Digital Impulses

Step-by-step guide on how to upgrade RAM on a 24" iMac

So my 4 GB of RAM from Crucial arrived today and I set about to install in in "Zeus" my 24" iMac.  Here are the steps I took to complete the RAM upgrade:

Tools Needed:

 

1. (1) Phillips screwdriver
   
   Preparing the Work Area

1. Unplug all cables from the iMac.
2. Find a large, clear work area to place the iMac on.
3. Lay a cloth, towel or some other material on your work area to lay the iMac down on its glass screen.
4. Place the iMac face down, flat on your work area.
5. lift up the "foot" or "base" as far up as it will go.
   
   Removing the access door
6. Unscrew the single Phillips screw until the access door comes loose.
   NOTE:  The screw stays in place on the door and does not come loose of the access door.  Neat feature to avoid losing it.
7. Remove the access door and set it aside.
   
   Removing the existing RAM
8. Untuck the plastic tab(s).
9. Pull firmly on the tab until you hear an audible "click" and see the RAM module protrude forward.
10. At this point the RAM is unseated and FURTHER PULLING ON THE TAB IS UNNECESSARY.
11. Grab the individual RAM module with your fingertips, nail clipper  or something similar and just wiggle it / slide it out of the RAM slot.
12. Repeat steps 8 ~ 12 for the other RAM chip if you are replacing both RAM modules.
    
    INSTALLING THE NEW RAM
13. Slide the new RAM module, label side up, with the notch facing left, into the RAM slot.
14. Push the RAM module in firmly until you hear an audible "click" and feel the RAM cannot go forward any further.
15. Tuck the plastic tab(s) back in to the RAM slot.
16. Repeat steps 13 & 14 for the additional RAM module if necessary.
    
    REPLACING THE ACCESS DOOR
17. Place the access door back in place and re-tighten the Phillips screw.
    
    TESTING THE RAM INSTALLATION
18. Pick up the iMac and return it to its normal pace on your desk or wherever it was before.
19. Re-attach all of the cables.
20. Power on the iMac.
21. After booting, click on the *Apple* menu and click on "About this Mac".
22. Ensure that the installed RAM reflects the new upgraded total you just added.

That's it!

The trick to this process is in step 10, where pulling on the tab just UNSEATS the RAM module but DOES NOT slide the RAM module out.  One pull of the tab is all it takes.  After that, you need to grab the RAM module as best you can and just slide it out.

I have seen multiple YouTube tutorial videos where the people in the video seem to struggle getting the RAM module to come out, thinking that further pulling on the tab is the secret to getting the RAM module out of the RAM slot.

The tab(s) seems like it is attached to the RAM module, but it is not.  It's just an integrated mechanism that allows you to UNSEAT THE RAM so you can then  slide it out manually.

I hope this helps others to perform RAM upgrades on their iMacs.  Please feel free to leave a comment on this tutorial with any omissions or notes that may simplify this even more.

Enjoy!

Zeus gets a memory upgrade

I just now ordered 4 GB of RAM for Zeus, my awesome 24" iMac from Crucial Technologies. 

I freaking LOVE Crucial TechnologiesI  They have this cool "System Scanner" which is a tiny download that you run and it scans your system and tells you EXACTLY the kind of RAM that your system has, how much you can add and what the full upgrade will cost.

It immediately determined that my iMac has 2GB of RAM (via two 1GB chips) and told me that I could get (2) 2 GB chips for $109.98  So, I placed the order and it was as follows:

Qty: 2 CT817152
Part Number: CT25664AC800
Price: $54.99
Description: 2GB, 200-pin SODIMM  Upgrade for a Apple iMac 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (24-inch) System
Line total: $109.98
Partial returns on volume discount purchases may result in loss of volume discount.
Line item subtotal: $109.98
Approximate tax: $9.07
Shipping charges: Express shipping (2 business days)  $6.99
Estimated order subtotal: $126.04

So that's that.  I should have the RAM by Tuessday 6/17 and then Zeus will have the fastest CPU, Video card and MAX amount of RAM currently offered by Apple.  SWEET!

The birth of Zeus, my new 24" iMac

So.  Unable to wait any longer before unpacking and setting up the Apple iMac that I would christen Zeus, I arrived home from work determined to clean up some stuff in my office to allow a table to be used as the official 'Unpacking Area' for my brand new iMac.

Having cleared out the area that I needed for Zeus to come to life as it were, I proceeded to open the box and locate the items inside.  As usual, it was pure Apple porn.  There was a white box that contained the keyboard, mouse and documentation (including some software DVD's), a power cable and the computer itself.

After struggling for a bit to get the computer out of the box, I did finally and I was surprised at how heavy it was.  thinking back on it, I really should not have been that surprised, considering that it is an ENTIRE computer all in one enclosure.

Once I had everything out of the box and realized just how truly elegant and simple this beast was going to be to configure, I placed it smack dab in the middle of the desk that was previously occupied by my now-evicted Vista franken-box that I built about 2 years ago.

It was all cake after that:  Plug in the power cable, attach the network cable and plug in the various USB docks and cables that would be in faithful service to Zeus after being relocated from my Mac Mini.

Below is a picture of Zeus in his full glory:

So, now comes the fun part: figuring out the most efficient way to transfer my data from the Mac Mini over to Zeus.  Fun times ahead, for sure.

Zeus Arrives: 24" iMac is mine, Baby!

So.

After much haggling and negotiating (including the turning over of all income tax checks for 2008), the wife and I arranged for me to receive an early Father's Day present in the form of completely tricked out 24" iMac from the Apple store in Manhattan Beach, at the Manhattan Village Mall.

I waited around on Memorial day for my wife to get home from work and then she eventually prodded me to go ahead and skip on over to the Apple store to make the purchase. Of course, I had already scoped out the configuration that i wanted on this bad boy and decided on the following:

• CPU: 3.06 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
• SCREEN: 24" Glossy widescreen LCD
  
• RAM: 2 GB 800Mhz DDR2 (I will purchase an additional 2 GB somewhere else, much cheaper than Apple sells it for).
• HARD DISK: 500 GB Serial ATA.  (My current Mac Mini has a 300 GB External Seagate and I have an additional 500 GB external Seagate HD waiting (unopened) in a box on the floor next to the Mac Mini.   that will give me a grand total of 1.3 TB of local Hard disk space attached to this machine).
• VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS w/512MB GDDR3
• SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
  
• Airport Extreme
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  
• Apple Mighty Mouse
• Apple Keyboard
• Accessory Kit

The way I figure it, this is a machine that I need to use for a minimum of 3 years.  So, I went ahead and maxed out the CPU speed and available video card because those are the 2 items that I cannot upgrade easily.  I can always up the RAM and the hard disk size is unimportant becuase i Have TERABYTES of local hard drive space available to me in my local network.

All of my decisions were confirmed by the local in-store Mac sales rep and he sold me the machine as we configured it on an existing IMac on display inside the store.  Once I had decided on the configuration, he went to the back of the store to get the machine and told me to just wait up front at the register to go ahead and pay for the beast.

Also, with the purchase of the machine, I picked up a subscription to .mac for $69.00 (a $30.00 discount off of the retail price).  When I registered the .mac subscription, I was told at the .mac web site that my account would be upgraded (the extended subscription will kick in, in other words) when it expires in October of 2008.

Walking out of the store with this tricked out iMac, I was surprised at how heavy it was.  It was quite the trip back to the car to put it in the car and drive back home.

Now to disassemble and retire my piece of crap, 30-month old built from parts Vista box and clean up the desk where it was to allow the GLORIOUS ZEUS to take his place as the rightful king of my local office network.

God, I can't wait to set it up and put it through it's paces.  This is BY FAR, the fastest machine I have ever owned.  MUCH FUN to be had ahead,I predict.

YES!