Memory for MacBooks: what brand/model works?

[Arnaldo Ortega]

Guys:

 

I have just bought a MacBook white. Searching for SODIMM DDR2 667MHz 1GB memory module in the PriceGrabber site I could find more thant 10 brand/models available.

 

If you search in the manufacturer's site (Kingston, for example), you will find different models for Mac and PC laptops, even when the specifications are the same. And guess what? Mac modules are up to 40% more expensive. What is this about? Only "certified" will work?

 

Why Kingston have two models (KVR667D2S51G and KTAMB6671G) with same specifications but a price difference of almost 30 bucks? Is this because of Apple royalties?

 

Let's get together and share our experiences with memory upgrades, which brand/models work, which don't work, etc. I do not agree on paying 40% more for the same memory.

 

Cheers,

Arnaldo

[NeSuKuN]

many people from a spanish forum have bought theese: http://cgi.ebay.es/2GB-DDR2-OPTIVAL-RAM-ME...7QQcmdZViewItem they say that works perfectly, theyr'e cheap and ships fast. I'm going to buy these: http://cgi.ebay.es/2GB-2X1GB-DDR2-HYPERFOR...7QQcmdZViewItem (Half the CAS of the factory ones!)

from the same seller.

 

Also some pepole recommends buffalo and OCZ. Samsung ones seem to be expensive.

[John the Geek]

If you search in the manufacturer's site (Kingston, for example), you will find different models for Mac and PC laptops, even when the specifications are the same. And guess what? Mac modules are up to 40% more expensive. What is this about? Only "certified" will work?

 

Well, sometimes the answer is yes, only certified will work.

 

Different brands of the same type of RAM differ in quality and spec. About 5 years ago Apple began checking RAM timing at startup to verify it's compatibility and stability. This caused quite a stir in the Mac community since RAM that once worked but was essentially {censored} just stopped working, but ultimately this did increase stability. (As an Apple Authorized Service Provider I can say first hand that "Bad RAM" problems did drop in frequency.) Because of this, many 3rd-party RAM manufacturers have stepped up the quality of their RAM due to getting a lot of it back marked as defective.

 

So you could buy the "certified" stuff, but it's only for the paranoid. I strongly recommend Crucial at NewEgg, myself. I maxed out my G4 tower with 2GB of it... Very nice.

 

Crucial, Samsung, just about any company whose RAM has been seen in an Apple system OEM can generally be trusted to work great with Apple hardware.

 

The type of RAM you're looking for can be found at NewEgg for $169.99 each. That's what I'd buy. Kingston's a little cheaper too. Looking at the other brands that they offer it's no surprise the "nobody" companies are dirt cheap while Kingston and Crucial are twice the price. You might get lucky, or you might get what you pay for. Just make sure you can send it back if it doesn't work.

 

EDIT: I've heard good things about Buffalo too, but not first hand. Your mileage may vary.

 

=)