Mac Memory Roundup Q1 2005 - In Search of Affordable Upgrades
by Anand Lal Shimpi on March 1, 2005 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
PowerBook G4 Memory
Four manufacturers sent us memory for our PowerBook G4 test platform - all memory was 100% compatible and exhibited no issues. We tested on a previous generation 15" PowerBook G4 1.5GHz (the model that was just recently replaced by a 1.67GHz model).
The PowerBook G4 requires a 200-pin PC2700 (DDR333) SO-DIMM; PC3200 DIMMs can be used, but they will just run at PC2700 speeds. As is normally the case with Apple systems, the memory timings are set by the module's SPD, which is the same across all vendors, so all memory sticks perform identically. All of the manufacturers here have a lifetime warranty, so the defining comparison here is based on price:
| PowerBook G4 Memory | 512MB SO-DIMM | 1GB SO-DIMM |
| Apple Upgrade | $150 | $500 |
| Corsair | $84 | N/A |
| Crucial | $100 | $410 |
| Kingston | $151 | $448 |
| PDP | $90 | N/A |
Although Apple's store pricing on the 512MB PowerBook upgrade is in line with Kingston's pricing, Corsair takes the win here at $84. PDP was also fairly competitive, but much more difficult to find online. If you're looking for 1GB modules, Crucial's upgrade is $90 less than what Apple is asking for.
Corsair
Corsair only submitted 512MB SO-DIMMs:
Corsair Value Select VS512SDS333 (512MB)
The best place that we found the Corsair Value Select SO-DIMMs was at Newegg.
Crucial
Crucial sent in both 512MB and 1GB SO-DIMMs for the comparison. Crucial's website has a very useful tool that makes finding the right memory for your MAC extremely simple. Interestingly enough, despite their relationship with Micron, Crucial's SO-DIMMs use Samsung chips.
Crucial CT368652 (512MB)
Crucial CT368654 (1GB)
Crucial's website was the best place that we found to purchase the memory.
Kingston
Kingston sent both 512MB and 1GB modules:
Kingston KTA-PBG4333/512 (512MB)
Kingston KTA-PBG4333/1G (1GB)
The 1GB modules had a protective covering as you can see above, to protect the fragile memory die that appears to be left exposed underneath. This type of packaging helps improve power delivery to the memory.
Your best bet for finding low prices for Kingston memory is through a price comparison engine.
PDP
PDP sent both 512MB and 1GB samples:
PDP PSA512G4PB (512MB)
PDP PSA1GG4PB (1GB)
PDP was the only manufacturer to use BGA packaged memory, which offers better power delivery as well as the ability to hit higher frequencies. Obviously that doesn't matter for Mac memory, since you are stuck at DDR333 speeds in the PowerBook, but it is interesting to see PDP stray from the pack here.
Unfortunately, finding these parts in stock anywhere online proved to be quite difficult. Your best bet is to try PDP's website and search all of their listed vendors.
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hopejr - Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - link
#5 - you can use PC memory in a mac, just need to be careful. I'm doing it myself and have been for a while with no problems.#19 - I feel the same way about the iMac G5. I want to get one but I don't like the GFX 5200.
#20 - I priced a PC with similar specs to the iMac G5 (except for the video card as the only 5200's I could find had 128MB, the processor, firewire, and styling in the 2" thick case), and it only came out AU$50 cheaper. For a student, the iMac G5 is not overpriced at all. Just think of all the cool software that comes with them that are actually full versions, and not this stupid trial version stuff, and a decent OS (IMHO). Don't get me wrong, I'm a long time PC user, but I just think that Apple has got it pretty well right.
JAS - Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - link
The Macintosh information has been very useful to me. Please keep it coming.ViRGE - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
#5, to answer your question, there's nothing stopping you from using Mac memory in your PC. Apple simply limits themselves to a subset of all memory(they only use memory that supports a specific timing, they don't want to take chances), so when you drop Mac memory in to a PC, it runs just like any other memory. The only conditions on that are that the SPD timings may not be as liberal on a PC part, and since the memory will never be overclocked, the memory vendor likely didn't use chips with much headroom.knitecrow - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
surprise surprise....apple tries to milk everything and anything including charging outrages prices for memory upgrades.
computerfan - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
I love the Apple reviews. I have always been a PC user but these apple reviews have given me lots of important information. I am now awaiting confirmation of my ADC (Apple Developer Connection) student membership and am on the verge of purchasing an iMac G5 system. Hopefully they will upgrade the iMac line before I purchase it because it needs a better video card.Keep the Apple reviews coming!!!
michael2k - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
Monkeydonutstick:Like this? http://www.anandtech.com/mac/
eetnoyer: Do you know that Shuttle sells about as many units (barebones+complete) in a year as Apple does eMacs/iMacs in a quarter?
http://www.tongfamily.com/guide/pcs/2003/11/26/shu...
http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2005/0,4814...
Should Anand then move reviews of Shuttle cases and units to AnandShuttle.com because "the majority of viewers" don't use Shuttle?
Each particular segment of Anand's viewership has their own interests, and are brought here because of the site; if you don't like that he's behind in his memory roundup, well, look somewhere else, do your own, or wait. No one has infinite time and resources, and Anand does what he will. Or even better... the last time someone was in the Mac threads complaining about a HL2 roundup, he released it 'as is' rather than finishing it to everyone's satisfaction.
Would you want that? You can't have everything.
Monkeydonutstick - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
#16I am using a Mac that I built right now. Generic pc100 memory, Motherboard and cpu from ebay, a pc radeon flashed with a mac rom, an old atx case and a slightly modified psu. total cost about 200.00.
eetnoyer - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
Maybe because the majority of anandtech readers actually use PCs exclusively (looked at any marketshare numbers lately?) and are DIYers (last time I checked, I couldn't build my own Mac). I don't really care that he spends his time on Mac reviews, I just think that it should be segregated somehow. The only reason I posted a comment is because I'm disappointed that over 6 months after the editors promised a value memory round-up "soon", there is still nothing in evidence. If you're bored, you can look back through other memory reviews to see that I have occasionally posted the same type of comment there. Finally, my lack of interest in the SLI or RAID reviews has no bearing on any part of this discussion. All I want is the value memory round-up or a statement that it's never going to happen.P.S. #14 - Congratulations, you're the first person who was ever clever enough to twist my name to the word annoying.
Monkeydonutstick - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
I would also like to see a separate page for Mac info. Not because I don’t like the reviews but I think they could expand a lot more on a separate pagemelgross - Tuesday, March 1, 2005 - link
EEtnoyer, your name is correct. You really are annoying. Just because you don't lke something doersn't mean that others won't.I, like many others, I'm sure, have been longtime readers of Anands site long before he started to show an interest in Macs.
We have four of them at home. So the site is now even more interesting than before.
As far as memory goes, older machine could benefit from faster memory, but not all newer machines can.
The reason some Mac owners get faster memory is that they may not be buying from top-line sources, and the memory may not be scec'ed properly, so they get faster stuff. Not a good thing to do anyway. Others simply don't know one way or the other, and assume that faster memory is better.
Even on PCs where you may be able to clock higher, the performance increase of the machine as a whole is so small as to not be useful in the real world, as opposed to the world of specmanship.
A machine is so complex in its functioning, that the memory speed increase alone can contribute little to it. It's often not worthwhile to spend the extra time and money.