Never understood, nor needed to understand, the PBG4 15" dead memory slot until today

[California]

So I jumped at getting a back up Powerbook G4 15" DLSD HR 1.67ghz here on MR outside of Marketplace. I'd never done that before, but it's fine, even though what I got was a PBG4 15" 1.5ghz with the dead memory slot that I'd always heard about but never experienced.

What is it that goes bad on these slots? It's so frustrating to only have 1 gig total for the computer. Can the memory slots be re soldered or fixed in any way?

 

[Boyd01]

Wow that brings back some memories. I had a titanium powerbook that got fried when connecting to a big theater projector that was improperly wired. In the middle of production, I went to CompUSA and bought a new aluminum PowerBook G4 (assume that is what you're talking about) that had only been introduced a few days earlier. First time I ever bought a Mac that close to release, but there were no more titanium powerbooks to be had locally.

Later upgraded the RAM myself and had the issue of one slot not being recognized. This was discussed a lot in the forums (don't recall which site?). I took mine in twice for a motherboard replacement under AppleCare and had the same problem each time after a period of time. So Apple clearly didn't understand the problem back then. At the store they told me after two attempts to repair, they would give me a new replacement. But at that point, I already had an Intel MPB (the one that looked identical to the G4, but with a different video connector). Didn't seem worth the effort to pursue (and I was right at the very end of my AppleCare). IIRC, there may have actually been a class action lawsuit about this, not sure what happened there.

I still have that machine and up to about 3 years ago it worked fine. But then it started giving the "death chime". Tried swapping RAM between slots, even found some old RAM, none of that helped. So it just sits dead in the closet.

 

[weckart]

So I jumped at getting a back up Powerbook G4 15" DLSD HR 1.67ghz here on MR outside of Marketplace. I'd never done that before, but it's fine, even though what I got was a PBG4 15" 1.5ghz with the dead memory slot that I'd always heard about but never experienced.

If I understood you correctly, this sounds like bait and switch. I wouldn't have accepted it with such alacrity.

Here's a former thread on the issue. Someone seems to have revived it with heat, though that's a gamble at best

PowerBook G4 15" Lower-Memory-Slot Failure

Got a 15" PB today. After the first great impression about the 'Book' the disappointment followed really fast : the lower memory slot doesn't work. Searching for that issue I've found endless complaints about that hardware-problem. So either live with 1GB RAM in the upper slot or get rid of...

forums.macrumors.com

There may be other threads if you do a search but most people IIRR learn to live with 1GB.

 

[Macbookprodude]

From what I learned about this which was a problem in pre-DLSD PowerBooks, no DLSD G4 PowerBook ever had this issue. I have owned 3 15 inch and one 17 inch DLSD and this memory slot failure never happened.

 

[California]

If I understood you correctly, this sounds like bait and switch. I wouldn't have accepted it with such alacrity.

Here's a former thread on the issue. Someone seems to have revived it with heat, though that's a gamble at best

PowerBook G4 15" Lower-Memory-Slot Failure

Got a 15" PB today. After the first great impression about the 'Book' the disappointment followed really fast : the lower memory slot doesn't work. Searching for that issue I've found endless complaints about that hardware-problem. So either live with 1GB RAM in the upper slot or get rid of...

forums.macrumors.com

There may be other threads if you do a search but most people IIRR learn to live with 1GB.

It's an MR member who refunded me somewhat and I think it ended up costing 70 dollars and it does work (with Tiger), I don't want to put Leopard on it.

 

[California]

From what I learned about this which was a problem in pre-DLSD PowerBooks, no DLSD G4 PowerBook ever had this issue. I have owned 3 15 inch and one 17 inch DLSD and this memory slot failure never happened.

Yes, I've owned a DLSD 15" for ten years and it is a champ. The DL superdrive just stopped connecting, we'll see if the new video connector I got works.

 

[Project Alice]

I thought I remembered hearing that this happened to the DLSD’s more so than the previous models. But I could be wrong.
I do know that I have read about users having a dead memory slot on a DLSD and just sticking a 2GB stick in it to achieve 2GB of RAM again. Unfortunately not possible in the previous DDR1 based models.

 

[Macbookprodude]

I thought I remembered hearing that this happened to the DLSD’s more so than the previous models. But I could be wrong.
I do know that I have read about users having a dead memory slot on a DLSD and just sticking a 2GB stick in it to achieve 2GB of RAM again. Unfortunately not possible in the previous DDR1 based models.

Its never been with the dlsd models.. only the 2005 models.

 

[weckart]

I thought I remembered hearing that this happened to the DLSD’s more so than the previous models. But I could be wrong.
I do know that I have read about users having a dead memory slot on a DLSD and just sticking a 2GB stick in it to achieve 2GB of RAM again. Unfortunately not possible in the previous DDR1 based models.

It occasionally happened, as far as I can remember, but not nearly often enough to establish a regular fault pattern. It was the preceding 1.67 and the 1.5GHz models that often lost a slot. My Mac Mini 1,1 also performed the same unwelcome trick.

 

[Dronecatcher]

I thought I remembered hearing that this happened to the DLSD’s more so than the previous models.

I've had 2 DLSD models go down with it.

 

[Boyd01]

What is a DLSD? Just for fun, I dug out my old records. Mine was a 15" FW800 1.0ghz PowerBook G4, purchased in October 2003. This is the model:

PowerBook G4 1.0 15" (FW800 - Al) Specs (15-Inch FW800, M8980LL/A, PowerBook5,2, A1046, 1960): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the PowerBook G4 1.0 15" (FW800 - Al). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

Looks like I took it in with a dead lower memory slot and got a motherboard swap in May 2005 and again in July 2005 under Applecare. This did not fix it however. IIRC, the reason I didn't have a problem until 2005 is because that's when I upgraded the RAM. Like I said above, I still have this computer and it was working until a few years ago but now it gives the "death chimes" and will not boot.

 

[weckart]

What is a DLSD?

Double Layer Super Drive - it refers to the optical drives that came with the very last 15" and 17" PowerBooks G4. Both also had high definition displays.

 

[Amethyst1]

Both also had high definition displays

I'll never understand why those machines are nicknamed according to the stupid superdrive rather than the much more significant high-rez displays.

 

[Project Alice]

I'll never understand why those machines are nicknamed according to the stupid superdrive rather than the much more significant high-rez displays.

I never got that either. Though weren't some of them the same res as the previous ones? I've seen references to "Hi-Res DLSD" and just "DLSD" referring to a non high-rez display.

Personally I think DDR2 PB would be a better name for them..

 

[B S Magnet]

I never got that either. Though weren't some of them the same res as the previous ones? I've seen references to "Hi-Res DLSD" and just "DLSD" referring to a non high-rez display.

Personally I think DDR2 PB would be a better name for them..

Or that they have completely redesigned logic boards.

 

[Amethyst1]

Though weren't some of them the same res as the previous ones?

AFAIK all DLSDs have the higher-rez LCD.

Or that they have completely redesigned logic boards.

Or that they can boot off GUID disks LOL.

 

[B S Magnet]

AFAIK all DLSDs have the higher-rez LCD.

Yes. All shipped with the same LCDs, and those LCDs had a higher resolution than their early 2005 predecessors.

Or that they can boot off GUID disks LOL.

Indeed!

That said, after I set up my A1139 with GUID to verify that it worked as a boot volume, I ran into enough quirks related to it later on that I went ahead and reformatted the drive using APM.

 

[weckart]

I'll never understand why those machines are nicknamed according to the stupid superdrive rather than the much more significant high-rez displays.

You can burn a Leopard disc on those laptops at 800x600. Try doing that on a previous PowerBook at whatever resolution you like. 😉

 

[Amethyst1]

You can burn a Leopard disc on those laptops at 800x600.

Touché. Will burning fail at higher resolutions then?

 

[Macbookprodude]

To my knowledge and sources, NEVER have I owned or heard of any memory slot issues with DLSD models of the G4 PowerBook. www.xlr8yourmac.com reports this as well. The PowerBook G4 before DLSD were horrible for this problem.

 

[B S Magnet]

To my knowledge and sources, NEVER have I owned or heard of any memory slot issues with DLSD models of the G4 PowerBook. www.xlr8yourmac.com reports this as well. The PowerBook G4 before DLSD were horrible for this problem.

@Dronecatcher literally just wrote a few posts up that he’s experienced two which experienced slot failure.

It happens — perhaps not to the extent of DDR RAM aluminium models, but it does happen.

Your comment is neither instructive nor constructive.

 

[Macbookprodude]

@Dronecatcher literally just wrote a few posts up that he’s experienced two which experienced slot failure.

It happens — perhaps not to the extent of DDR RAM aluminium models, but it does happen.

Your comment is neither instructive nor constructive.

I am basing this on my experience, but I read the models before DLSD have higher memory slot failure. Sadly, but true. Also read somewhere Apple tried to hide this just like them denying the G5 leaks. Proof customer service went south.

 

[Macbookprodude]

@Dronecatcher literally just wrote a few posts up that he’s experienced two which experienced slot failure.

It happens — perhaps not to the extent of DDR RAM aluminium models, but it does happen.

Your comment is neither instructive nor constructive.

I am also saying maybe a very large % of the PB G4 DLSD 15/17 have this issue, but certainly the percentage is higher with the DDR models before it.

 

[B S Magnet]

I am basing this on my experience, but I read the models before DLSD have higher memory slot failure. Sadly, but true. Also read somewhere Apple tried to hide this just like them denying the G5 leaks. Proof customer service went south.

That’s called confirmation bias.

And “read somewhere” is neither a valid reference or a citation.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Well, from my experience, never have experienced this in the 17 inch I own or the 15 inch, so it must to limited to certain serials. What I am saying is the last models were not that widely known to have this issue while the DDRs do.. however, we will never know how many DLSD models had this issue.