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Ram Help. Plz!

DJJAZZYJET

DJJAZZYJET

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 4, 2011
463
149
I have decided i am going to order the 'higher end' base imac with an i5 3.1ghz, 4gb ram, 1gb graphics, 1tb hard drive. I have learned how to install additional ram myself (so easy) and i have decided that i am going to go for crucial memory (very good quality and value)

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/lis...uad-Core i5 (27-inch - DDR3) Mid 2011&Cat=RAM

But this is where i am stuck, the imac has 4 ram slots, i want to use all 4 to take advantage of dual Chanelling. Im not sure if i want to add 8gb of ram or 4gb ram, if i install 8gb (4gb x 2 ram sticks) then i will have a total of 12gb ram in my imac, which seems abit much considering that i will always close my programs that i am not using, and that extra ram will just sit there being a waste of space, but it will be future proofed for another imac down the line (unless they upgrade the ram slots in future imacs with 240 pins and faster than 1333)
If i only order 4gb ram (i understand that with ram more memory on 1 chip is better, but because of dual chanelling i will get 2gb x 2 ram chips) so i will have a total of 8gb in my imac, which sounds very good and will not be wasted, but i will have 4 x 2gb chips and if i needed to upgrade to even more ram they will be wasted.

I will be using logic pro, gaming, internet browsing, HD video editing, downloading, converting, photoshop.

Like i say i am defiantly not a power user, and i would always close the applications that i am not using, obviously with the beastly power of the imac it will be more than enough to handle a simple video conversion whilst logic pro is open, while im downloading something and browsing the web, thats what quad core processing is all about right. All those things would probably total to maybe not even 6gb of ram. Osx is great at multitasking, and i always am looking for ways to give my os the best maintenance to keep it at its best.

Im not sure, buy less to be realistic but at risk of having to little and have wasted money if i ever need to upgrade, or buy more to have it just wasted there not being used, but be future proofed. I have enough cash to buy the 8 more gb of ram.

Having more ram wont slow down the computer or programs will it?

Thanks :D
 
caughtintheweb said:
I was in the same boat too and ordered 8 additional GB of RAM. Simple reason being 8GB Gskill RAM was about $30 more than 4GB. And it means that I will never have to buy RAM again for this imac. Having more RAM will not slow down your system. Just make sure you get the right RAM.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...&cm_re=gskill_8gb_1333-_-20-231-295-_-Product
Click to expand...

So it is fine if I mix the factory 4gb of ram with an additional 8gb of ram (2 4gb sticks)? So I will have 2x2gb and 2x4gb for a grand total of 12gb of ram. Not that I really need it though... haha Want to make sure before I order.
 
Ok thanks

Ok i think ill go for 12gb of ram, it will probably be for the best. Im in the uk so im buying ram from here

http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/lis...uad-Core i5 (27-inch - DDR3) Mid 2011&Cat=RAM

it is guarenteed to work in a 3.1ghz 2011 imac

and yes it is ok if you mix the apple ram with other ram, JUST AS LONG IT IS THE SAME SPECIFICATION AS THE APPLE RAM.
The apple ram is 1333 speed - 204 pin ram chip, so buying the same specifications as that the ram will be just fine.
 
12gb is enough. In a couple years 8gb sticks will be affordable and you can keep your new ones and swap out the factory ones for a total of 24gb. Although technology tends to make things smaller and more efficient the amount of ram needed to run the programs to do this actually increases so more is always welcome.
 
got the help i wanted

thanks :S lol, i take it many posts are about ram then... i couldent really find the answers i was looking for at first. No need 2 bump anymore.
 
DJJAZZYJET said:
thanks :S lol, i take it many posts are about ram then... i couldent really find the answers i was looking for at first. No need 2 bump anymore.
Click to expand...

sorry to bring up a beat issue but I just got a 27" i5 iMac, the stock MC813LL/A model, and wanted to throw another 8gb (2 x 4gb) of RAM in it to get it up to 12GB and also enable dual channeling. I just wanted to verify that one of the original responder's suggestions, G.Skill kit, would work. This link is different because they are currently running a special on the single 4gb sticks, so figured by 2 and save. Here's the link:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5C&PID=4169666&SID=18lsfgtrbee1n&AID=10521304


would be compatible with it. Thank you so much, just need somebody, or even the original poster, to verify, and I will order it ASAP. Also thanks for the suggestion about the slow shipping. Maybe will pay a few bucks to get it here by next year haha.
 
Last edited:
Blazer5913 said:
would be compatible with it. Thank you so much, just need somebody, or even the original poster, to verify, and I will order it ASAP. Also thanks for the suggestion about the slow shipping. Maybe will pay a few bucks to get it here by next year haha.
Click to expand...

THe OP is as clueless about ram as the next person.

All iMacs run mis-matched pairs in some sort of a dual channel mode.

Im 110% sure you wouldnt even know/notice the difference even if it didnt.

There is NOTHING special about the ram in an iMac, just buy the correct specs.
 
Badger^2 said:
THe OP is as clueless about ram as the next person.

All iMacs run mis-matched pairs in some sort of a dual channel mode.

Im 110% sure you wouldnt even know/notice the difference even if it didnt.

There is NOTHING special about the ram in an iMac, just buy the correct specs.
Click to expand...

And the correct specs are, if I am correct?
DDR3
1333
204 pin
Missing anything else?

So again, if I buy 2 of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5C&PID=4169666&SID=18lsfgtrbee1n&AID=10521304 (Neweggs current promo special) I should be fine. Sorry, just not as "there" with RAM as other things, and want to make sure. Thanks so much
 
Blazer5913 said:
And the correct specs are, if I am correct?
DDR3
1333
204 pin
Missing anything else?

So again, if I buy 2 of these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5C&PID=4169666&SID=18lsfgtrbee1n&AID=10521304 (Neweggs current promo special) I should be fine. Sorry, just not as "there" with RAM as other things, and want to make sure. Thanks so much
Click to expand...

Seems that the only difference between the deal right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...kTab=true&Keywords=imac&Page=1#scrollFullInfo

and the original response:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231295

is that the NewEgg deal is DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) as opposed to the original response is DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666). As far as the 2011 iMac's, specifically 27" i5, will this matter?
 
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