MP 7,1 Why are Mac Pro buyers purchasing Apple RAM?

[Joseph Murphy]

As a near neophyte I hesitate to ask but in the Apple refurbished store I see many many MacPro with APPLE
supplied RAM and am wondering why almost all MacPro buyers do not use less costly aftermarket RAM?

Tech savvy I am not, but I am curious.

 

[Flint Ironstag]

Sometimes organizations have a single vendor requirement, meaning no aftermarket parts where possible. Others have a single vendor preference. Individuals, much the same. Never underestimate the power of one-stop shopping. Captive audience, like the jacked up food prices at airports.

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, Apple's RAM remains an expensive choice for most buyers.
No, Apple does not provide refurbished MacPros with third-party RAM.
I expect that anyone that returns a MacPro to Apple would remove third-party RAM that they may have installed. Apple certainly wouldn't sell even a refurb with non-Apple, third party RAM.

Bottom line - you don't find third-party RAM in an Apple refurb, because Apple won't sell it with a refurb. Apple would remove that as part of the refurb setup.

 

[kohlson]

If you're in a production environment, and you want production-level support from Apple, everything has to be Apple. This is true for every major manufacturer's product that sell support services.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^That's not really true. Maybe in some instances, but if you can prove that the stuff you buy has not caused a problem, they will service your machine. And, Apple does sell a lot of third party stuff. My NcMP is loaded with after market stuff. From my internal SSDs, my PCI cards, My GPU, my display, to my Sonnet J3i.

And my car is modified and my dealer happens to be mod friendly.

From my experience on this site, I would say that, at least here, the trend is to use third party RAM. In the past, that was my choice. But with my current NcMP it is loaded up with 8GB Apple RAM modules. I bought my RAM from members who had updated their machines with after market modules.

Lou

 

[Average Pro]

When I purchased my first Mac Pro, I wasn't aware of 3rd party RAM. When I purchased my second Mac Pro, I knew about it, but had no faith in the RAM. When I purchased my third Mac Pro and was picking it up at the Apple store, the rep said, "we have RAM and can upgrade it and install it for you right now before you leave." I paid for the next RAM upgrade. When I purchased my fourth Mac Pro (B&H), I didn't have to pay taxes so I bumped up the RAM. As I head into the latest Mac Pro, I'm finding I only need 48GB, but 96GB should ensure for several years use. I'm in the "thinking" phase as to which route I will pursue to upgrade the RAM. I know it's the same RAM. And if I buy it from Apple, I haven't and won't have regrets. It's a win-win either way.

Side note: I had a RAM problem on the 3rd Mac Pro. After the Apple store identified the problem, they walked me behind the door to the techs. One of the first things they said to me, "We were all happy to see that you had Apple RAM in your computer. This makes it a lot easier for us. We're going to replace the RAM and since you had to bring it in, we're also going to increase it at no cost."

 

[nick9191]

As a near neophyte I hesitate to ask but in the Apple refurbished store I see many many MacPro with APPLE
supplied RAM and am wondering why almost all MacPro buyers do not use less costly aftermarket RAM?

Tech savvy I am not, but I am curious.

I suspect with the Mac Pro now starting from $5999 (and realistically more like $8-10,000 for something that can't be matched in power by an i9 27" iMac) that it locks out the enthusiast and prosumer audience. For the companies that purchase this machine, many, as stated will have a single vendor requirement. In addition, the cost of the machine itself is a relatively small part of the overall operating cost, Apple is well aware of this. As an example, the following spec direct from Apple:

• 28 core Xeon
• 384GB RAM
• Pro Vega 2
• 1TB SSD

Is about $22,000 or so with AppleCare+. That's for 3 years and a sizeable portion of it can be written off with various tax advantages. Compare that to the salary cost of someone that might require such a machine, the other equipment needed, the astronomical yearly software subscription costs.

The RAM is also covered by AppleCare+, no need to RMA random sticks of RAM back to third parties, a process which could take weeks to resolve. Compatibility with the machine is guaranteed. No need to produce an additional cost/benefit analysis on why someone might need this amount of RAM. Are other options available? What if an approved supplier doesn't offer the correct RAM? All the nonsense that comes with working for larger companies.

Suddenly the extra $4,000 for the Apple RAM doesn't seem like such a bad deal.

 

[macguru9999]

As a near neophyte I hesitate to ask but in the Apple refurbished store I see many many MacPro with APPLE
supplied RAM and am wondering why almost all MacPro buyers do not use less costly aftermarket RAM?

Tech savvy I am not, but I am curious.

Apple supplies Ram, but it does not manufacture it. So it is all 3rd party, and if you use , say samsung ram, the only difference will be that there is no apple sticker on top of the samsung sticker. Indeed there is hardly ever even an apple sticker, just the samsung one.

 

[MarkC426]

Some people prefer to have ‘Official Apple‘ components (for 100% compatibility) if available (me included).

 

[macguru9999]

Some people prefer to have ‘Official Apple‘ components if available (me included).

It takes all kinds I suppose

 

[MarkC426]

Saying that, I think my last ram purchase was from Crucial...... ?
But at that stage Apple had stopped selling 5.1 components.
I know in the early days of my 5.1, I used to get additional HDD‘s from Apple direct.

 

[OkiRun]

It takes all kinds I suppose

I can tell you don't know Ms. McGilukuty. She runs the purchasing department. When I say run, I mean "run". The CEO nor the Department Head have any control to decide who, what, when, where, how to order things. If she can order everything from one vendor, she will. She will avoid ordering from multiple vendors at all costs. It takes time, effort, money and headache to scout out and deal with multiple vendors and putting everything together at the office in hopes it all fits and works gives her anxiety. She has a budget from the bean counter department and so long as she stays with it plus or minus, she will order it all from one vendor not caring she can save money by farming out to other companies.

 

[unpapapro]

one reason: SPECS...

here is the best example: the default RAM spec of my MacPro 2012... and the RAM I added to make it "perfect"


stock: 16Gb, 2 x Kingston 8.0GB PC10600 DDR3 ECC 1333MHz 240 Pin, for Apple with thermal sensor Model KTA-MP1333/8G

monstered: 48Gb, 6 x OWC 8.0GB PC10600 DDR3 ECC 1333MHz 240 Pin, Dual Rank ECC Memory


... The Kingston KTA Ram is the default one provided as being from "Apple"... but tech spec talking, the only detail different from the market version is the Thermal Sensor... because these RAM are for SERVERS... and a MacPro is a server... most of the RAM you will find on the market is not for Servers...

 

[rjw1678]

When I bought my 16core 192GB Mac Pro, to get one with 32GB I would of had to order a new one then upgrade to 192GB with OWC memory. I found a refurb that had all my requrements including the 192GB, ordering a new Mac Pro then upgrading it with OWC memory I would have saved $90. I felt for $90 dollars more, only dealing with Apple was worth it - so I bought the refurb.

 

[eflx]

Myself, I know the Apple supplied RAM is of proper spec and is good quality. No question asked. It's like with my Audi, I just don't risk taking it into some 3rd party dealership. It's a large part piece of mind, and having a single company to call in the rare case I should have an issue.

If I did buy 3rd party RAM, it would be the exact same brand and specs as Apple has shipped with the machine. They test for the specific brands they include thoroughly, whereas they can't do that for other brands. Sometimes there are indeed slight differences in specs, and I'd rather have exactly what Apple ships with for assurance even if it costs a bit extra.

I wouldn't touch something like OWC ram with a 10 foot pole.

 

[kohlson]

^^^^That's not really true.

Perhaps not in your experience. In my experience of 30+ years in SV hardware companies, this was the case. Not only for the equipment we bought, but for the equipment we sold.
Of course, I'm not saying that different groups or individuals didn't do ad hoc add-ons. But in a company that was purchasing 10K+ Macs per year, they were spec'ing them with Apple parts, serviced by Apple.

 

[rafark]

I wouldn't touch something like OWC ram with a 10 foot pole.

Why?

 

[flowrider]

Perhaps not in your experience. In my experience of 30+ years in SV hardware companies, this was the case.

I am eighty one years old and have been around a loooong time. I bought my first car in 1957 and have never owned a car I kept stock. I have been buying Macs since the mid eighties, and again, I have never owned a Mac I kept stock and not filled with third party stuff.

In my working years I was a Subcontract Manager at a large aerospace defense contractor. One of the challenges later in my career involved two subcontractors who did not like each other, yet one of them made a component that was installed in the other's component then installed into a much larger assembly They all had to play nice together. These were sophisticated electronics and many times there were failures. Part of my job involved resolving issues relating to those failures with those two suppliers.

My RAM supplier for a number of years has been:

Mac Pro Memory Upgrades

Apple Memory Upgrades for all Mac Pro models. 100% compatible with Mac Pro models, all backed by a lifetime warranty. Free shipping available for US orders.

www.datamemorysystems.com

I have personally used their RAM since the mid eighties and never had a failure. I have never bought RAM from Apple. When asked by an electronics buyer in the nineties what RAM he should buy for the firm, I pointed him to DMS. They never had a failure or repair issue with Apple or any other computer hardware maker involving memory. As you might guess, we bought a LOT of computers.

Edit - I might add - all our facilities (I worked at five of them) had their own IT department. They also came to me for advice on component purchase over the years.

So yes, I also speak from years of experience.

Lou

 

[kohlson]

Respectfully, I am not arguing with your experience, or your point of view. I am countering your claim that my experience and observations is, and I quote, not really true.

 

[flowrider]

^^^^OK, sorry if you took it that way, but in your OP you mentioned nothing of your experiences. You gave two blanket statements:

1. If you're in a production environment, and you want production-level support from Apple, everything has to be Apple.

2. This is true for every major manufacturer's product that sell support services.

I took exception to both of those statements and not to your past experiences.

Lou

 

[KeesMacPro]

I wouldn't touch something like OWC ram with a 10 foot pole.

Me neither , OWC gets the RAM from another 3rd party, puts another label on it, most probably after painting it this fancy blue , and sells it for an exorbitant price.

 

[markc2]

I used to work at Samsung at a wafer fabrication plant (bunny suit), and we made memory for various companies. Each company would have it's own design specifications that we had to meet otherwise they wouldn't buy from us. I also worked at Motorola during the end times for the Power PC chip, we could never get enough passing die off of each wafer to meet Apple's order, very stressful times.

 

[tevion5]

Some people prefer to have ‘Official Apple‘ components (for 100% compatibility) if available (me included).

That's why I've bought my 7,1 RAM upgrades from other 7,1 users upgrading theirs!

 

[profdraper]

I went with Nemix ram (as did many of the early 7,1MP reviewers). Installed 192GB in March this year, all good.

 

[avro707]

Pardon my reviving an older topic, but in what combinations can I use more ram, let's say from this lot:

Apple Memory Upgrades

Since 1993, NEMIX RAM has been offering memory upgrades for Apple / Mac computers. We know Apple Memory as well as PC Memory. The best way to increase performance of your Mac Pro, iMac, Mac Mini or MacBook is to increase the RAM…Your machine run faster with less possibility of crashes and down...

nemixram.com

I have currently 6x8gb 2933mhz RDIMM in the 7,1 MP. Could I add another 2x64GB like this?

DDR4 2933MHZ PC4-23400 RDIMM for Apple Mac Pro 2019 7,1

NEMIX RAM DDR4 2933MHZ PC4-23400 RDIMM for Apple Mac Pro 2019 7,1 Showcase:

nemixram.com

I went with Nemix ram (as did many of the early 7,1MP reviewers). Installed 192GB in March this year, all good.

How is your ram going if you are still around?