Memory Limitations

[GazzaMataz]

Most iMacs have a memory limitation of 2gb. But the G5 and Intel Core Duo machines are 64-bit so should be able to address more memory.

Is this memory capacity due to the fact that there are not any 2gb modules available for the G5 or Intel Core Duo iMacs or is it a slot limitation?

 

[xUKHCx]

The core duos are 32 bit only so 2gb limit.

Core 2 Duos are 64 bit and support up to 3gb, think it is a logic board limit, IIRC someone put 4gb in there but it only appeared as ~3.4gb or something like that.

G5's well i haven't heard anything about this.

 

[Lycanthrope]

iMac G5's have only 1 slot available into which you can place a 2GB module - the machine shiped with 512MB in place which is non removable.

Seems to me a sad state of affairs as I have to now remove the 512MB I bought at some cost a few years back to make space for the 2GB I just ordered today arriving at 2.5GB

This is why I'm going to move to a Mac Pro soon...

 

[xUKHCx]

iMac G5's have only 1 slot available into which you can place a 2GB module - the machine shiped with 512MB in place which is non removable.

Seems to me a sad state of affairs as I have to now remove the 512MB I bought at some cost a few years back to make space for the 2GB I just ordered today arriving at 2.5GB

This is why I'm going to move to a Mac Pro soon...

The first gen iMac G5 definitely had 2 slots but i haven't heard of anyone putting more than 2GBs in there.

 

[GazzaMataz]

iMac G5's have only 1 slot available into which you can place a 2GB module - the machine shiped with 512MB in place which is non removable.

???

I just double-checked and my office 20" G5 iMac and it has two memory modules in it so it could in theory have bigger RAM chips installed.

 

[xUKHCx]

???

I just double-checked and my office 20" G5 iMac and it has two memory modules in it so it could in theory have bigger RAM chips installed.

depends how much ram you have in there already and what iMac it is. Does it have a built in iSight?

 

[Eidorian]

32-bit
iMac Core Duo: Two slots of DDR2-PC5300 RAM (2 x 1 GB)

64-bit
iMac G5 Revision A/B: Two Slots of DDR-400 PC3200 RAM (2 x 1 GB)
iMac G5 Revision C (iSight): 512 MB soldered internally + 2 GB DDR2-533 PC4200 (512 MB + 2 GB)
iMac Core 2 Duo: Two slots of DDR2-PC5300 RAM (2 GB + 1 GB)

 

[Zwhaler]

Core 2 Duos are 64 bit and support up to 3gb, think it is a logic board limit, IIRC someone put 4gb in there but it only appeared as ~3.4gb or something like that.

Can you find me where that happened? Because I would like to find more about this so-called artificial limit on C2D iMacs.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Can you find me where that happened? Because I would like to find more about this so-called artificial limit on C2D iMacs.

This has been done to death here already, try a search on "3 Gb"

It is a hardware limitation of this particular motherboard series.

 

[Eidorian]

http://news.softpedia.com/news/MacBook-Pro-Core-2-Duo-Limitations-39006.shtml

 

[Lycanthrope]

???

I just double-checked and my office 20" G5 iMac and it has two memory modules in it so it could in theory have bigger RAM chips installed.

Sorry, I should have been more specific, indeed it's only the iSight model that has this restriction - fundamentally only means 0.5GB diffeence though of course.