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Difficulty

Easy

Steps

5

Time Required

                          15 minutes

Sections

2

  • Access Door
  • 1 step
  • RAM
  • 4 steps

Flags

1

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Access Door
  • Unplug your iMac’s AC cord along with any peripheral devices.
  • Lay your iMac face-down on a soft, clean surface as shown.
  • Be sure there isn’t any dirt or debris on your work surface, as it may scratch the glass panel on the front of your iMac. We recommend placing a towel between the iMac and the work surface.
  • Loosen the three Phillips screws securing the access door to the bottom edge of your iMac.
  • All three screws will remain captive in the access door.
  • Remove the access door.

Unplug your iMac’s AC cord along with any peripheral devices.

Lay your iMac face-down on a soft, clean surface as shown.

Be sure there isn’t any dirt or debris on your work surface, as it may scratch the glass panel on the front of your iMac. We recommend placing a towel between the iMac and the work surface.

Loosen the three Phillips screws securing the access door to the bottom edge of your iMac.

All three screws will remain captive in the access door.

Remove the access door.

1024

Step 2

              RAM
  • Gently slide the black plastic RAM pull tab out from the RAM slot.
  • Pull the black plastic tab away from the bottom edge of the iMac to eject the module(s) on that side of the RAM bay.
  • This may require a bit of force.

Gently slide the black plastic RAM pull tab out from the RAM slot.

Pull the black plastic tab away from the bottom edge of the iMac to eject the module(s) on that side of the RAM bay.

This may require a bit of force.

Step 3

  • Slide the old RAM module(s) out of their slots in the RAM bay and set them aside.

Slide the old RAM module(s) out of their slots in the RAM bay and set them aside.

Step 4

  • Repeat the process in the previous steps to remove the RAM module(s) from the other side of the RAM bay.

Repeat the process in the previous steps to remove the RAM module(s) from the other side of the RAM bay.

Step 5

  • When installing new RAM modules, it is important to orient them correctly.
  • Be sure the small notch cut into each RAM module (shown in the first picture) mates with the protrusion in each RAM slot (shown in the second picture).
  • Your iMac has four RAM slots. Be sure to slide each RAM module into its slot horizontally. This will prevent getting the modules stuck between two of the adjacent slots.
  • Once you have oriented the new RAM modules correctly, gently slide them completely into the iMac and use your thumbs to firmly seat them in their sockets.

When installing new RAM modules, it is important to orient them correctly.

Be sure the small notch cut into each RAM module (shown in the first picture) mates with the protrusion in each RAM slot (shown in the second picture).

Your iMac has four RAM slots. Be sure to slide each RAM module into its slot horizontally. This will prevent getting the modules stuck between two of the adjacent slots.

Once you have oriented the new RAM modules correctly, gently slide them completely into the iMac and use your thumbs to firmly seat them in their sockets.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    Andrew Bookholt

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Nebirous Szandor - Apr 28, 2013

Reply

Can i ad up to 32gb?

Mauritz Janeke - Dec 20, 2015

I need to know this as well…..

Hutch Jorgensen - Jan 1, 2016

From what I read in the specs for this model it can support up to 16GB

Larry - Aug 31, 2016

You can’t put 8GB modules in these slots. I tried. Apparently the architecture does not support addressing the extra memory in each slot. My iMac would not successfully boot or run for very long before rebooting. So, you have 2GB and 4GB module options, in pairs, among the 4 slots. That should provide 4GB (two 2GBs), 8GB (four 2GBs or two 4GBs), 12GB (pair of each) and 16GB (four 4GBs) options for total RAM.

I’m no expert, but this was my experience.

tighteststudio - May 8, 2016

Reply

My iMac is a i3 core, can I do the same thing with the same chips?