Memory

Can i use regular memory in a mac ?

There are many differnt types of memory, none of which are commonly designated as "regular" memory.

Macs do use the the same type of modules that PCs use, but they are a little more finicky about who made it - they tend to prefer higher quality RAM from companies like Crucial and Corsair.

Please specify what kind of Mac you have, so I can tell you what to buy.

I'd like to know this myself. I'm looking for a top quality 1 gb PC 3200 for my Imac G5. I was thinking of using Kingston or Corsair.

Which of these is the best quality (if price isn't much of a factor) ?

what do you mean by "finicky", okay I know what the word means but will the Mac tell me "I'm booting nothing untill I get some good memory in me..."? But really, what could happen?

ritox said:

But really, what could happen?

Click to expand...

You'll have alot of crashes, kernal panics etc...
I went for 'a great deal' off ebay and paid the price. A brand new iBook crashing everyday was no fun at all. Now i'm using Other World Computing guaranteeed stuff it's all smooth sailing.

Kernel panics, crashes, performance issues...

ritox said:

what do you mean by "finicky", okay I know what the word means but will the Mac tell me "I'm booting nothing untill I get some good memory in me..."? But really, what could happen?

Click to expand...

The short answer many times is Yes... The Powermac G5 2.0 that i have reacted much like that. I installed 2 Corsair 512's Pc3200 433 sticks and it refused to see them. It would boot, but it only showed the original 512 of ram. I pulled out the original 512 and put the 433 sticks in and it would not boot at all then. Finally I got some Corsair Pc3200 400 chips and it booted right up and showed the extra gig of memory.

Other times it could boot and run, but then you start getting weird things happening like crashes/program lockups and such. Your probably not going to kill your mac with low quality ram, but it will certainly get even with you in agravation...

James said:

The short answer many times is Yes... The Powermac G5 2.0 that i have reacted much like that. I installed 2 Corsair 512's Pc3200 433 sticks and it refused to see them. It would boot, but it only showed the original 512 of ram. I pulled out the original 512 and put the 433 sticks in and it would not boot at all then. Finally I got some Corsair Pc3200 400 chips and it booted right up and showed the extra gig of memory.

Other times it could boot and run, but then you start getting weird things happening like crashes/program lockups and such. Your probably not going to kill your mac with low quality ram, but it will certainly get even with you in agravation...

Click to expand...

There is no such thing as PC-3200 DDR433.
There is only PC-3200 DDR400.

... So that may have been the confusion .

Those seperate numeric designations always correspond with eachother - you really don't need to use both when classfying memory and they can often times confuse those who are not entirely familiar with RAM terminology.

The first number stands for the bandwindth the RAM provides at stock:

PC3200 offers 3.2GB/s

The second number tells us to the speed of the memory.

DDR400 = 400MHz *which is 200MHz x 2 since its DDR (Double Data Rate)

Hence 400MHz RAM provides 3.2GB/s of bandwidth.

433MHz RAM provides 3.5GB/s (DDR433=PC-3500)

If you interested in buying more RAM for your Mac, it is best to shop for memory by well-known reputable manufacturers. Apple is definitely known to work very well with Crucial and Corsair. Corsair is a bit cheaper (but just as good), so thats what I always buy. If you buy memory by some obscure, unnoted manufacturer, you are really taking your chances, with the odds not in your favor. It wont damage your Mac, but it can end up being a major waste of your time, patience, and/or money, as your Mac either won't see it, or will have frequent issues with it.

Memory from lesser-known manufactuers does not make it "low-quality." Macs are just too picky. I have OCZ (a smaller RAM manufacturer) RAM in my PC, that works perfect, and OC's better than any Corsair XMS sticks I've owned. My G5 would never take it though.

I recommend Corsair over Crucial (and so do Apple Enginners) and you can get great prices @ monarchcomputer.com (no tax ) or Newegg.com.

There is no such thing as PC-3200 DDR433.
There is only PC-3200 DDR400.

... So that may have been the confusion .

Actually, there was no confusion, just some dummie who was in a big hurry and didn't check his spelling....(G) I meant PC 3500 433 ram but put 32 instead and missed it as I was in a hurry to get somewhere. Thanks for pointing it out...

I also have had good luck with corsair, i have used Corsair in my last two gamer machines with great luck, and both the PowerMac G5 and the wife's iMack G5 seem to like it as well.