Back-panel and memory help needed by new Mac Switcher
March 23, 2005 7:32 AM Subscribe
Received the shiny iMac G5 yesterday, along with 512 mb RAM from Crucial. Can't get the memory to fit in the slot. Replaced back panel for the meantime but couldn't get it flush again. Newbie nerves, indeed. Help!
Response by poster: Oh, I read the directions a zillion times...I just can't seem to get the back panel to go back on correctly. It won't lay flush. Are those tabs supposed to go into the slots on the back panel? Aaaah! I pounded on my floor in frustration last night.
posted by desuetude at 8:00 AM on March 23, 2005
posted by desuetude at 8:00 AM on March 23, 2005
What about the chip won't fit? Is the little "cutout" in the wrong place? Is it the wrong size altogether? Is it just too stiff? I hate to say it, but sometimes getting RAM in requires a little more force than you might think. Be careful though!
It's possible they sent you the wrong chip, too. I got a mislabeled chip from OWC once; the sales people were flabbergasted that it could have happened. They replaced it overnight for free.
posted by bcwinters at 8:02 AM on March 23, 2005
It's possible they sent you the wrong chip, too. I got a mislabeled chip from OWC once; the sales people were flabbergasted that it could have happened. They replaced it overnight for free.
posted by bcwinters at 8:02 AM on March 23, 2005
Best answer: Yes, the tabs are supposed to go into the slots. It may take a bit of fiddling to get them to fit "perfect" - it does every time for me, and I've had to take the back off my iMac G5 three or four times (including an entire midplane replacement).
posted by mrbill at 9:10 AM on March 23, 2005
posted by mrbill at 9:10 AM on March 23, 2005
Best answer: You probably haven't inserted the RAM completely. The first time I installed memory on my Mac, I was terrified of breaking it, and was too timid. It requires quite a bit of force to get it all the way in. You should feel it "click" in place, and the side clips (or whatever they're called) should latch on very easily. The memory shouldn't be touching the back panel (or anything else).
posted by Sibrax at 9:40 AM on March 23, 2005
posted by Sibrax at 9:40 AM on March 23, 2005
Response by poster: RE: The memory
If I flip it so that the label is facing down (is this typical?) the cutout is in the right place. It seems to fit, but won't "click" in enough to allow me to close the two side bracket-things? How much force are we talking here?! I thought I was being pretty forceful without being destructive...
RE: The back
There must be an angling issue that I'm not getting. I thought that I had tried every imaginable tilting and sliding maneuverer, but to no avail. Are the tabs flexible enough to line it up and push straight down? (I tried that, but was afraid to use too much force, since it didn't seem to be working.) Do you line up the back flush with the front and then wiggle it into place, or start low and move up to make it flush? Right now the machine is back together, but the ridge with the slots in it is visible.
BTW, I gave up on the memory for the evening and *then* found that I couldn't get the back on, either. So it's not the extra memory keeping the back from fitting into place.
posted by desuetude at 9:58 AM on March 23, 2005
If I flip it so that the label is facing down (is this typical?) the cutout is in the right place. It seems to fit, but won't "click" in enough to allow me to close the two side bracket-things? How much force are we talking here?! I thought I was being pretty forceful without being destructive...
RE: The back
There must be an angling issue that I'm not getting. I thought that I had tried every imaginable tilting and sliding maneuverer, but to no avail. Are the tabs flexible enough to line it up and push straight down? (I tried that, but was afraid to use too much force, since it didn't seem to be working.) Do you line up the back flush with the front and then wiggle it into place, or start low and move up to make it flush? Right now the machine is back together, but the ridge with the slots in it is visible.
BTW, I gave up on the memory for the evening and *then* found that I couldn't get the back on, either. So it's not the extra memory keeping the back from fitting into place.
posted by desuetude at 9:58 AM on March 23, 2005
Best answer: The side clips are attached to levers inside the slot, so as you push the memory in they'll automatically close. You shouldn't have to touch them when installing memory. Also, I don't think there's a standard side to label memory. And if it's visually the same size and shape as the slot, it's unlikely to be the wrong kind, so I'd give it another go.
If that doesn't work, take all the bits and pieces to the nearest Apple Store. They'll install the RAM and put everything back together, possibly for a small fee.
posted by cillit bang at 10:58 AM on March 23, 2005
If that doesn't work, take all the bits and pieces to the nearest Apple Store. They'll install the RAM and put everything back together, possibly for a small fee.
posted by cillit bang at 10:58 AM on March 23, 2005
Response by poster: cillit bang: Don't think that the Apple store would be jazzed/willing to install memory I bought from Crucial. It's a last resort anyway, as the closest Apple store is still a royal pain for me to get to.
(However, if I get the RAM in and still can't get the back panel placed correctly, do you think they'd fuss/notice non-Apple-procured RAM?)
posted by desuetude at 11:12 AM on March 23, 2005
(However, if I get the RAM in and still can't get the back panel placed correctly, do you think they'd fuss/notice non-Apple-procured RAM?)
posted by desuetude at 11:12 AM on March 23, 2005
I can't speak to your issue as I haven't gotten new ram yet. However, a comment that may be useful for the future: I was going to buy from Crucial but needed it shipped to an address that didn't match my CC# and they wouldn't do that. So I went to eBay.
Searching for "G5 Ram" or "imac ram" on eBay got me lots of results around the same price as Crucial. I then decided to leave the Mac out of the loop and just search for the ram. I searched for "PC3200" and "PC 3200" and found a few sticks for about half the price of the ones labeled for Macs. I think they're PC sellers who just don't know that the ram will work in Macs so they leave all references to Apple out of their auction descriptions. As a result, there were a lot less people bidding. I got a 1gig stick (new) for us$102.50 and $5 to ship. It's on its way now. The brand is Kensington which I understand is decent ram.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:14 AM on March 23, 2005
Searching for "G5 Ram" or "imac ram" on eBay got me lots of results around the same price as Crucial. I then decided to leave the Mac out of the loop and just search for the ram. I searched for "PC3200" and "PC 3200" and found a few sticks for about half the price of the ones labeled for Macs. I think they're PC sellers who just don't know that the ram will work in Macs so they leave all references to Apple out of their auction descriptions. As a result, there were a lot less people bidding. I got a 1gig stick (new) for us$102.50 and $5 to ship. It's on its way now. The brand is Kensington which I understand is decent ram.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 11:14 AM on March 23, 2005
There's been a lot of discsussion at Macintouch lately about A) bad RAM, B) bad RAM slots, and C) Apple's extreme position that non-Apple RAM is the cause of any problem you send a Mac in to have fixed--including broken powerbook hinges.
There's an interesting note just today from someone in the RAM business who says that there's more to compatibility than the nominal specs, so just because it sounds like it should work doesn't necessarily mean that it will. Worth a look.
WRT the original question--I'll corroborate that installing RAM takes more force than you feel comfortable applying to your mobo. Can't help with the housing issue.
posted by adamrice at 11:23 AM on March 23, 2005
There's an interesting note just today from someone in the RAM business who says that there's more to compatibility than the nominal specs, so just because it sounds like it should work doesn't necessarily mean that it will. Worth a look.
WRT the original question--I'll corroborate that installing RAM takes more force than you feel comfortable applying to your mobo. Can't help with the housing issue.
posted by adamrice at 11:23 AM on March 23, 2005
Apple has no problem with third-party RAM - it's an outsourced service centre that's being ridiculous. The first message today mentions the local Apple Store helping re-install RAM that the service centre removed.
posted by cillit bang at 1:10 PM on March 23, 2005
posted by cillit bang at 1:10 PM on March 23, 2005
Response by poster: To my fantastic auxillary tech support/Mac-switch support team:
I'll give it another go when I get home from work and report back this evening or tomorrow.
posted by desuetude at 1:38 PM on March 23, 2005
I'll give it another go when I get home from work and report back this evening or tomorrow.
posted by desuetude at 1:38 PM on March 23, 2005
We put a 512 from Crucial in my iMac G5. The hubby - who does a lot of that sort of thing - was nevertheless amazed at how much force it required.
posted by web-goddess at 1:57 PM on March 23, 2005
posted by web-goddess at 1:57 PM on March 23, 2005
In addition to reiterating what everyone has said about the frightening amount of force required to insert RAM, I would like to add that I found it helpful to try and exert equal pressure on both ends of the stick at the same time. Otherwise, I'd slip in one end, and the other would stick out, then I'd switch and get it opposite.
posted by MrZero at 5:33 PM on March 23, 2005
posted by MrZero at 5:33 PM on March 23, 2005
Response by poster: I'm posting this from my new shiny iMac-with-improved-memory-and-correctly-installed-back panel.
Whoo hooo! [happy dance]
Contrary to MrZero's experience, I found that pushing on the middle was not successful, but substantial pressure on one side (click!) then sliding over to the other (click!) worked.
I got the back panel re-installed correctly as well. To any future new iMac users with the same problem: I found that pressing down while holding the panel at an angle was the trick. Again, using more force than I thought that I would need.
Addtional 20/20 hindsight note: Installing RAM not recommended after a long, crappy day. It's not difficult, but is not easily accomplished when already frustrated.
posted by desuetude at 5:56 PM on March 23, 2005
Whoo hooo! [happy dance]
Contrary to MrZero's experience, I found that pushing on the middle was not successful, but substantial pressure on one side (click!) then sliding over to the other (click!) worked.
I got the back panel re-installed correctly as well. To any future new iMac users with the same problem: I found that pressing down while holding the panel at an angle was the trick. Again, using more force than I thought that I would need.
Addtional 20/20 hindsight note: Installing RAM not recommended after a long, crappy day. It's not difficult, but is not easily accomplished when already frustrated.
posted by desuetude at 5:56 PM on March 23, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
scroll down and select your computer..
good luck..!
posted by HuronBob at 7:46 AM on March 23, 2005