Hey guys decided to pull my old power Mac G5 out of the closet and use it for some good ole logic 8 fun. It's been pretty slow lately and even briefly flashed the finder folder at startup so I think this old hard drive is on its way out so I ordered an ssd for it pretty inexpensively. Just for kicks I was looking at ram and found it it supports 16gb of ram. It has 8gb in it right now but I'm finding 16gb of pc2-6400 really cheap online. The cheaper ones are classified as "server memory". I was wondering if anyone on here could chime in as to whether or not any of that matters or not for a power Mac G5 quad. They seem to be called pc2-6400p ram and its buffered as well I believe. Thanks!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Power Mac G5 quad ram question
- Thread starter M3Stang
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Tread carefully...in theory the Quad is happy with server RAM (not mixed with desktop though) - however, I recently bought 8Gb of server RAM and none of it was recognised.
The Quad is perfectly content with ECC RAM(be sure you pair ECC with non-ECC) but registered RAM is a big NO. In fact, working from memory I think registered DDR2 is keyed differently from non-registered, so it won't fit.
Look at the last letter of the RAM carefully-if what you're buying is marked PC2-6400U, it should be fine, while PC2-6400R is off limits.
Look at the last letter of the RAM carefully-if what you're buying is marked PC2-6400U, it should be fine, while PC2-6400R is off limits.
My G5 quad has the Apple original memory in it, still runs without any errors.
Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Speed: PC2-4200U-444
Type: DDR2 SDRAM
Speed: PC2-4200U-444
1. The best configuration of RAM is PC2-4200E. Because not all DDR2-800 will have a latency 4-4-4@533MHz.
2. PC2-4200P - Should be parity. Specs are not allow to use this type.
3. PC2-4200U or just PC2-4200 - Unbuffered/unregistered. Regular type. Specs are allow to use this type.
4. PC2-4200E - Regular + Error Code Correction. This is the best way to go. Specs are allow to use this type.
5. PC2-4200S - SO-DIMM for laptops. Specs are not allow to use this type.
6. PC2-4200F - Fully buffered. Specs are not allow to use this type.
Parity vs ECC=almost the same results but with different method of work. G5QUAD supports 8*2Gb modules officially. There are information over the web that 8*4Gb also works (32Gb). Has been shipped with 10.4 or later. Latest OS could be used 10.5. Both versions addresses more than 4Gb of RAM.
2. PC2-4200P - Should be parity. Specs are not allow to use this type.
3. PC2-4200U or just PC2-4200 - Unbuffered/unregistered. Regular type. Specs are allow to use this type.
4. PC2-4200E - Regular + Error Code Correction. This is the best way to go. Specs are allow to use this type.
5. PC2-4200S - SO-DIMM for laptops. Specs are not allow to use this type.
6. PC2-4200F - Fully buffered. Specs are not allow to use this type.
Parity vs ECC=almost the same results but with different method of work. G5QUAD supports 8*2Gb modules officially. There are information over the web that 8*4Gb also works (32Gb). Has been shipped with 10.4 or later. Latest OS could be used 10.5. Both versions addresses more than 4Gb of RAM.
I got these sticks and they seem not to work. They fit into slots, but are too wide in “depth” and cannot be fixed in brackets. I tried just to keep them in slots and start the Quad – it does not see them. Disappointing since 50 bucks wasted.
Specs seem to be correct, but dimensions aren’t.
Specs seem to be correct, but dimensions aren’t.
Attachments
Does your pm have memory already installed? What do the old sticks look like next to the new ones?
Installed ones are newer DDR2 800MHz (recognized as slower). I am somewhat afraid to pull them out, because if I do something wrong with that, I cannot start the machine (there is just one pair of those installed).
Ok it turned out I did not push sticks strong enough. I managed to fit them in. However, initially all 4 sticks were not seen by the Quad, after reshuffle of sticks and reboot I got two of them recognized. Two still aren't.
What can I try doing?
Follow the installation method linked below. The ram modules need to be installed in pairs and in the specific order shown.
G5 RAM Installation - InSync | Sweetwater
Q: I have an older Apple PowerMac G5, the dual 2GHz model. I want to install more RAM, but I can’t remember the order that chips should be put in the slots – and I can’t find the computer’s user guide. Can you help? A: PowerMac G5 computers have either four or eight RAM slots, […]
www.sweetwater.com
If installed correctly & they still do not work, I’d send them back as faulty and get replacements.
Follow the installation method linked below. The ram modules need to be installed in pairs and in the specific order shown.
G5 RAM Installation - InSync | Sweetwater
Q: I have an older Apple PowerMac G5, the dual 2GHz model. I want to install more RAM, but I can’t remember the order that chips should be put in the slots – and I can’t find the computer’s user guide. Can you help? A: PowerMac G5 computers have either four or eight RAM slots, […]
If installed correctly & they still do not work, I’d send them back as faulty and get replacements.
Yes, I have checked that before installing, so sequence is correct. Perhaps slots got dirty inside or oxidised, or otherwise RAM is defective. Sending back isn’t an option in my case, I got it from Yahoo JP auction, sending it back and forth would cost more than RAM itself.
Not so far. I don’t have its CD. Will look where to download it. Or perhaps TechTool Pro – if PPC version supported RAM testing.
I am also getting another four 2 GB sticks (used ones, so I hope at least two of them are alive) tomorrow. Hopefully in result the RAM is maxed.
I think you need ASD 2.6.3 for a quad. Looks like there is an iso over at the Internet Archive.
Apple Service Diagnostic 2.6.3 : Apple Computer : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
About Apple Service Diagnostic v2.6.3 Dual Bootable CD: Apple Service Diagnostic CD is designed to run both Open Firmware and Mac OS X tests from a single CD....
archive.org
if you're installing RAM in a G5, make sure it's in pairs otherwise it will have a mental breakdown. sometimes mixing sticks may not work. would recommend having all the sticks to be the same part number/model.
Yeah, I’m aware of that. Not sure about part numbers, but brand and models are same (for each pair).
New memory got recognized, so 16 GB now, and according to TechTool Pro all good:
Dedicate some of that to a RAM disk and copy (some of) your most used applications to that. Say hello to instant loading times and insane responsiveness.
