Has being cheap cost me?

Before i start i blame my innocence and lack of knowledge for what has happened.

I've recently had a couple of incidents where a box flashes on my screen and asks me to restart in lots of languages. When it happened the first time i checked the crash report but nothing, did the sbin/fsck thing and it fixed an error. So i thouhg ti'd solved the prob. But it just happened again.

After a bit of reading i think it might be because of my RAM. I bought generic cheap RAM thinking there wasn't alot of difference. maybe there is.

Any ideas. I'm gonna try resetting PRAM but aside from that i can't find much else in way of a fix. Take out the cheap RAM, Yes?

ya that sounds exactly like cheap ram. i bought cheap ram from best buy last christmas and my machine did similar things and then pretty soon wouldn't even boot the whole way. so i went and exchanged it for some kingston ram, and it hasn't happened at all.

so Kingston is decent ram? I had 512 in my hands the other day and wouldnt get it because I thought it wasnt good ram.

Kingston is one of the best RAM companies, actually. I have some in my PC and nothing's gone wrong with the RAM (although many thousands of things have gone wrong with Windows XP, various Microsoft programs, etc.)

If you can, just buy your RAM from Apple. I have a 256MB card in my 12" PowerBook (+256 built-in = 512MB RAM total) and it's really good. It doesn't get hot or any of that. The best part is that it's covered with your warranty and AppleCare if you have it. I reccommend Apple RAM if at all possible.

m1k said:

I reccommend Apple RAM if at all possible.

Click to expand...

I don't. It's just RAM with an Apple sticker on it and much more expensive.
What you may want to do is pick up some RAM from OtherWorld Computing (Google it) they have some good stuff there. I recommend getting one with a lifetime warranty.

I agree with Absolute Zero. There is no Apple RAM, it's just a big ripp off.

Kingston and Infineon are well known and established companies in the RAM business. There are others, just don't remember'em all...

Never buy NoName RAM, no matter if it's for a PC or an Apple. It will just cause you much trouble, and you'll loose money.

And saying "I have housebrand RAM in my computer!" is nothing to brag about, because all the nerds with ATI X800s, 16X dual layer DVD burners, and RAM that glows in the dark; will all laugh at you

Absolute Zero said:

And saying "I have housebrand RAM in my computer!" is nothing to brag about, because all the nerds with ATI X800s, 16X dual layer DVD burners, and RAM that glows in the dark; will all laugh at you

Click to expand...

Who cares, anyway?!

Avalon said:

Who cares, anyway?!

Click to expand...

Because I've been made fun at of all my life for having a Mac...

So that's why you're so bitter...

Aptmunich said:

So that's why you're so bitter...

Click to expand...

Bitter? No. But I'm not going to make a big deal of it. :closed:

Wasn't trying to be mean, but you do sometimes tend to lash out a bit... not criticizing you, just observing behavorial patterns...

It's amazing what you do when you should be writing your history essay instead...

Aptmunich said:

Wasn't trying to be mean, but you do sometimes tend to lash out a bit... not criticizing you, just observing behavorial patterns...

It's amazing what you do when you should be writing your history essay instead...

Click to expand...

My "history" essay can wait (screw politics) until tonight and tomorrow night. I'm an excellent writer with excellent grades, I take my time and it gets done.

My behavior is also excellent. But if someone says anything that pisses me off, I let them know about it and I'm not afraid to do so.

Now that I've gotten completely off topic by rambling about myself, I think its time to get back on topic.

Yes, being cheap has costed you. Cheap RAM simply sucks. Other World Computing (OWC) sells good RAM with lifetime warranties, so you might want to go with that.

Sorry to stray again:

By "My "history" essay" I was actually talking about myself... I meant that I was distracting myself from writing MY essay by making silly observations about you on a forum...

Anyway, glad to have you here!


I also need to get some more RAM, I'm currently still at base config (256), I think I'm going to get a 512MB stick...

witeshark said:

Apple runs well AFAIK with crucial RAM too

Click to expand...

Quite well. It's running in my iMac 1.25GHz with no problems at all in the last year since I've had it. No crashes/poor performance whatsoever.

I'd recommend kingston too.
Have some in my machine now and its the only reason its booting up - what ever you do avoid ebuyer own brand ram like the plague. I got some ddr for my pc but I wouldn't imagine buying their laptop ram is good either.

I bought it because it was cheap but am now stuck with it, it constantly needs reseating and fails anyway, so when my pc didn't boot up and gave ram error beeps I stuck in the kingston and its fine now (except that I bought the kingston for a pc I need to sell so will have to be returning it to that pc and reseating my ebuyer ram until it recognises it or I have to get some new ram!)

So spending more for decent RAM is essential (much like with PSU's), atleast Kingston and Crucial give lifetme guarantees on their ram.