Ram Help Noob question

Yeah, but you know what? Why don't you just buy all your RAM from a 3rd party vendor?

See the 5 links above? (ie: Amazon, Amazon UK, MacMall, MacConnection, Crucial)

Click on MacMall (aka: Other World Computing (OWC)) and buy your RAM from there.

Its okay to get your RAM like that if you want to buy 2 x 1GB sticks later on, but I'd even go as far as saying to get your extra 512MB of extra RAM from somewhere else as well.

 

Purchasing RAM from a 3rd party vendor just depends on your comfort level with installing it yourself. I did it once with an older machine, no problem. A new Mac would cause me concern, however.

 

My main concern would be/is what type of memory to buy? I've heard/read that Macs need a "special" type of memory (exemple: I've seen "CL2.5" on my PowerBook's RAM stick), stuff that the usual PC stores don't carry.

 

The PowerMac G5s use Dual Channel DDR400 with a cas latency of 3.0.

 

CL 2.5 refers to the CAS (Column Address Strobe) Latency of the RAM, it's a measure of how quickly the RAM can "get back in the game" after executing an operation. This measurement is common to all RAM, and on DDR RAM can be 3.0, 2.5 or 2.0 (lower being faster) The value doesn't make any difference to the Mac's performance, as it happens.

Dual-channel just refers to the fact you have to install two identical models as a pair when upgrading PowerMac G5s. It doesn't mean that the individual RAM modules are any different.

There isn't special Mac RAM. That said, there are other settings on the RAM module that can make it compatible or not compatible with a Mac. These are the SPD settings, and you will never see these advertised as part of a specification. Some generic RAM will be compatible, some won't. Some Macs are more tolerant of variation (PowerMac G5), and some are very picky (iMac G5, Mini, Powerbook 15" 1 GHz and 1.25 GHz, 17" 1 GHz and 1.33 GHz.)

So how do you tell by looking if a piece of RAM will be compatible with a specific Mac? You can't. You have to rely on the seller.

I recommend that you buy RAM from a reputable seller who tests and guarantees compatibility with your specific model of Mac, and offers a lifetime warranty.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

 

Get your ram from somewhere else, Apple is a complete rip off with their prices on ram. 512 is $300!!! Thats rediculous!

 

You must install them in pairs, but the pairs can be any type: 2 X 512, 2 X 256, 2 X 1g

Go to Crucial and use the memory adviser. This will tell you the type of memory you need. Most reputable sites have something like this -- this is the best way to determine what you need.