Q before I buy iMac

[runner10]

I'm looking to buy a 20" iMac. I went to our local Apple retailer (Manila, Philippines) and inquired about the iMac's 1GB RAM. I told them I wanted to buy an additional 2GB RAM so that total RAM would be 3GB. They told me that the iMac's stock 1GB RAM is actually 2 x 512MB RAM sticks instead of 1 x 1GB stick. Is this really the stock RAM set-up???

They also told me that if I upgrade the iMac's RAM, it should be upgraded as a pair -- meaning if I put a 2GB stick in one slot, I should also put another 2GB stick in the other. Is this correct?

THanks in advance for your help/inputs.

Runner10

PS: Additional Q, which machine is better -- 2.0Ghz w/ 4GB RAM or 2.4Ghz w/ 1GB RAM?

 

[overanalyzer]

I bought my 24" iMac in the US over the summer, stock from a retail store and it was 1x1GB. Not sure if that'd be different if you're buying a different model or because of the location.

 

[Leon Kowalski]

They told me that the iMac's stock 1GB RAM is actually 2 x 512MB RAM
sticks instead of 1 x 1GB stick. Is this really the stock RAM set-up???

At least in the USA, ALU iMacs come with 1x1GB. (The previous generation
white iMacs came with 2x512MB.) Here are the spec sheets:

http://support.apple.com/specs/imac/iMac_Mid_2007.html

http://support.apple.com/specs/imac/iMac_Late_2006.html

They also told me that if I upgrade the iMac's RAM, it should be upgraded as
a pair -- meaning if I put a 2GB stick in one slot, I should also put another
2GB stick in the other. Is this correct?

There's a small performance gain (approx. 5%) if you use a matched pair
of memory modules -- but there's no requirement for pairing or matching.

LK

 

[TEG]

Get the 2.4GHz and upgrade the RAM later. The machine will almost definitely last longer with the faster speed, plus 3rd party RAM is just as high of quality as Apple (Samsung) ram, at lower prices.

TEG

 

[ttopp]

my new imac came with a 1gig stick i upgraded to 4 gig the old stick i put into my girlfriends macbook (she doesnt do video work) and is happy with the slight speed up o her book