Additional Ram for iMac?

I've been lurking in the background for some time, and just today ordered a refurbished 2013 iMac i7, 8GB ram, 3TB Fusion Drive, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB memory from Apple.

I will be using the computer for CAD work, and routine office as I am a building designer.

I would like to upgrade the RAM in the computer, but do not know the best place (or type) for purchasing ram, and how easy it is swapping out ram in this desktop. Any guidance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

I was an Apple guy for years having cut my teeth with the Mac back in '85, had one of the first PowerBooks (165C) and several Performas (638, 6400) over the years. I switched to PC's 12 years ago as the software I needed for work was only for PC's and have decided to switch back after years of having issues with PC's. I've gotten up to speed with OSX as I've had a mini for about 3 years which I use as a media center. The last OS I had worked with prior was OS7.

Again thanks for any assistance!

I have that same iMac which I use for video editing. The 3TB Fusion Drive is very fast and the 780m GPU is quick, too. It is a great machine; you will love it.

Mine has 32GB of RAM, but I'm not sure you need that much. However I'm not familiar with memory consumption on CAD software, so I'd be guided by other Mac users who use that exact same software. OTOH it's not that much more money to just go straight to 32GB, that way you'll never have to worry about upgrading a 2nd time.

Upgrading memory in a iMac 27 is very easy, although I have not done it personally. There is a little hatch in the rear for this. Here's a picture I found: http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com...-Late-2013-Memory-Specifications-386523-2.jpg

For upgrades type your iMac model into Crucial.com - DRAM, solid state drive (SSD) memory upgrades for Dell, Mac, Apple, HP, Compaq, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS or OWC: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/appl...MhK9bxnhPElRYo0y48jvwgyXUtr-y1uPg0aAn298P8HAQ
I think this is what you need for 16GB, but please verify it:

Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3/DDR3L 1600 MHz (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin 1.35V/1.5V Memory for Mac CT2C8G3S160BM at Amazon.com

welcome Gary

i assume you have a 27" iMac as this is the only model with user upgradeable RAM

if so, it is a really simple, 5 minute job. if not, then you are stuck with 8GB.

I bought my RAM from Amazon - just make sure you buy the right stuff. You can find out what you need as well as instructions on how to mount it by clicking the apple logo in the top left of your display, then about this mac, memory and then memory upgrade instructions

joema and nickyr,

thank you for the information and the welcome! yes this is the 27" iMac. I want to upgrade it to the 32GB of ram, so it seems like it will be simple enough. I'll have to check out the ram as it sounds from Apple my computer will arrive this coming Monday.

I'm sure I'll be posting many questions as I'm sure things have changed greatly from OS7 to OSX.

thanks again!