iMac G4/800 - How much ram is enuff?

imaximax
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'll be getting a new 17" iMac very shortly. I'm wondering how much ram is enough. I'm not a

"power user". I'm more interested in having Jag run smooth and quick, playing the occasional game and so forth. Is 1 gig overkill? Is there a point where the extra ram wouldn't really have a benefit vs. price?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    cecilb.dementedcecilb.demented Posts: 53member
    the more ram you can afford, the better. but since you're not a "power user" I think 512 is perfect.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    imacfpimacfp Posts: 750member
    10.2 might run better with less RAM than it took to make 10.1 run well, but it's always a good idea to get extra RAM. I have 512 on my iMac/800 and it is fine.



    Chris
  • Reply 3 of 9
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    512MB seems very reasonable to me. Hell, I still only have 256MB in my G4/800 iMac. Will get an extra 256MB soon...
  • Reply 4 of 9
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    This is a common question and I've never heard the definitive answer. Surely anything over 512MB is quite adequate. I wouldn't pay Apple the extra $250 for an extra 256MB. Since the iMac high-end comes with 256, I'd get an extra 512 (totaling 768) from another memory vendor for about $100. That should be more than enough. If anyone disagrees, and truly thinks there's an advantage to a full gigabyte of memory, I invite them to prove it.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    g4dudeg4dude Posts: 1,016member
    I have 256 on my iMac 800 and it is DEFINATELY not enough. I just don't want to go out and buy laptop memory. Hopefully the JAGUAR X-TYPE 10.2 will use memory better.



    Damn it, I keep confusing the OS with the cars.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    stupider...likeafoxstupider...likeafox Posts: 1,618member
    I got my iMac G4/800 with just 256MB of RAM thinking A: I didn't want to pay Apple's inflated prices for RAM and B: I wanted to experience the slowness for a while so that I would really appreciate the speed boost when I got another 1/2 gig.



    I never felt that I needed the extra speed (YMMV but I don't use my mac as at work or as a gaming machine) and I would rather put the money towards buying things to plug into my digital hub - like a digital camera or an m-audio sonica. These give a far better enjoyment/price ratio.



    bottom line - waiting and seeing how it goes won't kill you and it will save you money. At least wait till you get Jaguar and see if you still need to spend money for a speed boost.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    mimacmimac Posts: 872member
    Simple...if you can afford it, get 512mb x1 dimm installed on the machine by Apple at time of purchase.

    This leaves you with the option of upgrading to 1 Gb at a later stage should you ever feel the need, though I find that 512mb is sufficient at the moment for 10.1.5 .

    This may also help with re-sale value should you decide to upgrade your machine at sometime in the near future.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    imaximax Posts: 43member
    Thanks for all your insights everyone. I appreciate it.



    Now a follow up question. It seems generally agreed upon that Apple is not the place to get your ram. So, is there a concensus as to where the best place is to get QUALITY ram?
  • Reply 9 of 9
    g4dudeg4dude Posts: 1,016member
    crucial.com
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