PC100 RAM, I'm clueless.

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I need to buy a 512 stick for my original flat panel iMac 800 G4 Superdrive, with its adorable 100 Mhz system bus.



Are there any places to buy it, instead of online? Say Best Buy, Circuit City? I dont want to order online because of the shipping time involved. Any help is very much appreciated, and and ideas on what a fair price is would also help. Thanks.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 25
    finboyfinboy Posts: 383member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    I need to buy a 512 stick for my original flat panel iMac 800 G4 Superdrive, with its adorable 100 Mhz system bus.



    Are there any places to buy it, instead of online? Say Best Buy, Circuit City? I dont want to order online because of the shipping time involved. Any help is very much appreciated, and and ideas on what a fair price is would also help. Thanks.




    You might be able to find one at CompUSA. I got a 512 SODIMM there a few weeks ago (the generic brand) and it works well. Alternatively, the PNY brand is the same that MemoryX sells online.



    You have to be careful because most of the RAM now is not backwards compatible -- if it says 133 that probably means you should get either a 100 or a dual (100/133) stick instead.
  • Reply 2 of 25
    DDR-SDRAM?
  • Reply 3 of 25
    nebagakidnebagakid Posts: 2,692member
    Other World Computing baby (it is online), oh yeah....
  • Reply 4 of 25
    kennethkenneth Posts: 832member
    Crucial RAM is the best choice.
  • Reply 5 of 25
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Uh, no. DDR SDRAM is not PC100. PC100 is, I guess, SDR SDRAM. So you need to NOT get DDR SDRAM or it won't even physically fit.
  • Reply 6 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    Uh, no. DDR SDRAM is not PC100. PC100 is, I guess, SDR SDRAM. So you need to NOT get DDR SDRAM or it won't even physically fit.



    OK, so SDR SDRAM is what works with my iMac?
  • Reply 7 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kenneth

    Crucial RAM is the best choice.



    I've never had a problem with Kingston RAM.
  • Reply 8 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    OK, so SDR SDRAM is what works with my iMac?



    You need 512mb SDRAM PC133.



    Get this
  • Reply 9 of 25
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    OK, so SDR SDRAM is what works with my iMac?



    Basically, yes. "SDR SDRAM" isn't used really... it's just to provide distinction from "DDR SDRAM," which you don't want. Normally, single datarate RAM is sold as just "SDRAM." The "SD" in SDRAM stands for "synchronous dynamic," not "single datarate," so that's why you can have DDR SDRAM.



    I think by the time you're done agonizing over this purchase and you actually go to CompUSA or something, you will have already received mail-order RAM. Is it that critical that you get it two or three days sooner? Personally I'd rather buy something that I know will work online, and have it shipped to my door.
  • Reply 10 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by trailmaster308

    You need 512mb SDRAM PC133.



    Get this




    My bus speed is 100 Mhz though!
  • Reply 11 of 25
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    I tend to search on RamSeeker. You can compare prices from different vendors, including or excluding shipping.



    That said, I tend to buy from Crucial. Their memory is top notch and priced only slightly higher than many no-name merchants.
  • Reply 12 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    My bus speed is 100 Mhz though!



    Doesn't matter. PC133 will automatically scale down to 100 MHz.



    Get the PC133. It's easier to find than the old PC100 and might even be cheaper.
  • Reply 13 of 25
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Staples sells PNY RAM and they are always running rebates. I got 256 Mb PC100 and it cost 50 bucks after a $20 mail in rebate. The RAM is CL3 though so its not as fast as some other RAM out there but my iMac is running fine so I guess it doesnt matter too much, especially since Apples web site doesnt make any recommendations over whether to use CL2 or CL3.



    Watch out for PC133 though. Some brands specifically say it wont clock back to PC100 anymore unless your computer is at least 1Ghz. At least that applies to PNY.
  • Reply 14 of 25
    kennethkenneth Posts: 832member
    Well.. SD-RAM isn't that cheap nowadays compare to 2 years ago.

    So get it now.
  • Reply 15 of 25
    Eh, I just skipped the shit-storm and went ahead and bought a 256 chip from Apple...$106 total, at least I'll know it'll work properly.



    The Good Stuff
  • Reply 16 of 25
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    Eh, I just skipped the shit-storm and went ahead and bought a 256 chip from Apple...$106 total, at least I'll know it'll work properly.



    The Good Stuff








    Everyone told you that Crucial was good... in fact, Crucial makes all the RAM Apple sells.



    But, now you have it, so be happy and know that you're 100% sure that it'll work. Also, having high-quality RAM can raise the resale value of a computer.
  • Reply 17 of 25
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno





    Everyone told you that Crucial was good... in fact, Crucial makes all of the RAM Apple sells.




    Its only $20 more than Crucial so he didnt do that bad.

    My PNY 256mb was $50 after rebate which was the cheapest I could find. Now, $36 saved over Crucial price aint bad, although Crucial sells the faster chip, CL2.
  • Reply 18 of 25
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    [BBut, now you have it, so be happy and know that you're 100% sure that it'll work. Also, having high-quality RAM can raise the resale value of a computer.[/B]



    It really helps the overall value? That's cool, I guess it's because it delivers piece of mind and is what, faster? I know it's more reliable but does higher quality have an impact on performance too?
  • Reply 19 of 25
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    True, RAM is expensive these days. When I bought a 512 MB SODIMM for my iBook a year ago, it was about $70, but now that same module would be quite a bit more expensive.



    I definitely think high-quality RAM will raise the resale value. Whatever you use, whoever buys your old system will have that in the back of his/her mind. If you put generic cheap stuff in there, they'll always be just slightly worried about it, whereas if you put the high quality RAM in, they'll remember and be more assured.



    I don't think it'll really make much of a speed difference though, comparing Crucial or Apple to a cheaper brand like Coast-To-Coast.
  • Reply 20 of 25
    steve666steve666 Posts: 2,600member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiahtosh

    It really helps the overall value? That's cool, I guess it's because it delivers piece of mind and is what, faster? I know it's more reliable but does higher quality have an impact on performance too?



    According to everyone I spoke to, the difference between CL2(faster) and CL3 is not noticable. It still bugged me, so I was going to switch it out for Crucial RAM. Now I dont want to move the computer so I aint doing anything. It seems to run just fine with the CL3 RAM so screw it.
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