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What to do after installing RAM?

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Beach Guy

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 7, 2011
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I just ordered 16gb of RAM from OWC for my 2011 Imac. The installation looks quite simple, I'm just wondering if there is anything I need to do once I've installed the new RAM and I start up the computer? Is it as simple as turning it on and that's it? I hope so...thanks for any info provided...I very much appreciate it.
 
Beach Guy said:
I just ordered 16gb of RAM from OWC for my 2011 Imac. The installation looks quite simple, I'm just wondering if there is anything I need to do once I've installed the new RAM and I start up the computer? Is it as simple as turning it on and that's it? I hope so...thanks for any info provided...I very much appreciate it.
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Just turn it on. If the iMac makes a loud beep when booting it means that the RAM has been installed incorrectly, so just make sure the RAM has clicked when inserted.
 
Thanks for the reply...I don't think it'll be a problem...I just wanted to be sure.
 
After you install new Ram there is one thing you must do after powering it up ...


ENJOY IT !!!!


I think you will find 16GB to be the 'sweet spot' for almost all users.
 
Check that you have actually installed your ram properly. Click on the apple menu and about my mac and confirm that it's reporting the correct amount. It's quite easy to not push in some of the sticks properly and the computer will still beep and boot up normally.
 
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I would suggest hanging onto your original RAM. If something goes wrong with the RAM you just bought you can just re-install the original RAM.
 
chevalier433 said:
After a ram upgrade you don't need a smc or pram reset?
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Nope.

I agree with a previous poster about checking the ram from the Apple drop down menu and taking a peek in About This Mac. When I installed more ram in my Mini I had one module not quite right and it wasn't recognized until I re-seated it.

Once I upgraded a video card in my PowerMac DP G5 LC. I went like this: power down, open case, swap cards, close case, power on. It saw the new card and had the proper driver ready to go. At the time I was kind of bewildered because that was the first time I ever did a Mac hardware upgrade and I was waiting for the "....found new hardware..." usual message that accompanies installs on Windows computers.

LOL
 
New RAM is installed...pretty amazing! Biggest difference is when I use FCP X!
 
I just did the same thing a couple of months ago: ordered RAM from OWC for my 2008 iMac. Went from 1GB to 6.

As you say, memory-intensive stuff like video apps run much better now. Only problem I had in installation was, I couldn't get one chip to slide in. Found out that OWC had put their sticker on the top side of one module, and the bottom side of the other module, and since the first chip fit into the slot with the label side up, I was trying to do the second one that way too. Soon as I flipped the chip, voila.
 
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Heh... in January this year I upgraded my Early 2009 iMac 20" from 4GB to 8GB, and I noticed no difference whatsoever in applications that should be affected, I guess the other components are the bottleneck for me. ^^
 
on the topic of Ram...
The 2011 iMac has 4 ram slots correct? So I can just buy 4x4gb of ram to equal 16gb total correct?
 
Mister Bumbo said:
Heh... in January this year I upgraded my Early 2009 iMac 20" from 4GB to 8GB, and I noticed no difference whatsoever in applications that should be affected,
Click to expand...

This is not unusual. A lot think that the simple addition of RAM will speed up their machine etc. As you have discovered, this is a misconception. It all depends on how you are using the machine - checking on page-ins and page-outs on the Activity Monitor is the only reliable way of determining if more RAM is actually needed.
 
chevalier433 said:
After a ram upgrade you don't need a smc or pram reset?
I actually think you should reset the SMC on MacBooks if doing a ram upgrade on a model that allows it. See there is some confusion because when installing in a iMac, Mac Pro, or Mac mini the instal steps actually inadvertently cause you to preform a smc reset because for the iMac and other non MBP or MB systems the steps for SMC reset are to unplug computer remover PSC and hold power button for 5sec I usually do 10 but it don’t make a difference it’s just my ocd prob lol as for PRAM I usual always preform a PRAM reset as well I do this mainly because when I used pc that was the process back then in 2004ish and when I learned to use Mac and started learning Mac the Apple techs that taught me ram installs always had me reset PRAM after starting up systems. Old post but though I would share. But truly I don’t think it makes a dif if you do or don’t reset, a lot of us just Rember a time when i5 was mandatory and a time when it was advised and even now it can’t hurt. I wonder why I still do it, maybe superstitious lol
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