I'm told my iMac is 64bit, yet why can I only have 4GB of ram?

[macmee]

I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me how to find out if it is really 32bit or 64bit. Here's the about this mac:

Also, which Windows 7 do I download for bootcamp?

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Tallest Skil]

Core 2 = 64-bit.

4GB is a chipset limitation.

Get 64-bit Seven.

 

[macmee]

Ok, if it's 64 bit then why is the maximum ram 4GB?

 

[OllyW]

Ok, if it's 64 bit then why is the maximum ram 4GB?

Core 2 = 64-bit.

4GB is a chipset limitation.

Get 64-bit Seven.

Already answered.

 

[Cave Man]

I would really appreciate it if someone could tell me how to find out if it is really 32bit or 64bit.

Actually, you can put 6 gb in your iMac.

 

[nick9191]

Hardware limitation. OS X can theoretically support around 16 exabytes (16 billion gigabytes) of memory. Unfortunately no hardware can support this.

 

[007bond]

Hardware limitation. OS X can theoretically support around 16 exabytes (16 billion gigabytes) of memory. Unfortunately no hardware can support this.

16 exabytes would be absolutely crazy! i want that mac

 

[eawmp1]

16 exabytes would be absolutely crazy! i want that mac

If you had that mac you'd never even begin to approach the use of a fraction of that RAM in your lifetime (but I'm sure you'd have a good time trying)

 

[elfxmilhouse]

Ok, if it's 64 bit then why is the maximum ram 4GB?

Already answered.

64 bit OS just means its capable of addressing more than 4GB

the hardware supporting more than 4Gb is a different issue.

 

[killswitch911]

You can put 8 GB ram in the imac, 2x 4GB DDR3, or DDR2. For DDR3 it's about $700 - $1000 for 8 GB DDR 3 Ram. O_O But that limitation is only because thats what laptop ram currently goes up to at the moment, witch is what the imac uses.

 

[Hexley]

Another limitation is just two memory slots.


Apple should consider offering Macs with 4 or 6 slots for non-MacPro machines.

 

[old-wiz]

You can put 8 GB ram in the imac, 2x 4GB DDR3, or DDR2. For DDR3 it's about $700 - $1000 for 8 GB DDR 3 Ram. O_O But that limitation is only because thats what laptop ram currently goes up to at the moment, witch is what the imac uses.

8 gb ddr2? Are you sure about that? Current macs maybe, but not all.

 

[Mac1212]

8 gb ddr2? Are you sure about that? Current macs maybe, but not all.

i think the newest iMacs can get up to 8gb, but i don't think last gen can

 

[Tallest Skil]

You can put 8 GB ram in the imac, 2x 4GB DDR3, or DDR2. For DDR3 it's about $700 - $1000 for 8 GB DDR 3 Ram. O_O But that limitation is only because thats what laptop ram currently goes up to at the moment, witch is what the imac uses.

Not his.

 

[RvMan56]

I was told its because of the power supply, more ram more power needed. However I am newbie and could have been lied too.

 

[Rapmastac1]

It's just a case where the OS is more developed than the hardware. That's OSX for you!

 

[old-wiz]

I was told its because of the power supply, more ram more power needed. However I am newbie and could have been lied too.

RAM takes very little power compared to the rest of the system. You've been lied to! For an iMac, screen, HD, and DVD drive are the big power consumers.

 

[djc6]

Get 64-bit Seven.

I would hold off on that recommendation. Currently the iMac doesn't officially support 64-bit Vista or XP - only the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro computers do.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

 

[PurrBall]

I would hold off on that recommendation. Currently the iMac doesn't officially support 64-bit Vista or XP - only the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro computers do.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1846

7 includes almost all of the drivers, so it should work fine without even installing the Boot Camp drivers.