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How much RAM are you going with on the new 2012 27-inch iMac?

How much RAM are you going with on the new 2012 27-inch iMac?

  • Total voters
    200
I wish you could save $200 and buy it with 0 and pay $160 for 32 gig and be ahead $40!

I ordered mine with the standard 8. I'll buy 16 or 32 and have 24 or 32 in the end. Smart buy is probably to just get 16 on top of the factory 8 and have 24.
 
coolosxapps said:
What do you think is the best RAM option to future-proof your new iMac?
Click to expand...

"Future Proofing" electronics is as much fantasy as mermaids unless you live in a dystopian world where progress is ceased like the one in the Revolution TV show.

The stock 8GB is more than fine for general computing purposes. The only reason one would need more is they edit a lot... a lot of high resolution photos or do a lot of video editing...or plan on regularly using Windows via Parallels or Fusion.

If you don't meet any of these criteria put your money away and use it toward your next computer. It's far easier and less expensive to regularly sell your computer and buy a new one than spend money on upgrades you may never need but hold on to that computer till it's functionally obsolete.

Buy the computer you need, not the one you think you will need in a year or two. Who knows what work you'll be doing with your computer then.
 
Warranty/AppleCare Problems?

I was going to get 16GB from Apple, but after reading this thread I'd love to save a bundle getting my own memory (which I know how to install)... But I don't want to run into a gotcha situation later if something breaks.

Pardon my naivete in asking this, but does installing third-party memory void Apple's warranty or cause any issues with AppleCare?
 
I'm really considering getting the new iMac, with gtx 680mx, the card is close to desktop standards, probably going to order the standard 8gb on the 27incher and then upgrade to 16gb, will be doing 3d rendering on this.
 
I remember paying £120 for 2G of ram.

£120 now gets me 32G of ram in 4 sticks of 8G ????

BITE YOUR HANDS OFF !!!
 
Chupa Chupa said:
The stock 8GB is more than fine for general computing purposes. The only reason one would need more is they edit a lot... a lot of high resolution photos or do a lot of video editing...or plan on regularly using Windows via Parallels or Fusion.

If you don't meet any of these criteria put your money away and use it toward your next computer.
Click to expand...

ummm.... okay....

That kind of statement makes no sense.

All you need is to regularly use an application that consumes a lot of memory to actually need that memory.

I don't do video editing not do I edit high resolution photos, yet I have to manually close apps here and there on my 8Gb system to prevent the beach ball and slowdowns...
 
apleifer said:
I was going to get 16GB from Apple, but after reading this thread I'd love to save a bundle getting my own memory (which I know how to install)... But I don't want to run into a gotcha situation later if something breaks.

Pardon my naivete in asking this, but does installing third-party memory void Apple's warranty or cause any issues with AppleCare?
Click to expand...

No, they've designed it so you can DIY.
 
I'm adding 32gb. Already ordered from Crucial. Of this 32gb, will set up 5gb as RAMDISK. Have ordered Fusion 3TB.
 
32 GB from Crucial. There's absolutley no reason not to max it out considering the prices of RAM atm. Going for anything less than 32 GB is just being cheap.

I will probably not use more than half of it to begin with but eventually I will need it for sure.
 
Do You Really Need 32GB of RAM?

The above is not an argument for those getting it. It's actually something I am considering. Consider this a question.

My 2012 27" iMac is on order with 16GB of RAM.

I currently own a 2009 iMac. I started with 8GB of memory and within the past year, upgraded to 16GB.

I did notice a significant performance boost with 16GB, particularly when using Parallels (which eats a lot of memory) and running other intensive applications at the same time.

However....

I use iStat Menus to track usage.

I have (no kidding) 20 programs that start up with my computer and are constantly running. These are mostly weather, calendar, audio and typing enhancers, dropbox and skydrive, etc. Yes....20 startup programs running at all times.

For the most part, with 16GB of ram, I usually run with 8GB of unused memory. The only time it goes above that is when I don't reboot my computer for several days and it gets gunked up with resident memory from programs I have closed.

Even now, I am burning a Blu-ray using Toast and watching EyeTV. Two very intensive programs running at the same time. CPU usage is maxxed, but memory usage still shows 8GB free.

So, I am just wondering, how would 32GB of memory benefit someone like me?

Again, it's a not a knock against anyone going with that much memory. I am actually ready to pay Crucial $80 to upgrade. I just want to know where the benefits may lie.

Thanks everyone.
 
I will not be upgrading until January, but will require 32GB when I do. I won't be buying it from Apple though...I watched the cnet teardown, and the slot is accessible and user friendly. Probably buy with 2X8GB sticks installed and add two more myself.
 
Also have 32gb RAM sitting here waiting for the new 27" with 3tb Fusion Drive and i7.

Would a RAM disk be of any use to me? Always have loads of apps open - Browser, Coda, Parrallels etc. Not a photoshop / video editor though.

Just interested - I am sure my Mac will be plenty fast for me anyway, but hey, if it can be made faster easily then I would give it a go.

Cheers

Del
 
NJRonbo said:
Do You Really Need 32GB of RAM?

The above is not an argument for those getting it. It's actually something I am considering. Consider this a question.

My 2012 27" iMac is on order with 16GB of RAM.

I currently own a 2009 iMac. I started with 8GB of memory and within the past year, upgraded to 16GB.

I did notice a significant performance boost with 16GB, particularly when using Parallels (which eats a lot of memory) and running other intensive applications at the same time.

However....

I use iStat Menus to track usage.

I have (no kidding) 20 programs that start up with my computer and are constantly running. These are mostly weather, calendar, audio and typing enhancers, dropbox and skydrive, etc. Yes....20 startup programs running at all times.

For the most part, with 16GB of ram, I usually run with 8GB of unused memory. The only time it goes above that is when I don't reboot my computer for several days and it gets gunked up with resident memory from programs I have closed.

Even now, I am burning a Blu-ray using Toast and watching EyeTV. Two very intensive programs running at the same time. CPU usage is maxxed, but memory usage still shows 8GB free.

So, I am just wondering, how would 32GB of memory benefit someone like me?

Again, it's a not a knock against anyone going with that much memory. I am actually ready to pay Crucial $80 to upgrade. I just want to know where the benefits may lie.

Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat. I'm getting 16gb from crucial to add to the standard 8 for a total of 24. Might not use it now, but it will help future proof it a bit.
 
The price is cheap now, I like to know the machine has hit the ceiling and and slow down isn't down to memory. It is something for the next 3-4 years so I don't have to worry about sourcing RAM then, which by then we could be on DDR4 or something.
 
atteligibility said:
ummm.... okay....

That kind of statement makes no sense.

All you need is to regularly use an application that consumes a lot of memory to actually need that memory.

I don't do video editing not do I edit high resolution photos, yet I have to manually close apps here and there on my 8Gb system to prevent the beach ball and slowdowns...
Click to expand...

I'm using 4GB, have multiple applications open and do not get the beach ball. I do not see any sense in ordering extra RAM unless it is for the 21.5" machine since the 27" can be upgraded easily. How do people know how much they are going to need before they've even used the machine?
 
atteligibility said:
ummm.... okay....

That kind of statement makes no sense.

All you need is to regularly use an application that consumes a lot of memory to actually need that memory.

I don't do video editing not do I edit high resolution photos, yet I have to manually close apps here and there on my 8Gb system to prevent the beach ball and slowdowns...
Click to expand...

Don't understand why you don't understand. Basic consumer applications don't require a lot of RAM, and 8GB is very usable. I don't know what you are doing to have to close windows. Maybe you are using a program with a memory leak or have a dying hard drive or something.

But I keep Aperture and Photoshop and two browsers open at all time and don't feel any hit to speed unless I'm doing something really complex in PS. I never get beach balls.
 
I think I will buy 2x8GB. But I am pretty unsure whether they will work together with the standard RAM, or if it needs to be a special brand. It would be nice with 24GB. :) Otherwise I will go for 32 gigs.

I have read somewhere that different brands of RAM together could in the "worst" case cause a kernel panic. Is that true or do I not need to worry?
 
NJRonbo said:
Do You Really Need 32GB of RAM?

The above is not an argument for those getting it. It's actually something I am considering. Consider this a question.

My 2012 27" iMac is on order with 16GB of RAM.

I currently own a 2009 iMac. I started with 8GB of memory and within the past year, upgraded to 16GB.

I did notice a significant performance boost with 16GB, particularly when using Parallels (which eats a lot of memory) and running other intensive applications at the same time.

However....

I use iStat Menus to track usage.

I have (no kidding) 20 programs that start up with my computer and are constantly running. These are mostly weather, calendar, audio and typing enhancers, dropbox and skydrive, etc. Yes....20 startup programs running at all times.

For the most part, with 16GB of ram, I usually run with 8GB of unused memory. The only time it goes above that is when I don't reboot my computer for several days and it gets gunked up with resident memory from programs I have closed.

Even now, I am burning a Blu-ray using Toast and watching EyeTV. Two very intensive programs running at the same time. CPU usage is maxxed, but memory usage still shows 8GB free.

So, I am just wondering, how would 32GB of memory benefit someone like me?

Again, it's a not a knock against anyone going with that much memory. I am actually ready to pay Crucial $80 to upgrade. I just want to know where the benefits may lie.

Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...


I recently jumped from 12 to 16. Now I never really ran into issues with 12gb apart from when running Aperture and Adobe PS side by side. However even with 16 I can see myself running into issues as my RAW files from my Nex7 are 28mb each almost.

The way I see it, you can never really have too much ram if you can afford it.
 
So, basically, as I see it thus far, there is no real need for 32GB of Ram, but most feel that you can never have enough.

Just sort of wondering, within the next several years of owning our new iMac if 32GB will even come close to being a standard configuration.
 
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