ie8 fix

Mac desktops forum: What's with so-called "Apple RAM?"

by: Bytesmiths September 2, 2010 10:37 PM PDT

Like this

0 people like this thread

Staff pick

What's with so-called "Apple RAM?"

by Bytesmiths - 9/2/10 10:37 PM

Why does so-called "Apple" RAM cost so much? It's not even made by Apple! It often has the same part number as non-Apple RAM!

When you go to dealRAM.com and choose your computer via the drop-down menus, at the top of the resulting list is a few RAM items that claim to be for Apple machines -- followed by a lot of others that cost as little as half as much, but with the warning that they may not work on Apple computers!

I've purchased "non Apple" RAM before with no discernible problems, but I would like to have an explanation.

In particular, is my Mac Pro (2006) likely to suffer by using non-Apple RAM? The non-Apple RAM pictured doesn't appear to have the massive heat sinks that my Mac Pro RAM has, for one thing...

Thanks for any light you can shed on this!


Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

If you are speaking of your Mac Pro specifically,

by mrmacfixit Moderator - 9/3/10 4:52 AM

In Reply to: What's with so-called "Apple RAM?" by Bytesmiths

then I would suggest that you only use the RAM that the vendors specify for that model.
The Mac Pro RAM has a heat sink for a reason, running that machine without the specified RAM is likely to cause failure in the RAM.

Now if you are speaking of "Apple RAM" in general, it has always been the case that computer manufacturers have charged a fortune for the RAM that they sell. Dell, Gateway, Apple, Toshiba; they all do it.
A quick search through these forums will show you that people are always advising purchasers to NOT buy their RAM from the machine manufacturer.

That said, Apple has very tight tolerances and specifications for the RAM that they use and not all third party RAM manufactures can meet the standard, which is why you see that warning at dealRAM.

Personally, I use Crucial or RAMjet for my RAM supplies. Their RAM is guaranteed to meet all the specifications laid down by the manufacturer.

To coin an old saying "Why spoil the ship for an 'apputh of tar?"

P


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

Simple

by Jimmy Greystone - 9/3/10 6:56 AM

In Reply to: What's with so-called "Apple RAM?" by Bytesmiths

Simple, Apple (and any other OEM) has to guarantee everything they sell with a warranty. Meaning if you buy RAM from them, and it goes bad, they have to replace it at their expense. That might even include having to pay labor reimbursements for someone to install it. So they need to cover their bases financially.

You can get it much cheaper elsewhere, where someone else is providing the warranty, which is what most people do.


Was this reply helpful? (0)   (0)

Staff pick

Reply
Report offensive post
Email to friend

More Discussions

Forum Icon Legend

  • UnreadUnread
  • ReadRead
  • Locked threadLocked thread
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  • ModeratorModerator
  • CNET StaffCNET Staff
  • Samsung StaffSamsung Staff
  • Norton Authorized Support TeamNorton Authorized Support Team
  • AVG StaffAVG Staff
  • avast! Staffavast! Staff
  • Webroot Support TeamWebroot Support Team
  • Acer Customer Experience TeamAcer Customer Experience Team
  • Windows Outreach TeamWindows Outreach Team
  • Dell StaffDell Staff
  • Intel StaffIntel Staff
  • QuestionQuestion
  • Resolved questionResolved question
  • General discussionGeneral discussion
  • TipTip
  • Alert or warningAlert or warning
  • PraisePraise
  • RantRant
  • IdeaIdea
  •   

You are e-mailing the following post: Post Subject

Your e-mail address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the e-mail and in case of transmission error. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.

Sorry, there was a problem emailing this post. Please try again.

Submit Email Cancel

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

Thank you. Sent email to

Close

You are reporting the following post: Post Subject

If you believe this post is offensive or violates the CNET Forums' Usage policies, you can report it below (this will not automatically remove the post). Once reported, our moderators will be notified and the post will be reviewed.

Offensive: Sexually explicit or offensive language

Spam: Advertisements or commercial links

Disruptive posting: Flaming or offending other users

Illegal activities: Promote cracked software, or other illegal content

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Submit Report Cancel

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

Your message has been submitted and will be reviewed by our staff. Thank you for helping us maintain CNET's great community.

Close

You are posting a reply to: Post Subject

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to the CNET Forums policies for details. All submitted content is subject to CBS Interactive Site Terms of Use.

You are currently tracking this discussion. Click here to manage your tracked discussions.

If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.

Sorry, there was a problem submitting your post. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem generating the preview. Please try again.

Duplicate posts are not allowed in the forums. Please edit your post and submit again.

Submit Reply Preview Cancel

Thank you, , your post has been submitted.

> Click here to view your post. > Manage your tracked discussions. > Track this discussion. Close

Thank you, , your post has been submitted and will appear on our site shortly.

Close
  • Recently Viewed Products
  • My Lists
  • My Software Updates
  • Promo
  • Log In | Join CNET