Where did you get your Mini 1GB memory?

[id-sign]

Mini memory upgrades have been talked about over & over, but I thought we could make 1 post listing where and for how much people bought their 1GB memory upgrade for the mini.

(I'm buying a mini next week and will add my source then)

Thanks!

 

[dops7107]

Crucial UK. No probs. EDIT: Oops, I think it was just over £100 in March '05

 

[DanielNTX]

Newegg.com... you can find compatible ram for around $65.

 

[e²Studios]

My Local Apple Store, apple branded Ram installed by Apple. I didn't want to run the risk of voiding my warranty which i clearly states you will if you happened to break something while swapping out the RAM. A few extra bucks and someone that knows what they are doing is better for me, i am not a hardware geek and I would rather not do it myself anyhow

I paid $185 including installation (ill have to hunt down my receipt for the exact amount)

Ed

 

[kjr39]

Newegg.

No problems.

 

[id-sign]

Thanks for the replies...Item number for NewEgg??

Anyone who bought from NewEgg have a link or item number available?

Thanks again

 

[CanadaRAM]

Newegg.com... you can find compatible ram for around $65.

Great ... how can you tell? I'm serious: NewEgg doesn't guarantee compatibility nor do they sell the RAM models from Crucial and Kingston that those companies guarantee for Macs. So other than trial and error, compatibility is an unknown.

Minis can use either PC2700 or PC3200 RAM, they are not compatible with 2 Gb modules or DDR-2 RAM. Avoid Kingston ValueRAM (KVR), it is widely reported as incompatible with Minis and iMac G5s (although the Kingston Apple RAM KTA-series is good).

In the USA I like Data Memory Systems for Mac RAM

But wherever you buy from, choose a vendor who guarantees compatibility with your model Mac.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

 

[~Shard~]

Great ... how can you tell? I'm serious: NewEgg doesn't guarantee compatibility nor do they sell the RAM models from Crucial and Kingston that those companies guarantee for Macs. So other than trial and error, compatibility is an unknown.

Minis can use either PC2700 or PC3200 RAM, they are not compatible with 2 Gb modules or DDR-2 RAM. Avoid Kingston ValueRAM (KVR), it is widely reported as incompatible with Minis and iMac G5s (although the Kingston Apple RAM KTA-series is good).

In the USA I like Data Memory Systems for Mac RAM

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

Thanks once again for your feedback Trevor, I know you must feel like a broken record at times!

Yes, many people have bought from NewEgg with no problems, but that still doesn't make them the best company to deal with. Thanks for helping people understand all the facts, from which they can then make their own, educated decisions.

 

[zen.state]

my mini has a 1gb kingston that I bought from a local mac dealer here in vancouver canada. works perfect so I guess its not the value ram that kingston offers. it was 179 CDN.

 

[~Shard~]

my mini has a 1gb kingston that I bought from a local mac dealer here in vancouver canada. works perfect so I guess its not the value ram that kingston offers. it was 179 CDN.

Perhaps it was Kingston's Apple RAM, specifically the KTA- series - that is indeed good RAM AFAIK, but as CanadaRAM indicated above, the KVR- series is a risk as to whether it will work or not in a Mac.

 

[colosodian]

kingston value ram. Got it at fry's.

 

[~Shard~]

kingston value ram. Got it at fry's.

As both myself and CanadaRAM have stated above, this type of RAM (KVR-) is not made to work with Macs. I must warn anyone considering buying it to use it at your own risk. Sure, it may work, but as with many things, you get what you pay for, and sometimes it's nice to spend a few extra $$$ to ensure Mac compatibility and a lifetime guarantee. For those wishing to cut corners, go ahead and buy this lesser RAM, and hey, if it works for you, you got lucky, and good for you - I just want to make sure all the facts are out there so people can make informed purchasing decisions.

 

[Eidorian]

Great ... how can you tell? I'm serious: NewEgg doesn't guarantee compatibility nor do they sell the RAM models from Crucial and Kingston that those companies guarantee for Macs. So other than trial and error, compatibility is an unknown.

Minis can use either PC2700 or PC3200 RAM, they are not compatible with 2 Gb modules or DDR-2 RAM. Avoid Kingston ValueRAM (KVR), it is widely reported as incompatible with Minis and iMac G5s (although the Kingston Apple RAM KTA-series is good).

In the USA I like Data Memory Systems for Mac RAM

But wherever you buy from, choose a vendor who guarantees compatibility with your model Mac.
Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

512MB of PC 133 RAM for $75. That's pretty good nowadays. I'd buy Samsung or Crucial otherwise.

 

[id-sign]

Thanks DanielNTX!

Here's the link to NewEgg for their $72.99 1GB deal:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820223041

 

[eochs]

Fry's... Bought a stick of 1GB PC3200 Patriot and it worked fine... $90...

 

[colosodian]

As both myself and CanadaRAM have stated above, this type of RAM (KVR-) is not made to work with Macs. I must warn anyone considering buying it to use it at your own risk. Sure, it may work, but as with many things, you get what you pay for, and sometimes it's nice to spend a few extra $$$ to ensure Mac compatibility and a lifetime guarantee. For those wishing to cut corners, go ahead and buy this lesser RAM, and hey, if it works for you, you got lucky, and good for you - I just want to make sure all the facts are out there so people can make informed purchasing decisions.

Has the same specs as memory that is guaranteed to work in macs, no reason to pay an extra $20 for one that is.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Has the same specs as memory that is guaranteed to work in macs, no reason to pay an extra $20 for one that is.

Ummm... how do you know it has the same specs? "PC2700 200 pin CL2.5 DDR SODIMM" is not a complete spec. by any stretch of the imagination.

The critical specs for Mac compatibility are not published: The row and column organization of the chips, and the SPD settings.

But the KVR modules are often (I won't say always, but often) a completely different circuit board than the KTA modules. Kingston has consistently disclaimed Mac compatibility on their KVR modules.

 

[~Shard~]

Ummm... how do you know it has the same specs? "PC2700 200 pin CL2.5 DDR SODIMM" is not a complete spec. by any stretch of the imagination.

The critical specs for Mac compatibility are not published: The row and column organization of the chips, and the SPD settings.

But the KVR modules are often (I won't say always, but often) a completely different circuit board than the KTA modules. Kingston has consistently disclaimed Mac compatibility on their KVR modules.

Thanks for the clarification on this CanadaRAM I was pretty sure colosodian wasn't correct on this... Always helps having an expert around!

 

[DanielNTX]

When I first got my Mac Mini, I tried many sticks of RAM and the only one that didn't work for me is the Kingston Value Ram. Crucial and 3 other generic sticks from fry's worked fine for me. Finding ram that works isn't that rare. I also replaced the stock DVD/CD-RW combo with a Pioneer (Apple Installed/Supported) Superdrive and added Airport Extreme and Bluetooth to my systems.

BTW... the MacMiniForums.com are back: http://macminiforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178

You can see my contribution to overclocking the Mac mini and correcting the NVRAM values in that thread. Good luck.