Raedwald
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: How do I check the speed of the onboard RAM?

I've been told, not by a qualified Apple Engineer, that my on board RAM is the wrong speed for the processor.

Is there a way I can check this and agree or refute the claim?

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Mar 26, 2014 12:23 PM

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Raedwald

Q: How do I check the speed of the onboard RAM?

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Mar 26, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Raedwald
    Level 10 (271,879 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 26, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Raedwald

    Open About This Mac from the Apple menu. it tells you there the speed rating of your RAM. Compare that to the Apple memory specs for your computer.

     

    If you have not changed the memory in the computer, then Apple's installed memory will be the correct speed.

  • by Raedwald,

    Raedwald Raedwald Mar 26, 2014 3:16 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 26, 2014 3:16 PM in response to Kappy

    There's the thing, my MacBook tells me it has 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

    The iBook tells me it has 512MB - and that's it, no speed rating.

     

    Now I know that this iBook, a 1.42MHz, should have 512MB on the board,

    but there is 256MB in the slot. Therefore the on board RAM is only registering 256MB,

    but the speed rating is missing.

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Mar 26, 2014 3:29 PM in response to Raedwald
    Level 10 (271,879 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 26, 2014 3:29 PM in response to Raedwald

    Here's what it uses:

     

    Maximum Memory1.5 GB
    Memory Slots1 - PC-2700 DDR333 200-pin SO-DIMM

     

    The modules are 333 MHz.

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Mar 26, 2014 11:53 PM in response to Raedwald
    Level 6 (14,587 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 26, 2014 11:53 PM in response to Raedwald

    Is this a continuation of an earlier discussion involving an iBook G4 1.42

    14" portable, & RAM questions? {I found this while looking though...}

     

    The topic of qualified RAM (& total iBook G4 1.42GHz/1.33GHz model

    Mid-2005) was covered along with some other info in the other thread:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6017491?tstart=0

     

    So, it appears now the original question should have said you were

    trading RAM chips with an early MacBook (intel-based Mac) and

    that means quite a bit; on somuch as they aren't interchangable.

     

    And that does make a big difference, especially if troubleshooting.

    Not compatible. And in my other reply did not implicate it was.

     

    My early MacBook1.1 & iBook 12" 1.33 (mid-2005) can't share.

    One is intel-based, and the other is PowerPC based architecture.

     

    Did the 'non-tech Apple person' you spoke to know about this detail?

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by Raedwald,

    Raedwald Raedwald Mar 30, 2014 1:10 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 30, 2014 1:10 PM in response to K Shaffer

    Sorry K but I may have confused you.

     

    It was a second question about the same iBook and no I am not trading RAM between a Macbook and an iBook.

     

    I own both and on the Macbook I can see the RAM speed when I open 'About this Mac'

    On the iBook I don't get the speed when I open 'About this Mac'

    Therefore this second question about the iBook is only asking how I check the speed and I have already received info in that respect so all is now clear.

     

    Best Regards

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Mar 30, 2014 2:40 PM in response to Raedwald
    Level 6 (14,587 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 30, 2014 2:40 PM in response to Raedwald

    OK...

     

    Maybe. Easily confused, with the manner the topic was written and I wondered

    because otherwise most of the discussion made sense, so that part threw me.

     

    However, there are those who find a 200-pin chip and figure if that was OK

    then a 204-pin should be even better, more or less; with a few pins to spare.

    So, I wonder with a different reference in the same general topic. I've seen

    a mix of different RAM chips between iMac (intel) and MacBook/Pro where

    they fit but don't work under a load in one, but OK in the other. A low-power

    chip in a portable makes sense with battery life, cooling efficiency, and etc.

    But that is what specs are all about; something to throw into the mix, too.

     

    Since the iBook G4 PPC with a different version of OS X does not have the

    same kind of System Profiler info, linked in About This Mac, some aspects

    of information between system architecture appears different. And in an odd

    way, with the latest greatest OS X this difference in appearances also affects

    how one may consider what is enough RAM; when in the older OS X the

    same numbers may have not seemed enough. (Fact is, OS X still likes RAM.)

     

    Good luck & happy computing!