Ram for an iMac G3 500mhz: pc100, 133, or either?

[VoodooDaddy]

I bought a G3 with 256mb of ram, but I want to up that to at least 512mb for Tiger to run better. Will these machines run either pc100 or pc133? I believe its the standard 168-pin sticks, but dont know for sure which (100/133) to buy.

Also, whats the difference between registered and non-registered ram?

 

[kalisphoenix]

I bought a G3 with 256mb of ram, but I want to up that to at least 512mb for Tiger to run better. Will these machines run either pc100 or pc133? I believe its the standard 168-pin sticks, but dont know for sure which (100/133) to buy.

Either or both will be fine.

Also, whats the difference between registered and non-registered ram?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Registered_memory

 

[adamyoshida]

I bought a G3 with 256mb of ram, but I want to up that to at least 512mb for Tiger to run better. Will these machines run either pc100 or pc133? I believe its the standard 168-pin sticks, but dont know for sure which (100/133) to buy.

Also, whats the difference between registered and non-registered ram?

Get PC100, if you can. PC133 will probably work, but part of it might be only partially compatible.

I'd say that a 500 Mhz iMac would be from about the same era as the Lombard, wouldn't it? And, certianly, some Lombards have trouble with PC133 ram.

 

[Father Jack]

Get PC100, if you can. PC133 will probably work, but part of it might be only partially compatible.

I'd say that a 500 Mhz iMac would be from about the same era as the Lombard, wouldn't it? And, certianly, some Lombards have trouble with PC133 ram.

From what I can remember PC100 is recommended.

FJ

 

[California]

Actually I think on the 500mhz's, it was PC 133 but just find either. I have some cheap 64 and 128 sticks if you are stuck.

 

[kalisphoenix]

From what I can remember PC100 is recommended.

FJ

PC100 is required -- but only because PC133 was not required yet. PC133 will work just fine in this iMac and is generally less expensive (greater supply), even though it's newer and built to higher standards. There were no architectural differences between the two, other than requirements for performance/stability.

The 500MHz iMacs could take 1GB RAM, FWIW.

</had an older iMac than the OP's with 1GB PC133 RAM that worked fine>

 

[kalisphoenix]

Get PC100, if you can. PC133 will probably work, but part of it might be only partially compatible.

I'd say that a 500 Mhz iMac would be from about the same era as the Lombard, wouldn't it? And, certianly, some Lombards have trouble with PC133 ram.

Wrong. It's not because of the RAM's speed. It's because Lombards need low density DIMMs (16 memory chips on the card) and cannot understand high density DIMMs (8 memory chips on the card). Therefore, Lombards can understand both PC100 RAM and PC133 RAM, so long as it's low density -- but high density RAM (whether PC100 or PC133) will only be recognized as being half the size it actually is.

 

[adamyoshida]

Wrong. It's not because of the RAM's speed. It's because Lombards need low density DIMMs (16 memory chips on the card) and cannot understand high density DIMMs (8 memory chips on the card). Therefore, Lombards can understand both PC100 RAM and PC133 RAM, so long as it's low density -- but high density RAM (whether PC100 or PC133) will only be recognized as being half the size it actually is.

You're quite correct. I guess I didn't make that clear.

Is there high-density PC100 ram? I wasn't aware that there even was.

 

[kalisphoenix]

You're quite correct. I guess I didn't make that clear.

Sorry for my bulldog-esque attack.

Is there high-density PC100 ram? I wasn't aware that there even was.

Yep. You made me question myself, but a quick Google turned up a few examples. It seems to be non-standard, certainly, but it does exist.