Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Upgrading RAM of 12" ibook G4

I

igmolinav

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 15, 2005
1,126
4
Hi,

I may upgrade the RAM of my ibook to 1 GB.

Just a few questions:

1. Is 1 GB. the maximum RAM for an ibook G4 ??

1a. If so, is it possible to buy 512 additional Mb. for it, or do I need to buy a whole 1 GB. stick ??

2. I use Windows on the Virtual PC, mainly for the use of dictionaries for other languages. Will 1 GB make the virtual PC much faster - it is awfully slow ??

3. Where should I get my RAM from and what will it cost ??

Thank you,

igmolinav
 
Assuming you have the latest rev ibook, the max ram supported is 1.5 GB.

Adding a 512mb or 1gb stick will both work (but make sure you get the right type:))

duno about virtual pc, people say its slow even on the more powerful ppc macs, but i guess it'll improve performance.

I get all my ram from crucial (i live in the UK)

alex
 
You have to be more specific...

The Rev. A (800MHz*) officially has 128MB soldered and can add 512 for 640 total, but in reality can accept a 1GB module for 1.125 (I have one in this config).

The Rev. B (1.0 GHz) and Rev. C (1.2GHz) both have 256MB soldered and can add one module up to 1GB for 1.25GB total.

The Rev. D (1.33GHz) has 512MB onboard and can add one module for up to 1.5GB.

So, if you have a Rev. B-C that has 512MB now (it's not possible to get to exactly 512MB on the Rev. A -- it's either 128, 256, 384, 640, 1.125), you will need to remove the 256MB module in the expansion slot and replace it with a 1GB module. If you have a Rev. D, then yes, you can add one 1GB module and get 1.5GB or add 1x512MB and get 1.0GB (I'd really recommend the former, though).

*speeds are all for 12" versions.

As for questions (2): It'll help, but Windows will still be extremely slow unless you get a computer with an Intel processor; (3) Use Dealram.com to get a basic idea; Data Memory Systems and Crucial are frequently recommended; NewEgg is a good dealer if you know which specific module you want (they are a general retailer, whereas Crucial is a memory dealer). If you end up getting a 512MB module, it'll cost you about $30-35 shipped, and a 1GB one will cost you $85-90.
 
Thank you very much !!!

My ibook is 1.33 GHz so I´ll go for 512 Mb or 1 GB.

Will that help using programs like Archicad or Vectorworks ???

Thank you,

Ignacio.
 
CanadaRAM said:
It will help some, but its not going to make the CPU faster, or the screen larger, or Virtual PC act like anything but a pig. A pig running Windows.
Click to expand...

Sorry, in this case I intend to use these two programs on the Apple platform not in the Virtual PC. The versions of Vector Works and Archicad are for Mac. Does it mean that 1,5 GB of RAM will be three times as fast as 512 Mb ??

Thank you very much again !!!
 
igmolinav said:
Sorry, in this case I intend to use these two programs on the Apple platform not in the Virtual PC. The versions of Vector Works and Archicad are for Mac. Does it mean that 1,5 GB of RAM will be three times as fast as 512 Mb ??

Thank you very much again !!!
Click to expand...

No, we have covered this on MR many times.

Adding more RAM does NOT speed the machine up in proportion. What adding RAM does is remove the bottleneck in speed caused by having too little RAM (excessive PageOuts to the hard drive). But one you have removed that slowdown (once you have enough RAM for the programs and data you are using), the machine will speed up only until it hits its next slowest component, which may be the CPU or the hard drive or whatever.

The degree of improvement, and how soon you bump into the next barrier, depends on the programs that you are running and how each one is programmed.
 
just ensure that the ram you get is CERTIFIED to work with your iBook. I once got a 1gb stick of kingston value ram for my ibook. While the iBook saw it and had the appearance of accepting it, in reality it wasn't working right and I had to eventually take it back, certified generally costs a little more (esp. since nobody is really buying pc2700 nowadays [179$+ for a gb stick where I live in Canada]) but is worth it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back