Question about Mac Pro RAM in the UK (Crucial)

[Spanky Deluxe]

Its probably a bit too early for the guru that is CanadaRAM to be on here yet but maybe someone else will be able to help!

I'm wanting to get an extra 2GB of RAM for my Mac Pro seeing as just booting my computer up gives me a few hundred pageouts. After looking all over the place, I'd settled on Kingston memory from Dabs. However, I decided to check Crucial again to find pretty good prices all of a sudden, about half that of what it was a few months ago.

Can anyone explain to me the difference between these two packages:

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=496B109DA5CA7304 - Apple Xserve (FBDIMM) Server - £125.01

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=0F893FE9A5CA7304 - Apple Mac Pro (4-core) Desktop/PC - £131.71

After speaking to them on the phone briefly, I was told they're the same memory and they responded 'yes' when I asked if the cheaper ones had the big heat sinks. I'm still dubious. The only bummer with Crucial is that they don't offer Saturday delivery, only next work day delivery even though they use Royal Mail Special Delivery which I swear is next day including Saturdays unlike the rest.

 

[dogbait]

In all likelihood it's because the Mac Pro ram has to have heatsinks on it because of the low airflow through its chassis, whereas the Xserve has very high air flow and doesn't need heatsinks on its ram.

Btw. not sure if I'm allowed posting direct links to vouchers and codes, but there's a 10% code knocking about, you can probably find it on moneysavingexpert.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

In all likelihood it's because the Mac Pro ram has to have heatsinks on it because of the low airflow through its chassis, whereas the Xserve has very high air flow and doesn't need heatsinks on its ram.

Btw. not sure if I'm allowed posting direct links to vouchers and codes, but there's a 10% code knocking about, you can probably find it on moneysavingexpert.

The thing is, both the info pages show pretty much exactly the same info and images, some showing heat sinks, some not. They said they had the big heat sinks when I called but I don't know how much I trust the sales rep I was talking to.

I couldn't find a 10% discount, I found a 5% discount and am going through Quidco which apparently should give me an extra 7% off in a month or so.

 

[zygo]

I yesterday received the Mac Pro ones (can't post a pic sorry-they're still in the protective wrap, which is too reflective to take a pic) but they have pretty serious heat sinks on them. Can't help in terms of whether the Xserve ones come the same, but the ones I have are very similar(if not the same) as the ones in the right hand pic on both those links.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Right, I decided to go ahead and order. I went for the Xserve one. I figure that since they told me over the phone that it had the large heatsinks on, if it arrives without them then I can shout and scream at them until they replace them with decently heatsinked ones.

Although it says next working day delivery, i.e. Monday, Royal Mail Special Delivery does deliver on Saturdays too, just not guaranteed. Since the main Brighton post office is on my street and the depot is three streets away I figure I *might* be lucky and still get it delivered tomorrow... even though its coming from Glasgow.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

My new memory from Crucial is now due to arrive tomorrow since they didn't get round to shipping it on Friday and all I can say is ohmygod I need that RAM!!!

Seriously, I'm desperately trying to finish off this project in Xcode and write it up in Word. I've got 6000 words to write, have done about 200 and its due on Friday. Waiting for a couple of minutes every time I switch between Safari to search for papers to reference from, Preview to read papers, Xcode to look at my code and Word to do the actual writing up is simply unbearable! All I can hear all the time is that damned clicking noise as my computer keeps reading and writing everything backwards and forwards between the 1GB RAM I have and the hard drive!!

 

[mustang_dvs]

Crucial uses "Dynamic Pricing" -- basically, it's a scam. Depending on what browser and platform you use, as well as what path through their website and which computer you're browsing for, the exact same product will display a different price.

The most famous is example is the White MacBook vs. the Black MacBook. Unsurprisingly, the same ram for the slightly more popular color is more expensive.

Yes, Crucial makes very good RAM and they are (sometimes) what Apple includes as OEM memory, but deceptive sales practices turn me off. There's plenty of discussion of this issue: 1, 2, 3, 4.

 

[arcsbite]

I ordered 2GB of ram for my mac pro and it arrived today it looks just like the apple ram, super heat sinks n all.
I ordered it for £131.xx

I didn't notice the Xserve stuff, ah well guess it's ony a couple of quid.
can't believe what a difference going from 1gb to 3gb has made

shall be ordering another 2gb in a week or so.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

I ordered 2GB of ram for my mac pro and it arrived today it looks just like the apple ram, super heat sinks n all.
I ordered it for £131.xx

I didn't notice the Xserve stuff, ah well guess it's ony a couple of quid.
can't believe what a difference going from 1gb to 3gb has made

shall be ordering another 2gb in a week or so.

Lucky ****. Crucial have completely screwed up my order. After not sending it out on Friday like they said they would I had to change the delivery address on Saturday. Not a problem apparently. Then on Tuesday when it was meant to be delivered it got sent to the old address, they hadn't actually changed it.
The only way I could get the RAM now was to re-order (and pay again) and have it sent to the correct address and when the other order gets returned to Crucial by Royal Mail I'll get refunded for that. Hassle but never mind. Then late on Tuesday I'm informed that I have to send a fax of a utility bill or something, confirming I live at the address of delivery (the same address that is on my account, is the delivery address, the billing address, the registered address on the card etc etc). The reason being? Because I ordered twice in such a short time - nevermind the fact it was because they screwed up and I was recommended to do so!! That caused an extra days delay.
Its supposed to be getting here tomorrow although my online tracking says still 'in progress' even though everything was authorised over a day ago. If it doesn't get here tomorrow I am going to *explode* at them!!

 

[arcsbite]

Wow.

I'm having issues a lot like that with ebuyer at the moment, I ordered a couple of internal 500gb sata's and they've screwed up the order and won't replace them or refund them till they're found...royal mails trackign says they were delivered but there are no details as to who signed...I was at work all day and i'm the only one who has keys and gets along with my dog

The RAM will be worth the wait though! have you ordered from crucial before? I usually use Orcalogic but crucial had a better deal on.

let me know if the cheaper x-serve ram is the same....if they ever arrive, could save a few quid next time I order

EDIT - I panicked about my RAM too as the website said "in progress" for a logn while, then Tuesday night at about 9pm it changed to shipped...it was here by 10am Wednesday...odd setup

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

Wow.

I'm having issues a lot like that with ebuyer at the moment, I ordered a couple of internal 500gb sata's and they've screwed up the order and won't replace them or refund them till they're found...royal mails trackign says they were delivered but there are no details as to who signed...I was at work all day and i'm the only one who has keys and gets along with my dog

The RAM will be worth the wait though! have you ordered from crucial before? I usually use Orcalogic but crucial had a better deal on.

let me know if the cheaper x-serve ram is the same....if they ever arrive, could save a few quid next time I order

EDIT - I panicked about my RAM too as the website said "in progress" for a logn while, then Tuesday night at about 9pm it changed to shipped...it was here by 10am Wednesday...odd setup

I'm hoping that they've simply forgotten to update the tracking on their site, what with the funny way I placed the second order etc. *Prays*. I've ordered from Crucial in the past, but not for a few years. They've always been great and I've never been disappointed until now.
When I first spoke to them last Friday, the woman on the end of the phone assured me that the x-serve ram "came with the big heat sinks" so we'll have to wait and see. They always used to price memory found through the whole memory advisor tool as higher than that found manually. Since in the past I've always known what I'm looking for I've usually managed to save a penny or two. I hope its still the case now!!