Quick...RAM help!

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I'm going to dart out in a bit and try to find - locally - a 256MB DIMM for my iMac.



I get really confused about what exactly I need to buy for the user-upgradeable (obviously) slot.



What, in short-and-sweet terms, exactly is it that I can look/ask for at the various places I intend to hit today?



Is the RAM DIMM used in the LCD iMacs something cute or special, or should I possibly be able to find it at an Office Max or Best Buy kind of a store?



Any help is GREATLY appreciated.



Let me fling out what a certain website says, and tell me if this is true:



144-pin SO-DIMM SDRAM



Another site: 3.3volt, unbuffered, 64bit, 144pin SO-DIMM, 7.5ns, CL3, High Density PC-133 SDRAM



:confused:



What does all that mean, and is it all important? What do I REALLY need to know/look for?



Am I likely to find something like this at a Best Buy, Circuit City, office store, store that sells PCs (Gateway Country Store), etc.?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 27
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    That's right. It's the inner slot that takes the larger, 168 pin stuff (same as the CRT iMac, for example).



    Just make sure you get PC133.



    The specs you got off that page are fine.



    Argh, I was going to explain the different specs but my wife is screaming at me. heh heh



    [ 12-28-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 27
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Thanks, murbot!



    Quick follow-up question: online (RAM seeker.com and The Chip Merchant) these are going for about $49.



    Is that roughly what I should expect to pay in a store like I mentioned above? Do retail/electronics/computer stores usually mark this stuff up, down or hover about the same as online prices?



    I'm not gonna walk in and see what I need, but have it cost $115 am I?



  • Reply 3 of 27
    spartspart Posts: 2,060member
    Were I you, I would just buy it off of <a href="http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.asp?cat=RAM&mfr=Apple&productline=iMac&m odel=iMac+%28G4%2D800%29" target="_blank">Crucial</a>. Shipping is free.
  • Reply 4 of 27
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Actually yeah, Crucial is $49.49 for that, and if they have free shipping I'd probably just buy that. I've bought from them in the past, great product and service.



    I'm not sure about down there, but in Canada you can get taken really badly with RAM prices in the local stores. If you can walk in somewhere and grab it for $50 then it's worth it to have it right away, otherwise that Crucial deal seems fine. (I'm sure it's $10 less at 1800memory.com or whatever, but they're a crapshoot).
  • Reply 5 of 27
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    murbot, if you mean 18004memory they're not bad. I've ordered the ram for my iBook both times from them and haven't had any problems.
  • Reply 6 of 27
    &lt;&lt;I'm sure it's $10 less at 1800memory.com or whatever, but they're a crapshoot)&gt;&gt;



    I don't know what experience other people have had with them, but I'm a satisfied customer. I've been running two of their 512mg sticks in my G4 dual 450 for over a year with no problems. Also the same with a 128mg stick in the tangerine iBook I recently sold. And they also support the Mac community by advertising in Macworld.
  • Reply 7 of 27
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Just going by what I've read on various forums, and the lengthy ordeal I had on my last order from them. Took me a month to get a working stick of RAM.



    I've also read of several people having to try 2 and 3 times to get replacement RAM that worked. I've never heard of anyone having a problem with Crucial that wasn't immediately fixed (and these are far and few between).



    Just my observations, of course.



    I guess my main point was that since Crucial's price is so good on the RAM right now (and it's usually much higher in comparison to other companies) he might as well go with them. It's a much safer purchase. (again, just my 2 cents)



    [ 12-28-2002: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
  • Reply 8 of 27
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    but what are your canadian cents worth anyway?
  • Reply 9 of 27
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Yeah, I guess that's about 1.16 cents US.



  • Reply 10 of 27
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Another quick question (I'm not at my house now, otherwise I'd look for myself):



    On the model I have (800MHz, SuperDrive, 15" screen), it came with 256MB. Is that a single 256MB DIMM in the Apple slot?



    In other words, they didn't put a 128MB DIMM in the Apple slot and another 128MB DIMM in the user slot did they?



    <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



    I'm REALLY hoping there is a free, open slot waiting for me and the current 256MB is buried deep inside so I can add another 256MB and have 512MB total.



    How does Apple have this configured?



    Anyone?
  • Reply 11 of 27
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Hey pcates, I have a FP iMac too.



    Check your system profiler.

    It should say Location : DIMM1 Size: 256MB

    That should indicate that you have only one slot taken up (the non-user one).



    As far as pricing...I was just at my local Best Buy here in Canada (finally they've arrived) and they're prices aren't too bad.

    A 256mb Kingston brand was going for $80 Cdn or about $69 U.S. But after shipping and brokerage hassles it would work out the same or even more to order it online.



    However, if you're in the States and can get it for $50 plus free shipping, go for it.



    Unfortunately the folks at Best Buy don't deal with Macs and couldn't tell me definitively if they work on Macs. But I suppose if you simply match the specs to the ones on the box, you should be okay.
  • Reply 11 of 27
    I checked pricewatch about a week ago to get the lowest price on a 512MB stick of PC133. Turns out the lowest price happened to be in Warrensville Hts, about 10 minutes or less from my house. I might have uncovered a nice little place for all my computing needs here.



    $30 for 512 MB.



    So I got 2 sticks for 1 GB.
  • Reply 13 of 27
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    [quote]Originally posted by pscates:

    <strong>...On the model I have (800MHz, SuperDrive, 15" screen), it came with 256MB. Is that a single 256MB DIMM in the Apple slot?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    It will be one 256 MB chip, with the user accessible slot empty, just WAITING AND PRAYING FOR YOU TO GET OFF YOUR ASS AND ADD SOME RAM.







    (sorry man, but 256 for a YEAR? Get with it already!)



    heh heh
  • Reply 14 of 27
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>



    It will be one 256 MB chip, with the user accessible slot empty, just WAITING AND PRAYING FOR YOU TO GET OFF YOUR ASS AND ADD SOME RAM.







    (sorry man, but 256 for a YEAR? Get with it already!)



    heh heh</strong><hr></blockquote>



    It's more than 128 though
  • Reply 15 of 27
    [quote]Originally posted by murbot:

    <strong>I'm not sure about down there, but in Canada you can get taken really badly with RAM prices in the local stores. If you can walk in somewhere and grab it for $50 then it's worth it to have it right away.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Well, I was burned badly once by the lure of cheap RAM (I got a 512 MB PC 133 stick from a bargain basement PC dealership and it didn't work, causing me all sorts of hassles), so I'd look at other factors when getting RAM from a local store (Do they have Mac support? Do they have a money-back return policy?).



    Frankly, I don't mind paying a higher price for RAM if it's from a place that I know is trustworthy. At least I won't go home worrying if it'll work when I put it in my G4.
  • Reply 16 of 27
    defiantdefiant Posts: 4,876member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>



    It's more than 128 though </strong><hr></blockquote>



  • Reply 17 of 27
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Hey, thanks for all the help, guys.







    Wanna hear a totally bitchin' story?







    I head out today and hit a few places (some independent/mom & pop PC stores). I end up at Office Depot (where I also have a $27 refund gift card for some returned merchandise).



    I see they have the RAM I want, BUT it's $85!!! $85 for a 144-pin 256MB DIMM.







    Anyway, I ask the guy "can you guys come down from that any? It's about $49 online, you know..." (hey, never hurts...).







    He says they can't, so I'm pretty dejected (because, by that point, I'd hit all the usual places).



    Walking to my car, I go "well, I'll give Circuit City a shot...", so I drive across the way and go inside and find the EXACT same brand I just saw in Office Depot not 10 minutes earlier, selling for $69.



    BUT, it's $69 with a $10 mail-in rebate, according to the little sticker/tag thing where it was hanging.



    I thought "okay, with the rebate, I'm only really paying $59...only $9 more than I found it online for. I can live with that."



    Impatient dipstick that I am, I just HAD to have it today, and it was worth, to me, $9 to do so.







    So I go up to pay, the guy swipes it and says "that'll be $54.61..."



    :eek:



    So I'm suddenly giddy with excitement and give him a fifty and a five dollar bill. Then, this long receipt thing starts printing out and keeps going and going.



    I say "what is that?" and he goes, "oh, you get a $20 rebate on this...just fill this out and blah, blah, blah"



    YES!!!



    Can you say "256MB for $34?"







    Pretty awesome, I must say. I don't know if Circuit City's prices are all marked incredibly wrong, or if he scanned something wrong or if they were just having a super-secret "Three Days After Christmas Sale" or what.



    Long story short: I get the RAM I wanted, the DAY I wanted...AND for $15 cheaper than any price I found online. At Circuit City, no less!



    Today was a good day.







    Makes me glad I decided to give Circuit City a try at the last minute. I cost me 1/3 of what it would at Office Depot!



    [ 12-28-2002: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>
  • Reply 18 of 27
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    Sounds great Paul!
  • Reply 19 of 27
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    How does your iMac 800 run 10.2.3 with the added RAM?

    Have you noticed much difference?

    I'm wondering how much to put into my iMac 700. Not sure if I should add 256 or 512.
  • Reply 20 of 27
    Dude, I just paid $60 for 1 GB. How could you pay that much?!?!??!
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