Best Buy Ram For Mac
Learn how to identify your iMac, then find it below.
| iMac Model | Max. DRAM | User- Installable Slot | AASP- Installable Slot | Video/ VRAM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2019) | 64GB | 2666MHz DDR4 | 4GB or 8GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 5 | |
| iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019) | 32GB | None | 2666MHz DDR4 (for i5 processor) 2400MHz DDR4 (for i3 processor) | 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 3 |
| iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017) | 64GB | 2400MHz DDR4 | 4GB or 8GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 5 | |
| iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2017) | 32GB | None | 2400MHz DDR4 | 2GB or 4GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 3 |
| iMac (21.5-inch, 2017) | 16GB | None | 2133MHz DDR4 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 | 3 |
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015) | 32GB | 1867MHz DDR3 | 2GB or 4GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 4 | |
| iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015) | 16GB | None | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 | 6 | |
| iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2015) | 16GB | None | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6000 | 6 | |
| iMac (Retina 5k, 27-inch, Mid 2015) | 32GB | 1600MHz DDR3 | 2GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 4 | |
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) | 32GB | 1600MHz DDR3 | 2GB or 4GB GDDR5 SDRAM | 4 | |
| iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) | 16GB | None | Intel HD Graphics 5000 | ||
| iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) | 32GB | PC3-12800 (1600) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM, | ||
| iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013) | 16GB | None | PC3-12800 (1600) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | |
| iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) | 32GB | PC3-12800 (1600) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 512MB GDDR5 SDRAM, | ||
| iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) | 16GB | None | PC3-12800 (1600) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 512MB GDDR5 SDRAM | |
| iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) | 16GB | PC3-10600 (1333) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 512MB GDDR5 SDRAM and | ||
| iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) | 16GB | PC3-10600 (1333) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 512MB GDDR5 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010) | 16GB | PC3-10600 (1333) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM and | ||
| iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010) | 16GB | PC3-10600 (1333) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 256 MB up to 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Late 2009) | 16GB | PC3-8500 (1066) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 256 up to 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Mid 2009) | 4GB | PC3-8500 (1066) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 256 up to 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Early 2009) | 8GB | PC3-8500 (1066) DDR3 204-pin SO-DIMM | 256 up to 512MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Early 2008) | 4GB | PC2-6400 (800) DDR2 200-pin SO-DIMM | 128 or 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Mid 2007) | 4GB | PC2-5300 (667) DDR2 200-pin SO-DIMM | 128 or 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Late 2006) | 4GB | PC2-5300 (667) DDR2 200-pin SO-DIMM | 128MB GDDR3 SDRAM | 1 | |
| iMac (Mid 2006) and iMac (17-inch Late 2006 CD) | 2GB | PC2-5300 (667) DDR2 200-pin SO-DIMM | 64MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
| iMac (Early 2006) | 2GB | PC2-5300 (667) DDR2 200-pin SO-DIMM | 128MB GDDR3 SDRAM | ||
- Although iMac (Late 2006) accepts up to a 2GB SO-DIMM in each of its two memory slots, the computer only supports 3GB total memory.
- iMac (Late 2009), iMac (Mid 2010), and iMac (Mid 2011) have four SDRAM slots, each of which can accept a 2GB or 4GB SO-DIMM.
- These iMac models have no user-installable SDRAM slots. An Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) can install SDRAM in these computers.
- 27-inch iMac models introduced in 2012 through 2015 have four SDRAM slots, each of which can accept a 4GB or 8GB SO-DIMM.
- 27-inch iMac models introduced in 2017 and 2019 have four SDRAM slots, each of which can accept a 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB SO-DIMM.
- Learn more about integrated video on Intel-based Macs.
Best Place To Buy Ram For Mac
Apple recently gave the MacBook Air a tiny increase in processor frequency, but that was it. If you want something more modern, you'll need to look at the MacBook or MacBook Pro. Otherwise, for most people looking for an inexpensive Mac for college, the 13-inch MacBook Air remains the best bet. MacBook Air (13-inch screen, i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB SSD), $699.99 (originally $999), available at Best Buy [You save $300] [Available for $649.99 for who qualify for Best Buy's College. It’s extremely expensive, but if you’re looking for unbridled power to get through professional workloads, the iMac Pro is the best Mac for you. Read the full review: iMac Pro 5. Buy computer memory from Best Buy for your laptop or desktop. Ram computer memory can enhance your computing performance and speed. To buy Random Access Memory (RAM) for your Mac Mini, you must first determine the maximum capacity of memory your Mac Mini can support and the type of RAM, or memory modules, that are compatible with the model of your Mac Mini.
Learn more
Learn about integrated video on Intel-based Macs
Get more information about memory and specific iMac models:
Most students looking for a new MacBook should pick up the MacBook Air. It's less expensive than other MacBooks, more powerful, and has a bigger display than the 12-inch MacBook while remaining lightweight. And though it might not be as powerful as the MacBook Pro, it should provide enough power for the average student to get through their day.
Our pick
MacBook Air (2018)
Hits the sweet spot of power, portability, and price.
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks zone of Apple's portable Mac lineup, offering enough power for most everything you'll want it to do without the bulk of a MacBook Pro. Features Touch ID for easy, yet secure, authentication.
Who should buy this computer?
College students who want a Mac for writing papers, doing research, surfing the web, light photo editing and just entertaining themselves should get the MacBook Air. It should also be a great computer for you when your academic career is over and you're headed out into the world.
Is it a good time to buy this computer?
The current MacBook Air came out in October 2018, so now is a great time to buy this Mac. Some solid discounts are popping up at retailers like Amazon, and we're likely many months away from a potential refresh. It's been a while since Apple refreshed any of its Macs in less than a year.
Reasons to buy
- Great balance of price and power
- Light and portable
- Retina display
- Touch ID
Reasons not to buy
- Limited customization
- Butterfly keyboard may irk some
The MacBook Air is a great Mac for students, successfully riding the line between power and portability
For students, portability is a chief concern when it comes to buying a computer. Whether you're walking through your high school's hallways to your history class or sprinting across a college campus to make it your next lecture on time, you don't want to be lugging around a heavy computer. You want something fairly light. At the same time, you don't want a computer that's underpowered. The MacBook Air occupies the happy medium of that ideal. It's more powerful than the MacBook and thinner and lighter than the MacBook Pro.
For the longest time, the MacBook Air was Apple's thin-and-light computer. Many credit MacBook Air with paving the way for the 'ultrabook' genre of computers that gained prominence in the early part of this decade. But Apple has since introduced the 12-inch MacBook, which debuted with a Retina display and was even thinner and lighter than the Air. Surely, if portability is your main concern, you should get the MacBook, right?
The MacBook Air sits in the happy medium between the portability of the MacBook and the power of the MacBook Pro.
Well, let's take a look at the modern MacBook Air. It now also (some would say 'finally') has a Retina display, without adding any bulk. And no, it's not as small as the MacBook, but it's almost as light. The MacBook Air comes in at 2.75 lbs, less than a pound heavier than the MacBook's 2.03. You're not making much of a sacrifice on weight. If the footprint of the computer is a concern, check out the MacBook, but you're gaining only about half-an-inch each on width and depth, so maybe the larger Air won't present much of a size problem.
The other consideration the MacBook versus the MacBook Air is power. While the MacBook Air's eighth-generation Intel processor won't really keep up with those found in the current generation of MacBook Pro, it's more than a match for the 7th-generation processors found in the MacBook. For everything from web browsing to photo editing, the MacBook will find itself outmatched by the Air, all while the MacBook Air is priced at least $100 under the current MacBook.
Speaking of power, the MacBook Pro is probably overkill for most students. Sure, some will be able to take advantage of its more powerful processors available to it, but if most of what you're doing is writing papers, putting together presentations, or doing research on the web, you probably don't need the level of power a MacBook Pro offers. And again, you'll be saving a bit of money if you get the MacBook Air, which is always something to consider.
Ultimately, when looking at the current MacBook lineup through the lens of a student, the MacBook Air successfully rides the line between the thin-and-light MacBook and the powerful MacBook Pro. It will meet the needs of most students, and should still be a great Mac to have when you're ready to leave academics behind and head off into the world.
Alternatives to the MacBook Air
The MacBook Air might be the best MacBook for most students, but different people have different needs. If you're looking for more power, then check out the MacBook Pro. It'll be a more capable machine for almost everything you want to do, with more expensive models offering an ever-increasing amount of power for tasks like photo and video editing, app development, scientific programs, illustration, and music production. It will last longer than the MacBook Air and perform at higher levels the entire time.
If you're looking for more of a budget option, unfortunately, you're going to have to settle for something older from Apple. It's still a MacBook Air, but it lacks the Retina display of the newer model, and its processors are older. But, it still has all-solid-state storage, which means a lot when it comes to boot times. If budget is your chief concern and you still want a Mac, the older MacBook Air that Apple still sells should work just fine, if not quite as well as the new model.
More power
MacBook Pro
More power for whatever you need to do.
More powerful and versatile than the MacBook Air, the Pro lineup offers more customization options so you get the exact machine you need for photo and video work, scientific programs, music production, or other intensive tasks.
The MacBook Pro offers a lot of customization options that allow you to create the computer you need. Offers everything from a seventh-generation dual-core Intel processor to an ninth-generation, eight-core i9 beast, configurable up to 32GB of memory with AMD Radeon graphics for the most intensive tasks. If power is what you want, that's what you'll get with the MacBook Pro.
Value pick
MacBook Air (2017)
A capable computer for the money.
While it hasn't seen anything other than a spec bump in the last couple of years, the 2017 revision of the MacBook Air is still a capable machine. It may lack Thunderbolt and a Retina display, but it'll still get you through most of your tasks without hassle.
Apple quietly bumped the specs on the MacBook Air in 2017, introducing a couple of new processors to choose from. Despite its lack of Thunderbolt 3 ports or a Retina display, the older MacBook Air should still be able to meet most of your needs. It even still has an SD card reader, something many Mac owners thought was lost to the ages (or at least the Mac).
Bottom line
If you want an excellent 'medium' Mac laptop, get the MacBook Air. Offering enough power to meet most of the needs of student life while being almost as portable as a MacBook, the Air strikes a great balance between the other offerings in Apple's laptop lineup.
It's also among the most affordable of the portable Macs, especially when you start getting into the upper echelons of what that MacBook Pro has to offer and even compared to the 12-inch MacBook.
Our pick
MacBook Air (2018)
Hits the sweet spot of power, portability, and price.
Best Buy Ram For Imac
More powerful than the 12-inch MacBook and more mobile than the MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air sits in the Goldilocks zone of Apple's portable Mac lineup, offering enough power for most everything you'll want it to do without the bulk of a MacBook Pro. Features Touch ID for easy, yet secure, authentication.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Joseph Keller is a senior writer at iMore. An Apple user for more than a decade and a half, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Rene Ritchie has been covering the personal technology industry for a decade. An outspoken analyst and critic, he writes at iMore.com/vector, podcasts at applepodcasts.com/vector, and you can find his show at youtube.com/vector. Follow him @reneritchie on Twitter and Instagram
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Best Buy Ram For Computer
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