Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Crucial vs. G.Skill vs. OWC vs. DMS
- Thread starter sweetiewolfie
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
suneohair
macrumors 68020
The Mac doesn't require voltage, the RAM does. The Mac puts out a set amount of voltage. The RAM takes it or leaves it.
Chips? Doesn't matter. If it is 1GB, it is one gig. You can get into single rank and dual rank, etc. But it really doesn't matter.
Newegg doesn't need to know the answers. All you need to know is that the G.Skill works. Many people here and on the newegg comments have said it works in a Mac just fine. I have used G.Skill on occasions. Paying $50 or whatever more for this Mac compatibility is crap. Besides, G.Skill has a Mac guaranteed model on Newegg as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231104
Last week, it was actually cheaper than the other model. This week it is a whole $1 more.
OWC and the rest are overated in my opinion. You have to spend $40 more at Datamem to get the lifetime warranty over the econo stuff. The Mac compatible G.Skill would be $151.96 shipped $26 savings. You can get it with free shipping as well bringing to down to the econoram price, but you get a lifetime warranty instead of one year.
In these days of intel chips, RAM shouldn't be an issue. As long as you arent buying the bargain bin stuff you should be fine.
solvs
macrumors 603
It's been that way longer than we've had Intel chips. I've used Newegg stuff for years, never had a problem. Never charged a restocking fee, and they'll refund shipping both ways if you ask. Mac or not. Long gone are the days of worrying about "Mac compatibility", as you said as long as it's not the really cheap stuff.
I don't know why this argument always comes up. There's always someone saying you shouldn't use Newegg even though they never have. Meanwhile plenty of us have, and haven't had any issues.
I realize some of you are RAM experts, but in my actual experience with Newegg (and OWC for that matter) I've never had a problem.
grapes911
Moderator emeritu
suneohair
macrumors 68020
You want to back that up with some data? I enjoy posts like these "you are completely wrong". End post. Come on.
I may be wrong and would love to learn how. So please, enlighten me with some data that shows otherwise.
grapes911
Moderator emeritu
A 512MB stick of RAM can have 8 chips of 64MB, or 16 chips of 32MB, or 4 chips of 128, etc, etc. Traditionally (I say traditionally because I don't know if this change with the introduction of Intel processors, but I have no reason to believe that it has), the Mac's memory controller could only access a certain number of chips. If a specific Mac could only address 7 chips and you have a 512MB stick with 8 chips of 64MB, then the stick may not work or it will only address 7 of the 8 sticks. All sticks of RAM are not created equal.
kakapo
macrumors member
i assume that this is only true of certain RAM sticks at certain times. i'm looking at a 1GB stick for my 14" iBook G4 and OWC is $10-20 cheaper than newegg.
also, i don't follow the RAM market very closely. it does seem pretty cheap right now relative to the other times i've randomly looked over the past few years. is that a correct perception? any forecast on whether it's going to keep going down?
thanks,
erik
SmurfBoxMasta
macrumors 65816
Well, I can & will enlighten you, from my personal "data" experience.......
(I'll 2nd what grapes said)
A perfect example is/was the B&W G3's and early G4 towers. Those machines can only use "LOW DENSITY" ram that have chips on both sides of the circuit board, as opposed to "HIGH DENSITY" ram that has chips only on 1 side. These machines will NOT recognize the HD ram, and if all the ram in the machine is HD, they will NOT even boot up.
Unfortunately I had to learn this the hard way, after buying several sets of so called "standard" & "compatible" ram that turned out to have the wrong specs and having to return it for the other type. There was nothing technically wrong with it, since it worked perfectly fine in my Windblows machines, but not in my macs.......
I have no idea if this situation still exists or not with the newer/intel machines, but it IS true for the older ones 😛
Yea, I know what you're thinkin.... "Did he just fire off 5 paragraphs or was it 6" ?
To be honest, in all the excitement, I lost count myself 😀
So do you feel "enlightened" now.................. well, do ya, ?
OH, and BTW, the folks at DMS are extremely knowledgeable about macs, have excellent service, and a no-questions-asked, free return shipping exchange policy too 🙂
suneohair
macrumors 68020
I know about the number of ram chips, etc. However both failed to give me evidence for current machines not accepting memory. We are not talking about G3s or general knowledge. We are talking today about Intel Macs that take ddr2 pc5400 sodimms.
It is fine and dandy if you want to start a RAM thread discussing the ins and outs of every Apple system and the RAM it accepts. But to say I am dead wrong and try to enlighten with no data for current Intel machines which is the topic of the day is, well, dead wrong.
Newer memory controllers aren't like that of the ancient PowerPC days. chances are if RAM will work in other intel machines that are not Macs they will probably work in a Mac.
Anyhow. You haven't at all proved your point. All you did was tell me about ancient machines. Chances are if RAM for an Intel Mac doesn't work it is some crummy RAM and not because it has physical attributes which hinder its communication with the memory controller.
It is fine and dandy if you want to start a RAM thread discussing the ins and outs of every Apple system and the RAM it accepts. But to say I am dead wrong and try to enlighten with no data for current Intel machines which is the topic of the day is, well, dead wrong.
Newer memory controllers aren't like that of the ancient PowerPC days. chances are if RAM will work in other intel machines that are not Macs they will probably work in a Mac.
Anyhow. You haven't at all proved your point. All you did was tell me about ancient machines. Chances are if RAM for an Intel Mac doesn't work it is some crummy RAM and not because it has physical attributes which hinder its communication with the memory controller.
Snide
macrumors 6502a
This thread is very entertaining - LOL. Just wanted to point out that in the case
of using RAM with high-density chips (128-bit) in Macs requiring low density chips (64-bit),
half of the memory will be recognized. I found this out the hard way, of course...
Back on topic, I have purchased numerous RAM modules from OWC and 18004memory.
Recently I purchased two 1 GB sticks from Omni Technologies, mainly because
I couldn't resist the price of $147.00 shipped and insured.
On the subject of warranties and returns: A friend bought a 256 MB stick for
his 1998 original Bondi iMac from OWC. The memory was defective, but he
never got around to dealing with it. when he later gave me the iMac, I called OWC
to see about a replacement. They were able to quickly trace the order based
on his phone number. I sent the old stick back, and received a working replacement.
This was 18 months after the original purchase. Of the many RAM sticks I
have bought for myself or others from 18004memory, I had one go bad in my
G5 iMac. I called them and got an RMA number. They wanted a copy of the receipt,
which I fortunately still had. The replacement was fine.
One of the 1 GB sticks from Omni Tech in my Macbook went bad, and I called
Omni to see about a replacement. Note that I heard a bunch of horror stories
about Omni's customer service (or lack of), and that they were impossible to
get a hold of. The phone answered on the second ring, and spoke with a friendly guy
who apologized for the inconvenience, and said they would put the replacement
stick through extensive testing while waiting for the defective one to arrive.
So far the new stick has been fine for a week and half.
Whoever you buy RAM from, expect a certain percentage to be defective.
Also, it's important to know what is required for an exchange. If a receipt
is required, will you be able to find it a few years down the road?
of using RAM with high-density chips (128-bit) in Macs requiring low density chips (64-bit),
half of the memory will be recognized. I found this out the hard way, of course...
Back on topic, I have purchased numerous RAM modules from OWC and 18004memory.
Recently I purchased two 1 GB sticks from Omni Technologies, mainly because
I couldn't resist the price of $147.00 shipped and insured.
On the subject of warranties and returns: A friend bought a 256 MB stick for
his 1998 original Bondi iMac from OWC. The memory was defective, but he
never got around to dealing with it. when he later gave me the iMac, I called OWC
to see about a replacement. They were able to quickly trace the order based
on his phone number. I sent the old stick back, and received a working replacement.
This was 18 months after the original purchase. Of the many RAM sticks I
have bought for myself or others from 18004memory, I had one go bad in my
G5 iMac. I called them and got an RMA number. They wanted a copy of the receipt,
which I fortunately still had. The replacement was fine.
One of the 1 GB sticks from Omni Tech in my Macbook went bad, and I called
Omni to see about a replacement. Note that I heard a bunch of horror stories
about Omni's customer service (or lack of), and that they were impossible to
get a hold of. The phone answered on the second ring, and spoke with a friendly guy
who apologized for the inconvenience, and said they would put the replacement
stick through extensive testing while waiting for the defective one to arrive.
So far the new stick has been fine for a week and half.
Whoever you buy RAM from, expect a certain percentage to be defective.
Also, it's important to know what is required for an exchange. If a receipt
is required, will you be able to find it a few years down the road?
grapes911
Moderator emeritu
Actually, I'm talking about my 18 month old G4 Powerbook.
I don't see why the processor has anything to do with it. It's all about the memory controller and motherboard.
I'd hardly call a 18 month old machine ancient, but maybe your idea of ancient is different from mine.
crees!
Suspended
OWC Experience
I bought a 1GB stick from OWC 2 years ago. Just recently only 1/2 of it would register with the system (said it was a 512MB stick). Called up OWC told them what the problem was and now I have a replacement stick in the mail.
The only thing I didn't like about them was that I called the other night 15 minutes before they closed. I was 3rd in line and as soon as the clock struck 8PM I was disconnected. Yes, I was pissed they dropped me instead of taking care of everyone who was still on hold. So I called up the following day and got everything straightened out.
I bought a 1GB stick from OWC 2 years ago. Just recently only 1/2 of it would register with the system (said it was a 512MB stick). Called up OWC told them what the problem was and now I have a replacement stick in the mail.
The only thing I didn't like about them was that I called the other night 15 minutes before they closed. I was 3rd in line and as soon as the clock struck 8PM I was disconnected. Yes, I was pissed they dropped me instead of taking care of everyone who was still on hold. So I called up the following day and got everything straightened out.
SMM
macrumors 65816
I have purchased 33 GB total memory from OWC. It was:
1) Priced competitively
2) An easy transaction
3) Delivered as promised
4) Well-packaged to prevent damage
5) Installed and functioned flawlessly
I have never needed their customer service, so I cannot comment on that. I was warned away from Crucial direct purchase by posts on this forum. I have not used any sources except OWC and CDW.
1) Priced competitively
2) An easy transaction
3) Delivered as promised
4) Well-packaged to prevent damage
5) Installed and functioned flawlessly
I have never needed their customer service, so I cannot comment on that. I was warned away from Crucial direct purchase by posts on this forum. I have not used any sources except OWC and CDW.