DIMM vs SDRAM

[ninjamini]

Help me out here. I was going to buy this memory today. The shmo at the apple store told me it was the wrong memory. He said its a DIMM and the mini needs SDRAM. Yea arent these the same thing? Will this stick on memory work?

Mac Mini speck:
256MB of PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM, supports up to 1GB

Best Buy memory:
Kingston Technology 1.0GB PC2700 DDR DIMM Memory Model: KVR333/1GR
1.0GB of memory to improve performance
333MHz operating speed
184-pin DDR dual in-line memory module (DIMM)

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6852499&type=product&id=1093468581193

[bluesky]

Hello

I purchased this exact memory module today and it works great (using the Mini with 1 GB now). I don't know what the guy you talked to was talking about.

Good luck!
_________________
Pascal Sijen
Co-Founder
www.abluesky.com

[curt]

PC2700 memory will work fine.
_________________
1.42GHz Mac mini
1.66GHz Intel Mac mini
2.0GHz 2009 Mac mini
46" Sony LCD
50" Sony KDS-50A2000
EyeTV 250 Plus
My Setup

[iMav]

The guy at the Apple store is on crack...
_________________
-=iMav=-
http://geekhack.org

[ninjamini]

OK hear is a valuable lesson relearned. I know never trust anyone that works in retail. They dont know anything and they talk out there butt. If they new anything they would know enough to not work in retail. I should know I work with retail to train them on what to say to customers.

The only time I ask retail is when I dont know anything on the subject. I feel I am there about the mac. Give me another month...I will me a mac genius.

[minimanic]

[greed]

Both Kingston and Apple are describing the same thing, with different terms. The most important terms are "PC2700" and "DIMM". "SDRAM" is understood, because PC2700 is a SDRAM specification.

So what do they mean?

SDRAM is "Synchronous Dynamic RAM"; a type of memory technology. Almost all RAM in common use today is SDRAM.
DIMM is a "Dual In-line Memory Module". All that means is the memory is on a little card, and there are two rows of connectors on it--the front and back side of the card where it goes into the motherboard socket. (Old hats will remember 72-pin and 30-pin "SIMM"s from 10 and 15 years ago--S for Single. Though it looked like contacts on both sides, the top and bottom contact for each pair were connected together.)

The one thing to watch out for is an "SO-DIMM", which is a Small Outline DIMM--these are used in laptops. There was one in the iMac G4, as well as a regular DIMM. The Mini uses regular DIMMs.

PC2700 specifies the speed in approximate bytes-per-second. Sometimes you'll hear people talk about MHz for the memory. PC2700 is 333 MHz; PC3200 is 400 MHz; and so on. The PC#### is found by multiplying the MHz number by 8 (since PC#### DIMMs are 8 bytes at a time). They use a nice round hundred number, so it's PC2700 instead of PC2664.

You'll also hear "DDR", which means "double data rate", which is an electronic trick to do more with a single timing signal. So, say your rate is 400 MHz, you can use a 200 MHz timing signal to coordinate everything. PC2700 is DDR.

So, basically, you've got exactly the right kind of memory for your Mini.

[ninjamini]

Thanx greed. Today I bought a 1GB 333MHz DDR desktop systems PC 2700 CL 2.5 184 pind DIMM. Got it for $55 - $5 rebate from Best buy. This price was a computer error. It should have been $115. They had the pruce tag up - I took advantage.

I will find out if it works in about an hour. Ounce I get up the nerve to stick my 2 $2.25 each mini opening tool. You know flexiable putty knives.

[g5g5]

[ninjamini]

Done. I uesd the two mini opening tools. It takes nurv and hans like a rock. I pryed it open and whammo...there it was. First I thought gee wiz where is that memory and there it was. Open clips, pull memory, match it to the new memory (last pin check) yep its the right stuff, push it in. check its seat to the board, reconnect computer...its boots!

About this mac "1 GB DDR". Who would have thought it. Shut down, remove connections slide mini into case. Yes g5g5 I did not line up those clips. I had to remove the mini again, no prob. I'm a pro, line up the clips, work the clips in and whammo new and 1 GB of memory. Wow it was easy.

What do i do w/ this 256? Its just like when I work on my car or when i put one of thoses flat pack peices of furniture together...Extra parts...what the heck am i suppoesd do do with those extra parts.

Humm. Should I get one of those internal DL DVD-RW. I was gonna get an external, but humm...

To be continued.

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