lbonini1
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: To settle an argument I've been having...Official/Unofficial RAM Limits

Okay, so let's take the eMac I've been having trouble with, it's limit (Set by Apple) is 1GB and yet I've heard from other sources that the unofficial limit is 2GB, I think installing the extra gig would cause no problems, but the other person seems to think it would end up deteriorating the machine's performance and eventually killing it.

 

 

Who is correct, me or the other person?

Posted on Oct 27, 2013 8:44 PM

by BDAqua,Solvedanswer
BDAqua BDAqua
Level 10 (123,484 points)
A:

Hello,

 

Apples official limits are set by what size DIMMs are available at time of manufacture & never updated again, if your eMac does indded support 2 GB as mine does, then you''l see no degradtion, but vastly increased response & usefulness!

 

So we know more about it...

 

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, report the version of OSX from that window, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware> and report this upto but not including the Serial#...

 

Hardware Overview:

 

Model Name: eMac

Model Identifier: PowerMac6,4

Processor Name: PowerPC G4 (1.2)

Processor Speed: 1.42 GHz

Number Of CPUs: 1

L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 167 MHz

Boot ROM Version: 4.9.2f1

Posted on Oct 27, 2013 9:12 PM

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lbonini1

Q: To settle an argument I've been having...Official/Unofficial RAM Limits

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  • Helpful answers

  • by BDAqua,Solvedanswer

    BDAqua BDAqua Oct 27, 2013 9:12 PM in response to lbonini1
    Level 10 (123,484 points)
    Oct 27, 2013 9:12 PM in response to lbonini1

    Hello,

     

    Apples official limits are set by what size DIMMs are available at time of manufacture & never updated again, if your eMac does indded support 2 GB as mine does, then you''l see no degradtion, but vastly increased response & usefulness!

     

    So we know more about it...

     

    At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, report the version of OSX from that window, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware> and report this upto but not including the Serial#...

     

    Hardware Overview:

     

    Model Name: eMac

    Model Identifier: PowerMac6,4

    Processor Name: PowerPC G4 (1.2)

    Processor Speed: 1.42 GHz

    Number Of CPUs: 1

    L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB

    Memory: 2 GB

    Bus Speed: 167 MHz

    Boot ROM Version: 4.9.2f1

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Oct 27, 2013 10:02 PM in response to lbonini1
    Level 8 (35,000 points)
    iPad
    Oct 27, 2013 10:02 PM in response to lbonini1

    Like BD, I have a later eMac 1.42gHz that is happily running with 2GB RAM. However not just any old 1GB modules will do. They must be tested in Macs.

     

    This is the link and the vendor I used in going to 2GB. Known good stuff:

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/2700DDR1024/

     

    It is important to remember that there are two familes of eMacs--those with USB 1.1 ports and those with USB2.0. The USB1.1 eMacs have the model Identifier "PowerMac4,4" in System Profiler. A 4,4 eMac CANNOT use more than 1GB RAM (two 512MB modules). The USB 2.0 eMacs are coded "PowerMac6,4" ar BD posted adn will run perfectly with proper 1GB modules.

  • by matt warren1,

    matt warren1 matt warren1 Oct 28, 2013 11:08 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 2 (250 points)
    Oct 28, 2013 11:08 AM in response to BDAqua

    just to drop in. I have a mid 2009 macmini. it has stated a max ram of 4gig (2x 2gig chips). what I had loaded into it was 2x 4gig chips (total twice what is stated in specs) runs really great. use it mainly to run FCExpress4 with op sys 10.6.8.

    no faults, errors or any other mem troubles. .....interesting eh?

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Oct 28, 2013 4:05 PM in response to matt warren1
    Level 10 (123,484 points)
    Oct 28, 2013 4:05 PM in response to matt warren1

    Thanks for piping in Matt, yes, it's interesting & certainly true, I think it goes back to the Beige G3s, where Apple said Max was 384 MB, because 128 MB Dimms were the largest at it's release date, later 256 MB Dimm of that speed became available & all Beiges could use 768 MB of RAM.

  • by lbonini1,

    lbonini1 lbonini1 Oct 28, 2013 5:47 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 28, 2013 5:47 PM in response to BDAqua

    I really appreciate all the help this forum/discussion board has been giving me, I am going to go full-steam ahead with this eMac to get it up and running as a secondary computer (It's to replace a very slow PC) and even though this one may be slow as well, I'm pretty sure it won't crash every 15 minutes.

     

    Tomorrow, I'm going to be checking out the innards of the computer, is there anything odd I should look for in the PSU, or anywhere else that might indicate damage?

     

    (I already know the capacitors telltale signs, swollen, leaking, etc)

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Oct 28, 2013 6:09 PM in response to lbonini1
    Level 10 (123,484 points)
    Oct 28, 2013 6:09 PM in response to lbonini1

    Your likely aware of this, but be sure to blow the dust out good... every nook & crany.

     

    Replace the PRAM Battery if you haven't, & if you have, pull the PRAM Battery out if it won't have AC power for an extended time.