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iMac RAM question

G

Gundams

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 25, 2014
7
0
I am going to purchase some crucial RAM to upgrade my imac 21.5 inch to 16 GB. However i am unsure which crucial ram to purchase.
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/memory/ct2k8g3s160bm
I believe its this one because its the only one compatible with mac, however i want to make sure.

p.s.
I am not attempting to install the ram myself, i am going to pay a trained professional to install ram. However i just dont want to pay more for the RAM, when i know i can save some money buying it myself.

thank you very much in advance
 
Last edited:
Ram. Ram? Ram!

The appropriate ram for your iMac will likely be 1333 speed. Brands are subject to wide opinion. What year is your iMac? If its not the "thin" style it is quite easy to change out the ram! And even with the thin style there is a panel on the back of the newer iMacs for Ram access

Try looking at iFixit.com before buying any labor from a shop.

Good Luck! :D
 
The RAM is user-upgradeable on most iMacs and it should give you details in your manual.

In terms of what type you need, it would help to know the year and model of the iMac.

You can usually get RAM several times cheaper than from Apple or Crucial if you know where to look.
 
ty guys

yes it is the tapered finish, late 2013 version, which technically shouldn't be upgraded but can be. I wasn't sure which ram to purchase because few people have attempted this. This is the RAM that fits the model i believe. Ty for your help
 
Yes i understand that it requires disassembling

Kyle-K said:
Gundams, just in case you're not aware given the information you have provided this iMac will require disassembling to install the RAM.
Click to expand...

I know that it requires disassembling, which is why im having a trained professional do the installation for me. I just want to save money as i was going to be charged 204 dollars just for both RAM sticks. However, im not 100% sure that the ram i cited earlier will work in my Imac.
 
Gundams said:
I know that it requires disassembling, which is why im having a trained professional do the installation for me. I just want to save money as i was going to be charged 204 dollars just for both RAM sticks. However, im not 100% sure that the ram i cited earlier will work in my Imac.
Click to expand...

Excellent just wanted to confirm in case you weren't aware.
 
ty for your advice

Dreadnought said:
While you're added, trow in a SSD if you haven't have one already. This will give you the most speed increase.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what i was thinking, i gonna save up some more cash and do multiple things at once to my imac. Any other recommendations for upgrades?

----------

Does any one know if the RAM i stated earlier is the correct RAM to purchase? Ive had a lot of questions asked, but no direct answer.

Ty in advance
 
The 2012-2013 iMacs use PC3-12800 or DDR3-1600 RAM, same RAM different name.
21.5" goes to 16GB
27" goes to 32GB

I've also tested low voltage 1.35v 1866 RAM in my 2013 iMac and it works great and OSX doesn't downclock it to 1600.
 
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mmomega said:
The 2012-2013 iMacs use PC3-12800 or DDR3-1600 RAM, same RAM different name.
21.5" goes to 16GB
27" goes to 32GB

I've also tested low voltage 3.5v 1866 RAM in my 2013 iMac and it works great and OSX doesn't downclock it to 1600.
Click to expand...

Ah, good recommendation, can you give specifics, about the brand of RAM you used? Ill definitely consider that as an option.
 
Gundams said:
Ah, good recommendation, can you give specifics, about the brand of RAM you used? Ill definitely consider that as an option.
Click to expand...

I use 32GB of this
 
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Gundams said:
Ah, so itll still work on a mac, even though its not mac specific. ty
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't make any RAM.

A lot of people have their preferred brands but as long as you get the correct size, the correct voltage and the correct speed that will work with your CPU and logic board then the RAM will work.

Now I may spend a few more dollars for a well known brand of RAM but that is a personal preference.

So as long as you put in at least:
1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM (204 PIN)
Low Voltage 1.35V RAM

it will work.
 
mmomega said:
Apple doesn't make any RAM.

A lot of people have their preferred brands but as long as you get the correct size, the correct voltage and the correct speed that will work with your CPU and logic board then the RAM will work.

Now I may spend a few more dollars for a well known brand of RAM but that is a personal preference.

So as long as you put in at least:
1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM (204 PIN)
Low Voltage 1.35V RAM

it will work.
Click to expand...

ok, thank you for letting me know. Now i need to start saving up some more cash to get an ssd. If you or anyone else has any advice on anything else i should purchase, it would be very appreciated.

----------
mmomega said:
Apple doesn't make any RAM.

A lot of people have their preferred brands but as long as you get the correct size, the correct voltage and the correct speed that will work with your CPU and logic board then the RAM will work.

Now I may spend a few more dollars for a well known brand of RAM but that is a personal preference.

So as long as you put in at least:
1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM (204 PIN)
Low Voltage 1.35V RAM

it will work.
Click to expand...
would it also be possible to upgrade the graphics card. Im happy with job the NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 1024 MB, but if there is something better i can install, then that might be the first thing i purchase.
 
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