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Need WallStreet RAM Advice... please help!

S

somnium

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 4, 2006
10
0
Hi all,
This is a total noob question, but I'm quite confused:
:eek:
I'm playing around an old PowerBook G3 266MHz WallStreet, and want to upgrade the RAM.. problem is, everywhere I look, I see different information. Some places say that you must add memory "in pairs", others say one at a time is fine... then there's the whole question of whether the pairs must be matching (i.e., both the same number of meg's.)

In addition to this confusion, I've made it worse for myself by reading somewhere that 2-2-2 is better than 3-2-3. Which makes sense, but how in the world do I find out which cards have that.....

So, if anyone has any answers to all this confusion, I'd totally appreciate it.

Thanks
:eek:
Lena
 
When it comes down to buying Mac memory and you want to make sure that you buy the right stuff for your Mac then I can recommend using Crucial's Memory Advisor Tool that will walk you through the process. The prices are generally cheap but the important point is that you'll be told which RAM is compatible with your Mac so it's safe.

With respect to the benefits of different configurations I, unfortunately, have no idea. Generally I go by the rule of having as much memory as possible...
 
You don't have to add memory in pairs. In fact, one of the slots isn't easily user-accessible. I highly recommend OWC for RAM purchases...here is a page of options they say are compatible with your machine.
 
Kelmon, I tried Crucial previously, but they tell me this:
Q: What memory goes into my computer?
A: memory with support for speeds.


WildCowboy, thanks so much for the link!
That's the first place I've seen specify CL2, aaaand it's cheap :)
Do you think it is ok to just put a 256 card in the upper slot, and leave the lower slot alone for now?
Also, any other tips or advice regarding this (or anything to do with the PowerBook)? This is going to be my first time going inside one of those...
 
somnium said:
WildCowboy, thanks so much for the link!
That's the first place I've seen specify CL2, aaaand it's cheap :)
Do you think it is ok to just put a 256 card in the upper slot, and leave the lower slot alone for now?
Also, any other tips or advice regarding this (or anything to do with the PowerBook)? This is going to be my first time going inside one of those...
Click to expand...

I would start with just the single 256 MB stick...do you know what you have in the machine now? The official specs say that it can only take 192 MB of RAM, but I think it can actually go up to 512 MB.

What are you planning to do with it? Are you going to run OS X on it or stick to OS 9?
 
WildCowboy said:
I would start with just the single 256 MB stick...do you know what you have in the machine now? The official specs say that it can only take 192 MB of RAM, but I think it can actually go up to 512 MB.

What are you planning to do with it? Are you going to run OS X on it or stick to OS 9?
Click to expand...

It's all stock right now....
I've read everywhere that the 192 cutoff can actually be exceeded to 512, as you said, without any problems.
I'm hoping to run OS X on it, but the main purpose of the computer is going to be a video-watching, game-playing machine for a kid... so nothing too complex, just enough to run basic stuff.
 
one more question...

is there anything that i could scrap off my old iMac G3 (1st gen slot loader) that could be used for the PowerBook?

i noticed that a lot of memory modules being sold are compatible with both an iMac and the WallStreet... does this also mean that the 'stock' memory in the iMac could be used in the WallStreet, or no?


thanks again for all the helpful responses, guys =)
 
If it's the 144 pin stuff, yes. The lower slot needs the low profile.

I'm on a Wallstreet 233 right now. 512mb of ram, OS8.6. I love this computer!
 
ickystay said:
If it's the 144 pin stuff, yes. The lower slot needs the low profile.

I'm on a Wallstreet 233 right now. 512mb of ram, OS8.6. I love this computer!
Click to expand...


so the 144 pin is 'stock' in the iMac, or no? i mean, if i opened up my iMac, which is totally stock, could i use anything from it in the PowerBook?

thanks
 
somnium said:
so the 144 pin is 'stock' in the iMac, or no? i mean, if i opened up my iMac, which is totally stock, could i use anything from it in the PowerBook?

thanks
Click to expand...

I think the iMac uses 168pin DIMMS, the big old chunky buggers. But I maybe wrong.

EDIT: everymac says:
Noninterleaved, 168-pin, 64-bit-wide 8ns PC100 SDRAM (3.3v) for the iMac
 
bartelby said:
I think the iMac uses 168pin DIMMS, the big old chunky buggers. But I maybe wrong.

EDIT: everymac says:
Noninterleaved, 168-pin, 64-bit-wide 8ns PC100 SDRAM (3.3v) for the iMac
Click to expand...

i'm assuming this won't fit in the powerbook?
thanks
 
Correct...RAM from a slot-loading iMac will NOT fit in a Wall Street PowerBook.
 
i have yet another question about the PowerBook:

i'm trying to find an inexpensive wireless card for it:

specs say it has a slot for a Type II PC Card..
i've been told that it doesn't have to be an Apple product..
so i found one on eBay, but the specs for this card say it requires Windows.

does this mean it won't work for the PowerBook, or should i ignore the ebay 'specs' ?
 
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