Why is the iMac memory so high?

[goglamosh]

Can anyone explain to me why it costs around $100 more for the iMac to be upgraded to a 512 MB 168 Pin DIMM from a 256 MB Pin DIMM than the Power Mac?

 

[Beej]

Don't bother buying RAM from Apple. Buy your Mac with the min specs Apple will let you have, then max it out with 3rd party stuff.


To answer your question, I think the iMac uses PowerBook RAM(?) to help all its innards to fit in that little enclosure.

 

[Nipsy]

Additionally, the iMac has one internal chip, and one user accessible chip. I would assume that the chip Apple upgrades is the internal chip, meaning that much more actual installation work is involved than with the PowerMac.

 

[cb911]

RAM isn't so bad now. a couple of weeks ago i got another 512MB for my TiBook. i got it for $400, thats about $120 cheaper than it was 4 or 5 months ago.

 

[King Cobra]

>(Beej)Don't bother buying RAM from Apple. Buy your Mac with the min specs Apple will let you have, then max it out with 3rd party stuff.

For this I would recommend www.18004memory.com

cb911, I remember when you had to pay over $1K for a 512MB chip for the iBook (maybe Powerbook) in some catalogs. That was crazy.

If you were able to get your memory about a month before the end of 2001 you got a tremendous deal. I quoted a 512MB chip for the 0.5GHz Cube for just $88. Now we're back on the rise. Don't expect much of a break in memory prices through time...just find the cheapest places.

 

[mmcneil]

Re: Why is the iMac memory so high?

Originally posted by goglamosh
Can anyone explain to me why it costs around $100 more for the iMac to be upgraded to a 512 MB 168 Pin DIMM from a 256 MB Pin DIMM than the Power Mac?

Probably because it requires the low profile memory (1"). Similar to PB, the lower RAM slot requires low profile vs the upper slot which allows high profile. The price (from a wide variety of vendors) appears to almost double.

Try www.ramjet.com, other world computing, etc.

 

[topicolo]

Yeah, they're called SODIMMs (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Modules) I believe. Most current laptops use them.

 

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by cb911
RAM isn't so bad now. a couple of weeks ago i got another 512MB for my TiBook. i got it for $400, thats about $120 cheaper than it was 4 or 5 months ago.

Damn, I paid just over $200 when I picked up the 512MB chip I'm using in my new TiBook. I picked up the memory last year, when it was a bit more money then now.

Hell, Mohawk has the 512MB chip (for the 667/800 TiBooks) for $150 (works in either/both slots, non-stacked). They also have a 512MB chip (SODIMM) for the new iMac for a whopping $100.

Whoever sold you that chip for $400 ripped you off but good Bubba.

As for upgrading the memory inside the iMac, the 168 pin SDRAM (not user accessable) can only be installed either at the factory or by an Apple service provider. Most of them won't allow you to bring in other memory to be installed. You would probably do rather well with a single 256MB chip from Apple and then add another 512MB after (from Mohawk).

 

[Sun Baked]

Originally posted by AlphaTech
Whoever sold you that chip for $400 ripped you off but good Bubba.

It's probably in those weird $ units Australians and Canadians like to confuse us with.

 

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by Sun Baked


It's probably in those weird $ units Australians and Canadians like to confuse us with.

Figures... Still, even if it's a 2:1 ratio (their $ to US $) he got ripped. Especially when you can get it for $150 (US) today. It has been under $200 for some time now as well.