Is buying Mac RAM still a hassle?

[Loa]

Hello,

It's been a very long time since I've had to buy ram and I remember that buying RAM for Macs outside specialized shops like OWC was quite risky.

Is it the same thing today? I ask because I'm in Canada and the exchange rate, as well as the taxes and duties, makes buying RAM in the US a bit expensive these days.

Thanks.

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

No issue in the U.K.
Crucial.com

 

[mcnallym]

Basically just tended to buy so-Dimms that match the spec. Don’t think I even bothered last time with crucial ram checker, just bought Corsair.

 

[marzfreerider]

I ordered 64GB of Crucial RAM from amazon.ca, cost me around $580 CDN with tax included. Crucial 32GB Kit (16GBx2) DDR4 2666 MT/s (PC4-21300) DR x8 SODIMM 260-Pin Memory - CT2K16G4SFD8266 working good so far, installed yesterday with no issues and running at 2667MHz. Before ordering always read the shops FAQ's or contact directly to see if they cover taxes, duties and that ahead of time. Most places will say they include any and all fees in the cost as seen. I usually make sure the stores are shipping from Canada though. I have ordered lots of RAM online over the years and have yet to have a bad experience.

 

[macduke]

No it took me five minutes on Amazon to decide which one. You can search reviews for Mac and see what other users experienced. If it’s the first Mac to use that kind of RAM it might be trickier. In my case it was the 2019 5K iMac. The 2018 Mac Mini used the same type DDR 2666 260-pin and had lots of positive reviews. The manufacturer even answered questions about Mac compatibility. Crucial seems to be very compatible with a great price compared to others. Took just a few minutes to install on my 5K iMac after taking delivery of a new system. Booted with 40GB no problem for $199. Price has already dropped to $189 though for 32GB, lol.

Just make sure you buy matched pairs. If iMac it has four slots, so I have 2x4GB stock in slot 0 and 2, and 2x16GB in slot 1 and 3. This will give you dual channel. The Mac Mini (I think?) only has two slots so make sure each one is the same capacity. You can mix capacity on iMac as long as you keep them in alternate slots. It will come with two sticks in 0 and 2 so you just fill in the empty slots. Easy. 21.5” iMac is not upgradable, and iMac Pro is only upgradeable by Apple unless you want to risk taking the whole thing apart yourself as there is no door.

 

[Loa]

That's very nice to hear! I'm still waiting for the new Mac Pro announcement, but I fear that even the base model will be very expensive. In the meantime, I'm checking the new 5K iMac. If I can get RAM from Canada, it would make quite a difference.

MacDuke, can you tell me which modules you bought for the 5K?

 

[Loa]

Yep. Using the link from marzfreerider, I save 100$ CDN on the 32GB kit.

Thanks!