Can I add more RAM to my 2006 white iMac?

[seenew]

Hi, I know little to nothing about upgrading computers.
First, let me tell you which model iMac I have, since there are so many variants and they're all named the same.
This is the white plastic body iMac, 20" screen. It's running on an Intel Core Duo 2GHz processor (first line of Intel iMacs, IIRC) with 2GB of RAM already.

When I bought my iMac in June of 2006, 2GB of RAM was the most it would let me purchase installed on the computer. So I have two 1GB sticks in there. Would it be possible for me to replace those two 1GB sticks with two 2GB sticks, giving me 4GB of RAM? I have heard that it's not hard to upgrade RAM on these, given the access panel on the bottom. But I've also heard that some computers can't 'handle' more than 2GB of RAM, or that it wouldn't recognize anything over 2GB.

I'd like this computer to last me the rest of my college career (two more years), but it's starting to chug along with my RAW files from my Canon 5D being ~15MB each and I import a few hundred at a time and sometimes work on two or three at once.. My Photoshop documents have ended up being 300-400MB each. I'm hoping some more RAM might increase the performance....

Thanks in advance

 

[matt321]

Well you can but are limited to only a total of 3gb of RAM. You can replace only one of the 1gb stick with a 2gb stick. This is because you have a Core Duo (not Core 2 duo) and the mainboard can't handle 2x2gb config.

It will give you some breathing room but I don't know if it will last you 2 more years...

 

[MacHappytjg]

It will give you some breathing room but I don't know if it will last you 2 more years...

I'm pretty sure his imac can last him 2 years if mine lasted 9 years and is still running

 

[seenew]

Hmm. Only up to 3GB eh? How much would that cost me to upgrade?

I just found a refurb aluminum 24" iMac on Apple's site for $1899. 3GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, 512MB video card...

Payday is today... so tempting.

 

[matt321]

Cheap... ~$40 or so for a 1 x 2Gb dimm. I have been looking around though and seen that OWC and Crucial both say that it will only handle 2gb. I know when I bought mine there was an option for 3Gb total so I don't know why they both say that.

As for the new one, that looks like a sweet setup. But be careful because the new iMacs have a different color profile that can mess with photoshop.

 

[seenew]

Could just recalibrate it, correct?
Maaannn... If I could find someone to buy my current iMac, I'd be all over that.