Why is Ram for an iMac so expensive?

[levitynyc]

I was looking at buying the 24" iMac and was debating between 2GB and 3GB of RAM. WOW 575 dollar difference!!!! That is absurd! Why the gigantic difference in price?

 

[IlluminatedSage]

why? because apple is charging WAY too much for ram.

go to a local vendor or put it in yourself. most ram has lifetime warranties if you buy from right place anyway

 

[WildCowboy]

Partly because Apple has a high profit margin on add-ons like RAM and partly because 2 GB SO-DIMMs are still really expensive...

 

[j26]

Because 2gig ram sticks are ridiculously expensive at the moment. They will fall in time though.

 

[levitynyc]

Question

Because 2gig ram sticks are ridiculously expensive at the moment. They will fall in time though.

Isn't having 2 different RAM chips detrimental? Wouldn't there be unpaired RAM issues?

 

[ChrisA]

I was looking at buying the 24" iMac and was debating between 2GB and 3GB of RAM. WOW 575 dollar difference!!!! That is absurd! Why the gigantic difference in price?

Apple is using a 2GB stick. These are horrifically expensive and way more then double the cost of two 1GB sticks. Even if you go to a 3rd party discount supplier those 2GB sticks cost a LOT.

The question is if you could simply use 3 1Gb parts and reduce the cost. Also I wonder if three 2GB parts would work and give you 6GB RAM. (but then the RAM would cost more than the iMac.)

The real reason is that this type of RAM is new and in short supply.

 

[EricNau]

Isn't having 2 different RAM chips detrimental? Wouldn't there be unpaired RAM issues?

It isn't a problem for the iMacs like it is with the MacBooks/Mac Mini because it does not have shared graphics.

 

[WildCowboy]

Apple is using a 2GB stick. These are horrifically expensive and way more then double the cost of two 1GB sticks. Even if you go to a 3rd party discount supplier those 2GB sticks cost a LOT.

The question is if you could simply use 3 1Gb parts and reduce the cost. Also I wonder if three 2GB parts would work and give you 6GB RAM. (but then the RAM would cost more than the iMac.)

The real reason is that this type of RAM is new and in short supply.

How are you planning on fitting three sticks into two slots?

 

[rdowns]

How are you planning on fitting three sticks into two slots?

I assume this is a typo from the iMac ordering page.

 

[WildCowboy]

I assume this is a typo from the iMac ordering page.

Yeah...must be a typo (or worded so extremely poorly so as to have made it incorrect)...

 

[phairphan]

Actually, there appear to be two typos. Not only are there no options that will leave you with two slots open (the "no memory" option) there is no 1GB, 1 SO-DIMM option.

EDIT: In fact, every memory option offered fills all the slots. Regardless of the memory configuration you order, you'll be forced to "discard" at least one DIMM if you upgrade the memory on your own.

 

[Sun Baked]

I guess we will find out rather quick in Apple is limiting the entry level iMac to 2GB -- they should all be capable of the same max memory.

Either 3 or 4GB. Since they all have the same 4GB chipset and 64-bits of virtual memory (thanks to Merom.)

 

[rdowns]

Actually, there appear to be two typos. Not only are there no options that will leave you with two slots open (the "no memory" option) there is no 1GB, 1 SO-DIMM option.

If I buy one, I want it with a single 1GB DIMM. Those bastards.

 

[xfiftyfour]

with a student discount, anyways, the upgrade to 2gb (2x1gb) in the iMac is actually a good deal from apple (wow.. good deal on apple ram?!). only $158.. that's cheaper than the "cheap" brands on newegg. the jump to 3gb is obviously ridiculous, but that's just the cost of 2gb dimms right now, not so much apple charging up the arse.