LCD iMac Ram---apple store?

paulpaul
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
OK, im planning on getting an iMac but dont want to have to spend the $$$ to upgrade the internal slot to 512... if i buy the computer from an apple store, can i get them to install a 3rd party 512 ram mod into the internal slot?



I have a 512 stick in my current iMac and i would like to swap the sticks....



will this cost extra $...



Will they even touch my 3rd party ram?



this is probably gen disc or gb, but im putting it here

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 11
    o and ao and a Posts: 579member
    they won't install 3rd party ram i'd bet but it ain't hard to do it urself man



    its really easy



    here's a link apple explains it for you



    <a href="http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75317"; target="_blank">http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75317</a>;



    [ 08-18-2002: Message edited by: O and A ]</p>
  • Reply 2 of 11
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    i mean the full-sized slot.... i mean the old iMacs didnt have SO-Dimms

    im talking about regular PC-133 memory... i dont want it to go to waste in a machine i wont be using as much
  • Reply 3 of 11
    o and ao and a Posts: 579member
    [quote]Originally posted by Paul:

    <strong>i mean the full-sized slot.... i mean the old iMacs didnt have SO-Dimms

    im talking about regular PC-133 memory... i dont want it to go to waste in a machine i wont be using as much</strong><hr></blockquote>



    i see what u mean now and don't know the answer to ur question however ram isn't expensive 512megs for the user slot on the imac is 80 bucks
  • Reply 4 of 11
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    we've had a few questions about this. I've done it, and i can tell you that although it isn't too hard if you have the right tools (torx screws), if you screw up, you can ruin your machine.



    the iMac uses a laptop-like system of heat piping to cool the CPU. this heat pipe runs to a heat plate on the outside edge where the heat is then dispersed. if you open it up, you break the contact on the heat plates.



    if you do that, you HAVE TO scrape off all of the old thermal paste and reapply a fresh layer. then make sure you tighten the torx screws tight enough to reestablish contact with the heat plates.



    IF YOU DON'T, you have about a 100% chance of kernal panics, and a good chance of frying the CPU since it won't be able to dump heat off fast enough.



    just something to keep in mind....





    oh yeah, and this is GB material (the wicked internal slot and doing it yourself), so moving it there now.







    [ 08-18-2002: Message edited by: alcimedes ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 11
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    so what are my options other then getting the intenal slot installed with 512 from apple ( a HUGE waste of $$$...)
  • Reply 6 of 11
    mac's girlmac's girl Posts: 556member
    i went to the apple store last week and asked them this same question. they will NOT install 3rd party ram. they will only install their own ram. the full size DIMM in the factory slot will cost you $300 from apple. it is $60 for them to install it. you cannot install it yourself without voiding the warranty.



    i have 256mb in the factory slot, and 512mb in the user slot (which you can get for $200 or less and install yourself in 2 minutes), and i'm content for now with the speed. so far, it's not worth it for me to spend the $360.
  • Reply 7 of 11
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    i would recommend one of two things.



    1. live with 756MB of RAM. you should be fine with that.



    2. get a set of torx screwdrivers, get the right chip, get some thermal paste and get a copy of the internal work document from apple for the LCD iMac. (you can find it online if you look, not sure where off the top of my head)



    take the machine apart per the intructions and follow them very, very carefully. you can do it, just take your time and be careful.



    -alcimedes



    (p.s. i've done it, it wasn't tough but i also had the tools on hand.)
  • Reply 8 of 11
    ericj551ericj551 Posts: 89member
    Whats the thermal paste for? Also, is it any harder than upgrading the original imac, where you had to pull out the just about everything except the display? That was a pain.
  • Reply 9 of 11
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    it's not harder, just a lot more likely you'll break something if you don't do it right.



    read above as to what the thermal paste is for.



    -alcimedes
  • Reply 10 of 11
    willoughbywilloughby Posts: 1,457member
    Paul, you live in NYC right? What about <a href="http://www.tekserve.com"; target="_blank">Tekserve</a>!?



    Those guys are great. I'm sure they'd install 3rd party RAM and probably for cheap. Plus they're apple specialists so it probably wouldn't void the warranty (better check on that though).



    Good luck
  • Reply 11 of 11
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    [quote]Originally posted by Willoughby:

    <strong>Paul, you live in NYC right? What about <a href="http://www.tekserve.com"; target="_blank">Tekserve</a>!?



    Those guys are great. I'm sure they'd install 3rd party RAM and probably for cheap. Plus they're apple specialists so it probably wouldn't void the warranty (better check on that though).



    Good luck </strong><hr></blockquote>



    well, i WOULD do that if i wasnt going to be buying the computer at the NH apple store and bringing it straight to school... <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> maybe the school can install it? I'm goona ask the apple campus rep...
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