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Adding memory to iMac
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Jun 23, 2022 08:14:53   #
shieldsadvert
 
I have a 5-year old 27" iMac with 8MB or RAM and am looking to upgrade to produce multi-media shows in Aperture.
How much memory should I add to the 8MB chip I have now? Can I still use the 8MB chip and just add additional memory or do I need to replace it with, perhaps, a 32 MB chip?

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Jun 23, 2022 08:40:35   #
jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY
 
You can go to this OWC link and find out how much memory you can install. Since you are investing in upgrading this Mac and keeping it--as Aperture is not supported nor compatible with current Mac OS; I would max out the memory. Be prepared to put in your Model #. Go to 'Apple' - 'About This Mac'- 'System'-Hardware screen will show your Model Identifier.
You will see if you have 2 slots or 4 slots. Buy new memory for all slots and match them. i.e. If 2 slots and 32 GB max...two 16 GB cards.
Get the kit and watch the video of how to change them out.
Good luck.

https://eshop.macsales.com/upgrades/

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Jun 23, 2022 08:41:53   #
shieldsadvert
 
Thank you very much

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Jun 23, 2022 08:52:13   #
Brian S. Loc: Oak Park, MI
 
You have an iMac with 8GB of RAM which is 2 4GB chips. The 27" iMac has 4 RAM slots so you can just leave the 2 - 4GB chips there and add 2 - 16GB chips and end up with 40GB of RAM just like the one I am trying on right now. It works great.

And as the other user said go to Other World Computing, macsales.com and they are great and even have live, human phone technical support if you need it.

Good luck

Brian

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Jun 23, 2022 09:52:27   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
jbk224 wrote:
You can go to this OWC link and find out how much memory you can install. Since you are investing in upgrading this Mac and keeping it--as Aperture is not supported nor compatible with current Mac OS; I would max out the memory. Be prepared to put in your Model #. Go to 'Apple' - 'About This Mac'- 'System'-Hardware screen will show your Model Identifier.
You will see if you have 2 slots or 4 slots. Buy new memory for all slots and match them. i.e. If 2 slots and 32 GB max...two 16 GB cards.
Get the kit and watch the video of how to change them out.
Good luck.

https://eshop.macsales.com/upgrades/
You can go to this OWC link and find out how much ... (show quote)


Ya beat me to it. I've used OWC for Mac peripherals and upgrades since 1989! They are the pros.

My advice is that you add all-NEW modules and that they be identical. Mixing brands and speeds and sizes of memory modules is likely to yield a a Mac that crashes, freezes, and otherwise disappoints. I learned that the hard way.

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Jun 23, 2022 10:39:24   #
jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY
 
burkphoto wrote:
Ya beat me to it


Coming from you…that is a compliment. Thank you!!

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Jun 23, 2022 11:12:12   #
R.G. Loc: Scotland
 
burkphoto wrote:
...Mixing brands and speeds and sizes of memory modules is likely to yield a a Mac that crashes, freezes, and otherwise disappoints....


If they are the same brand, speed rating and latency (e.g CL16) they can be different capacities, but even then you might have to go into the bios to tell the motherboard to use the rated frequency rather than some default value that causes them to run slower than the rated frequency.

If you're not hardware savvy or know somebody that is, it's probably better to do what Bill suggested and buy new, identical modules (e.g. a 32GB kit). In any case, be sure you're buying the right kind of memory (DDR4 or DDR5 - whatever the motherboard supports).

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Jun 23, 2022 12:07:54   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
R.G. wrote:
If they are the same brand, speed rating and latency (e.g CL16) they can be different capacities, but even then you might have to go into the bios to tell the motherboard to use the rated frequency rather than some default value that causes them to run slower than the rated frequency.

If you're not hardware savvy or know somebody that is, it's probably better to do what Bill suggested and buy new, identical modules (e.g. a 32GB kit). In any case, be sure you're buying the right kind of memory (DDR4 or DDR5 - whatever the motherboard supports).
If they are the same brand, speed rating and laten... (show quote)


On Intel-based Macs, the rough equivalent of an x86 PC "BIOS" is the Extensible Firmware Interface, an operating system that runs at startup and prepares the hardware to run the MacOS. It is unlike a traditional Intel PC BIOS in most respects. Apple does not provide any access to the EFI shell, with the exception of a very few startup commands that have nothing to do with memory configuration.

That said, there are third party utilities that can enable the shell. Just about all the Mac wizards I've talked to strongly discourage tinkering around in there, however, because it is very easy to brick the machine permanently by doing so.

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Jun 23, 2022 12:52:27   #
R.G. Loc: Scotland
 
burkphoto wrote:
On Intel-based Macs, the rough equivalent of an x86 PC "BIOS" is the Extensible Firmware Interface, an operating system that runs at startup and prepares the hardware to run the MacOS. It is unlike a traditional Intel PC BIOS in most respects. Apple does not provide any access to the EFI shell, with the exception of a very few startup commands that have nothing to do with memory configuration.

That said, there are third party utilities that can enable the shell. Just about all the Mac wizards I've talked to strongly discourage tinkering around in there, however, because it is very easy to brick the machine permanently by doing so.
On Intel-based Macs, the rough equivalent of an x8... (show quote)


OK - that's another vote for buying a single memory kit .

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Jun 23, 2022 15:46:24   #
shieldsadvert
 
Thanks Brian, that's exactly what I needed to know.


bill

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Jun 23, 2022 15:47:47   #
shieldsadvert
 
That's very useful information. I ordered two 32s from B&H but wonder weather one would suffice for my needs?

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Jun 23, 2022 15:48:37   #
shieldsadvert
 
Thank you very much.

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Jun 23, 2022 15:53:36   #
Just Shoot Me Loc: Ithaca, NY
 
Don't put anything that you want as a legacy on Aperture. I'm sure you realize Apple has stoped supporting that app. I pulled everything off of my copy of it and dumped the app.

Ron

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Jun 23, 2022 18:12:34   #
shieldsadvert
 
Thank you. Unfortunately lost some files this morning!!!!!!!!! Is Photos on the Mac any good? Thanks for replying.

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Jun 23, 2022 18:14:50   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
Just Shoot Me wrote:
Don't put anything that you want as a legacy on Aperture. I'm sure you realize Apple has stoped supporting that app. I pulled everything off of my copy of it and dumped the app.

Ron


Good advice! I loved Aperture, but frankly, Lightroom Classic beats the heck out of it.

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