Sneeper said:
Crucial.com usually has really good prices. That's where I bought my extra ram. Sice I don't have my 2.5 yet, the RAM is just sitting here all alone in the box. So sad.
I'm curious (and wary) about purchasing memory not from Apple. Of course Apple doesn't manufacture their own memory, but at least they certify it to work, right?
Some say Crucial manufactures the memory for Apple, others say Samsung, etc. I guess the truth is that Apple sources from different manufacturers based on their prices and specs to fit the model.
My concern is that apart from the USD50 savings by trying out other manufacturer brands, are the sticks truly compatible?
1. Because I did build Windows PCs years ago and I am aware of the different timing issues as dictated by the SPD of the memory.
2. I'm also thinking that when the memory does fit a different model, the part number is the same. Case in point my wife's iBook and my PowerBook have the same memory specs and part number by Apple. So I did interchange them and allocated more memory to the ageing iBook.
3. The memory part number of the rev B G5 is different from the rev A G5. That could mean the memory is different due to the tighter specs of the new machines that need better timing issues and certified according to the JEDEC standard. Of course the old memory of rev A machines can and will work with rev B machines since the general specs are the same. But the question is: is the timing the same?
4. The problem with this is that if you did put a slower memory, then the operation will only be as fast as the slowest stick. We're also talking milliseconds here, but the fact that we care to order the fastest machine means we want the fastest performance.
I don't want to have someone reply and hit back on something that isn't obvious here. I'm not starting a debate or anything. I'm also not saying patronize Apple's ridiculously high prices. I just hope Apple is open about their specs and can certify memory manufacturers according to their requirements. That way the competition will benefit us for lower prices.
