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Can I desolder the built in RAM to get more than 1.25gig?

I have an ibook g4 which I'd love to continue using as a backup computer for some audio work I do. I think I need just a bit more than the max amount of RAM available in standard configurations, 1.25 gig. I'm wondering how hard or worth it might be to desolder the puny 256 meg ram chip from the mother board and add another 1 gig chip? I'm afraid I already know the answer (I'm assuming, #1 possible, but #2 very difficult or #3 computer won't address larger ram chip in that slot). If that is the case, would it be possible to put in a 1.42Ghz logic board in the ibook? Would an SSD help the situation speedwise? Any and all responses appreciated. Thanks for your help in advance.

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The ibook G4 1.42 14" logic board would not fit in your 1.33 case.

- internal metal frame

- hard drive socket/ribbon cable/hd retainer

- top case connector/trackpad

- airport card

- reed switch module/magnet

- inverter cable

- heatsink

are not compatibles.

Maybe you should sell your iBook and look for a cheap first generation macbook on ebay for a faster processor, more ram and a better video card.

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You are very right with your assumtions. I think it's beyond a laymans ability to tweak anything with the inbuild RAM. You say that it's a backup machine, so why is the RAM not not enough? A SSD would certainly speed everything up, but keep in mind that the interface is PATA, so the speed gain isn't that great.

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Hello remacberlin, thanks for the response! It's a backup machine but the software I'm running needs to operate stably in order for it to be useful as such, and currently it's not stable enough for me to trust it. I'm not a total layman when it comes to a soldering gun, but I'm afraid that the temperature sensitivity of the components on the logic board might still put this out of my reach abilitywise. It's sounding like I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and buy a used macbook. If I could desolder the ram would the laptop be able to address more ram in that slot anyway?

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I don't know if this will solve your problem but have you considered flash memory. I am including a link showing several ways you could receive the benefits of improved memory by loading your OS or other data on a flash stick leaving the rest of your memory available for running your program.

http://www.macworld.com/article/54472/20...

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Andrew will be eternally grateful.
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