Crucial Ram/ Screen review

[eddy64]

Hey guys,

I just ordered a new 27" iMac with an i7, 512GB SSD, GTX 780M, and 8GB of RAM. I plan to upgrade the ram by ordering an additional 16GB from crucial (this seems to be the most recommended brand on these forums) for a total of 24GB.

I'm a bit confused though. Crucial sells the 16GB ram for $164:
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=73C76E07A5CA7304

but amazon seems to sell the same part for $138:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1263465782&pf_rd_i=CT4949522

I was going to buy from amazon but the part numbers seem to be different. Can anyone point out the differences? Thanks.

Also, I want to be sure that my screen has no dead pixels/screen bleed/yellow tinting. I've read that a few people have had this issue. Although I know what dead pixels are, how do I identify screen bleed/yellow tint in the best way?

I appreciate the help!

 

[Bear]

...
I was going to buy from amazon but the part numbers seem to be different. Can anyone point out the differences? Thanks.
...

The part number is different and Amazon is charging less. The parts are otherwise the same. One of the faults that Crucial, Kingston and some other Memory companies have is that they have multiple part numbers for the same part. Order from Amazon.

 

[tomnavratil]

I have ordered Crucial RAM from Amazon previously for my MBP and never had a problem so I did the same for my new iMac, there is a small difference in price normally, this occurred to me as well however never noticed any issues at all so I would be confident going to Amazon again.

 

[Bluebros]

The part number is different and Amazon is charging less. The parts are otherwise the same. One of the faults that Crucial, Kingston and some other Memory companies have is that they have multiple part numbers for the same part. Order from Amazon.

A bit concerned because I've ordered my 2x8 Memory cards from amazon,

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LTBJFW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got the 3 Beeps... Maybe defective so today I just got the replacement from Amazon and it didn't fit properly although they both seem to be identical. I'm not going crazy over here... For whatever reason, these cards aren't working for me. Did I just get the wrong ones?

 

[Bluebros]

An update... The original cards were manufactured in China and they fit just fine into the slots. The replacement cards were manufactured in the US and they don't quite fit right and don't slide correctly.

Pretty darn tired of this... Can anyone confirm that I absolutely have the right cards? I've always had no problem upgrading my RAM in other computers so either I got two defective orders OR I got the wrong order. Reading the reviews, they say that it works for iMacs. Any help is appreciated

 

[Introvert]

An update... The original cards were manufactured in China and they fit just fine into the slots. The replacement cards were manufactured in the US and they don't quite fit right and don't slide correctly.

Pretty darn tired of this... Can anyone confirm that I absolutely have the right cards? I've always had no problem upgrading my RAM in other computers so either I got two defective orders OR I got the wrong order. Reading the reviews, they say that it works for iMacs. Any help is appreciated

I had exactly the same problem with the Crucial modules. They didn't fit correctly and gave me the 3 beeps of death. The Crucial boards are slightly too thick compared to the shipping Hynix memory from Apple, which fit perfectly.

I returned the Crucial memory and purchased the 32GB (4x8GB) kit from OWC. The OWC memory I got is actually manufactured by Hynix - so is exactly the same as the Apple shipping memory (apart from being blue). The boards fit perfectly and the system powered on first time with no beeps.

Really disappointed with Crucial but absolutely delighted with OWC.

 

[Bluebros]

THANK YOU!! This is exactly my situation however the first cards they sent fit fine (made in china) but seemed to be defective. I returned them and Amazon quickly sent a replacement (made in the USA) and these cards were slightly misaligned and they were thicker than the first cards I got. Really bummed out but thankful you showed me the way. I will look at OWC right now...

Thank you for your post! This is why I love this forum

 

[bluescale]

Hey guys,

I just ordered a new 27" iMac with an i7, 512GB SSD, GTX 780M, and 8GB of RAM. I plan to upgrade the ram by ordering an additional 16GB from crucial (this seems to be the most recommended brand on these forums) for a total of 24GB.

I'm a bit confused though. Crucial sells the 16GB ram for $164:
http://www.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=73C76E07A5CA7304

but amazon seems to sell the same part for $138:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1263465782&pf_rd_i=CT4949522

I was going to buy from amazon but the part numbers seem to be different. Can anyone point out the differences? Thanks.

Also, I want to be sure that my screen has no dead pixels/screen bleed/yellow tinting. I've read that a few people have had this issue. Although I know what dead pixels are, how do I identify screen bleed/yellow tint in the best way?

I appreciate the help!

I bought that exact set from Amazon, and it installed in my iMac without issue.

 

[arncalars]

This makes me Concerned too...

I have ordered 2x8 gb from crucials eu homepage and they grantee that they fit the late 2013 model. Can't be wrong or what ?

 

[Introvert]

Thank you for your post! This is why I love this forum

You're welcome.

 

[Bluebros]

You can't deny that... A picture says it all.

I hate to make folks paranoid about using the Crucial Ram (because most of us agonize over every little decision) but after two failed attempts, I'm ordering


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other+World+Computing/1600DDR3S16P/

Costs a bit more but I lost a bit of trust after getting two faulty products.

 

[Introvert]

You can't deny that... A picture says it all.

Apologies. Ignore that picture. It's an incorrect comparison.

I just double checked the spare Apple modules and the position of the contacts are slightly different on either side of the boards. The position of the pins are probably fine on the Crucial modules - they just seem to be a little thicker.

I'm not entirely sure why the Crucial modules are causing problems. It's nice to know that the OWC branded Hynix RAM is essentially exactly the same as the shipping Hynix RAM from Apple.

 

[Bluebros]

Apologies. Ignore that picture. It's an incorrect comparison.

I just double checked the spare Apple modules and the position of the contacts are slightly different on either side of the boards. The position of the pins are probably fine on the Crucial modules - they just seem to be a little thicker.

I'm not entirely sure why the Crucial modules are causing problems. It's nice to know that the OWC branded Hynix RAM is essentially exactly the same as the shipping Hynix RAM from Apple.

But the picture was so convincing!!

Well, what Crucial sent to me was misaligned. I've processed the returns and I just ordered my new cards as you suggested. Again, thank you for your feedback. I'm sure we just got a little unlucky and the product will be great for most folks...

 

[faxao]

I have ordered 2x8 gb from crucials eu homepage and they grantee that they fit the late 2013 model. Can't be wrong or what ?

I have just installed the 16GB Crucial upgrade on my brand new 27" i7, adding them to the stock 8GB ram (total 24GB) and it works perfectly. Bought the additional ram from Crucial EU.

 

[bluescale]

When I went to put in my new RAM, I pulled out the Apple RAM to see what brand they were using. When I went to reinstall it, I found that it was much harder to get properly seated than the Crucial RAM. My personal experience is that RAM sticks vary just slightly in size. They generally fit, but it can sometimes take some work to get one seated just right.

 

[eddy64]

Hey thanks for the help guys!
It seems like just a minority of people (Introvert and bluebro in this case) are having trouble with the crucial RAM so I'm going to roll the dice and give the amazon RAM a try. I was hoping to get more feedback on the iMac screen evaluation. What's the best way to tell if your screen needs to be sent back to be replaced? Even if I don't really notice it, I still want my screen to be perfect...I'm paying close to $3000 for this computer >.<

 

[bluescale]

Hey thanks for the help guys!
It seems like just a minority of people (Introvert and bluebro in this case) are having trouble with the crucial RAM so I'm going to roll the dice and give the amazon RAM a try. I was hoping to get more feedback on the iMac screen evaluation. What's the best way to tell if your screen needs to be sent back to be replaced? Even if I don't really notice it, I still want my screen to be perfect...I'm paying close to $3000 for this computer >.<

My original plan had been to create some fullscreen PSD files at different colors to test for stuck pixles, backlight bleed and yellowing. Then I found this, which allowed me to do some quick checks:

http://imac.squeaked.com/test.php

 

[tomnavratil]

I have purchased two 2x8GB kits from Crucial, total of 32GB ram using all 4 slots, which scares me a little bit now considering some of your experiences. I was thinking the fit would be quite tight so I'm hoping that I won't have to return these modules and they will work just fine. Fingers crossed and once I get the iMac, I'll try to provide more info if it would be relevant. Thanks all.

 

[Erphern]

The trick with the Crucial stuff is patience and gently wiggling them from side to side a bit until they're willing to slide into the slot. They're definitely a tight fit, and the process made me quite edgy! But once in place, they work fine.

 

[Mobster1983]

I bought that exact set from Amazon, and it installed in my iMac without issue.

Same here. I bought two sets and no issues in any of the 4 sticks.

 

[Introvert]

Same here. I bought two sets and no issues in any of the 4 sticks.

That's re-assuring for the other folks waiting on their upgrades from Crucial. It looks like it's a bit hit and miss.

I've been a long-time Crucial customer through various Mac purchases over the years but in this instance I've been let down. I am however, delighted with the OWC memory. Stoked that they're the same brand that Apple is using in their 2013 iMacs, plus they fit into the slots perfectly with minimal force. Jackpot.

 

[Erphern]

Knowing now that apparently OWC RAM fits properly and is the same brand, I decided to return the Crucial. Note that the Crucial doesn't display a part number (all zeros)... It works, but I'd rather not have any weird. It was in there so tight it took pliers to remove.

 

[macdude1985]

crucial vs owc

Think I might just shell out the cash for peace of mind and no issues.

Amazon is selling for about $280

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-1...S160BM/dp/B008LTBJFW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

OWC is selling for about $378

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/1600DDR3S32S/

I literally booted up the imac yesterday and it would suck to encounter the 3 beeps of death, haha.

Also - going to try to swap in the 8GB stock memory into my 2009 MBP to see if that will work.

Anyone else try the crucial amazon memory?

 

[jayselle]

Crucial has been hit or miss for me. Often the excellent price is worth the risk and they'll keep replacing it until it does. I recommend running memtest to verify.

My last experience was with my MBP last year. I was having sporadic freezing issues after adding crucial memory. After running memtest, I discovered one of the sticks was defective. The immediately shipped a replacement and the next one was fine.

I've bought memory and an SSD from OWC and never had an issue, however, it does cost more.

 

[eddy64]

yea i decided to go with the OWC RAM. Figured I spent $3k on a computer... no point in putting new parts that may be defective over $40 or so. Thanks for the input guys!