Adding More RAM

[MikeM87]

Hey Guys,

I have the 21.5" iMac (base) model and was just wondering how much difference upgrading the RAM from 4gb to 8gb will make?

The machine is by no means slow it was just to future proof it really.

Also whats the maximum amound of RAM that can be put in this model? 8gb, 16gb?

Finally which RAM would you recommend? I dont mind spending the money on it but not from Apple.

As many of you know the price they charge for a upgrade of RAM is abit on the cheeky side. Also i work as an IT engineer so its not a problem for me to replace this.

Cheers guys!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Depending on your usage, more RAM can be useful:

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Have a look at Activity Monitor (Applications / Utilities /) and check the "System Memory" tab to see what your "Page ins:", "Page outs:" and "Swap used:" are.

image below uses sorting by CPU as an example

Further reading:

Mac OS X: Reading system memory usage in Activity Monitor
Making The Most of Activity Monitor
What Is Activity Monitor (or How to Take Your Mac's Pulse)​

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The iMac you have can have a maximum RAM capacity of 16 to 32 GB RAM, depending on when you got the iMac. iMacs from 2011 can support up to 32 GB RAM.

A good place to get RAM is Crucial, Corsair, Newegg or OWC.