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MP 7,1 3rd party RAM vendors for Mac Pro 7,1

theatwar

theatwar

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2019
32
6
Hello all,

In the past I've always purchased my RAM upgrade from OWC (always very easy to locate and order the correct type of RAM on their page, depending on which Mac I had at the time, and it's covered by a lifetime warrenty plus trade-in offer for the RAM that ships with the original Apple computer).

Reading through the forum, I've read some different opinions that seem to suggest OWC is still a bit overpriced (though of course much cheaper than Apple), and that I should search for Samsung or Crucial.

I'm curious -- does anyone have any recommendations for 3rd party RAM vendors for the new Mac Pro 7,1 besides OWC? In my case, I'm looking to order 6x64GB LR-DIMM modules, for a total of 384GB of RAM. I would really appreciate any direct links (so I can be sure I'd be ordering the correct type of memory).

I tried finding the correct listing on the Crucial website, but they haven't listed the Mac Pro 7,1 in their directory (though I'm sure they have the 'correct' memory -- I'm just not smart enough to find it w/out some help.)
 
B

bxs

macrumors 65816
Oct 20, 2007
1,150
528
Seattle, WA
I understand you wanting to keep costs down, but my advice is to also consider the after purchase support from the vendor. Personally, I've always purchased extra RAM from OWC and have never had any issues with the RAM. I also have purchased a ton of other stuff from them and their after sales support is second to none. I've never bought RAM from Crucial or Samsung or goodness sakes, from eBay, so cannot speak to their after sales support. Maybe others here can chip in with this info for you.

For Crucial RAM look at -> https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/home-page/2019/6/9/new-mac-pro-specs-and-cost-what-we-know-so-far and page down to the RAM/Memory section where you will see a link to Crucial memory pricing...

"For the maximum of 1.5TB of RAM, we need 12 x 128GB DDR4 ECC memory cards. Looking at Crucial Memory, although not yet on the Crucial Memory website, there are examples of the CT128G4ZFJ426S memory module with a price of just over $2,000 per 128GB card making an eye watering $24,000 for the maximum 1.5TB.

As far as prices go for other RAM combinations, we have seen suggestions from 3rd parties (so not Apple memory prices) of four 2,666MHz 8GB modules costing $260 or 192GB costing $1,296. But the good news is because the memory on the Mac Pro 7,1 is using DIMM slots it will not be necessary to buy your extra RAM from Apple at their inflated pricing."
 
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bob_stan

bob_stan

macrumors regular
Oct 6, 2019
158
93
Central New York
+1 for OWC Support. I had a ram chip I bought from them for my 2013 Mac Pro fail after 3 years. They replaced the entire set immediately with no questions asked and no hastle. Their lifetime guarantee is legit!
 
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theatwar

theatwar

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2019
32
6
Thanks so much for the replies. I also have had OWC RAM fail, and they've been good about replacing it.

It does look like Crucial offers a limited lifetime warranty for their memory as well (https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/company-warranty), so just wanted to check out other options, especially if there is a big price difference without a loss in quality/warranty.

If I was to get 6x64GB sticks, which ones would be the equivalent to the LR-DIMMs recommended by Apple for memory upgrades over 384 GB? I found these on the Crucial website -- would they work?

https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct64g4lfq4266
 
klemsaba

klemsaba

macrumors member
Dec 9, 2012
56
31
I had OWC ram fail a couple of times and they didn't want to replace it b/c I didn't save the box. I eventually got them to agree to the swap so it ended well.
 
M

majus

Contributor
Mar 25, 2004
480
427
Oklahoma City, OK
theatwar said:
If you don't mind, could you check out if this matches the speed of the factory RAM?

https://www.newegg.com/samsung-64gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/1FR-004A-00002?Description=2933+DDR4+ECC+&cm_re=2933_DDR4_ECC-_-1FR-004A-00002-_-Product&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-AppleInsider&AFFID=1841495&AFFNAME=AppleInsider&ACRID=1&ASUBID=&ASID=https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/12/13/save-thousands-on-2019-mac-pro-ram-with-diy-upgrade&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=1841495&ranSiteID=SnlbqrT3b2s-UioRfbhmgAH.QqlAuOZ0uQ
Click to expand...
That's Quad Rank 4Rx4 memory; speed will be down-clocked so I would avoid it. Best choice would be Dual Rank -- 2Rx4 or even better would be 2Rx8.
 
theatwar

theatwar

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2019
32
6
Thanks again for the recommendation. I can't seem to find 'quad rank' or 'dual rank' differences when I'm searching for memory (apologies for my lack of knowledge). I'm hoping to get 384GB RAM for my system. Is this upgrade package from OWC Dual Rank? If not, could you link to the type of RAM I should be looking for?

https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/2933L6M384/
 
M

majus

Contributor
Mar 25, 2004
480
427
Oklahoma City, OK
theatwar said:
Thanks again for the recommendation. I can't seem to find 'quad rank' or 'dual rank' differences when I'm searching for memory (apologies for my lack of knowledge). I'm hoping to get 384GB RAM for my system. Is this upgrade package from OWC Dual Rank? If not, could you link to the type of RAM I should be looking for?
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/2933L6M384/
Click to expand...
Their specs don't indicate that but they can only be quad-rank, as I have since discovered.

I found this info:
============
Today, Dual Rank modules are available in 16 & 32GB capacities, but 64GB RDIMMs are Quad Rank, which are limited to 2 DIMMs per Channel at much slower speeds.

LRDIMMs can navigate outside of these restrictions through the use of the Memory Buffer chips. When a server is exclusively configured with LRDIMMs, the memory controllers in the processors automatically shift to Serial Mode – all data, command and control signals become packetized and transmitted to the Memory Buffer on the LRDIMMs. The Memory Buffer then handles all the Reads and Writes to the DRAM chips.

LRDIMMs greatly reduce the electrical loading of the DRAM chips onto the memory bus, and through a process called “Rank Multiplication,” transform a Quad Rank LRDIMM into a Dual Rank memory module for the memory controller.

and this...
Single-, dual-, and quad-rank DIMMs
To understand and configure memory protection modes properly, an understanding of single-, dual-, and quad-rank DIMMs is helpful. Some DIMM configuration requirements are based on these classifications.

A single-rank DIMM has one set of memory chips that is accessed while writing to or reading from the memory. A dual-rank DIMM is similar to having two single-rank DIMMs on the same module, with only one rank accessible at a time. A quad-rank DIMM is, effectively, two dual-rank DIMMs on the same module. Only one rank is accessible at a time. The server memory control subsystem selects the proper rank within the DIMM when writing to or reading from the DIMM.

Dual- and quad-rank DIMMs provide the greatest capacity with the existing memory technology. For example, if current DRAM technology supports 8-GB single-rank DIMMs, a dual-rank DIMM would be 16 GB, and a quad-rank DIMM would be 32 GB.

LRDIMMs are labeled as quad-rank DIMMs; however, they function more like dual-rank DIMMs. There are four ranks of DRAM on the DIMM, but the LRDIMM buffer creates an abstraction that allows the DIMM to appear as a dual-rank DIMM to the system. The LRDIMM buffer also isolates the electrical loading of the DRAM from the system to allow for faster operation. These two changes allow the system to support up to three LRDIMMs per memory channel, providing for up to 50% greater memory capacity and higher memory operating speed compared to quad-rank RDIMMs.
=============

So anything above 32GB DIMMS are not made as Dual Rank. I don't know how much the internal process of transformation to a Dual Rank for the System affects speed although it is faster.

OWC indicates the module is compatible so I would give it a try; it's always returnable if you aren't happy with it.

I hope this is of help to you; I'm learning new things too. :)
 
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M

majus

Contributor
Mar 25, 2004
480
427
Oklahoma City, OK
aliengirl said:
It looks like the 32GB (and up) RAM that apple is using is coming from Micron. So would this be a likely match?
https://www.memory4less.com/micron-64gb-ddr4-pc23400-mta72ass8g72lz-2g9d1
Click to expand...
Please note on that page under General Information, the item is described as "Refurbished". Not necessarily a bad thing, just to make sure you know.

::edit:: Just want to add that any site that puts that kind of information toward the bottom of the page earns my immediate distrust. Online reviews of memory4less.com tend to support that.
 
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aliengirl

macrumors newbie
Dec 15, 2019
9
2
majus said:
Please note on that page under General Information, the item is described as "Refurbished". Not necessarily a bad thing, just to make sure you know.

::edit:: Just want to add that any site that puts that kind of information toward the bottom of the page earns my immediate distrust. Online reviews of memory4less.com tend to support that.
Click to expand...
Ah- good catch- thank-you!

I think I will stick with a known vendor like Crucial. I know a lot of folks like OWC. They do have great customer service but I've personally had bad RAM from them in the past but have never had issues with Crucial. Crucial does not seem to offer the 2933 with LRDIMM. This one is RDIMM
https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT64G4RFD4293
 
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R

repoman27

macrumors 6502
May 13, 2011
485
167
To answer the theatwar's question directly, the best deal I've seen for 64GB DDR4-2933 ECC LRDIMMs is Samsung M386A8K40CM2-CVF modules for $281.99 from Superbiiz.

The site looks super ghetto, but they've been around for a while, and I've had decent luck ordering from them in the past. The modules in question have been validated by Intel for Cascade Lake Xeon platforms and are manufactured by one of the three companies that now produce >95% of all DRAM chips (Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix). They're also CL=21 modules that use conventional parts and don't employ more expensive 3DS die stacks made using TSVs.

This thread also seems to be as good a place as any to post some of the general info I've gathered regarding Mac Pro (2019) RAM upgrades. If you're not already savvy with upgrading memory on Intel's recent server platforms, there's a lot to digest.

Apple's pages on memory specifications and installing or replacing memory in the 2019 Mac Pro leave much to be desired. The illustrations have been simplified to the point where they no longer depict the way in which the DIMM slots are actually connected to the memory controllers. Although it shows a 2S server, this illustration from Thomas-Krenn makes the layout of the DIMM slots, memory channels, and memory controllers readily apparent and easy to comprehend. And while Apple provides plenty of do's and don'ts, for the sake of brevity they avoid explaining any of the reasons why. The best document I've seen thus far on the subject is actually a white paper published by Lenovo. They also include a handy table which shows the relative impact on memory bandwidth due to populating the DIMM slots differently.

Intel performs platform memory validation and publishes the results on their site. The results for Cascade Lake Xeons are in two separate documents: one for RDIMMs and another for LRDIMMs. I took the time to pare these lists down to the unique/orderable part numbers for what is currently available in the market and cross reference them with pricing from various sources.

288-pin DDR4-2933 (PC4-23400) CL=21 1.2V ECC Registered RDIMMs

DIMM SupplierDIMM Part NumberSizeCLRaw CardDRAM SupplierDie DensityWidthRankTotal DiesTotal PackagesFrom AppleURLFrom OEMURLFrom RetailerURL
CrucialCT8G4RFS82938GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$59.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct8g4rfs8293$52.91https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct8g4rfs8293~7CIAL7N0.htm
CrucialCT16G4RFS429316GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818$89.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct16g4rfs4293$76.71https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct16g4rfs4293~7CIAL7MX.htm
CrucialCT16G4RFD829316GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818$89.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct16g4rfd8293$76.71https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct16g4rfd8293~7CIAL7MY.htm
CrucialCT32G4RFS429332GB21C3Micron16Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT32G4RFS4293N/AN/A
CrucialCT32G4RFD429332GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$167.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct32g4rfd4293$149.65https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct32g4rfd4293~7CIAL7P4.htm
CrucialCT32G4RFD829332GB21E4Micron16Gbx8Dual1818$167.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT32G4RFD8293N/AN/A
CrucialCT64G4RFD429364GB21B3Micron16Gbx4Dual3636$336.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT64G4RFD4293N/AN/A
KingstonKSM29RS8/8MEI8GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$61.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RS8/8MEI$51.69https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rs8-8mei~7KIN93HK.htm
KingstonKSM29RS4/16MEI16GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818$100.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RS4/16MEI$83.54https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rs4-16mei~7KIN93HJ.htm
KingstonKSM29RD8/16MEI16GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818$100.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RD8/16MEI$83.53https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rd8-16mei~7KIN93HH.htm
KingstonKSM29RD4/32MEI32GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$184.60https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RD4/32MEI$152.65https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rd4-32mei~7KIN93HF.htm
MicronMTA9ASF1G72PZ-2G98GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$200.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1G2G/A/16gb-2x8gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta9asf1g72pz-2g9N/AN/A
MicronMTA18ASF2G72PZ-2G916GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta18asf2g72pz-2g9$95.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/16GB/MICRON/MTA18ASF2G72PZ-2G9E1.htm
MicronMTA18ASF2G72PDZ-2G916GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta18asf2g72pdz-2g9N/AN/A
MicronMTA36ASF4G72PZ-2G932GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$600.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1J2G/A/64gb-2x32gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta36asf4g72pz-2g9$209.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/32GB/MICRON/MTA36ASF4G72PZ-2G9E2.htm
SamsungM393A1K43DB1-CVF8GB21D1Samsung8Gbx8Single99N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A1K43DB1-CVF/$175.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/8GB/SAMSUNG/M393A1K43DB1-CVF.htm
SamsungM393A2K40CB2-CVF16GB21C2Samsung8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K40CB2-CVF/$89.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G4S4
SamsungM393A2K40DB2-CVF16GB21C2Samsung8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K40DB2-CVF/$78.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429SR16GS
SamsungM393A2K43CB2-CVF16GB21E2Samsung8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K43CB2-CVF/$91.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G8S
SamsungM393A2K43DB2-CVF16GB21E2Samsung8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K43DB2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM393A4G40AB3-CVF32GB21C3Samsung16Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4G40AB3-CVF/$201.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42932G4S2
SamsungM393A4G43AB3-CVF32GB21E3Samsung16Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4G43AB3-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM393A4K40CB2-CVF32GB21B2Samsung8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4K40CB2-CVF/$134.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42932G4S
SamsungM393A4K40DB2-CVF32GB21B2Samsung8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4K40DB2-CVF/$195.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/32GB/SAMSUNG/M393A4K40DB2-CVF.htm
SamsungM393A8G40MB2-CVF64GB21A2Samsung16Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A8G40MB2-CVF/$271.89https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42964G4S
SK hynixHMA81GR7CJR8N-WM8GB21D1SK hynix8Gbx8Single99N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2664&cseq=75$165.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/8GB/HYNIX/HMA81GR7CJR8N-WM.htm
SK hynixHMA82GR7CJR4N-WM16GB21C2SK hynix8Gbx4Single1818$400.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1H2G/A/32gb-2x16gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2669&cseq=75$75.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G4H
SK hynixHMA82GR7CJR8N-WM16GB21E2SK hynix8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2666&cseq=75$137.99https://www.avadirect.com/16GB-HMA8...z-CL21-ECC-Registered-Memory/Product/12621824
SK hynixHMA84GR7CJR4N-WM32GB21B2SK hynix8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2671&cseq=75$155.72https://www.avadirect.com/32GB-HMA8...z-CL21-ECC-Registered-Memory/Product/12890218

288-pin DDR4-2933 (PC4-23400) CL=21 1.2V ECC Load Reduced LRDIMMs

DIMM SupplierDIMM Part NumberSizeCLRaw CardDRAM SupplierDie DensityWidthRankTotal DiesTotal PackagesFrom AppleURLFrom OEMURLFrom RetailerURL
MicronMTA72ASS8G72LZ-2G964GB21E2Micron8Gb DDPx4Quad7236$1,400.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1K2G/A/128gb-2x64gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/lrdimm/part-catalog/mta72ass8g72lz-2g9N/AN/A
SamsungM386A8K40CM2-CVF64GB21D2Samsung8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386A8K40CM2-CVF/$281.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR64S1
SamsungM386A8K40DM2-CVF64GB21D2Samsung8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386A8K40DM2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM386AAG40MM2-CVF128GB21D2Samsung16Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386AAG40MM2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM386AAG40MMB-CVF128GB21D2Samsung16Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386AAG40MMB-CVF/$1,178.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR128S
SK hynixHMAA8GL7CPR4N-WM64GB21D2SK hynix8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2572&cseq=75$313.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR64GH
SK hynixHMABAGL7MBR4N-WM128GB21D2SK Hynix16Gb DDPx4Quad7236$3,000.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX8G2G/A/256gb-2x128gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/AN/AN/AN/A

Like other OEMs, Apple buys finished modules from Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix. Although they may differ aesthetically (different PCB color, screen printing, stickers, etc.) and include an OEM part number, they almost always retain the part number from the original component manufacturer. It is highly unlikely that one would encounter any intentional functional differences between SDRAM modules bearing the same part number. Now that the 2019 Mac Pros are shipping, it shouldn't take long for owners to report the part numbers from their particular builds, either by checking System Information or looking at the stickers on the modules. I listed Apple's pricing (price/DIMM or upgrade kit price/2) next to the modules I suspect they're using. The photos accompanying the Apple Store listings for the RDIMM based upgrade kits are somewhat identifiable, but the LRDIMM kits are only paired with generic images.

The big three memory manufacturers generally sell their product through OEM channels rather than retail. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo in turn all resell modules from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix with their own branding. Additionally, Micron sells to retail and direct to consumer under their Crucial brand, and Kingston assembles their own modules based on DRAM chips sourced from Micron and SK Hynix which they sell to retail and direct to consumer.

The problem with buying from OWC or iFixit is that you generally have no idea what you're actually getting or how thoroughly it was tested. These companies cater to the DIY market and provide fine service, but their pricing is usually not very competitive and the product can at times be questionable. They're like the Napa or O'Reilly of computer parts. They're convenient and you'll pay less than going to the dealership, but...
 
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A

arock

macrumors member
Apr 29, 2005
68
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theatwar

theatwar

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 8, 2019
32
6
Insanely helpful. Thank you so much for the information!

For the 64GB Samsung RAM listed in your chart -- do you know what the difference is between these two DIMM part numbers:

M386A8K40CM2-CVF

M386A8K40DM2-CVF


repoman27 said:
To answer the theatwar's question directly, the best deal I've seen for 64GB DDR4-2933 ECC LRDIMMs is Samsung M386A8K40CM2-CVF modules for $281.99 from Superbiiz.

The site looks super ghetto, but they've been around for a while, and I've had decent luck ordering from them in the past. The modules in question have been validated by Intel for Cascade Lake Xeon platforms and are manufactured by one of the three companies that now produce >95% of all DRAM chips (Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix). They're also CL=21 modules that use conventional parts and don't employ more expensive 3DS die stacks made using TSVs.

This thread also seems to be as good a place as any to post some of the general info I've gathered regarding Mac Pro (2019) RAM upgrades. If you're not already savvy with upgrading memory on Intel's recent server platforms, there's a lot to digest.

Apple's pages on memory specifications and installing or replacing memory in the 2019 Mac Pro leave much to be desired. The illustrations have been simplified to the point where they no longer depict the way in which the DIMM slots are actually connected to the memory controllers. Although it shows a 2S server, this illustration from Thomas-Krenn makes the layout of the DIMM slots, memory channels, and memory controllers readily apparent and easy to comprehend. And while Apple provides plenty of do's and don'ts, for the sake of brevity they avoid explaining any of the reasons why. The best document I've seen thus far on the subject is actually a white paper published by Lenovo. They also include a handy table which shows the relative impact on memory bandwidth due to populating the DIMM slots differently.

Intel performs platform memory validation and publishes the results on their site. The results for Cascade Lake Xeons are in two separate documents: one for RDIMMs and another for LRDIMMs. I took the time to pare these lists down to the unique/orderable part numbers for what is currently available in the market and cross reference them with pricing from various sources.

288-pin DDR4-2933 (PC4-23400) CL=21 1.2V ECC Registered RDIMMs

DIMM SupplierDIMM Part NumberSizeCLRaw CardDRAM SupplierDie DensityWidthRankTotal DiesTotal PackagesFrom AppleURLFrom OEMURLFrom RetailerURL
CrucialCT8G4RFS82938GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$59.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct8g4rfs8293$52.91https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct8g4rfs8293~7CIAL7N0.htm
CrucialCT16G4RFS429316GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818$89.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct16g4rfs4293$76.71https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct16g4rfs4293~7CIAL7MX.htm
CrucialCT16G4RFD829316GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818$89.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct16g4rfd8293$76.71https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct16g4rfd8293~7CIAL7MY.htm
CrucialCT32G4RFS429332GB21C3Micron16Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT32G4RFS4293N/AN/A
CrucialCT32G4RFD429332GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$167.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/ct32g4rfd4293$149.65https://www.provantage.com/crucial-technology-ct32g4rfd4293~7CIAL7P4.htm
CrucialCT32G4RFD829332GB21E4Micron16Gbx8Dual1818$167.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT32G4RFD8293N/AN/A
CrucialCT64G4RFD429364GB21B3Micron16Gbx4Dual3636$336.99https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/CT64G4RFD4293N/AN/A
KingstonKSM29RS8/8MEI8GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$61.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RS8/8MEI$51.69https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rs8-8mei~7KIN93HK.htm
KingstonKSM29RS4/16MEI16GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818$100.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RS4/16MEI$83.54https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rs4-16mei~7KIN93HJ.htm
KingstonKSM29RD8/16MEI16GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818$100.10https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RD8/16MEI$83.53https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rd8-16mei~7KIN93HH.htm
KingstonKSM29RD4/32MEI32GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$184.60https://www.kingston.com/us/memory/search?partId=KSM29RD4/32MEI$152.65https://www.provantage.com/kingston-technology-ksm29rd4-32mei~7KIN93HF.htm
MicronMTA9ASF1G72PZ-2G98GB21D1Micron8Gbx8Single99$200.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1G2G/A/16gb-2x8gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta9asf1g72pz-2g9N/AN/A
MicronMTA18ASF2G72PZ-2G916GB21C2Micron8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta18asf2g72pz-2g9$95.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/16GB/MICRON/MTA18ASF2G72PZ-2G9E1.htm
MicronMTA18ASF2G72PDZ-2G916GB21E2Micron8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta18asf2g72pdz-2g9N/AN/A
MicronMTA36ASF4G72PZ-2G932GB21B2Micron8Gbx4Dual3636$600.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1J2G/A/64gb-2x32gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/rdimm/part-catalog/mta36asf4g72pz-2g9$209.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/32GB/MICRON/MTA36ASF4G72PZ-2G9E2.htm
SamsungM393A1K43DB1-CVF8GB21D1Samsung8Gbx8Single99N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A1K43DB1-CVF/$175.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/8GB/SAMSUNG/M393A1K43DB1-CVF.htm
SamsungM393A2K40CB2-CVF16GB21C2Samsung8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K40CB2-CVF/$89.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G4S4
SamsungM393A2K40DB2-CVF16GB21C2Samsung8Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K40DB2-CVF/$78.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429SR16GS
SamsungM393A2K43CB2-CVF16GB21E2Samsung8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K43CB2-CVF/$91.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G8S
SamsungM393A2K43DB2-CVF16GB21E2Samsung8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A2K43DB2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM393A4G40AB3-CVF32GB21C3Samsung16Gbx4Single1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4G40AB3-CVF/$201.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42932G4S2
SamsungM393A4G43AB3-CVF32GB21E3Samsung16Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4G43AB3-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM393A4K40CB2-CVF32GB21B2Samsung8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4K40CB2-CVF/$134.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42932G4S
SamsungM393A4K40DB2-CVF32GB21B2Samsung8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A4K40DB2-CVF/$195.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/32GB/SAMSUNG/M393A4K40DB2-CVF.htm
SamsungM393A8G40MB2-CVF64GB21A2Samsung16Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M393A8G40MB2-CVF/$271.89https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42964G4S
SK hynixHMA81GR7CJR8N-WM8GB21D1SK hynix8Gbx8Single99N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2664&cseq=75$165.00https://www.serversupply.com/MEMORY/PC4-23400/8GB/HYNIX/HMA81GR7CJR8N-WM.htm
SK hynixHMA82GR7CJR4N-WM16GB21C2SK hynix8Gbx4Single1818$400.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1H2G/A/32gb-2x16gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2669&cseq=75$75.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D42916G4H
SK hynixHMA82GR7CJR8N-WM16GB21E2SK hynix8Gbx8Dual1818N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2666&cseq=75$137.99https://www.avadirect.com/16GB-HMA8...z-CL21-ECC-Registered-Memory/Product/12621824
SK hynixHMA84GR7CJR4N-WM32GB21B2SK hynix8Gbx4Dual3636N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2671&cseq=75$155.72https://www.avadirect.com/32GB-HMA8...z-CL21-ECC-Registered-Memory/Product/12890218
288-pin DDR4-2933 (PC4-23400) CL=21 1.2V ECC Load Reduced LRDIMMs


DIMM SupplierDIMM Part NumberSizeCLRaw CardDRAM SupplierDie DensityWidthRankTotal DiesTotal PackagesFrom AppleURLFrom OEMURLFrom RetailerURL
MicronMTA72ASS8G72LZ-2G964GB21E2Micron8Gb DDPx4Quad7236$1,400.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX1K2G/A/128gb-2x64gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/Ahttps://www.micron.com/products/dram-modules/lrdimm/part-catalog/mta72ass8g72lz-2g9N/AN/A
SamsungM386A8K40CM2-CVF64GB21D2Samsung8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386A8K40CM2-CVF/$281.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR64S1
SamsungM386A8K40DM2-CVF64GB21D2Samsung8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386A8K40DM2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM386AAG40MM2-CVF128GB21D2Samsung16Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386AAG40MM2-CVF/N/AN/A
SamsungM386AAG40MMB-CVF128GB21D2Samsung16Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/module/M386AAG40MMB-CVF/$1,178.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR128S
SK hynixHMAA8GL7CPR4N-WM64GB21D2SK hynix8Gb DDPx4Quad7236N/Ahttps://www.skhynix.com/products.view.do?vseq=2572&cseq=75$313.99https://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=D429LR64GH
SK hynixHMABAGL7MBR4N-WM128GB21D2SK Hynix16Gb DDPx4Quad7236$3,000.00https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MX8G2G/A/256gb-2x128gb-ddr4-ecc-memory-kitN/AN/AN/AN/A
Like other OEMs, Apple buys finished modules from Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix. Although they may differ aesthetically (different PCB color, screen printing, stickers, etc.) and include an OEM part number, they almost always retain the part number from the original component manufacturer. It is highly unlikely that one would encounter any intentional functional differences between SDRAM modules bearing the same part number. Now that the 2019 Mac Pros are shipping, it shouldn't take long for owners to report the part numbers from their particular builds, either by checking System Information or looking at the stickers on the modules. I listed Apple's pricing (price/DIMM or upgrade kit price/2) next to the modules I suspect they're using. The photos accompanying the Apple Store listings for the RDIMM based upgrade kits are somewhat identifiable, but the LRDIMM kits are only paired with generic images.


The big three memory manufacturers generally sell their product through OEM channels rather than retail. Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo in turn all resell modules from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix with their own branding. Additionally, Micron sells to retail and direct to consumer under their Crucial brand, and Kingston assembles their own modules based on DRAM chips sourced from Micron and SK Hynix which they sell to retail and direct to consumer.

The problem with buying from OWC or iFixit is that you generally have no idea what you're actually getting or how thoroughly it was tested. These companies cater to the DIY market and provide fine service, but their pricing is usually not very competitive and the product can at times be questionable. They're like the Napa or O'Reilly of computer parts. They're convenient and you'll pay less than going to the dealership, but...
Click to expand...
 
B

barnyard

macrumors member
Jul 19, 2010
98
89
Would either of these work? (not my auctions!)

www.ebay.com

64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV module Compatible with MEM-DR464L-HL02-ER29 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV module Compatible with MEM-DR464L-HL02-ER29 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV Intel Skylake Xeon Scalable, AMD EPYC CPU | eBay

These are TSV RDIMMs They cannot be mixed with regular RDIMMs! (They mix well with 128GB RDIMMs which are by default TSV). 64GB 1x64GB DDR4-2933, PC4-23400R 3DS (TSV) (RDIMM) Load Reduced, 1.2V, 288-pin.
www.ebay.com

64GB DIMMs for $175
 
Last edited:
B

bxs

macrumors 65816
Oct 20, 2007
1,150
528
Seattle, WA
theatwar said:
Hello all,

In the past I've always purchased my RAM upgrade from OWC (always very easy to locate and order the correct type of RAM on their page, depending on which Mac I had at the time, and it's covered by a lifetime warrenty plus trade-in offer for the RAM that ships with the original Apple computer).

Reading through the forum, I've read some different opinions that seem to suggest OWC is still a bit overpriced (though of course much cheaper than Apple), and that I should search for Samsung or Crucial.

I'm curious -- does anyone have any recommendations for 3rd party RAM vendors for the new Mac Pro 7,1 besides OWC? In my case, I'm looking to order 6x64GB LR-DIMM modules, for a total of 384GB of RAM. I would really appreciate any direct links (so I can be sure I'd be ordering the correct type of memory).

I tried finding the correct listing on the Crucial website, but they haven't listed the Mac Pro 7,1 in their directory (though I'm sure they have the 'correct' memory -- I'm just not smart enough to find it w/out some help.)
Click to expand...
I bought these from Amazon....
2 of: NEMIX RAM 128GB 4x32GB DDR4-2933 PC4-23400 2Rx4 ECC Registered Memory - Price $476.99 for each set.

Note: This 4x 32GB set is no longer available at this price. It has since been increased to $556.99 per set of 4. :oops: :(
 

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the_zee

the_zee

macrumors newbie
Aug 5, 2016
12
3
East Coast
Ordered both of these, 12x 32GB and 4 x 64GB - they work just fine; though it's a total "no-name" modules, but they successfully passed 96Hrs of torture tests with MemTest Pro; there is a drastic performance difference between 4 and 6 channel memory config in multi-core benchmarks. 64GB also worked just fine in my 18-core iMac Pro - they were intended for it.

barnyard said:
Would either of these work? (not my auctions!)

www.ebay.com

64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV module Compatible with MEM-DR464L-HL02-ER29 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV module Compatible with MEM-DR464L-HL02-ER29 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

www.ebay.com

64GB DDR4-2933Mhz RDIMM Memory TSV Intel Skylake Xeon Scalable, AMD EPYC CPU | eBay

These are TSV RDIMMs They cannot be mixed with regular RDIMMs! (They mix well with 128GB RDIMMs which are by default TSV). 64GB 1x64GB DDR4-2933, PC4-23400R 3DS (TSV) (RDIMM) Load Reduced, 1.2V, 288-pin.
www.ebay.com

64GB DIMMs for $175
Click to expand...
 
W

worldburger

macrumors member
Jan 27, 2008
44
5
the_zee said:
Ordered both of these, 12x 32GB and 4 x 64GB - they work just fine; though it's a total "no-name" modules, but they successfully passed 96Hrs of torture tests with MemTest Pro; there is a drastic performance difference between 4 and 6 channel memory config in multi-core benchmarks. 64GB also worked just fine in my 18-core iMac Pro - they were intended for it.
Click to expand...

could you elaborate on the drastic performance diff between 4 and 6 channel memory config in multi core tests?
 
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