Two problems with new PowerMac

[madmonk]

I'm quite happy with my decision to switch, but there are two problems that I hope could be resolved.

1) iMovie5 crashes everytime I export a movie to avi format (they are about 12 minutes long, 2GB, in cinepak codec). I used the hardware test and found no problems with my hardware. I also have the updated version of iMovie5

2) I was running matlab to do some analysis (Particle Imaging Velocimetry), the computer slowed down significantly after a while. I checked the ram and all 1.5GB is used up. I quitted the program, and most other programs, and about 500MB of RAM is still missing(the Activity monitor showed only about 1GB of free RAM). Is there anyway I can reclaim the RAM without a restart?

My powermac arrived two weeks ago.. It's a Duel 2.0 with 1.5GB ram (512 factory RAM, 1.0 from Crucial), and 9800XT

Any help will be appreciated.

 

[varmit]

I'm quite happy with my decision to switch, but there are two problems that I hope could be resolved.

1) iMovie5 crashes everytime I export a movie to avi format (they are about 12 minutes long, 2GB, in cinepak codec). I used the hardware test and found no problems with my hardware. I also have the updated version of iMovie5

2) I was running matlab to do some analysis (Particle Imaging Velocimetry), the computer slowed down significantly after a while. I checked the ram and all 1.5GB is used up. I quitted the program, and most other programs, and about 500MB of RAM is still missing(the Activity monitor showed only about 1GB of free RAM). Is there anyway I can reclaim the RAM without a restart?

My powermac arrived two weeks ago.. It's a Duel 2.0 with 1.5GB ram (512 factory RAM, 1.0 from Crucial), and 9800XT

Any help will be appreciated.

1) Have you Repair Permissions? https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/89736/

2) When you quit all programs, you wont get all your RAM back. You will get some, but OS X needs about 256 at the least so that will always be taken up, and the other amout is probably being used to holding setting for programs that you just quit, so that they can be restarted quickly. This is normal. Sounds like the program is a memory hog, and still needs more, the slow down is probably due to swapping info with the hard drive.

 

[john1123]

1) don't PM need equal memory modules ie 512 and 512 or 1GB and 1GB because they run dual channel? i don't know if this is true of if it causes any problems though.

2) i heard that os x will take up as much ram as is free to make it run faster... after all free ram is wasted ram.

 

[Bear]

1) don't PM need equal memory modules ie 512 and 512 or 1GB and 1GB because they run dual channel? i don't know if this is true of if it causes any problems though.

Yes, the PowerMac G5s need ram installed in pairs. And if the person is seeing the memory at all, it is installed correctly.

 

[Bear]

...
2) I was running matlab to do some analysis (Particle Imaging Velocimetry), the computer slowed down significantly after a while. I checked the ram and all 1.5GB is used up. I quitted the program, and most other programs, and about 500MB of RAM is still missing(the Activity monitor showed only about 1GB of free RAM). Is there anyway I can reclaim the RAM without a restart?
...

You will always have some ram in use for OS X and the various support processes that are running.

As for any help, it sounds like you could use a bit more ram than you have. How much depends on what exactly you want running at the same time.

 

[madmonk]

1) don't PM need equal memory modules ie 512 and 512 or 1GB and 1GB because they run dual channel? i don't know if this is true of if it causes any problems though.

I have 2x256 (from apple) and 2x512(from Crucial)

 

[wrc fan]

do you get the same problem using different codecs or it it only with the cinepak codec? And is the file size always the same after the crash?

 

[madmonk]

do you get the same problem using different codecs or it it only with the cinepak codec? And is the file size always the same after the crash?

I've only used Cinepak. Haven't checked the file size. I don't remember a specific action that'll trigger the crash. Seems to be rather random to me.

The Activity monitor also crashed once or twice over the last week. Enemy Territory flipped out once over the weekend. Is that normal?

 

[wrc fan]

I'd try using a different codec just to see if the problem is codec specific.