How many RAM sticks are preinstalled on iMac and MacBook

[lteo]

I recently purchased an iMac (1GB RAM) and because I wanted to upgrade it to 2GB RAM without paying the Apple RAM tax, I also bought 2 x 1GB RAM sticks from Crucial at the same time.

When both orders arrived, I found that there was only 1 x 1GB RAM stick inside the iMac (instead of 2 x 512MB RAM sticks). If I knew that, I would have just ordered 1 x 1GB RAM stick from Crucial.

So my question is.. does this apply to MacBooks as well? For example, if I buy a MacBook with 2GB preinstalled from Apple, will it actually have just 1 x 2GB RAM stick, or will it have 2 x 1GB RAM sticks?

 

[Eidorian]

All MacBooks have both RAM slots occupied.

It might be a different story on certain refurbished models but that's up to chance.

 

[CanadaRAM]

You can always go to the Apple Store online and configure a machine, that will tell you what the base configuration is.

In almost all cases, the machines ship with a pair of modules -- so if you get a 1 GB machine it comes with 2 x 512, if you get a 2 GB machine it comes with 2 x 1 GB. I don't believe Apple has ever shipped a machine with a 2 GB SODIMM and one empty socket.

 

[TheIntruder]

Ever since the Al iMac, the stock 1GB configurations have had a single 1GB DIMM occupying one slot, leaving the second slot empty.

The 2GB configurations of the current Mid 2008 line have two 1GB sticks, and no empty slots.

All of this is noted in the tech specs that Apple provides, so head on over to the relevant pages for the MacBook.

 

[stainlessliquid]

I would imagine that 2x512 would be more expensive than 1x1gb. Since 512 isnt nearly as popular as 1gb anymore, which makes it more expensive to produce. They would likely go with whatever is the cheapest way to get 1gb.