If that ram is bad for the machine, then why does it show up in Intell's approved/compatible listing? I know very well how USB keyboards and mice are made. They're quite different then a car key. Car keys are unique to that car, whereas USB keyboards and mice are not and can be used with almost any USB host device. It would appear that your analogy was the poorer of the two. Unless you are suggesting that the ram that comes with an iMac is unique to that iMac and only Apple ram can be used to replace it, a ridiculous notion. You can pull any 1.35v DDR3-1600 CL11 SODIMM module from any cheapo Dell/HP box and it'll work without a problem because of how Intell designed the controller. Oh the horror if it isn't in the Crucial list of compatible modules. What is so authoritative about that list over Intell's?
First off, Show me that this ram CT2C8G3S160BM is the ram is on Intel's comparability list Specific to October 2013 Haswell models only. Not Ivy Bridge models. I want to see that part number as compatible. I doubt you'll be able to prove that.
Second my Analogy wasn't an attempt and bettering your analogy my analogy was showing you how off yours was by comparing it to a keyboard. Obviously you got it since you thought my key analogy was terrible, thats the same as your keyboard analogy. You were comparing ram to a keyboard. I compared a key to your keyboard analogy. I was comparing it to how off your Analogy was by saying that a key to a car is the same as a keyboard to a computer. The both are needed to utilize the device they input. They key allows you access to the engine and the keyboard allows you access to the motherboard, gpu and ram of the computer.
The ram module is nothing like a keyboard, or a key. Its an equal part in the motherboard that it needs to be abel to run. If your going to run ram that is not on the crucial compatibility list you might as well run china's cheap ram and install that and hope for the best.
I wonder, do you only use the keyboard and mouse that came with your iMac out of fear of breaking said iMac due to lack of "guaranteed compatibility" with a third party USB keyboard/mouse even though nearly any USB keyboard/mouse made since 1998 will work without a problem and be within the USB Association's spec?
If i was going to compare Apple to a car i would use a Bmw. Apple is the premium car, vs the cheap Civic. You can buy cheap copy cat replacement parts, but unless Bmw approved those parts they are not covered in the warranty. If anything else breaks on your car that is caused, linked or directly related to the part you replaced then expect it to not be covered. This is how warranty works. This is my argument, your argument is obviously talking about how it works in the computer and thats all that matters.
My whole argument is about using ram on an approved list to keep your warranty. I never said that the ram doesn't work, all i said was that I wouldn't run it and I'm sure 99% of others on these forums wouldn't stick ram that is not approved list for our 3k computer. If your computer fails because you stuck non-approved china off-brand ram into your computer that was not designed 100% specifically for it Apple will not cover you, nor will crucial if it was 100% directly related to the crucial ram. If you want to cheap out on ram that is not on the approved list why the F are you buying a 2-3k apple computer. Buy a hackintosh or make one instead.
Lets also not forget that all of the computers hardware Id's get recorded on your apple id. Its how they link your computer with your warranty service. Its records your whole computer, its not specifically looking at one thing its how they determine what your computer has and compares it to what you bought to determine what parts are eligible for replacement under-warranty. If the motherboard failed and they determined it to fail because of your ram. You'll be paying for a replacement motherboard.
People who spend 2-3k wont cheap out for $40 just to get ram that is not on an approved list. You are obviously the exception. Get what you want, but this argument is not about wether it works or not its about keeping your warranty intact and being able to go after (crucial) for compensation if the ram directly destroyed your computer. Apple would decline coverage and tell you exactly why, you take that information to crucial and they'll pay for a replacement since they approved it for the computer. They are responsible for all ram on their comparability list.
looks like a part number mismatch like this
http://forums.crucial.com/t5/Apple-...lity-question/m-p/126020/highlight/true#M1746
i've mailed crucial to see if CT2K8G3S160BM and CT4949518 are the same.
iMac 3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 (27-inch, Late 2012) is the CT3650282 part number thats listed in that thread.
Dont you mean CT4951624 for the late 2013 Imac?
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Wow, I'm a little worried about ordering aftermarket RAM now... Is this guys computer defective or is it really the RAM's fault.
We'll the only way to know if the CT2C8G3S160BM ram is actually the problem you'd have to buy it and stress test it the same way the op did. 99% of people who buy ram stick it in and never stress test it. You could go years with it working just fine because you never maxed it out, but when you max it out and find a problem you'll just replace your ram a year from now thinking it went defective instead of it being incompatible. Then again it could have been defective from the day you brought it home.
This is why its good to stress test new parts. The Op was smart for doing so, and most of the people who run their computer at extreme levels do this. If your just doing basics, like internet, movies ect... 8gb will be plenty. You only need more for photoshop, video editing, gaming or anything else that demands high amounts of ram.
This ram is for the 2012-early 2013 models. Apple changed the motherboard to haswell on the late 2013 models so its not the same. Which is why crucial has a new part number for it. This ram may work perfectly fine in the 2013 computers and the op just got unlucky and with defective one set, or its because its not compatible.