Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About RAM for Macs

RAM upgrades are the best way to get a performance boost from your computer. Mac OS X loves to hog up all the RAM you've got, so the more you have, the better! Here are a few often asked questions and their answers regarding RAM and Macs.

How much RAM do I need?
Put simply:

• 1GB for your average web surfer/email jockey.
• 2GB for those who like to use iPhoto/iMovie/iDVD all at once.
• 4GB for anyone using the pro apps (Final Cut, Aperture, Logic etc).

But really, it comes down to what you can afford and justify. If you can justify 8GB and afford it, then damn them all and buy it, you'll love it. But if you're strapped for cash 1GB will be enough to get you by.

What type of RAM do I need? Do I need special "MAC" RAM
First of all, there's no such thing as specific Apple RAM. Apple computers use industry standard memory. The RAM you need for your computer depends on the type of computer you have! If you don't know what computer you have, find out by clicking the Apple logo in the top left hand corner, then choosing "About This Mac", a screen will pop up telling you how much RAM you've already got. Click on "More Info" and a new window will appear going into further detail as to what is in your computer. In the right section of that window, there should be a line "Serial Number". Remember that serial number as we'll need it in a minute.

Apple has a website that lists the specs of all their computers. Visit http://support.apple.com/specs/ and on the right sidebar, there is a space where you can enter the serial number of your computer and it's specifications will appear.

A section for memory will be listed in the specs. Something similar to: 1GB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300).

That phrase might be a bit cryptic, so let me break it down for you. The first bit, 1GB - simply refers to the size of the RAM. So by default, this computer came with 1GB. (single S0-DIMM) explains to us that the category of the physical size (i.e: if it will fit in the slot on your computer) of this RAM is SO-DIMM. Memory comes in different sizes for laptops (SO-DIMM) and desktops (DIMM). 667MHz refers to the speed of the memory. It is fine to buy memory faster than the number specified (as faster RAM will simply slow down to match your computer), but slower RAM, will try to keep up to go faster, overheat, and fail. DDR2 SDRAM means that this memory uses the DDR2 standard, and that it's SDRAM. Virtually all RAM is like this, so there's no need to be too concerned about it (unless you have a Mac Pro or XServe, which takes DDR2 FB-DIMM memory). The last section PC2-5300 is a good way to identify the memory you require. This PC2-5300 is a specification that means it will be DDR2 SD-RAM and will operate at the 667MHz frequency.

If you want to get into even finer details about your computer's memory specifications, Apple publishes documents called Developer Notes, that go into high detail about all the hardware specs a machine has. A list of the developer notes can be found via this link: http://developer.apple.com/documenta...hardware2.html

Where is the best place to buy RAM from?
Once you know which RAM you need, where is the best place to buy it? An Apple reseller? The local PC store? An online shop? Overseas? Apple themselves? It depends what kind of memory you are after.

Older memory that isn't commonly in stock anymore, you may be best off going to an Apple reseller, who can track down the specific type of memory for your Mac, as the latest computers probably don't use it anymore and the local PC store/online shop doesn't stock it. That said, there are a few online stores that specialise in RAM with deep inventories that probably have it.

If you've got a more modern machine, you're in luck. Chances are the local PC store sells the correct memory for your computer. BUT, it may not be the cheapest place. This is where StaticIce comes into play. StaticIce is a website that searches almost every Australian based online computer store and can give you a list of the cheapest places to purchase an item from. So if you head over to StaticIce, type in the kind of RAM you are after, the cheapest store will reveal itself.

Sometimes going by the cheapest price alone can be a bit iffy - there can be hidden credit card charges and shipping may be expensive. Apple resellers are often decently priced (not as cheap as your local box mover though), but with the added bonus of actually knowing Macs and what RAM will go in what.

Overseas is a good place to get high quantities, or larger sizes of RAM (e.g Mac Pro RAM). Use a US based price engine, like Froogle to see who has it for less, as well as store ratings to make sure your money doesn't get transferred to some criminals.

Just don't buy the RAM from Apple themselves. If you purchase a Mac from the online store and you want more memory, Apple will totally gouge you on the price. For example: a MacBook Pro has 2GB of RAM standard, and you want to bump it up to 4GB. Apple will slug you an extra AU$1,090 for that privilege. However, if you were to buy two, 2GB chips yourself, it will only set you back $400 from somewhere like Streetwise. Then you can sell (or put in other computers) the two 1GB chips that come with the MacBook Pro (valued at around $50 ea). So buying the RAM yourself = $400. Buying it from Apple = $1090. Why spend the extra $700?

We recommend a few online stores when wanting to purchase RAM for your Mac:

• RAM City
• Frequency
• Streetwise
• Clockworkoren
• Mac Rabbit

Is there special official or certified Apple memory?
There is no such thing. Often this is said by Apple resellers that they sell only Apple certified memory. This is false. Apple does not go around certifying memory, or testing it in their lab. What Apple does do is produce a strict set of guidelines (those developer notes I was talking about earlier) as to what sort of memory is needed to work in a particular machine. Any memory that fits within those guidelines will work in the Mac.

Is generic RAM okay, or should I get the more expensive one? Why does it cost more if it's the same type of RAM?
This is a bit of a tough question to answer. Some people believe that as long as the RAM has a life-time warranty, that it's as good as anything else out there. Some people think that RAM is RAM, you pop it in, if it works, it works. Others wouldn't be caught dead with a non-name brand manufacturer like Kingston or Corsair of RAM in their computer.

Memory is only manufactured by a few companies in the world (typically Chinese, Korean or Taiwanese), and there are different grades of RAM. A plant may make a batch of say, 2 million chips, out of those 2 million, perhaps, 500,000 are tested to just meet the specifications set out, which could still contain a high amount of chips that didn't meet the spec. These are sold at a lower price, due to the fact there could be more duds. These would go to the cheaper brand. 1,000,000 may pass the test well, but still may contain a handful of not quite right chips. This would make the middle-rung of the RAM dealers. The rest passed with flying colours, and are sold at the highest price, virtually promised not to contain a dud. These would go to the brand name sellers.

Now, all the RAM will work fine, but by buying a more expensive brand, the chances of you getting a dud chip are greatly reduced It doesn't mean it won't happen, but there's less defects in the batch. If you have RAM with a life-time warranty or have cheapo RAM with only a 1 year or 3 year warranty, but isn't a name brand, your chances of getting a dud are slightly increased. But don't worry, if it does go pear-shaped, the manufacturer will swap it over for a new one (forever with a life-time warranty, or within a time frame with other RAM). This could go on and on as you might get 3 or more duds in a row, but eventually you'll hit a solid one. The main reason people purchase the name brand RAM is to reduce the hassle of the RAM being a dud and going through that process of returning the RAM, installing it again, etc. Depending on the price-difference, it's worth it more often than not.

Can I install the RAM myself, or does an Apple technician need to do it?
Yep! On virtually every Apple computer, the process of installing memory is termed as "user accessible". Doing it yourself means that it will not void your warranty.

As to actually doing it yourself, if you've ever opened up a computer before, installing RAM into a Mac is pretty easy. If you've never done it before, RAM is the perfect thing to try first. Be sure to follow the instructions that come with your Mac (the paper manual that came with it - do you remember where you put that?).

If you aren't comfortable with doing that - an Apple reseller can pop in the RAM for you for a small charge (normally $30-$50, maybe free if you're a good customer for them).