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Upgrade to 512MB or 768MB in ibook G4

T

thehuncamunca

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 9, 2003
447
0
NJ
i just got my 14" G4 ibook, it's a great machine but needs a little more RAM for multitasking and my occasional game playing
will i see a difference between getting a 256MB module for a total of 512MB or getting a 512MB module for 768MB RAM
i usually have itunes safari ichat mail appleworks maybe another program or 2 open, i play games like simcity, warcraft 3, the sims, civ 3 etc not too demanding on my system

thanks for your advice and input

btw i was going to get crucial, any other recommendations besides crucial for good quality memory?
 
My iBook's only a 600MHz G3, so your mileage may vary, but when I boosted my RAM from 256Mb to 640Mb I was pretty disappointed by the lack of difference it made.

Is the bus in an iBook too slow for the RAM to be the dominant phenomenon? It really seemed to make _no_ discernable difference for me.
 
i'd assume for the G4 ibook where the bus is 2X as fast as yours (133MHz) that added ram would make a nice difference, just don't know if above 512MB you would see any difference

sandman42 said:
My iBook's only a 600MHz G3, so your mileage may vary, but when I boosted my RAM from 256Mb to 640Mb I was pretty disappointed by the lack of difference it made.

Is the bus in an iBook too slow for the RAM to be the dominant phenomenon? It really seemed to make _no_ discernable difference for me.
Click to expand...
 
Macmaniac said:
Don't get a 256mb stick, get a 512mb stick OS X loves RAM so its the best bang for the buck. Also games love RAM so the more the better. If you want to see a huge performance leap get a 1 gig stick.
Click to expand...

When my girlfriend gets her iBook, I was going to get her 512 stick as a gift. I was going to get a gig, but it's like 3 times the cost of a 512.
 
You'll see a big improvement with 768MB as opposed to 512. Day-to-day, one-app-at-a-time type of use won't really show it, but you'll definitely see it while running a few things at once.
 
Yes, and it doesn't matter what you bus speed is. More RAM helps when you're multitasking. If you have no programs open, and you're trying to open a first program, then the extra RAM may not do much since there was probably won't do much, but if you're opening a 6th program, then yes, it'll help. Anything over 768MB of RAM doesn't do much unless you're doing something serious.
 
Duff-Man says...another vote for the extra 512...for the difference in price you may as well, and while maybe you don't see immediate benefits for what your are doing now down the line you will notice if you start using more programs or upgrade your OS etc etc...oh yeah!
 
Duff-Man: glad to see that you've got your avatar now. Not that we didn't already know what you look like!
 
Can someone give me the complete specs for RAM that would go in the current iBooks? When I'm in CompUSA I get a little confused when I'm presented with 30+ boxes on the shelf to pick from.
 
DDR PC 2100 SODIMM

PC 2700 and PC 3200 will also work

i'm getting a 512MB PC 2700 from crucial, $102 shipped

neoelectronaut said:
Can someone give me the complete specs for RAM that would go in the current iBooks? When I'm in CompUSA I get a little confused when I'm presented with 30+ boxes on the shelf to pick from.
Click to expand...
 
neoelectronaut said:
Can someone give me the complete specs for RAM that would go in the current iBooks? When I'm in CompUSA I get a little confused when I'm presented with 30+ boxes on the shelf to pick from.
Click to expand...

Just like thehuncamunca, you'll be much better off going with Crucial, Kingston, etc. - cheaper and likely better RAM. That's not to say "order the cheapest you can find" - get reputable RAM.
 
It's not so much that I'm looking for cheap RAM. I just don't want to bother with ordering off the internet, so I'd rather buy it in the store.
 
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