How much RAM?

Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
543
Reaction score
26
Points
28
Location
Las Vegas... as of 23 Feb 2018
Your Mac's Specs
27" iMac mid-2011, ipad.Air 2', iPhone 8+.
I have a total of 4GB (2x2GB) Ram on my EMC 2429 iMac. Two of the four memory slots are empty. OWC says I can put a max of 32GB (4x8GB). The little handbook says 16GB max, What is the max. amount of RAM I can install? Also, can I add 2x4GB of RAM to the empty slots and keep the other lots at 2GB? Should I go for the maximum memory? Cost is not an issue.
 

Slydude

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
17,775
Reaction score
1,198
Points
113
Location
North Louisiana, USA
Your Mac's Specs
M1 MacMini 16 GB - Sequoia, iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2015 iMac 16 GB Monterey
If OWC says the Mac is 32 GB they are probably right. Apple's information is based upon the highest density chips that were available at the time the machine was developed. If higher density chips that fit the machine have been developed since then that would explain the difference.

The Mactracker application agrees with OWC, I'll let others chime in on whether add 2 x 4 GB to those two slots will work. I think it will but I'm not sure.

Increasing the memory above 4 GB is probably a good idea.Just how much going all the way to 32 GB will make much of a difference will depend upon what you do with your computer, which applications you run regularly, and how many applications you have open at one time.
 
OP
B
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
543
Reaction score
26
Points
28
Location
Las Vegas... as of 23 Feb 2018
Your Mac's Specs
27" iMac mid-2011, ipad.Air 2', iPhone 8+.
I'm not a gamer. Manage my stocks and IRAs, some email, read news, Have Hoyle Card games I play occasionally, Planning to burn DVDs from my Canon VIXIA HFR400 and pictures from my older Canon A620 digital camera. Got a lot of slides I need to scan into the computer to put on DVDs. Probably burn some songs to CDs once I get to downloading them from iTunes or transferring them from my CDs or computer files. Not into copying movies. I just wait till they get on TV or HBO.
I probably don't need 32 GB. Maybe another two 2GB might be enough. Haven't had any problems with running programs, not that I have a lot of them to run.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,241
Reaction score
1,452
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
I probably don't need 32 GB. Maybe another two 2GB might be enough. Haven't had any problems with running programs, not that I have a lot of them to run.

If you're going to go to the trouble of upgrading the ram…upgrade to at least 8 gig total (add 2 x 2gig sticks).

- Nick
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top