Please Help Me Understand Imac ram upgrade! at DVinfo.net

Jessica Gourdine · April 30th, 2008, 12:56 PM

I'm purchasing the first of many Mac's for my church and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. This particular computer will be used for our graphic design department and will be running photoshop, illustrator and in design.

When I spoke with one of the Apple rep's, he told me that an Imac would be fine for what we're trying to do but said that everything in the imac is set in stone. After some further explanation, I believe he was trying to tell me that if I want to upgrade to the 500 GB hard drive or 4 gb of ram, I would have to get it installed with my order thru apple and wouldn't be able to purchase from another site and install it on my own. Is this true?

Henrik Reach · April 30th, 2008, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Gourdine

I'm purchasing the first of many Mac's for my church and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. This particular computer will be used for our graphic design department and will be running photoshop, illustrator and in design.

When I spoke with one of the Apple rep's, he told me that an Imac would be fine for what we're trying to do but said that everything in the imac is set in stone. After some further explanation, I believe he was trying to tell me that if I want to upgrade to the 500 GB hard drive or 4 gb of ram, I would have to get it installed with my order thru apple and wouldn't be able to purchase from another site and install it on my own. Is this true?

RAM is easy to upgrade on your own, HD's are more difficult I believe.

Greg Boston · April 30th, 2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henrik Reach

RAM is easy to upgrade on your own, HD's are more difficult I believe.

Hard drives are fine. I've already upgraded the hard drive in my iMac a couple times. Sometimes the drive manufacturer supplies specialty software with the drive that is Windows only, but the drive itself can be installed and used just fine by OSX.

RAM is the same way... just buy the recommended RAM module from any of the online or local retailers. You do need to use matched sets though for optimum performance.

-gb-

Colin McDonald · April 30th, 2008, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessica Gourdine

After some further explanation, I believe he was trying to tell me that if I want to upgrade to the 500 GB hard drive or 4 gb of ram, I would have to get it installed with my order thru apple and wouldn't be able to purchase from another site and install it on my own. Is this true?

Retrofitting bigger Hard Drive is possible but difficult on an iMac (unless you are into this sort of techie stuff) and not for the inexperienced.

More RAM on the other hand is relatively easy and MUCH cheaper than buying it from Apple. Few people by their Macs with extra RAM fitted by Apple. It doesn't per se invalidate the warranty to do this, but I would recommend refitting the original Apple memory chips if sending a Mac in for a warranty or AppleCare repair.

Mac Pros are much easier to work on.

Not exactly impartial but worth a look:

http://www.macupgrades.co.uk/store/m...=imac-core-duo

"We recommend professional installation for replacing the hard drive in the Intel iMac. We can sell you a drive to install yourself, but we cannot provide help for the installation process.

Please note that installing this drive yourself will invalidate any remaining Apple warranty".

Henrik Reach · April 30th, 2008, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

Hard drives are fine. I've already upgraded the hard drive in my iMac a couple times. Sometimes the drive manufacturer supplies specialty software with the drive that is Windows only, but the drive itself can be installed and used just fine by OSX.

RAM is the same way... just buy the recommended RAM module from any of the online or local retailers. You do need to use matched sets though for optimum performance.

-gb-

Ok, I just know that the RAM is very easy to access, didn't think it was the same with the HD. Sure there are tons of HD's that are compatible, but that doesn't mean I advice people without any relevant experience swapping the HD in their MBP for example. I assume it's easier on the iMac, but you get my point?

Doug Okamoto · April 30th, 2008, 03:22 PM

Not that I recommend anyone doing this at all without suitable experience in electronics...

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=350120

This has a detailed explanation of how to open and replace a hard drive in a new iMac. Again, if you are not comfortable with taking a electronic device apart and putting it back together (correctly!), I do not recommend doing this on your own.

Tsu Terao · May 1st, 2008, 02:07 PM

You don't need a big internal hard drive. You do want a big and fast external drive, both for Photoshop and for your NLE.

April 30th, 2008, 12:56 PM	#1
Jessica Gourdine Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South Carolina, US Posts: 35	Please Help Me Understand Imac ram upgrade! I'm purchasing the first of many Mac's for my church and I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. This particular computer will be used for our graphic design department and will be running photoshop, illustrator and in design. When I spoke with one of the Apple rep's, he told me that an Imac would be fine for what we're trying to do but said that everything in the imac is set in stone. After some further explanation, I believe he was trying to tell me that if I want to upgrade to the 500 GB hard drive or 4 gb of ram, I would have to get it installed with my order thru apple and wouldn't be able to purchase from another site and install it on my own. Is this true?

April 30th, 2008, 03:22 PM	#6
Doug Okamoto Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Bellevue, Washington Posts: 145	Not that I recommend anyone doing this at all without suitable experience in electronics... http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=350120 This has a detailed explanation of how to open and replace a hard drive in a new iMac. Again, if you are not comfortable with taking a electronic device apart and putting it back together (correctly!), I do not recommend doing this on your own.

May 1st, 2008, 02:07 PM	#7
Tsu Terao Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Monterey Bay area, CA Posts: 82	You don't need a big internal hard drive. You do want a big and fast external drive, both for Photoshop and for your NLE.