iMac Memory question

[BrentMc]

Hello everyone, my name is Brent and I learned to use computers on macs in school in the 80's. I have been a long-time windows user, but I just bought an old 2008 aluminum 20" 2.4 ghz iMac. I have used this site many times to look at the news and buyers guide, but I just registered.

I want to add ram, but I would like some advice.

I have the specs for the ram and this module looks right:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026SD96G/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

It's cheaper than the crucial and has prime shipping, so I was hoping this was the right one. It looks right to me, but I wanted to ask the experts here if there is any reason this isn't the right one. The crucial website says their chip is lead-free and halogen-free for the mac.

The iMac has a 2gb chip in it and one free slot. I did a lot of looking around the internet and some people say they have bumped theirs up to 6gb, but other people say the memory should be even. One guy said he was able to put in two 4gb modules. I am thinking of playing it safe and just going with 4gb. Any advice?

 

[joe-h2o]

If you want to guarantee compatibility then you should use Crucial's site (or any site that has a matching tool). Your link doesn't work for me (it gives me a product not found page on amazon which might be country specific), but the crucial tool suggests that 4GB is your max memory (depending on which 2008 2.4 you have, but they seem to both have a 4GB max).

This max spec is Apple's listed specification, but some machines can accept more RAM than the original Apple spec depending on the chipset that is installed. For that you'd have to ask other people with 08 iMacs.

You have two slots to install in, and they *don't* have to be matched size, so if you only want to replace one stick then you are free to do that.

 

[Weaselboy]

Hello everyone, my name is Brent and I learned to use computers on macs in school in the 80's. I have been a long-time windows user, but I just bought an old 2008 aluminum 20" 2.4 ghz iMac. I have used this site many times to look at the news and buyers guide, but I just registered.

I want to add ram, but I would like some advice.

I have the specs for the ram and this module looks right:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026SD96G/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

It's cheaper than the crucial and has prime shipping, so I was hoping this was the right one. It looks right to me, but I wanted to ask the experts here if there is any reason this isn't the right one. The crucial website says their chip is lead-free and halogen-free for the mac.

The iMac has a 2gb chip in it and one free slot. I did a lot of looking around the internet and some people say they have bumped theirs up to 6gb, but other people say the memory should be even. One guy said he was able to put in two 4gb modules. I am thinking of playing it safe and just going with 4gb. Any advice?

According to Crucial, these are the specs for your RAM and they are the same as that Samsung module you linked, so yes it should work.

DDR2 PC2-6400 • CL=6 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR2-800 • 1.8V • 128Meg x 64 •

According to Everymac here, yes you can add 4GB to the existing 2GB for a total of 6GB. That's what I would do if I was spending the money on an upgrade anyway.

 

[Kyle-K]

I just bought an old 2008 aluminum 20" 2.4 ghz iMac. I have used this site many times to look at the news and buyers guide, but I just registered.

Most likely this one?

The iMac has a 2gb chip in it and one free slot. I did a lot of looking around the internet and some people say they have bumped theirs up to 6gb

If you follow the above link and that indeed is your iMac it's been determined by third parties most likely OWC who does extensive testing that the maximum amount of RAM for this iMac is 6 GB.

One guy said he was able to put in two 4gb modules.

As it's very easy to get iMac models confused its most likely another iMac model he's talking of as there is an iMac model that the maximum is 8 GB of RAM.

I am thinking of playing it safe and just going with 4gb. Any advice?

Go to 6 GB I'm guessing you're planning on running Mavericks on this machine? 6 GB is going to be very helpful for that.