Adding Memmory to a Imac G5

[alexkid]

Fairly new to the mac world, so I wanted to ask someone before I went ahead installing and purchasing ram from my local computer shop.

The gentlemen at the store said he had the following ram

1GB DDR memory
-PC3200 (400MHz)
-Form Factory: 184-pin DIMM
-Chip Type: 128x4

*Only compatible with motherboards utilizing a VIA or SIS chipset.

now im not 100 percent sure if this would work for a mac, can someone please let me know if it is compatible.

Also is it worth going from 512mb ram to 2gigs on the imac g5? im just curious (i do use multiple applications often)

thank you very much

 

[Shamus]

im not sure about compatability, so youll have to wait till someone who does know can tell you. But I can tell you that it IS worth maxing the RAM, and you will see a considerable increase in the speed of your imac g5 by upgrading.

 

[EricNau]

Which revision is it?

A good place to check is crucial.com. Use their memory advisor tool to see which RAM they recommend. Then compare the specs (and price) to what the guy at the store told you.

 

[Atlasland]

I second both these comments - maxing out the RAM is deinately worthwhile, and crucial is the place to go for Mac memory.

iMac G5 memory should be relatively cheap now (less than the £200 I paid for my 2GB 6 months ago).

But yeah, what revision is it?

 

[CanadaRAM]

Specifying RAM that is for VIA and SIS chipsets is not useful (since the Mac has neither of those). That RAM may or may not be compatible with the Mac, you (and we) have no way to know. You already know you have to add RAM in matched pairs.

Your best bet is to purchase from a reputable seller who has tested and guarantees compatibility with your specific model Mac, offers a lifetime warranty, and a no cost return if it doesn't work.

 

[cr2sh]

On CanadaRAM's advice I ordered a 2GB chip from Data Memory Systems last week, I payed $289 for it.

Folks who recommend crucial are correct, it is a great place to buy memory, however their price on this same stick $568. That made the decision for me.

Oh.. and the upgrade was worth it. The zippiness of the system is amazing now, it throws around files and multitasks much better now. 512mb is NOT enough for osX, if you intend to do more than one thing at a time.

 

[Artful Dodger]

On CanadaRAM's advice I ordered a 2GB chip from Data Memory Systems last week, I payed $289 for it.

Folks who recommend crucial are correct, it is a great place to buy memory, however their price on this same stick $568. That made the decision for me.

Oh.. and the upgrade was worth it. The zippiness of the system is amazing now, it throws around files and multitasks much better now. 512mb is NOT enough for osX, if you intend to do more than one thing at a time.

I will concur, as I bought my 2GB (1GB x 2 sticks) Ram from them for my 20" Intel iMac and it was the best move to make. Great service, warranty and guarantees compatibility so you can't really go wrong.

 

[alexkid]

ram

My system is the older Imac G5 with no built in Isight. It does specify in the manual that I can upgrade both slots (however using the same ram for both slots would be much better).

When I mentioned to the person at the computer shop the ram was regarding a mac, he had stated that he had no idea (as he does not work with any mac computers). I also found out that he does not have a gurantee or money back offer.

So I think I better find a better source to order the ram as I really dont want to be out 250 - 350 dollars for ram

Thank you for the input I do appreciate it