Replacing iMac 2011 memory

Back when the new iMacs were released in may 2011 I ordered one with 4GB RAM, expecting to replace them with 32GB. However, getting four 8GB blocks turned out to be incredibly hard, and very expensive, so I settled for 4x4GB blocks for a total of 16GB RAM 1333Mhz SO-DIMM RAM. Two sets of 2x4GB from Crucial was very inexpensive (about 800 DKK plus tax), and they arrived a couple of days before the iMac.

While almost all servicing of parts for the iMac starts with having to remove the display and risk getting dust stuck under the glass, replacing the memory was very easy. Remove three screws on the bottom of the screen (surprisingly not Philips 1 screws, something a bit wider), take out some easy-to-use handles and pull. I was surprised at how hard I had to pull, I was afraid I’d break the handles, but no problem there, they didn’t even seem the least bit strained when the old memory came out with a pop. Gently take out the old memory, replace it with the new memory (again, push a bit harder than what I expected), screw it together again and voila, one memory maxed iMac. Very easy, and very cheap.

So what is performance like with this memory? Well, I’m not a good case for comparing with as I run too much early-stage pre-release software, too much software at all and generally abuse my computer. And since I transferred my MacBook Pro setup to the iMac (after first deactivating Adobe’s CS5 suite) it’s just as messy as my setup always is. But it works beautifully. No lock-ups, and all the memory is in use! Perhaps a bit surprisingly, but I had 14GB of inactive memory before I started writing this post. That is, it’s loaded and ready to go, but not in use as I’ve quit whatever was using it. So a waste perhaps? No way…

Using the computer like this has been a breeze so far, but let’s see. Custom is that I’ll max out the memory within three months of using the computer. Yes, 16MB RAM in a 486DX was great, can’t remember what my Pentium 90 had, nor many of the AMD machines. The “lamp” iMac was also filled as much as it could (that was good fun servicing), as were my Powerbooks and subsequent MacBooks and Minis. That’s why I always wanted a Pro, but always opted for something else. Cheapskate me