Which PowerBook G4 models have the dead ram slot issue?

[MacFoxG4]

Hello all,

I heard that some of the PowerBook G4 models have an issue where one of the RAM slots dies. Does anyone know which models these are? I ask because I'm thinking about buying a 1.67ghz PBG4 (I don't have a specific screen size in mind), so I'm curious which models have the dead RAM slot problem and which don't.

Thanks in advance.

 

[weckart]

PowerBook 5,6 was notorious for it. The PowerBook 5,4 was supposedly also afflicted to a lesser degree. I owned one of the latter and never had an issue with it. That's not to say that other models were immune.

 

[bobesch]

I encountered that problem on 15" 1,5GHz machines but not on 15" 1,67 DLSD ones.
If both RAM-slots survived until today, I hope it's likely, that they will last in the future.
It's important to check before any purchase, that both slots are equipped and working.

 

[timidpimpin]

I have a 6,8 with an almost dead slot. It can't go 5-10 min. without a KP with RAM in the expansion slot. The 12" models seem to be some of the worst, as I have read about several 12" with this issue.

 

[Raging Dufus]

I too have encountered this issue on the 12", which is a real problem since you've only got one RAM slot. Apart from that, I can't remember having the problem with any of the aluminum PB's, even the models notorious for it. On any of those that accept DDR RAM though, it's trivial to overcome, because 2GB DDR modules are plentiful & cheap, and usually have their full capacity recognized by the PowerBook.

 

[Hughmac]

I have a PowerBook 5,2 (1.25GHz a1046) which has only one working RAM slot.
This is particularly difficult because I cannot find a mythical 2GB PC2700 stick and am stuck with 1GB max.

I've also had this problem with a 15" DLSD PowerBook, but easily overcome as 2GB modules for these are readily available.

If you buy a PowerBook that already has 2GB installed then you should be OK whatever the condition of the lower RAM slot

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Raging Dufus]

I cannot find a mythical 2GB PC2700 stick and am stuck with 1GB max.

I've also had this problem with a 15" DLSD PowerBook, but easily overcome as 2GB modules for these are readily available.

You're right of course, and it's the DLSD I was thinking of. I'd forgotten that the earlier models didn't have DDR2. I'm not sure I've ever seen a 2GB PC2700 SODIMM. My mistake!

 

[timidpimpin]

Yes... I just searched eBay for "2GB PC2700 SODIMM" any every single result was a 2x 1GB kit. They were reasonably common a few years ago IIRC.

 

[Hughmac]

Same here with no joy.
Also PC2100 and PC3200 had no results

If anyone on here has such a module I will pay any reasonable price to get one, with no guarantee that it will be recognised in that particular model PowerBook of course

Cheers

Hugh

 

[weckart]

Yes... I just searched eBay for "2GB PC2700 SODIMM" any every single result was a 2x 1GB kit. They were reasonably common a few years ago IIRC.

I had a search and it seems from prior posts on a number of forums that 1GB was the limit for DDR sodimms as per the spec sheets, although one company seemed to offer 2GB and even 4GB sticks. The post linking to that was in 2012 and the link is now history.

This was the link and the URL seems to indicate that might have been true.

https://www.qtmemory.com/nt/hypermediar-4gb-ddr-pc2700-333mhz-sodimm.html

Sadly, not even webarchive.org has anything on this. You can still buy brand new 1GB sticks of PC2700 but nothing larger.

 

[Hughmac]

Never mind, this machine has learnt to cope quite well on 1GB

Cheers

Hugh

 

[retta283]

I don't know the identifier number of mine, but it's an Early 2005 1.67 GHz 15". Mine has a failed RAM slot.

 

[Amethyst1]

I don't know the identifier number of mine, but it's an Early 2005 1.67 GHz 15". Mine has a failed RAM slot.

That's a PowerBook5,6. I have two of these; both 1.67 GHz, one with a 64MB GPU and SL-DVI, the other with 128MB and DL-DVI. No failed RAM slot yet.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Hello, this may be off a bit, but can the G4 PowerBook DLSD address more than 2GB memory ? I read somewhere the G4 PowerPC chip can address up to 4GB of memory.

 

[Raging Dufus]

Hello, this may be off a bit, but can the G4 PowerBook DLSD address more than 2GB memory ? I read somewhere the G4 PowerPC chip can address up to 4GB of memory.

Nope, sadly. It's been tried.

AFAIK 2GB is a hard limit for any G4. It's a limitation of the chip itself. None of the PPC 74xx (G4) family of CPU's is able to address more than 2GB of RAM.