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Good deals on Mac Pro 3,1 RAM?

B

BigYellow

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 19, 2006
92
0
Canada
Anyone know anywhere that sells reputable RAM for reasonably cheap for a 3,1? Other than Memory America?


Thanks!!
 
BigYellow said:
Anyone know anywhere that sells reputable RAM for reasonably cheap for a 3,1? Other than Memory America?


Thanks!!
Click to expand...

Buy used! Visit your favorite auction sites. Consider using 667MHz instead of 800MHz for RAM that's typically about one third the price and just as fast for most things.
 
Hi BigYellow. You can try browsing eBay for ram. But be selective and find a reputable seller that offers a return in case the ram is defective.
 
Tesselator said:
Buy used! Visit your favorite auction sites. Consider using 667MHz instead of 800MHz for RAM that's typically about one third the price and just as fast for most things.
Click to expand...

If I have 2gb of factory 800MHz RAM and 2-4gb of 667MHz RAM, will that cause any issues? I'm mainly using this machine for gaming in Win7 via Bootcamp.
 
You can always try something like HyperVelocity, as long as they offer a lifetime warranty. Just make sure to run memtest86+ and/or Apple Hardware Test on the memory after the install to ensure that they're not faulty from the start.

If you want something branded, Crucial is the most expensive, while Kingston and Transcent are available for a fair price.
 
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BigYellow said:
Anyone know anywhere that sells reputable RAM for reasonably cheap for a 3,1? Other than Memory America?


Thanks!!
Click to expand...

As already stated, go used on eBay. I bought 8 - 2GB 667mhz used memory from Ebay over a year ago and paid only about $100 for it. Technically the memory should have the "big heat sinks" on them, but I've been using the low-profile "normal" heat sinks with no issues for well over a year now. Your best bet is to buy as cheaply as possible because you never know when your Mac Pro might breathe its last breath and all the money spent on RAM will be virtually wasted.
 
$100 is a lot of money for used or eBay RAM.

This forum is full of those that purchased cheap and have had nothing but issues, spending hours troubleshooting... there of course have been a few that have got lucky and have the spread the myth that bandaid RAM is cost effective. Do you feel lucky or are willing to spend hours to sort through the issues and buy more cheap RAM?

2x4 (8GB) of apple certified big heat sink burned in RAM for $178 at Data Memory Systems

http://www.datamemorysystems.com/ap...-2-8ghz-ma970ll/a-early-2008-memory-upgrades/

Its your money and time..... :)
 
I bought server rated 800MHz FB-DIMMs (IBM, Dell, HP, etc) for my Mac Pro on ebay, which are considerably cheaper than Mac Pro specific ones. I usually look for Nanya branded memory because in my tests it runs the coolest of all the other brands.

Then, I bought cheapest possible Mac Pro 667MHz FB-DIMMs (512K) and took the fat heat-sinks and mounted them on the above 800 FB-DIMMs.

It worked out pretty well and the price was much lower than if I bought original 800MHz FB-DIMMs. It just takes a bit of creativity... :)
 
omnious said:
I bought server rated 800MHz FB-DIMMs (IBM, Dell, HP, etc) for my Mac Pro on ebay, which are considerably cheaper than Mac Pro specific ones. I usually look for Nanya branded memory because in my tests it runs the coolest of all the other brands.

Then, I bought cheapest possible Mac Pro 667MHz FB-DIMMs (512K) and took the fat heat-sinks and mounted them on the above 800 FB-DIMMs.

It worked out pretty well and the price was much lower than if I bought original 800MHz FB-DIMMs. It just takes a bit of creativity... :)
Click to expand...

What are the exact specs you look for? I usually shop at a local warehouse-style store, Memory Express. If I filter by DDR2-FBDIMM's, everything that comes up is PC5300 (which appears to be 667MHz). EVerything PC2-6400 shows up as SDRAM. I don't know enough about these various specs!

----------

Memory America is selling two different 4GB kits, and I think that would give me enough total RAM. For the proper 800MHz kits, they're charging $90 for 2x2GB, or $135 for 4x1GB. Since I'm currently running 2x1GB, would I see ANY performance gains by going with 4x1GB? I'm not sure if it would help that I'm spreading the RAM out across 6 slots instead of 4, or that all the chips would be the same capacity?
 
BigYellow said:
What are the exact specs you look for?
Click to expand...

There's quite a few threads listing the specs for 1,1 and 3,1 MP memory here. Have a search. The specs between the 1,1 and the 3,1 are the same but 3,1 Macs can also use 800MHz DIMMs.

But I just wanted to mention that DIMMs over 1GB in size no longer run hot enough to require those Apple heat sinks. So you can sell them off and install the new RAM without them. All that's needed is the thin heat-spreaders that most server memory comes with. 512K and some 1GB modules ran (runs) pretty hot.
 
Tesselator said:
There's quite a few threads listing the specs for 1,1 and 3,1 MP memory here. Have a search. The specs between the 1,1 and the 3,1 are the same but 3,1 Macs can also use 800MHz DIMMs.

But I just wanted to mention that DIMMs over 1GB in size no longer run hot enough to require those Apple heat sinks. So you can sell them off and install the new RAM without them. All that's needed is the thin heat-spreaders that most server memory comes with. 512K and some 1GB modules ran (runs) pretty hot.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly I couldn't find many threads with regards to Nemix brand RAM... Seems to be suspiciously cheap on Amazon. Anyone have any direct experience with this in a MP?
 
BigYellow said:
Surprisingly I couldn't find many threads with regards to Nemix brand RAM... Seems to be suspiciously cheap on Amazon. Anyone have any direct experience with this in a MP?
Click to expand...

I've never head of them myself - but that doesn't matter much. There's only like 3 or maybe 4 companies manufacturing those chips i think. So 90% of it just depends on what sort stages they're buying - or whether or not they do their own sorting before mounting. Of course to find out the RAM specs for the MP3,1 you don't need to include the name Nemix in the search. :)

I don't think their Apple memory is cheap though. It's just barely below average price for "Apple approved" memory with those totally unnecessary Godzilla-like heat-sinks. :p

A lot or all of the Nemix units being sold is just rebranded from other manufacturers. Like for example this is Kingston memory here: http://www.nemixcorp.com/featured/8...0-x3500-x3550-option-46c7420-fru-46c7423.html. It might all be like that I dunno.
 
Tesselator said:
But I just wanted to mention that DIMMs over 1GB in size no longer run hot enough to require those Apple heat sinks. So you can sell them off and install the new RAM without them. All that's needed is the thin heat-spreaders that most server memory comes with. 512K and some 1GB modules ran (runs) pretty hot.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm being too picky but I find mine running mid-hot as they are, according to iStat Pro.

I have both raisers full with 2GB modules with fat heat sinks. iStat Pro Mem Modules A1-B4 are all averaging from ~50-60C right now with ambient showing 26C.

Perhaps even higher temperature is acceptable, but I don't like hot air blowing out the back, especially in Summer.

Do you have a macpro3,1? What are your temperatures and are you using server ram with standard thin heat sinks?
 
omnious said:
Maybe I'm being too picky but I find mine running mid-hot as they are, according to iStat Pro.

  • I have both raisers full with 2GB modules with fat heat sinks. iStat Pro Mem Modules A1-B4 are all averaging from ~50-60C right now with ambient showing 26C.
  • Perhaps even higher temperature is acceptable, but I don't like hot air blowing out the back, especially in Summer.
  • Do you have a macpro3,1? What are your temperatures and are you using server ram with standard thin heat sinks?
Click to expand...

  • And if you were to insert server memory with just the heat-spreaders and not the Apple heat sinks the temperatures would be the same ± 2 to 5˚C.

  • Ya, most FB memory is spec'd at 110˚C as it's maximum operating temperature - Some are rated at 120˚C. I haven't seen any rated at 100˚ or lower tho technical documentation assures me it does exist.

  • I have a 2,1 and it used to have 12GB (8 DIMMs total) of Apple RAM. Recently I did a bunch or research on FB memory as operating in a variety of different systems and took a look at Intel's data-sheets on FB DIMM construction and cooling. From that and several user testimonials, I discovered and decided that server memory would be just fine with any sticks over 1GB in size and also the vast majority of 1GB modules being sold as "new" these days. My temperatures before with the Apple heat sinks was 45˚ to 60˚C. min/max. 60˚ was only accomplished with the fans set to Apple's default speeds and running 8 instances Rember for an hour. With the 8x4GB of Kingston server memory with only the thin heat-spreaders my temperatures range from 42˚ to 54˚C and again the 54˚C is only accomplished with Apple's default fan speeds and running 8 instances of Rember for an hour or more. Both ranges are with the MP Ambient temperature at 30˚C and the room temperature at 23˚C. So the RAM with the thin heat spreaders is actually running cooler.

The biggest heat culprits in my system is the PSU and the NorthBridge chipset. CPUs come in 3rd, GPU (potentially 3rd or 4th depending) and then the RAM and then the HDDs. Of course it all contributes... :p
 
Last edited:
Tesselator said:
There's quite a few threads listing the specs for 1,1 and 3,1 MP memory here. Have a search. The specs between the 1,1 and the 3,1 are the same but 3,1 Macs can also use 800MHz DIMMs.

But I just wanted to mention that DIMMs over 1GB in size no longer run hot enough to require those Apple heat sinks. So you can sell them off and install the new RAM without them. All that's needed is the thin heat-spreaders that most server memory comes with. 512K and some 1GB modules ran (runs) pretty hot.
Click to expand...

I was going to post the same thing.
 
lewdvig said:
I was going to post the same thing.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but as you're located at the south pole I suppose you actually want your mac to pump out a lot of heat! :)

You really down there BTW? At that new research facility they just finished up I suppose? Pretty kewl if you are!
 
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