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Another iMac RAM question

A

agrats84

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 25, 2007
41
0
I'm looking to upgrade my 20" 2.0GHz and have been searching the internet for RAM and have a few questions:

1. I would like to upgrade to 4GB but someone told me the comp will only recognize 3GB.
2. Is there a difference between PC5300 and PC2-5300. I found 2 X 2GB sticks that I would like to buy but they are PC5300 and the comp. specificiations says it needs PC2-5300...whats the difference?
3. I will probably buy from OWC...any complaints?
 
agrats84 said:
I'm looking to upgrade my 20" 2.0GHz and have been searching the internet for RAM and have a few questions:

1. I would like to upgrade to 4GB but someone told me the comp will only recognize 3GB.
Click to expand...

Yes, the current iMac line (aluminum/Santa Rosa Chipset) are the only ones that will address a full 4GB. You could still buy 2x2GB sticks for future use in another machine. It would just recognize 3GB of it on your current one.

2. Is there a difference between PC5300 and PC2-5300. I found 2 X 2GB sticks that I would like to buy but they are PC5300 and the comp. specificiations says it needs PC2-5300...whats the difference?
Click to expand...

Different pins, different voltage and totally incompatible. PC5300 is DDR while PC2-5300 is the newer DDR2 RAM.

3. I will probably buy from OWC...any complaints?
Click to expand...

It seems to be one of the most popular options according to posters in these forums. You can find many comments about it by searching for OWC.

I ordered 2 x 2GB sticks of inexpensive Taiwanese DIMMs for my aluminum 24" iMac here in Japan and it worked perfectly. :)
 
I just bought the 4GB kit from OWC. I hope it goes well. i went with recommendations from this site. That coupled with a potential bad of memory from Crucial caused me to go with OWC. I'm concerned becasue their site isn't very secure, but I guess we'll see what happens.
 
OWC cheap and simple

Bought new 2.4gHx 20" on 2/4 and OWC 4 MB upgrade 2 days later. Simple to install and dramatic difference in performance, especially with movies.
 
CanadaRAM said:
PC5300 in this case almost certainly means DDR2. It is a non-standard but commonly used designation.

I have never seen a 667 MHz (PC5300) DDR SODIMM.

MR Guide to Buying RAM
Click to expand...

Thank very much for correcting me on this! Indeed it is the "2" after DDR that makes all the difference. :eek:

Just make sure that what you buy is DDR2 SO-DIMM 667MHz. I see that sometimes some manufacturers call it PC2-5300 but that's just their own naming convention. It's most commonly called PC-5300. :)

That was a major brain lapse. Not two feet away as I wrote my last post are the packages of 2GB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz RAM I am using in my own machine!
 
I like crucial myself. I have never had any problems with them. However, this is my first Mac. I do have one question. I currently have an iMac 2.0Ghz Core Duo. I have one stick of 1 GB RAM as opposed to 2x512MB. If I add another 1GB stick would I have any issues. I thought I read somewhere that it is better to have both sticks from the same manufacturer.
 
There was a heck of a deal from Frys (Outpost) on Slickdeals earlier but its sold out online now. (2) 2gb sticks (4gb total) of crucial ram for $74.99 + $20 mail in rebate. I bought OWC the other day and it cost me $98 after shipping.

Might want to check the site in a day or 2 to see if its in stock again. Also, Ive found that their in store prices are typically higher than their online price, so you likely wont get it for $74.99 in store.


http://shop2.outpost.com/product/5503990
 
Call your local, neighborhood 3rd party mac shops (resellers) and ask them for price quotes. Chances are they've found a good 3rd party ram that will work for the mac, and may not charge apple prices.

Promac computers in OKC sold me a 2 gig stick for my imac for 77 plus tax. Considering that even effing best buy wanted 190 or more for 2 gigs, i'm delirious. And unlike best buy, you can be assured that the local shop will know what they're talking about when they hand you a stick and tell you that it will work.

A few of the guys there at promac have been selling and fixing macs for over 15 years, so I'd just about trust them over someone at even the apple store.
 
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