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Featured Guide

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

5

Time Required

                          5 - 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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                    Walter Galan

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harolds - Mar 4, 2016

Reply

Considering cautions against mixing RAM it would seem my 2009 imac can only be helped by ripping out original 4, 1G Ram modules and replacing with 4 @moreG as “cheapest “way to upgrade which seems ridiculous compared to changing one or 2 modules. Is this another stupidity of our computer world?

Harol Smage

Reid Fleishman - Jun 20, 2016

Reply

Thank you this worked really well!

Jozef Kutej - Jan 20, 2017

Reply

When inserted new 2x4GB modules in addition to the original 2x2GB modules to iMac mid 2011, it was only beeping on power off. Tried to swap all module placements around couple of times before they were all accepted. Now with 12GB total ram.

joemangrum - Mar 22, 2017

Reply

I’m assuming that I could replace all 4 ram slots with 4x8gb chips above?? Would this work?

iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5

current ram 12 GB 1333 MHz DDR3

I want to replace 2 current chips if not all 4 with this PC3-10600 8 GB RAM Chip

Dave heath - Mar 28, 2017

Reply

I have just removed 2 x 2 GB ram modules and replaced with 2 x 4GB?

‘Could’ the 2x2GB modules be stuck back in also, or no?