New Mac Pro and Memory

Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Parker, CO
Your Mac's Specs
Jan 08 Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8 Core, 10GB Ram, 2.25TB, ATi Radeon 3870.
Since the new Mac Pro uses 800mhz memory (PC2-6400) and the previous generation uses 667 (PC2-5300), can I mix memory? I can get a crucial 8gb kit from TigerDirect for 299 but its PC2-5300 (FB-DIMM/ECC). If not, can I just take out the 2gb that comes stock and run the 667mhz memory and sell the 800mhz?
 
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I was wondering about this at first too, but OWC has a good deal on 2 x 2gig RAM sticks for the new machine for $200. Snapped it up :)

6 gigs of RAM (total) will be more than enough to get me started :)

-Bryan
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
114
Reaction score
1
Points
18
I know you can in PC's, or most modern pc's anyway, however it will limit the bus speed to 667mhz.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
3,978
Reaction score
99
Points
48
Location
Chicago, IL
Your Mac's Specs
Quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro, Edge iPhone
Isn't this the 3rd time you've asked this question?

Like I said, I highly doubt it.
I've read about a few people here who've tried putting faster RAM (all of the same speed) in older PowerMacs and it wouldn't work. I've done it on a PC before and it worked fine.
I doubt "mixing" of speeds would work. I doubt only using PC5300 and removing the PC6400 would work either.
I can't remember where I saw the link but there was a website that sold RAM, a place I never heard of and it didn't say what brand it was but it was a lot cheaper than Tiger Direct from what I remember. I will see if I can find the link again later this evening.

Taking short cuts is most likely going to bite you in the butt. Why'd you order this kind anyways if you're so unsure??
 
OP
dj_hype
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Parker, CO
Your Mac's Specs
Jan 08 Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8 Core, 10GB Ram, 2.25TB, ATi Radeon 3870.
i didn't order it. i'm doing research before i order. and to be honest, doubting isn't knowing. thats why i keep asking. i can understand that mixing may not produce the best results but since ram is ram is ram, i don't see why a buffered, ecc, previous generation module wouldn't work. i understand if it would limit the bus speed to 667mhz but just not work at all seems kind of odd to me.

and this isn't taking short cuts. taking short cuts is buying and using a product that everyone knows is going to fail on you, and buying it anyway then getting upset when it fails. crucial is a good company. i've run alot of their modules and never once had an issue so i'm not exactly sure how you consider buying crucial memory taking a shortcut. just because its not precious over-priced apple ram doesn't mean its bad.

since there is no information that i can find on the new macs ability to be backwards compatible in the ram department doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't. look at the previous generation Mac Pro. Apple said it was limited to 16gb of memory. Now people are saying the previous generation could handle 32gb.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
3,978
Reaction score
99
Points
48
Location
Chicago, IL
Your Mac's Specs
Quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro, Edge iPhone
You're taking shortcuts by purchasing RAM slower than the recommended speed. You clearly made up your own story from the rest of my statement.
I don't recommed Apple's brand but recommend Crucial so I don't know where you got that from.
When the Mac Pro was released, no one made a 4GB module. How was Apple suppose to know it would be compatible with something that was not out in the market.
Assuming things and taking short cuts about anything more often than not will lead to undesirable outcome, am I correct? If no one can give a definative answer to your question, I would buy something you know is 100% guaranteed compatible with the new Mac Pro. That's all I'm saying.
One word of wisdom, when people don't reply to a thread, it's often because the question is too obscure for anyone to answer with 100% certainty or because it has a really simple, obvious answer.
Good luck with your quest.
 
OP
dj_hype
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Parker, CO
Your Mac's Specs
Jan 08 Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8 Core, 10GB Ram, 2.25TB, ATi Radeon 3870.
You're taking shortcuts by purchasing RAM slower than the recommended speed. You clearly made up your own story from the rest of my statement.
I don't recommed Apple's brand but recommend Crucial so I don't know where you got that from.
When the Mac Pro was released, no one made a 4GB module. How was Apple suppose to know it would be compatible with something that was not out in the market.
Assuming things and taking short cuts about anything more often than not will lead to undesirable outcome, am I correct? If no one can give a definative answer to your question, I would buy something you know is 100% guaranteed compatible with the new Mac Pro. That's all I'm saying.
One word of wisdom, when people don't reply to a thread, it's often because the question is too obscure for anyone to answer with 100% certainty or because it has a really simple, obvious answer.
Good luck with your quest.

At the end of your first post, you said something to the effect that "Taking shortcuts will bite you in the butt." Nowhere in your post did you say anything about crucial being good or bad, you left it to me to decide what you were trying to say. And since you didn't praise crucial and put in some remark about taking shortcuts (without explaining what the shortcuts comment meant), I deduced that you were saying crucial ram was a shortcut.

As far as my comment about the previous Pro system handling 32gb of memory, my point was that up until the end, Apple always said 16gb maximum. That wasn't true and proof that sometimes even glorious Apple doesn't know everything. They are pretty obscure themselves as far as backwards compatibility goes and this is a question that obviously, at least one other person had.

I never said I was going to spend $300 on ram that I might not know for sure would work in my system or not. I'm doing research and hence, asking questions. Since I'm sure not everyone reads the rumor's section, I figured I would try to get the attention of people in the proper section of the forum, the Desktop section. Sure I asked the question 3 times, but thats because I want a solid answer. "Doubt it" was something we used to say (when I worked for Geek Squad) if we didn't know but wanted to leave a little breathing room in case we were wrong. "Doubt" is a ridiculous word and an attempt for someone to sound smarter than they actually are without too much risk of actually being wrong (this isn't an attack on you bry, its an attack on the word). "Doubt" does nothing more than create more "doubt".

Okay, end rant. I'm not taking shortcuts (at least in my definition) and I haven't decided what ram I'm getting. I may very well order it from OWC since they are the only ones I can find that are carrying FB, ECC, PC2-6400 memory at the moment for a decent price. I'm just looking for answers to questions. And if you could find that link to the site you were talking about previously, it would be much appreciated :D
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
3,978
Reaction score
99
Points
48
Location
Chicago, IL
Your Mac's Specs
Quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro, Edge iPhone
I used "doubt it" because I haven't tried what your asking help on. Until I try it myself or see someone that does, I have nothing to go on. Like said, I've read my problems were people has used the wrong speed RAM in their Macs and it didn't work. I have yet to read something to tell me it works. Until then, I will have my doubts.
I feel I've tried my best to help you. I guess not.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
3,978
Reaction score
99
Points
48
Location
Chicago, IL
Your Mac's Specs
Quad 2.8GHz Mac Pro, Edge iPhone
By trying my best to help you, I mean I spent 30+ mins googling some advice. That's how I stubled upon the website you now want.
Just trying to clear that up, I'm not looking for recognition.
Just do a "PC5300 PC6400 compatability" google search to find the link.
 
OP
dj_hype
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Parker, CO
Your Mac's Specs
Jan 08 Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8 Core, 10GB Ram, 2.25TB, ATi Radeon 3870.
Again, I can understand older macs not taking a liking to newer memory, but I'm trying to go the other way around. I'm trying to put older ram in a newer machine.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
No doubt it will work okay but at the much slower speed rating. Here is an article from Wikipedia, about 2/3 of the way down the page answers the questions of backwards compatible DDR2 memory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2_SDRAM
 
OP
dj_hype
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
5
Points
18
Location
Parker, CO
Your Mac's Specs
Jan 08 Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8 Core, 10GB Ram, 2.25TB, ATi Radeon 3870.
awesome, thank you very much.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top