Adding Ram to a new iMac Duo...

[mbrown2112]

Hello,

I just purchased an iMac directly from Apple, but I don't want to wait the 10 days to receive it. I'm thinking I might cancel my order and head over to Best Buy and pick it up tonight. That said, I have a question about adding additional RAM. Unfortunately the Best Buy iMac only comes with 512 megs and ultimately I want at least 1 gig. Now, based on the feedback from this site, it appears that adding additional RAM is very easy. So, I'm hoping someone might be able to advise me on the exact type of RAM I would need to order to do this upgrade myself. Based on the specs, the iMac is using 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM. If that's the case, would this sort of RAM work?.

Thanks for your help,
Matt

 

[thefunkymunky]

Hello,

I just purchased an iMac directly from Apple, but I don't want to wait the 10 days to receive it. I'm thinking I might cancel my order and head over to Best Buy and pick it up tonight. That said, I have a question about adding additional RAM. Unfortunately the Best Buy iMac only comes with 512 megs and ultimately I want at least 1 gig. Now, based on the feedback from this site, it appears that adding additional RAM is very easy. So, I'm hoping someone might be able to advise me on the exact type of RAM I would need to order to do this upgrade myself. Based on the specs, the iMac is using 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM. If that's the case, would this sort of RAM work?.

Thanks for your help,
Matt

You need SODIMMS for the Intel iMac. The spec is 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM PC2-5300 200-PIN SODIMM.

As the config your getting already has 512MB installed. You can add another 512MB module to give you 1GB. Note that the iMac supports dual-channel mode, so two modules of 512MB will give you dual-channel performance. Same if you replace that 512MB and add two 1GB modules.

 

[mbrown2112]

Thanks for the help! Any thoughts as to where I could buy it? The few stores I've been searching don't seem to carry that type of RAM.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[mbrown2112]

Aha! I found it.

Thanks Again,
Matt

 

[thefunkymunky]

Aha! I found it.

Thanks Again,
Matt

Nice one. Do they have it in stock?

 

[powerbook911]

Aha! I found it.

Thanks Again,
Matt

Crucial is a bit on the high side. I got mine from Other World Computing, and it was a flawless transaction and shipping process.

http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upg...I=#TimeFormat(Now(),+&shoupgrds=Show+Upgrades

 

[jsw]

I too got my from OWC, and as with all my previous dealings with them, it arrived quickly and works flawlessly.

And, FWIW, it's a trivial thing to add the RAM to the iMac.

Also, while you get a dual-channel boost with matched RAM, I just added a GB stick (total now is 1.5GB), and the speed is fine. I'll add another 1GB stick once I decide to toss out the 512MB one that came with it. And, no, I don't do eBay, so I'll just eat it.

 

[Artful Dodger]

Hi, I got my 2 sticks (1gig each) from www.datamem.com/ They were $115 each (last week and still are) then had them shipped next-day for $11.50. Just waiting for my new iMac to get here today

 

[jared_kipe]

Who said its simple to add the ram? Its the hardest ram addition I've ever done to a computer. Whatever happened to the good old days of the normal DIMM socket you just press the memory into. Now you have to balance two cards at once, and press it down while wiggling it from side to side to make sure both chips catch the little claps that are getting in you way while doing it. And if you mess up? Well then is when you have to pull out the needle nose pliers to pull the sticks out. Oh well I have 2gb of ram which may or may not need to be pulled again if the computer goes to repair AGAIN.

 

[MattyP]

Also check out ramjet

Ramjet has some good prices too. I heard there's an access door just for the ram

 

[Artful Dodger]

MattyP
Ramjet has some good prices too. I heard there's an access door just for the ram
Today 01:45 PM

There is but it's very snug and both sticks must be close to the same depth or the levers don't catch on the sticks of RAM. Trying to get the stock RAM out was troublesome but it's all good now.

 

[powerbook911]

There is but it's very snug and both sticks must be close to the same depth or the levers dont catch on the sticks of RAM. Trying to get the stock RAM out was troublesome but it's all good now.

Yeah, it wasn't the easiest I've ever done, but I suspect next time it would be. It just took an extra minute or two.

 

[Artful Dodger]

powerbook911
Quote:
Originally Posted by Artful Dodger
There is but it's very snug and both sticks must be close to the same depth or the levers dont catch on the sticks of RAM. Trying to get the stock RAM out was troublesome but it's all good now.

Yeah, it wasn't the easiest I've ever done, but I suspect next time it would be. It just took an extra minute or two.
Today 02:39 PM

LOL, I used the small like tweezers with the rubber tips that come with coffee filters to pull the Apple RAM out

 

[mbrown2112]

So, if I already have 512megs, I can pop in a 1 gig stick to bring the total to 1.5 gigs, however; i won't benefit from the speed of dual channel. Is that correct? Should I really care?

Matt

 

[powerbook911]

So, if I already have 512megs, I can pop in a 1 gig stick to bring the total to 1.5 gigs, however; i won't benefit from the speed of dual channel. Is that correct? Should I really care?

Matt

Not really. The performance gain from having a total of 1.5 GB of memory will outweigh any loss of dual channel speed. Yeah, this machine will really fly with 1.5GB. That is a great move.