One advantage of upgrading RAM on an older iMac is that it's relatively affordable. But the choice really comes down to how old your computer is and how you use it.

Instead, I opted to remove those two sticks of 4GB RAM that came with my iMac and put in four sticks of 8GB RAM for a total of 32GB, the maximum supported on my iMac. That would bring my iMac from 8GB of RAM to a total of 24GB. I could just buy two 8GB modules of (16GB total) and add them to the two empty slots.

The computer has four slots, with two of them filled. For example, my 2013 iMac came with 8GB of RAM (two sticks of 4GB). Probably the biggest choice you'll have to make is how much to add. Also for this article, Crucial provided us with the RAM.īoth sites can help you find the correct type of RAM for your machine. RAM prices are competitive between the two sites but can fluctuate. There are many vendors, but I highly recommend OWC and Crucial. Now that you're armed with more knowledge about your computer, you need to find a place to buy RAM. Most iMacs from the past eight years can handle 32GB of RAM, and some can go as high as 128GB. To find out the maximum amount of RAM your iMac can handle, check out this Apple Support page. Go to the line that has the model identifier. To find the model number, go back to the main About This Mac tab and click the System Report button. Depending on which version of MacOS your computer is running, there may be a Memory tab you can click to view how much RAM you have and how many slots it's occupying. Also, look at the memory line to see how much RAM your computer already has.ĥ. For example, mine is: iMac (27-inch, late 2013).Ĥ. Look for either the year your computer came out or the model number. Identify your iMac model and max amount of RAMīefore you can install new RAM, you need to determine what kind of iMac you have.

Instead, you have to take apart most of the iMac to add more. Unfortunately, if you have a 21.5-inch model made after 2011 or an iMac Pro ( $1,980 at Amazon), there isn't a way to easily access RAM. If you have a pre-2011 27-inch or a 21.5-inch iMac, there's an access panel in the bottom grille of the computer. Since late 2012, 27-inch models have a door behind the stand that gives you easy access so you can add more RAM. IMacs come in two sizes - 27-inch and 21.5-inch models.

Imac 27 late 2013 memory upgrade