Aqua-Soft Forumsis it possible to use pc memory for the mac mini or is mac memory different from pc memory
mac memory
Why would it be different? It's just plain ol' PC2700...you think people actually pay double just to get some RAM from Apple?!
is it possible to use pc memory for the mac mini or is mac memory different from pc memory
It's an industrial standard. Apple doesn't even make their own memory.
shoulden't this be in the apple hardware section?
That's strange. I was told that any ram wont work on a mac, you must use apple ram. Grrr.....
That's strange. I was told that any ram wont work on a mac, you must use apple ram. Grrr.....
Not just any RAM DIMM will work in a Mac, but it doesn't have to be "from Apple." It's about quality; Macs won't use some RAM DIMMs (for whatever reason), therefore it's not recommended you buy from 'cheap sources' such as eBay or computer fairs.
If you want to ensure it works and won't bugger things up: Buy from a good store/maker, like Crucial or Kingston.
Not just any RAM DIMM will work in a Mac, but it doesn't have to be "from Apple." It's about quality; Macs won't use some RAM DIMMs (for whatever reason), therefore it's not recommended you buy from 'cheap sources' such as eBay or computer fairs.If you want to ensure it works and won't bugger things up: Buy from a good store/maker, like Crucial or Kingston.
Macs seem to be incredibly picky about the RAM they take. I'd agree with esXXI and recommend crucial, being as apple are about twice as expensive.
Memory is memory... doesn't matter who makes it, they all have to conform to a minimum standard.
Note I said minimum.
Memory makers would go out of business if they sold garbage all the time.
It's all in failure rate and how much they can afford to have fail while still maintaining profit margins.
Apple's use of OpenFirmware is where the issue is. The memory check is a bit more stringent than most PC's memory check.
I use some of the cheapest crap I can get my hands on from Fry's and it works just fine in my iBook.
I paid $59 3 years ago for a 512MB PC133 SODIMM from some company I never heard of before.
Lucky.. maybe... don't care. It works.
I've had bad chips before from Kingston and Crucial and a few other high-end manufacturers as well.
Did you know that PNY and Kingston use the EXACT same chip supplier!
What it boils down to is that Crucial and Kingston and a few other "high-end" chip sellers run a few more tests before they package up a chip. They will toss something that another may consider good enough keep.
Actualy, they really don't toss them, they sell them under another brand name.
After all, they are still good chips.
That being said, you DO NOT have to spend a fortune on memory for your Mac. A little trial and error may save you a few bucks.
Bad memory WILL NOT damage you Mac or any other computer for that matter.
Poorly made memory maybe... like something that has a bad soldering job that causes a short. But those are VERY RARE and 99% of the time the manufacturer will repair or replace anything that is damaged by it.
But that's the point rjohnstone; I'd rather spend 10% and never worry about the RAM again. Some of us just plain don't have the time to be unable to work to try half a dozen suppliers until one works. Plus some won't accept a returned DIMM if you made the mistake of assuming it'd work. Some will test the card first, and if it works say it's your own fault.
Bad memory may not damage your hardware, but it CAN bugger up your work. Things like artifacts, kernel panics, slow downs, etc etc. I'd be pretty pissed off if I had spent 6 hours on work only to have a kernel panic because I saved £5 by buying a discount DIMM.
I recommend Crucial not only because they guarantee it'll work: They have a lifetime warranty. After all, there is a lot of truth in the saying: You get what you pay for.
I hereby recommend Kingston to, as my G5 is using an extra gig of ram of said brand.
It is all about the CL 2.6 baby 
EDIT: BTW, most ram nowadays comes with lifetime warranty, the abovementioned included
After all, there is a lot of truth in the saying: You get what you pay for.
True... I don't use my Mac for work... just to tinker around with and to test systematic attack scripts against my other systems.
All my real work related systems get brand name stuff with at least a 1 year warranty.
Lifetime warranties are pointless, well for me anyway.
Any system older than 3 years is useless to me when it comes to my work.