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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

external HD and Imac memory upgrade

I have been buying large quantities of memory, drives and RAIDs from OWC for many years. Their products have always worked very well, with few failures....I recommend them highly. I did have some bad luck with the first-generation G-RAIDs so I never went back to them. I do currently have a couple of 3TB G-Safes belonging to a client that I am using for some transcoding, and they are very picky about eSATA connections...they don't work with some eSATA cards. So I am sticking with OWC...
 
Brian Iannone said:
1333MHz RAM seems to be the fastest supported by iMac12,2.
Click to expand...

It is. It's actually an Intel chipset limitation. You can install faster RAM, but the fastest it will clock is the 1333Mhz. Several PC motherboards using the same chipset allow some degree of overclocking, usually 1600MHz or so. But that doesn't help us here.

Also, iMac12,2 has two Thunderbolt ports.
Click to expand...

The 27" model does. 21" model has a single Thunderbolt port.


I would do it just for the addition of an eSATA port. :-)
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But then you lose one of the internal SATA connections and the port you gain is not a 100% true eSATA port. It doesn't properly support most port-multipler devices or port replicators. It's just a half-baked solution and (IMO) somewhat unnecessary or questionable when you can use Thunderbolt. Of course, that argument does fall on its face somewhat since there is a shortage of good Thunderbolt devices on the market to choose from.

For those of you guys looking at iMac memory, seriously take a look at these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233216

These modules are tops and you can put 32GB in an iMac for under $350 whereas OWC would charge you $630. If you're going with 16GB RAM, which is plenty for an iMac, IMO, you won't save much vs. OWC, so whatever makes you feel more comfortable. Just sayin'...

As for iMacs and internal HDD / SSD options. I recommend just going with what Apple offers. Yeah, the prices are kinda high, but an aftermarket install is a pain in the ass. Not only that, but for HDDs, you need to buy one of the few models on the market that have onboard temperature sensors and there's still no guaranty they will work properly if there is a firmware mismatch. It's a real pain what Apple has done with the latest iMac revisions in regards to storage.
 
Thank you so much Brian and Jeff. Very Helpful. I do in fact have two thunderbolt ports but the price of the external drives aren't cheap. So I think I'll upgrade the memory and get an external g-drive for now until the thunderbolt prices drop. My internal on my Imac is a TB so that'll do for now.

Jeff, thank you for the thorough explanation. I really appreciate it.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
For those of you guys looking at iMac memory, seriously take a look at these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233216
Click to expand...


Jeff, forgive me, but I realized this is classified as laptop memory. Is the the one that works with the Imac? I do believe I will go ahead and get 16GB (8GBx2) from them it's only $175 as opposed to $315 from OWC. I will then have 20GB of ram and see if that is enough to edit R3D files.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233217
 
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William Graydon said:
Jeff, forgive me, but I realized this is classified as laptop memory. Is the the one that works with the Imac? I do believe I will go ahead and get 16GB (8GBx2) from them it's only $175 as opposed to $315 from OWC. I will then have 20GB of ram and see if that is enough to edit R3D files.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233217
Click to expand...

The 204-pin SODIMM modules are usually considered "laptop" memory, but that is what the iMac takes, and so do many all-in-one style PCs or other compact/ small form factor systems. Double check pricing between the two-packs and the individual modules. It's about $10 cheaper per pair to buy two of the modules individually than it is to buy the 2-pack. Or at least that's the case today... Not sure why this happens, but just look out for it. These modules work good. Also the G.Skill ones are good as well.

Your plan to get 20GB will work. RAM prices will continue to fall too, these 8GB modules are about 1/5th (yes, only 20%) of what they cost early this year. This is good and if you add the 2x8GB now, you could conceivably pull out the stock 2x2GB and add an additional 2x8GB sometime this next year for the 32GB if needed. Just be sure to install in matched pairs. So the bottom two sockets need to match and the top two sockets need to match. But the two pairs don't need to match one another as long as they are the same speed and timings, otherwise all memory access will be slowed to match the slower timed modules.

Installing RAM in the iMac is super-simple. Just make sure you have a good place to set the iMac screen-side-down on something soft. Try to work where there is low risk of static. The plastic tabs that you pull to unseat the existing modules need to be pulled harder than you might think. When putting the modules back, install the top modules first. Makes it easier to get them pushed into place.
 
instead of getting an after market install on ram/ssds/hdds/

couldn't you buy the stuff prior to buying the mac and show up with it and make the genius bar guys install it? assuming you do your research and get stuff that is compatible with that whole HDD pin thing they are doing in the Imac?

imacs are such a pain to open and so expensive to ship for after market installs i think making apple do the work would be a great idea. they can't ruin your warranty if they are doing the labor i reckon.

fyi apple put my third party ram upgrade in for free when i showed up and gave them a little mouth for wanting to charge 30 dollars when i had paid for applecare...so they hooked me up for free with the install. even 30 dollars isn't a bad price compared to having to ship it to OWC to do it...
 
Jeff, once again, thank you for all of your insight. It is much appreciated!!! Wish you the best in 2012!
 
Just saw this, but those two models you linked are the same. Well, the one is sold as a 2-pack, but they're the same modules from the same maker with the same specs. You will find that many of these memory makers stick Mac labels on some or whatever because without doing so, people won't know they will work in a Mac or companies won't buy them because they're not officially labeled as "Mac compatible".
 
Once again Jeff, Thank you! I thought that might be the case. They are also $10 more expensive!
 
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