceable and also provide instructions on doing it. User replacement of a battery can destroy the machine and so Apple has made it a non user replaceable part, which is something they have not done with RAM.
 
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