Max RAM for iMac 27" 2011?

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Hello, it's me again. Yet again.

Anyhoo, I was wondering the amount of RAM the iMac 27" 2011 can take without going berserk and still being able to utilize it. I was thinking of going crazy(er) and installing (or getting one with it already installed) 64 GB of RAM.

Yes, I know it's incredible overkill, and I don't want to be known as the "overkill lady". But as I will be working with RAM hogging programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, video/audio editing software, etc., I want as much as possible to prevent the pretty rainbow beachball problem.

As it is, I'm incredibly SICK of seeing the spinning-blue-circle-of-death on my PC. Anytime I try to open even Chrome, it freezes. Really bad.

ANYHOO, that's my question. I really appreciate all and any answers!! :D

-J.S.
 

pigoo3

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2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
It can be upgraded to 32gig of ram.

The average person these days has 2 to 4 gig of ram (4 gig probably the most common). Mostr folks would love to have 8gig...so 32gig would certainly be overkill (unless you can justify it).

32gig would cost you $349 from OWC. Can't even get 32gig directly from Apple...since the official Apple max. ram is 16gig...and 16gig from Apple would cost $600.

- Nick
 
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27" Screen 2560x1440, 3.1 Ghz Quad Core Intel, 4Gb of 1333Mhz SD RAM, 1TB HDD, Wireless K
I have jusat upgraded my 27" iMac from the supplied 4Gb to 16Gb.
I purchased 4x4Gb blocks from 'Crucial UK' (crucial.com/uk) for £67. I'm sure they will ship if you were interested.
 
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27" iMac (Mid 2011), 3.4GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 2GB Video Card, 2TB HDD
I would recommend only 16 gigs. 32Gb is really expensive and you will never need that much.

To put in in perspective, I just opened Photoshop CS5 Extended with a 2560 x 1440 image and it's only using 196.1 Mb of Ram (I currently have 16 Gigs installed in my machine and photoshop, mail, and safari all opened, I still have 76% of my memory free).

I use Logic Pro mainly on my computer for my job (post production audio engineer) but I also have Soundtrack, Final Cut, Motion, Compressor, and Color and I have never dipped below 30% ram free even when running about 250 audio tracks and 20 or so MIDI synth tracks.

The only time I almost ran out of Ram was one time when I made a mistake and didn't set in and out points on a 90 minute film and tried to import the entire thing into Motion. That was my fault though.
 
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Okay, thank you guys. So I guess my question boils down to this: is it possible? As in, has anyone ever tried to put that much RAM (Like, 4 sticks of 16 GB) in the iMac?

I know it would be unbelievably expensive, but I mean money aside (since I don't even have the money for the iMac itself right now).

Thankies! :)

-J.S.
 
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I would recommend only 16 gigs. 32Gb is really expensive and you will never need that much.

To put in in perspective, I just opened Photoshop CS5 Extended with a 2560 x 1440 image and it's only using 196.1 Mb of Ram (I currently have 16 Gigs installed in my machine and photoshop, mail, and safari all opened, I still have 76% of my memory free).

I use Logic Pro mainly on my computer for my job (post production audio engineer) but I also have Soundtrack, Final Cut, Motion, Compressor, and Color and I have never dipped below 30% ram free even when running about 250 audio tracks and 20 or so MIDI synth tracks.

The only time I almost ran out of Ram was one time when I made a mistake and didn't set in and out points on a 90 minute film and tried to import the entire thing into Motion. That was my fault though.

All I can see to you, Sir, is...

WHOA.
I guess I certainly wouldn't need that much. ;P But I was asking just out of curiosity... if it could be done. :)

Okay, I lied. I had more to say.
 
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I believe 32Gb is the maximum you can put in.....
 
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Out of curiosity, How can you tell how much ram you are currently using?

Hwilensky
 
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27" Screen 2560x1440, 3.1 Ghz Quad Core Intel, 4Gb of 1333Mhz SD RAM, 1TB HDD, Wireless K
Go to the apple logo in the top left. from the menu press "about this Mac".......you will see it shown there
 
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Ah.....using.......I will have to check
 
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It is shown in the Activity Monitor via Utilities
 

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