Macintosh Bible, 8th Edition, The

RAM Memory Types

Macs through the years have used various types and sizes of RAM. Here's a technical rundown of the types of memory modules used in Macs, through the mid-2001 models.

SDRAM

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) is the most common type of RAM manufactured as well as the most widely used and lowest in cost (due to high production volumes). Starting with the first Power Mac G3 (often called the Beige G3 or Platinum G3), Apple began using SDRAM in all models. SDRAM was required for the faster main system-bus speeds, which contributed to better overall performance. All Mac-compatible SDRAM modules must be 3.3-volt, unbuffered, 8-byte, nonparity, non-ECC types. (These are actually the most common.) Parity DIMMs use an extra ...