Mac Pro Memory Questions

[film grain]

I'd like to add some more memory to my Mac Pro.

Currently have 2GB (4 x 512MB).

I know it's recommended to fill 4 slot with the same size modules, but can I add 2 x 1GB modules now and then 2 more later. It just reduces speed/efficiency right? I'm still better off with 4GB instead of 2GB, right?

Also, any recommedations for a good place to order MacPro memory?

 

[Greg Eddinger]

If it is like my powermac then each bank has to have the same chips. I have 2 x 256 in one bank and 2 x 512 in the other bank. Basically a total of 1.5 Ggs ram Also do not use different manufactures in the same bank even if they are the same size.

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[john grayson]

If it is like my powermac then each bank has to have the same
chips. I have 2 x 256 in one bank and 2 x 512 in the other bank.
Basically a total of 1.5 Ggs ram Also do not use different
manufactures in the same bank even if they are the same size.

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

it's NOT like your powermac. the macpro requires ram installed in pairs (like the later G5s) but for optimal performance you should install pairs of pairs. the macpro has 4 memory channels 2 on the top riser and 2 on the bottom, you can just put 2 chips in the top but the machine will operate best when using equal chips in all for channels.

--
/ john
/ http://www.johngrayson.com
/ http://www.suffocate.us

 

[Leica King]

Ramjet is a good reputable company, I ordered 4 gigs of memory from them (4 sticks of 1GB ram)

Yes you need to populate both trays and best performance is 2 sticks on the top tray, two sticks on the bottom tray.

The biggest thing you need to be concerned with when ordering Mac pro memory is that they have the Apple spec heatsinks.

 

[Greg Eddinger]

John...... 2 identical chips in one bank is pairing. That is what is required on my 2005 G5 1.8. It is not required to have identically paired banks, but identically paired chips in each bank.
I think these links will help explain it for you.

http://www.edgetechcorp.com/memory/upgrade.asp?cid=15523

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86414

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

john grayson say's
it's NOT like your powermac. the macpro requires ram installed in
pairs (like the later G5s) but for optimal performance you should
install pairs of pairs. the macpro has 4 memory channels 2 on the
top riser and 2 on the bottom, you can just put 2 chips in the top
but the machine will operate best when using equal chips in all for
channels.

 

[geoduck]

Greg:

No, john grayson is accurate and your reply to him is less so. G5s FYI contain a different architecture than a Mac Pro and this impacts the optimal memory configuration suggested by Apple. I think "pairs of pairs" is a nice way to put it.
I think this link will help explain it for you.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304492

http://www.edgetechcorp.com/memory/upgrade.asp?cid=15523

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86414

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

john grayson say's
it's NOT like your powermac. the macpro requires ram installed in
pairs (like the later G5s) but for optimal performance you should
install pairs of pairs. the macpro has 4 memory channels 2 on the
top riser and 2 on the bottom, you can just put 2 chips in the top
but the machine will operate best when using equal chips in all for
channels.

 

[Greg Eddinger]

Are you saying that the answer to the original thread is no?

"can I add 2 x 1GB modules now and then 2 more later. It just reduces speed/efficiency right? I'm still better off with 4GB instead of 2GB, right?"
geoduck Here is a clip from the link you sent me.

Note: DIMMs must be installed in pairs of equal size from the same vendor. For instance, you must not have one or three DIMMs on either riser at any time. Additionally, two DIMMs from different vendors should not be combined and used as a pair.

Other configurations of DIMM pairs are still compatible with Final Cut Pro, but may not achieve the same performance levels as when DIMM pairs are installed on both risers evenly.

So again the anwer is seems to be Yes as the above sentence states. So long as they are paired identically
Hmm

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[geoduck]

Greg,

Again, john grayson's response is accurate and sufficiently responds to the OP's query or queries if you will; yours is not accurate.
The link I provided points to Apple's confirmation of that.

I don't know if you are picking a fight with me over nothing, or cannot handle having someone else point out a small error, or just like to see your words on the screen, but you are not adding any value to the discussion here.

 

[Greg Eddinger]

The link you provided seems to indicate the that they indeed can install identical pairs and use different configurations as well. Is that not correct? I think that supports my point.
Again are you saying the answer to the OP Q is no?
I'm not trying to aggravate anyone. In fact I'm not the one who used caps.

Just because you don't agree with me doesn't mean that you are right. You may be right, but you have not said anything other than I sent a link so I'm right to support your interpretation of that article.

I haven't been as arrogant as to make personal comments suppositions and innuendoes. You indeed have. Show me where I have been discourteous. I have been a member of DPR since 1999 and that is not my style, however I will dog a troll or flamer. I just want the truth about pairing. It is very possible that you don't understand my point. Name calling of non combative members does nothing for this thread or community.

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[film grain]

gee, this thread has me more confused than before I asked the darn question.

I didn't bother reading everyone's replies, but I think someone is wrong.

Anyway, I found the answer myself...

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacPro_MemoryDIMM_DIY.pdf

 

[Greg Eddinger]

thanks. That is the answer.
Sorry film grain.
Just wanted to make sure that we all got it right.
You had a great question I learned from it thanks to your final post.

It was important for me to know this. I do all of my upgrades and maintain all of my mac equipment.
I live in a rual area and it's about an hour from the nearest apple store.
Best wishes

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[Scott Weierich86292]

FYI Greg; living an hour from an Apple Store can't be THAT rural.

By the way, I live 3 hours from the nearest Apple Store but still not in a very rural area.

I live in a rual area and it's about an hour from the nearest apple
store.
Best wishes

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

--
Scott

 

[Greg Eddinger]

Hey Scott.

FYI Greg; living an hour from an Apple Store can't be THAT rural.

Well Lake Arrowhead California is 4,700' above the flatland below.
I'm at about 5,450' and it may be debateble as to the authenticity of rural.

Most of us that live here do consider it just that. When we only have two roads to escape when things go bad. We have no stop lights. The largest chain store is a stator bros, (grocery chain) maybe that disqualifies us.. It's a private community and we own the lake. We actually drink our own water. Uh the lake water that is.

As a mac consultant do you repair , sell networks or just warn people about buying pc's? > )

I live in a rural area and it's about an hour from the nearest apple
store.
Best wishes

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

--
Scott

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[john grayson]

gee, this thread has me more confused than before I asked the darn
question.

I didn't bother reading everyone's replies, but I think someone is
wrong.

Anyway, I found the answer myself...

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/MacPro_MemoryDIMM_DIY.pdf

just read my response and you will have your answer. the macpro's memory runs on quad channels, 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom.... you can put in just a pair on the top riser but in order for the system to take full advantage of the ram all 4 channels need to be filled with equal chips, 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom - hence pairs of pairs.

the powermac g5's memory runs on 2 channels, meaning you have to install in pairs but g5's memory doesn't have quad channels therefor doesn't need pairs of pairs.

the ram between the old powermacs and the ne mac pros are completely different. the macpro uses fully-buffered ram that require heat sinks to keep them cool enough to run at full speed.

bottom line: yes you can just install 2 chips (a pair) BUT in order for your system to be fully optimized you need to use 4 chips (a pair in riser a and a pair in riser b).... and no it's not the same as ram in powermacs.

people who give you different information most likely don't own a macpro and have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

--
/ john
/ http://www.johngrayson.com
/ http://www.suffocate.us

 

[kensweden]

Disrearding all of the above I beleive you asked one question about makes and memory providers. Cruzial is reputed to have good memory for the MacPro. They have an online store. Talking to some mac users and dealers here in Sweden and they all say cruzial is greaat.

http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=Mac+Pro

Cheers
ken

E1 +SHLD-2, ZD14-54, ZD 50-200, EX-25, VLA-1, Fl-36, B+W Käseman Circ Pol, B+W UV MRC, B+W ND2, Cokin ND grad, Gitzo 2220, Ballhead 1276(?) and LowePro Dry Zone Rover, Sandisk and Transcend CF cards, PS CS2, Olymous Viewer, MacPro + Cinema display

http://www.ephotozine.com/user.cfm?user=19806

 

[Greg Eddinger]

bottom line: yes
you can just install 2 chips (a pair) BUT in order
for your system to be fully optimized you need to use 4 chips (a
pair in riser a and a pair in riser b).... and no it's not the same
as ram in powermacs.

Thanks John:
I was really getting confused.
--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

 

[Scott Weierich86292]

Ah, I better understand your rural area. Only an hour to an Apple retail store? Where is the store? I live in a city of about 20,000 (Derby) right outside of Wichita, KS. The nearest Apple store is a toss-up between the one in KC, MO and the one in OKC, OK. By the way, we drink lake water too...from Lake Cheney which supplies the City of Wichita and several other cities like ours with all our water. Pheew in the summer when there are near constant algae blooms.

I do anything Mac and don't do Windows. I sell, repair, train, trouble shoot, network, deploy software and perpipherals, etc. I litterally will do anything that is Mac related and have clients as far away as nearly 2 hours. It was a business that grew out of a passion for my hobby and I have been running it since 1998. Strictly after 5, on weekends and over my lunch break from my daytime job where I sell telephone and internet services to local businesses. Occasionally I am fortunate enough to be backed up enough on service calls that I take a vacation day from my daytime job to get caught up. The funny thing about my Mac business is that the main reason I finally started it was that my wife in so many words told me about 9 years ago that I could not spend anymore family money on my computers and if I wanted to buy more stuff for my hobby I needed to find another way to finance it. My first paying customer was a local design shop owner who needed help with him home machine. At the time I was working as a sales rep for Newer Technology (remember them?!) and he called in wanting to buy an upgrade card and asked if I knew anyone who could come to his house to help him install it. I was on my way home anyway, but he insisted on paying me $100 for my time. Now I have about 50 customers, some of which I only hear from once every year or two when disaster strikes.

By the way I used ALWAYS warn people about PeeCees; now I focus more on touting the dual boot capabilities to first time Mac shoppers. I STILL warn them about Windows! ;-)

FYI Greg; living an hour from an Apple Store can't be THAT rural.

Well Lake Arrowhead California is 4,700' above the flatland below.
I'm at about 5,450' and it may be debateble as to the authenticity
of rural.
Most of us that live here do consider it just that. When we only
have two roads to escape when things go bad. We have no stop
lights. The largest chain store is a stator bros, (grocery chain)
maybe that disqualifies us.. It's a private community and we own
the lake. We actually drink our own water. Uh the lake water that
is.
As a mac consultant do you repair , sell networks or just warn
people about buying pc's? > )

I live in a rural area and it's about an hour from the nearest apple
store.
Best wishes

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

--
Scott

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!

--
Scott

 

[Greg Eddinger]

Ah, I better understand your rural area. Only an hour to an Apple
retail store? Where is the store?

Rancho Cucamunga, CA
Victoria Gardens Apple or should I say iPod store.

By the way I used ALWAYS warn people about PeeCees; now I focus
more on touting the dual boot capabilities to first time Mac
shoppers. I STILL warn them about Windows! ;-)

Have you tried Crossover for PC to Mac conversions?

I really don't want to install XP, norton, paralelles. I just need to use PC Explorer, Mac not supported by part of my clients side of the industry. And Qimage pro. They have no plans on creating a UB for mac but have a link to crossover on their site.

--
Gregory Eddinger
Those that believe they can, CAN because they BELIEVE!