200-pin PC2700 RAM going to work in prev-gen iBook G4?

[chucker]

I'm tempted to get a refurbished iBook from Apple, with "Refurbished iBook G4 1.2GHz/ 256MB/ 30GB/ Combo/ AP Extreme Card/ E/ 56K/ 12-inch TFT" listed as specifications. The included RAM says "256MB DDR266 SDRAM". DDR266, afaik, is the same as PC2100.

NewEgg has this deal (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145484) up; two comments say the RAM works fine on their PowerBooks. Would it work, however, on an iBook that comes with PC2100 RAM, not PC2700? Would it run slower?

[curiousuburb]

Yes, you should be able to use it... it should run at the 'slower' speed.

If it doesn't run, Newegg has a 30 day MBG.

Crucial's FAQ (http://www.crucial.com/kb/answer.asp?qid=4064) says

My computer uses PC2100 (DDR266). Can I use PC2700 (DDR333)?

DDR memory was designed to be backward compatible so generally speaking, you can safely add faster memory to your computer. For example, you can install a PC2700 DDR module in a computer that calls for PC2100 DDR. However, keep in mind that faster memory will not necessarily make your system faster. You can't speed up your computer by adding faster memory if other components in your computer (your processor or other memory modules) operate at a slower speed.

The right memory for your computer is the kind of memory it was designed to take.


Don't forget to make a small ritual sacrifice before powering it up for the first time. :devil:

edit: Woot! 2000 posts!

[Luca]

Yes, faster DDR RAM will automatically scale to the slower speed used by the computer. For example, Apple routinely supplies Mac minis with PC3200 RAM because it's simply more common, even though its specifications call for PC2700 RAM.

EDIT: Beaten, damn!

[curiousuburb]

Also worth noting, is the fact that iBooks come with 128MB soldered to the Mobo.

Your '256 MB' machine has a 128MB chip currently occupying its only available slot.
Add your 512 (total 640), get a 128 back (though you'll have to pull it first prior to the 512 add).

[Luca]

No, they changed that with the Rev. B iBook G4s, introduced October 2004, whose 12" model had a 1.0 GHz processor. That was the first model to ship with 256 MB of onboard RAM, with an open RAM slot. Earlier models had 128 MB of onboard RAM, and with the most recent revision (Rev. D), the onboard RAM was raised from 256 MB to 512 MB. Since chucker's iBook is a Rev. C, it will have 256 MB of onboard RAM, meaning he'll have a total of 768 MB.

[chucker]

Thank you so much! :)