Instructions with video: How to upgrade the RAM on the iMac 5K Retina yourself

Jens Kleinholz 9 JULY 2015

How much memory can iMac Retina hold?

The memory processed in the iMac 5K Retina (2014) is a LPDDR3 SDRAM memory, which should require very little power in standby. For a desktop computer, however, this is a rather unimportant factor. The size of the SDRAM memory chips, which fit particularly well in mobile devices, is also not really relevant for us if the connections of the slots fit. A normal SDRAM can also be installed if the bars have 204 pins and 1600 MHz. Up to 32 GB of RAM can be achieved with a conversion.

These 2x 8 GB RAM from Crucial are fully compatible with the iMac Retina 2014. With two of these sets from Crucial you get the longed-for 32 GB RAM - to be found here on Amazon.

How much RAM do I actually need?

If you mainly do simple applications such as word processing, surfing the net, listening to music, you will certainly get along well with 8 GB. However, those who edit pictures, cut videos, do 3D renderings or often use several programs in parallel will make their life easier with 32 GB of RAM, as the iMac can keep more in memory and has to transfer less to the hard drive. If you don't have enough RAM in the iMac, the constant swapping of data to the hard drive only slows down the performance and results in annoyingly poor performance - you don't really like to watch the beach ball ...

Which memory sticks and manufacturers are compatible with the 5K iMac?

Here is a small selection of suitable memories with which users have had good experiences. One should not use non-name products here, as errors in the main memory often cause problems on the computer that cannot be directly attributed to a defective memory bar. This can result in crashes, hangs or defective files. For this reason, I would always fall back on well-known manufacturers such as Hynix, Crucial, Samsung, Transcend, Corsair or Kingston. For this reason you will not find anything else here than shopping recommendations.

Depending on how far you want to upgrade your 5K iMac retina, you can now use different assignments. The iMac has a total of 4 slots, each of which can hold a maximum of 8 GB of memory. For this reason, the maximum capacity is 32 GB (4 x 8 GB). Since, from my point of view, it doesn't make sense to only upgrade to 16 GB, I have explicitly listed 8 GB bars here, whereby these always come in a set of two. So you always have to buy two (2!) Of these sets to get 32 GB:

HYNIX - 16 GB Kit (2 x 8GB)

DDR3L 1.35V SO-DIMM PC3-12800 1600Mhz

Samsung - 16 GB (2 x 8GB)

SO-DIMM 1600MHz PC3-12800S CL11 Module / Dual Channel Kit from Samsung

Transcend - 16 GB (2 x 8GB)

DDR3 1600MHz 16GB as 2 x 8GB Kit DIMM modules (JM1600KSH-16GK)

Corsair - 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)

MacMemory memory certified by Apple / DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) laptop memory (CMSA16GX3M2A1600C11)

And how do you install the RAM in the iMac?

As promised, it's really easy, this video can be used as a guide. It shows exactly how it works - even if it's in English. This colleague also recommends the Crucial memory. So you certainly don't go wrong with that. ;-)

What are your experiences? Leave a comment if you have any suggestions or questions.

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Jens Kleinholz( Founder & Sir Apfelot )

Jens has been running the blog since 2012. He appears as Sir Apfelot for his readers and helps them with problems of a technical nature. In his free time he drives electric unicycles, takes photos (preferably with his iPhone, of course), climbs around in the Hessian mountains or hikes with the family. His articles deal with Apple products, news from the world of drones or solutions for current bugs.

The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de