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PB RAM - 2 SO-DIMMs and 1 SO-DIMMs


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PB RAM - 2 SO-DIMMs and 1 SO-DIMMs
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jondaapplegeek
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Welshland
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2005-01-15, 12:38

Hiya.
I hope this isnt really ovious - if it is pls dont laugh!!!

Im gonna be buying a PB soon, so was looking at the sorts of prices i would be looking at for the specs I want.
On the ram there is all this 2 SO-DIMMs and 1 SO-DIMMs stuff.
What does it mean????
1 SO-DIMMs is more expensive, so oviously better, but why?
What advantages has it got?
Thanks ppl!
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Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2005-01-15, 12:46

Welcome to AppleNova! The only dumb question in the Genius Bar is the question that goes unasked. Seriously, most people have been in your novice shoes at some point and will be able to relate.

Just think of a SO-DIMM as a stick of RAM.



The 15" and 17" PowerBooks have two slots for user-installable RAM. The 12" only has one slot, but it has an additional 256MB hard-wired onto the motherboard. I'll assume you are referring to either the 15" or 17".

Now, say you want 1GB of RAM in your PowerBook. You can either get one stick with the whole 1GB or you can get two sticks of 512MB. The single stick of 1GB will typically be more expensive than the two 512MB sticks combined because it costs more to manufacture (fitting more components into such a tiny surface).

Generally, I think you get more "bang for your buck" by getting the higher capacity, more expensive single stick. Why? It leaves you open to add even more memory down the road. If you buy the 1GB stick now, later you can get another 1GB stick for a total of 2GB. However, if you get the two 512MB sticks, later if you get that 1GB one, you'll have a maximum of 1.5GB in your PowerBook (remember: only two slots) and you'll have an extra stick of 512MB you can't use.

Does this answer your question?

The quality of this board depends on the quality of the posts. The only way to guarantee thoughtful, informative discussion is to write thoughtful, informative posts. AppleNova is not a real-time chat forum. You have time to compose messages and edit them before and after posting.
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-01-15, 14:24

Also - while a single 1 GB SODIMM does cost a bit more than two 512 MB ones, Apple charges WAY more than any other place for it. Since Apple charges so much for RAM, it's best to get the least amount possible from them, and then add your own RAM by buying from a place like Crucial. You'll save a couple hundred bucks if you buy a 1 GB SODIMM from Crucial instead of from Apple.
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Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-01-15, 14:29

Speaking of Crucial, what is the difference between these two chips:

number one and number two?
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-01-15, 15:19

Wow. Those Crucial bastards are trying to cash in on the "Mac tax." There isn't any difference between the two.

Now I'm curious... maybe you should email them and ask why one is over $100 more expensive. They'll probably just say it has something to do with their dynamic price updates.
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Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-01-15, 15:29

I did email them, still waiting for a response. The only possible thing I can think of is manufacturing process, somehow better reliability? But it surely feels like the "Mac tax," and all the elitist feel of our platform.

I'll update once they reply.

User formally known as Sh0eWax
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Luca
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-01-15, 15:35

Heh, I also sent them an email. Maybe they'll fix it.
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-01-15, 18:59

speaking of pricey RAM, is there any problem with this RAM that is way cheaper than both those crucial options?

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...155-111&DEPA=0
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-01-15, 19:08

Actually yes... I normally recommend NewEgg for a lot of things, but I've heard at least two or three people complain that the Kingmax didn't work in their machine. Sometimes you can find Crucial being sold at NewEgg, but it's not always available. Even when it is, it's usually no cheaper than if you were to get it straight from Crucial's website.

There are some other brands - Corsair and Transcend... but I don't know how those are either. I have Corsair in my PC but I've never tried it in a Mac so I'm not sure how it stacks up. You might be able to save a lot of money, but I'd be cautious because of what people have said in the past. Normally I just automatically recommend Crucial because I know they're reliable, and if you don't get working RAM the first time, you will certainly get it the second time.

Actually, though... you might want to check out Macsales.com for RAM. I've bought from them before with zero problems. Since they're a Mac shop, you know you'll get something that works, and it's a lot cheaper than Crucial.

1 GB SO-DIMM for $236
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Wrao
Yarp
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Road Warrior
 
2005-01-15, 19:15

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca
Actually yes... I normally recommend NewEgg for a lot of things, but I've heard at least two or three people complain that the Kingmax didn't work in their machine. [/url]
while, 2 people on newegg comment how it worked perfectly in their powerbooks.

Thanks for the OWC link though, I'd prefer to go through newegg, since I have some other tech related items to get, but OWC is probably a safer shot.
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Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-01-18, 09:46

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wrao
while, 2 people on newegg comment how it worked perfectly in their powerbooks.
Sadly, we do not know how many people commented negatively on the ram because NewEgg deletes all negative comments if you read the fine print. Its like a warning telling customers that because they cannot validate the negative claims of the customers, they refuse to display them.
Anyway, I had a problem with the KingMax Ram, typical kernel panics, memory stack crashes, the normal.

Okay, back on the original off topic, I just got e-mail back from Crucial, and we were sadly correct luca, and they admit it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Crucial
Dear Maciej,

Thank you for your email. We have several ways of offering product that may equate to higher or lower selling prices. Based on how you look up a part on our site, you may see different pricing due to system specific differences.

We are more than happy to offer the lowest price shown (keep in mind that Zilliant will never discount more than the 4% price floor)

At Crucial, we are committed to providing high-quality products and reliable service and support. Please contact our customer service or sales department if you have any questions.
Looks like if using their memory selector costs about 150$. Too bad some of us can select our own ram.

User formally known as Sh0eWax
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torifile
Less than Stellar Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Durham, NC
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2005-01-18, 09:52

I got a gig stick for my 12" powerbook for about $150 a few months ago. It was well worth it. I don't know if you can still get the deal I got (see the thread here) but you can look. It's worth time to look around for a good deal because they're often VERY good deals when you can find them.
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