Adding Memory to Newer Macs: Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what the situation was for adding memory to newer Macs. I added memory to my older 27" iMac, and it was quick...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what the situation was for adding memory to newer Macs. I added memory to my older 27" iMac, and it was quick and easy.

This video shows how to install new memory into a late 2013 iMac. Unbelievable! Virtually every screw, every cable, and every component must be removed - and then put back correctly. If I ever get a new Mac, I will pay the inflated price for maximum memory, rather than save a few dollars by adding memory myself.

http://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac_21inch_late_2013_mem/

OviedoPhotos

Wow. I have a 2011 iMac and it was a breeze to replace memory in it.

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

What a Nightmare, a simple removable in the rear would have been the best design. Every Mac I have owned has been easily designed for component replacement, what happened?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

OviedoPhotos wrote:

Wow. I have a 2011 iMac and it was a breeze to replace memory in it.

I put 16GB of memory into my 2011 iMac for $85. If I wanted 16Gb in a new machine, I would have to pay $200 for that. It's hard to justify that price difference.

happy sailor Loc: Ontario, Canada

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

Hi Jerry if you were getting a new Mac would you not be getting the 2015 late iMac 27 with a 5k screen??? The memory upgrade is simple on that machine, you should watch the video on that! I will be buying one of those with a fusion drive and 8 gb of memory and doing my own memory upgrade.

I agree Apple's memory pricing is ridiculous!!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

happy sailor wrote:

Hi Jerry if you were getting a new Mac would you not be getting the 2015 late iMac 27 with a 5k screen??? The memory upgrade is simple on that machine, you should watch the video on that! I will be buying one of those with a fusion drive and 8 gb of memory and doing my own memory upgrade.

I agree Apple's memory pricing is ridiculous!!!

I have an older iMac 27", and I was able to add memory to that by simply removing a small plate at the base of the monitor.

The next new Mac in the house would be my son's. He does a lot of video editing with PowerDirector, so he would need memory and speed and Windows capability. He's trying to decide if he should replace his Dell with Vista with a Mac.

Edit: Wow! "Easy" isn't the word for it. That's almost enough reason to buy a 27".

"Open the memory compartment door by pressing the small grey button located just above the AC power port."

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201191

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

In case there are those who are unaware of these videos, MacSales.com has innumerable videos showing how to disassemble various Macs to install HDs, memory, and the like. There is also a trove of other information. See:
http://eshop.macsales.com/Service/

lbrandt79 Loc: League City, Tx.

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

No, no, it is easier on the new Macs for sure. 27 inch only though.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

happy sailor wrote:

Hi Jerry if you were getting a new Mac would you not be getting the 2015 late iMac 27 with a 5k screen??? The memory upgrade is simple on that machine, you should watch the video on that! I will be buying one of those with a fusion drive and 8 gb of memory and doing my own memory upgrade.

I agree Apple's memory pricing is ridiculous!!!

Other World Computing (www.macsales.com) carries a large number of Mac necessities, so you might RAM price compare there.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

I have the Late 2013 21-inch iMac, 14,1. When I bought it, I was told that the memory is not user-replaceable, because it is soldered to the motherboard!

This looks like an intense, but do-able swap. I'll have to do a little more study to be certain the memory isn't soldered before I bother with such a lengthy, risky process, however.

EDIT:

I checked Apple's web site for the NEW iMacs. There is no mention of limits to user-upgradeability for any of them. It appears they can all be upgraded. Apple is mum about whether you can do it yourself, however.

boydimages Loc: California

Wow! My late 2012 was a piece of cake. No screw driver needed.

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

burkphoto wrote:

I have the Late 2013 21-inch iMac, 14,1. When I bo... (show quote)

My son just ordered his iMac, and we checked for additional memory. Looking at the Crucial site, they list no memory for an iMac 21 after 2009. He ordered an iMac with 16GB for an extra $200. Overall, it was a good decision. He also got the 1TB Fusion drive. At one point, he was looking at a price over $2500 for the 27" iMac. Then he got reasonable and specified the nice 21.5" He ordered it from MacMall and saved $50, plus tax.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

jerryc41 wrote:

My son just ordered his iMac, and we checked for additional memory. Looking at the Crucial site, they list no memory for an iMac 21 after 2009. He ordered an iMac with 16GB for an extra $200. Overall, it was a good decision. He also got the 1TB Fusion drive. At one point, he was looking at a price over $2500 for the 27" iMac. Then he got reasonable and specified the nice 21.5" He ordered it from MacMall and saved $50, plus tax.

Probably wise to get it up front. The hassle of opening that case and spending a couple hours trying to keep everything in order and static free and not break anything is probably not worth the savings.

That said, if mine looks like the video, I'll probably upgrade it when I change the drive in it. If my habit is a guide, I'll put 16GB and a faster hybrid drive in the iMac in a couple of years.

I recently upgraded my 2010 Mini from a 320GB 5400 RPM drive to a 1TB 7200 RPM drive, and it sped up everything I/O related. Creating a completely new boot drive with OS 10.10.5 helped clean up crud, too.

OWC/Macsales.com is probably my favorite source for memory, drives, and similar accessories. I've dealt with them since 1990, and they've always been reliable. Their drives have lasted and lasted, and their memory has always worked.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

burkphoto wrote:

Probably wise to get it up front. The hassle of opening that case and spending a couple hours trying to keep everything in order and static free and not break anything is probably not worth the savings.

OWC/Macsales.com is probably my favorite source for memory, drives, and similar accessories. I've dealt with them since 1990, and they've always been reliable. Their drives have lasted and lasted, and their memory has always worked.

Thanks. When it arrives, I'll try to get Boot Camp and his video program working.

erickter Loc: Dallas,TX

jerryc41 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, I looked online to see what... (show quote)

Greedy trolls. That's exactly what Tim Cook and company wanted when they switched from the easy, pre-2013 open iMac architecture for ram installtion, to what you just experiecnced; make it hard so you will buy their insanely inflated ram prices.
Thanks - I'll remember to avoid buying later generation iMacs. Apple can stick it -and their hard to install ram - in their ears.