TITLE
    Power Macintosh: Composite DIMMs Not Recommended
Article ID:
Created:
Modified:
18195
7/18/95
8/16/00

TOPIC

    Are there any issues with Power Macintosh computers using Composite or Non-Composite DIMMs?


DISCUSSION

    Apple does not recommend or support composite DIMMs in any Macintosh model which uses 168-pin DIMMs.

    Composite DIMMs, like composite SIMMs, are made up of lower-density components to construct a single bank of memory. Combining multiple chips to achieve a larger sum of memory can load down the signal to a point where the signal becomes unreliable.

    Apple's Developer Note states the following:

    The number of DRAM devices in a RAM DIMM for the Power Macintosh 9500 computers is constrained by the load limits of the unbuffered signals. On each DIMM, a maximum of two devices can be connected to each data line and a maximum of eight devices can be connected to each /RAS line.

    DIMMs used with Apple's products are to meet the following JEDEC Joint Electron Device Engineering Council standards. Its mechanical design is defined by the MO-161 specification published by the JEDEC JC-11 committee; its electrical characteristics are defined by the JEDEC Standard No. 21-C.


Document Information
Product Area: Computers
Category: Power Macintosh
Sub Category: General Topics
Keywords: kppc, kpci, hts, supt

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