Mac Memory Roundup Q1 2005 - In Search of Affordable Upgrades
by Anand Lal Shimpi on March 1, 2005 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
Power Mac G5 Memory
While both the PowerBook and mini could use more memory, the Power Mac G5 is designed for memory upgrades. With most models having a full 8 DIMM slots, expansion is not only permitted, but encouraged by the design. You have to install DIMMs in pairs, so all DIMMs that were submitted were done as such. Keep in mind that most of these dual channel upgrade kits are advertised as the total memory size, not individual module size. So, if a module is labeled as a part of a 1GB package, it's most likely only a 512MB stick.
Once again, warranties and performance are identical between all contenders, so the comparison boils down to price. Apple offers aftermarket upgrades for the G5 through their store; however, their prices are extremely inflated, so we're here to present the alternatives.
| Power Mac G5 Memory | 2 x 512MB DDR400 | 2 x 1GB DDR400 |
| Apple Upgrade | $300 | $800 |
| Corsair | $332 | N/A |
| Crucial | $278 | $401 |
| Kingston | $224 | $683 |
| Mushkin | $178 | $382 |
| OCZ | $222 | $511 |
| PDP | $168 | $403 |
| Transcend | $219 | N/A |
PDP actually offered the best price at $168 for a 1GB upgrade, but finding the DIMMs may take a little bit of work. We had relatively good success with our online shopping partner, shopping.com.
For the 2GB upgrade, prices varied quite a bit ranging from as little as $382 to as much as $683 (not counting Apple's $800 upgrade). Mushkin takes the win at $382 for the 2GB upgrade.
Corsair
Corsair TWINX CMX512-3200C2PT (2 x 512MB)
Like OCZ, Corsair also uses a heatspreader on their Mac DIMMs, which makes them a tighter fit in systems like the iMac G5. Corsair's heatspreader is thinner than OCZ's, so it's not as much of a problem. The DIMMs will fit - it'll just be snug.
Crucial
Crucial CT322476 (2 x 512MB) / Crucial CT357475 (2 x 1GB)
Kingston
Kingston KTA-G5400/1G (2 x 512MB) / Kingston KTA-G5400/2G (2 x 1GB)
Mushkin
Mushkin 1GB PC3200 Dual Pack (2 x 512MB) / Mushkin 2GB PC3200 Dual Pack (2 x 1GB)
OCZ
OCZ PC3200 1GB Dual Channel (2 x 1GB)
PDP
PDP PSA1GG5K (2 x 512MB) / PDP PSA2GG5K (2 x 1GB)
Transcend
TS512MAPG5400K (2 x 512MB) / TS1GAPG5400K (2 x 1GB)
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
33 Comments
View All Comments
bjc112 - Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - link
Are these considered the only chips to go with for the mac mini?I have a stick of PC3200 ( off brand ) CL 2.5
that is 1GB.
Am I going to run into issues?
(Currently have an off brand as well)
Put in some basic mushkin, and the mini wouldn't post..
Put it in a windows desktop, booted right up..
Switched from Mushkin to Generic, mini works fine.. Now I want 1 GB.
:D
eieiou22 - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
To clarify my question, I was referring to the VS (Value Select) model line, not the CMSS model line. (There is about a $100 price difference)aviram - Friday, October 7, 2005 - link
Hi All,There is one conflicting report from http://www.barefeats.com/quick.html">http://www.barefeats.com/quick.html
-avi
eieiou22 - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
Does anyone know if the CORSAIR DDR400(PC3200) 1GB module will work with the mac mini? Thanks.eieiou22 - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
AstroManLuca - Saturday, March 26, 2005 - link
I find this article strange... I bought a fairly standard-issue Geil 1GB PC3200 module from NewEgg for $135, and it works perfectly in my mini. I didn't bother going for any of this so-called "Mac RAM" and I haven't had any problems. I think Anand is a bit too cautionary here.Also, how did he arrive at those prices? Crucial is selling 512 MB modules for the PowerMac G5 for $61 each, for a total price for 1 GB of $122. Prices may have fallen since the article was posted but I have no idea where he got the $278 price.
Abecedaria - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
It's really great to see increased interest in the Mac here at Anandtech and I applaud Anand for his work so far. Keep it coming. The Mac community really needs Anand's unique perspective to point out both the advantages and the flaws in the Mac platform.Here's some tips for those new to the Mac. I don't want to sound like an ad, but many long time Mac heads use Other World Computing ( http://www.macsales.com ) for Mac upgrades. I did a quick check and they have cheap, generic, Apple-spec RAM that's cheaper than anything mentioned in the article. (i.e. 2x1GB DDR 400 - $357.00)
And yes, Mac people do build their own Macs and I'd sure love to see some articles on it. That, and some good "how to overclock" articles.
abc
Abecedaria - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
WangDangDoodle - Friday, March 4, 2005 - link
#17 Truly interesting - I always suspected that building your own Mac was possible.In addition, to tips on what to look for and what to avoid in building your own Mac, many of us would be interested to learn [the best way] to extract a ROM from one card to flash another card.
If there is not room on Anandtech.com, consider posting a reader submitted "build it" article on Extremetech.com which is also showing an increased interest in MACs.
Peter R.
michael2k - Wednesday, March 2, 2005 - link
Why do you have to be defensive? "Don't get me wrong, I'm a long time PC user?"It's so stupid that people are attacked, and thus have to be defensive, for looking at a Mac.