Mac mini 1GB ram wont work!

Alex

Alex

Registered
Okay, So i bought my 1.42GHz Mac mini, and was trying to save money by buying ram on eBay... Yeah I know, never again will I do this. And yes I know i dont have a warenty anymore... Moving on...

I bought this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6739228010&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

And heres what apple says they require:

Mac mini computers have a single memory slot. This slot accepts a standard PC2700 or PC3200 184-pin DIMM with the following specifications:
• PC2700 or PC3200 Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM)
• 2.5 volt
• 8-byte
• non-parity
• 64-bit wide
• 184-pin module
• maximum of 16 memory devices on the DIMM
• unbuffered—do not use registered or buffered SDRAM • maximum height of 50 mm


Now, it fits fine, and i seated it correctly... But it just BEEEPs once and then the little LED flashes.

The Apple ram goes back in fine, and works, I didnt break anything...

I feel stupid, please someone lend a hand!
 
Get a hold of the seller and have him replace the chip, might have just got a bad one. It happens.

If the second one has issues, then see about testing it in a friend's computer that uses that spec RAM. If it works, then E-Bay it yourself to recoup some costs. That or try to get said friend to buy it off you.
 
I guess what I'm looking for is, maybe a nod to the fact i did buy the right ram, or i didn't... Can anyone see any issues with the ram i bought, as far as i can tell, everything should match up (spec wise, not pin wise).
 
Alex, I've run all kinds (brands) of RAM through the multiple beige G3s I own/maintain, never an issue. Some were brand names, some weren't. The specs matched. The iBook has some no-name 512MB chip from Circuit City in it, runs fine.

If you know someone who'd let you try it out in their system (just about any newer AMD/Intel, XP1800+/P4; or PMac G4) then you might try that to see if the chip is bad or just not compatible. If it don't work there, esp. on a PC, then it's definitely a bad chip. If it does, then you'll need to find another manufacturer. PNY, Kingston, some Crucial, etc. all work.

Can you post a model number and manufacturer off the sticker/chip itself? Maybe they sent you the wrong stuff.


Alex said:
And yes I know i dont have a warenty anymore...
Click to expand...
How's that? Installing RAM won't void warranties on any Apple product or other brand for that matter.
 
From what I've read, you can install and uninstall anything on the Mac mini without voiding the warranty (of course, if you break anything in the process, that pretty much voids the warranty) -- I remember this from the 90's when PC makers were refusing warranty on customers' machines who had upgraded graphics cards and hard drives installed by the owner. In the end, it was "ruled" (I believe) that upgrading any computer by opening it and installing standard, connected parts (like motherboards, RAM, hard drives, video cards, expansion cards, etc.) shall not void any warranty on any remaining stock, original parts, that are still in the system, or the system as a whole. Same goes for cars -- rip out those stereos and put in custom seats and your warranty is still good.

Here's a blog entry from someone who claimed to speak with the Mac mini product manager:

http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000917027372/
 
I'm not a mac expert but dealing with many PCs I'd say that it might be a bad piece of memory OR it may need slightly higher DDR voltage to operate. I have had memory in the past (lower quality ones usually) that needed 2.7v to run right but in this case its not an issue of instability - youre not getting anywhere with it I guess.

Do you have a buddy with a fairly new PC that has DDR 333 or DDR 400? You can toss it in there and see if it works. If it does work fine, then the RAM is fine, just incompatible. If of course it doesnt work, then its just plain bad ram. Might be good to know if the seller tries to hassle you.
 
OS X (Panther particularly) is notoriously picky with RAM. It laps up nice, high-quality RAM (I'm thinking Kingston, Geil, Crucial) like nothing else, but it baulks at low-quality RAM without a moment's hesitation, even if it works in OS 9 or PCs or even Jaguar.
 
Out of curiosity, anyone here have any experience with Mushkin memory? I've always heard good things from non-Mac users and just purchased a 1GB stick for my soon-to-arrive 17" PowerBook.

Price on that stick was very attractive and does come with a lifetime warranty. They do not specify who's lifetime they are counting this against, though. ;)
 
Go3iverson said:
Out of curiosity, anyone here have any experience with Mushkin memory? I've always heard good things from non-Mac users and just purchased a 1GB stick for my soon-to-arrive 17" PowerBook.

Price on that stick was very attractive and does come with a lifetime warranty. They do not specify who's lifetime they are counting this against, though. ;)
Click to expand...

The gaming PC i built, i used Mushkin... No problems, great price.


Anyone got any ideas about my ram, Im planning on bringing it to a pc friend, test it in his pc. But I mean, it DOES look like its the same type of ram, same specs, right?!
 
Go3iverson said:
Out of curiosity, anyone here have any experience with Mushkin memory? I've always heard good things from non-Mac users and just purchased a 1GB stick for my soon-to-arrive 17" PowerBook.

Price on that stick was very attractive and does come with a lifetime warranty. They do not specify who's lifetime they are counting this against, though. ;)
Click to expand...

I believe I read somewhere (probably on a PC site like Anandtech or something) when they did a review of the Mac mini, they used Mushkin memory in place of the one installed from Apple. They didn't seem to have any problems. But again, YMMV... :rolleyes:
 
...and even if the RAM works correctly in another machine (be it a Mac or a PC), that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with the mini. Recent Macintosh computers, combined with the most recent versions of OS X seem to be very picky about the RAM they'll accept. What normally works in any PC may be rejected or may not perform reliably in a Macintosh, even if the RAM is spec'd correctly.

It pays to get expensive RAM, but even then it's not guaranteed. I would highly suggest Crucial.com for any Macintosh memory needs, as their warranty and return policies are good.
 
Has anyone tried the GeIL Apple Series PC2700 333MHz DDR (GA1GB2700W) with the Mac Mini? I trust GeiL and for the extra $50 I feel its worth it but I want to make sure it works. Thanks.

(Hi I'm new) :D :D :D
 
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