iMac RAM upgrade - what to do with the spare modules?

[Lankyman]

Can anyone assist? My work colleague has recently purchased the base i5 iMac with 4gig of RAM. He now wishes to upgrade to 8gig (seen a good deal for this from Crucial). My colleagues question is this - when he gets the RAM 2x 4gig modules he was wondering what he could do with the 4gig that's pre-installed 2x2gig. Can he simply leave it in making 12gig in total or will that not work?

Even though I have the iMac and the new Mini I had to confess that I didn't know the answer but said I would ask on here.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yes, your colleague can leave the two 2GB modules inside to have a total of 12GB.

 

[alust2013]

Yep, just keep them in there and have 12GB.

 

[Lankyman]

Thanks for that guys. Just one more question, more for my own interest, do you always have to install the RAM as pairs?

 

[alust2013]

Thanks for that guys. Just one more question, more for my own interest, do you always have to install the RAM as pairs?

Nope, you can install it however you want.

 

[JamSandwich]

Nope, you can install it however you want.

I've stopped paying so much attention to tech, but I know back in the day, pairing identical DIMMs offered some degree of performance benefit thanks to dual-channel architecture. Is this still the case?

I don't think the performance gain was huge -- maybe 10%? -- but enough that I'd rather install in pairs.

 

[alust2013]

I've stopped paying so much attention to tech, but I know back in the day, pairing identical DIMMs offered some degree of performance benefit thanks to dual-channel architecture. I don't think it was huge -- maybe 10%? -- but enough that I'd rather install in pairs.

It does provide a benefit, but mostly in theory and benchmarks. RAM is already so fast that that 10% doesn't come into play unless you are working with huge amounts of data transfer. But I think the question was asked because it used to be that you had to put them in pairs or it just wouldn't work.

 

[DJJAZZYJET]

Thanks for that guys. Just one more question, more for my own interest, do you always have to install the RAM as pairs?

you should put them into pairs, that way they are optimized for dual channeling. WHen i bought my ram from crucial, it said on the box " dual channel kit, install this ram in pairs right down to the chip count"