Re: 2007 aluminum iMac ever be able to use more than 4GB RAM?

David Empson <dempson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jamie Kahn Genet <jamiekg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I've just upgraded from 2GB to 4GB RAM (cost me USD$90 + $12
international shipping from Transintl.com in the US to me in New
Zealand) and the speed boost when launching and switching apps is great!
I only wish I'd done it sooner! :-)

However I'd have loved to have gone beyond only 4GB. Is this a hardwired
limit by Apple in the iMac range? Or just untested? Or unsupported in
OSX for this model, but possible with another OS?

4 GB memory modules do exist in the DDR2 SO-DIMM form factor, but so far
I've only spotted PC2-5300, which wouldn't work in the current iMac (but
might in the current MacBook Pro).

The main question is what the memory controller supports, and Intel's
detailed specification may clarify that. (I haven't gone hunting for
it.)

Apple's official specification is that the memory controller in the
latest iMac only supports 1 GB and 2 GB SO-DIMMs, so the maximum total
RAM capacity is 4 GB.

<http://developer.apple.com/documentation/HardwareDrivers/Conceptual/HWT
ech_RAM/Articles/RAM_implementation.html>

That specification should be taken with a grain of salt - Apple has been
known to only admit support for configurations they have tested or which
existed when a model was released.

That I've encountered several times over the years with certain Macs
such as the early CRT iMacs able to support more RAM than Apple
offically stated.

The operating system certainly doesn't have a 4 GB limit - the current
Mac Pro supports up to 32 GB.

The total address space of the computer is greater than 4 GB (RAM plus
ROM plus I/O), which is only possible on a 64-bit processor such as the
Core2 Duo, so the processor clearly isn't imposing a limit on the RAM
size at this point.

Of course, but - and perhaps I'm being paranoid - I wouldn't be
surprised if Apple sets a software/firmware based limit for certain
models. Certainly they hobbled many a 68k and PPC Mac in the past.

Hmmm... after re-reading the above I'm forced to admit it does sound
rather daft :-D NM...

Regards,
Jamie Kahn Genet
--
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Sandman is disappointed with the new iMacs
    ... More detail from Apple press releases posted on Macintouch: ... iMac and will be available as a Mac accessory at just $69. ... Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • Re: Price Experiment - Home Office
    ... Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English ... Mac OS X - U.S. English ... AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll ... BACK TO SCHOOL ESSENTIALS Paint Shop Photo Album 5 Deluxe Edition w/ ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • Re: My imitation Mac Pro
    ... Apple would break updating of Hackintoshes. ... knows that the Hackintosh scene is good for them. ... I am typing on my iMac and have a customer's HP behind me. ... price comparisons I see in magazines (Mac and Win) show them as being ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • Re: Thinking About Going Mac: Care To Try To Convince Me?
    ... Apple gear as Apple doesn't play in the bargain PC market at all, ... With a Mac, you're SOL. ... Then I went to window shop at the Apple site at a similar iMac, ... the box says it supports Windows only. ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • Re: Upgrade OSX 10.39 ?? Connect high-speed?
    ... "My computer is an iMac G4. ... Major versions are paid upgrades. ... Apple uses major revisions of Mac OS X ...
    (comp.sys.mac.hardware.misc)