Upgrade RAM in a mid-2017 21-inch iMac without complete disassembly.
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- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2025
- This video demonstrates how to remove the old RAM and install the new RAM in a 21-inch mid-2017 iMac computer without completely disassembling it. You will probably still want to watch the portions of the video linked below that demoes how to properly remove the monitor/screen and how to put it back on.
• How to Upgrade/Install...
All videos I watched on RUclips use a method of completely disassembling the iMac in order to install new RAM. I don't see any reason to completely disassemble your Mac unless you're trying to replace a bunch of stuff at once including processor, RAM, and the Fusion drive all at once.
You deserve the Nobel Price for Lazy Genius! Thank You so much for taking the time to show. One tip: I unscrewed the 2 screws near the RAM that hold the motherboard - gave me a millimeter or two extra space.
Just got a kit to upgrade mine and the other way looks outrageous
Wow! This gives me hope. I just watched the "other" video with the full disassembly and thought "no way." But this video makes it so much more doable. I do have good dexterity and my hands are pretty small, so I think this is in my realm of possible.
You've got this. I believe in you. You can do it. ;)
Just watch out for that camera cable while taking the face of the iMac off.
Update? I’m thinking of doing this as well.
You are a genius. I forgot to put the thermal protection on the new ram and got it all put back together and then saw that step I missed and was like NOOOO then I realized where the ram was and was like no way I’m taking this thing apart. Then I found your video. Thanks so much for this!!
Thanks. I've been there too before. Your comment made me smile. I'm glad it was helpful.
Upgraded ram this way easy and no problem! This is revolutionary and time saving. I wanted to upgrade ram and ssd but it would take hours just for the ram, but this saved those hours. The forehead trick looking in is actually the best way to do it. Thanks!
You rock! Thanks for this video. Well done, sir.
Great video. Very simple, simple and productive. Very grateful. 👍
Thanks for this video. It was enlightening, also because having to disassemble everything to be able to update the RAM banks is absurd. Out of 10 people who would like to increase the RAM, 6 try to do it themselves but the other 4 probably resell their iMac to buy another one with more RAM installed from the factory. I had a sad experience with a 2012 Macbook Pro, and the repair center told me that after 4 years you can't find spare parts because the computer becomes "vintage". Planned obsolescence? Probably.. However I understood that it is better not to update the OS too much because the updates put more strain on the hardware (like modifying the engine of your small car to do the 24 hours at Daytona). It was a game of great patience to remove and insert the RAM as you indicated in the video but in the end it worked! I renew my thanks. You are a genius!
The original Apple set out to make it easy for users to upgrade certain parts such as memory, hard drive (now SSD) and CD or DVDs. Now they weld the memory and SSD in so most people never attempt to remove it and ruin the computer. This video is a classic for anyone with older imacs. They go cheap, often in very good condition with original Apple keyboard and mouse for around £200 or less. It would cost just over £100 UK pounds to upgrade memory to 32GB and SSD to 512 SSD or 1TB. It's a no brainer with this video as a guide.
Thanks for the feedback. For Macs made mostly before the M processors, you can replace the RAM, Hard Drives, and some other parts with normal PC-type parts (m.2 drives, SSD drives, etc). I even once replaced a broken video card on an iMac with a flashed laptop-version of an upgraded card. It takes some research. And like for the video card, for example, you have to make sure you have adequate heat dissipation and power from the power supply, etc. So - not for the faint of heart to attempt.
Thanks so much for this. I was really dreading having to take that whole thing apart. Quadrupled my RAM and replaced the ancient spinny boy with an SSD. Took about an hour total and it's a completely different computer now.
That's fantastic! I love hearing success stories like yours. Glad it worked out for you.
Wow, you saved a few of my hours for disassembling this... Thank you !!!!
Thank you for this! Just upgraded my 2017 Imac that had a failing hard drive. Swapped for a SSD and went from 8gb to 32 gb of ram. Thanks again for the tutorial!
Where did you buy you cards and what mhz did you buy. I wanted to upgrade to 32 gon memore. Will it take any two 16 go card
@@ricardojnba depends on the machine. You’ll have to look up what your mac can use for max ram. For mhz just go to info on your Mac and see what ram is in it already. It’s in the memory tab.
Did u see a big improvement?
@@robr9170it’s hard to say. The SSD made it so much faster. It did help with some programs that use ram (superior drummer which is a drum program that each kit can be a gig in size or more to load) but I mostly did it because it was cheap and I was inside the computer anyway so why not. I’ve now moved on to the new m4 Mac mini for home and my iMac became an office computer which just needs the basics. Overall, worth the time and money being I had to open it up anyway. Only thing I wish I’d done was put a 2tb SSD in but that’s because I don’t delete stuff like I should lol.
@@HomeGuitarMods ok yeah I may look into that in the future the ssd that is
I did that too my iPod classic actually and it improved it a lot
Thanks for the reply!
Great advice with the scan. I always put the screws in place on a table to get it right.
Thank you!, thank you! This saved me a lot of time and trouble, today I installed 32gb and my mac feels new, it wasn't that difficult without having to take the machine apart
You’re a genius , this method saved me so much times. Thanks
I'm glad to hear it saved you time. Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you for sharing, I followed your way to upgrade the ram on my iMac successfully.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad it worked for you. :)
Great video man.. I was worried I would have to take it all apart as I see most people do. But this worked out. Thanks
Awesome! I'm glad it helped and that you were successful.
Thank you for this video! You saved me lots of time, stress and provided everything I needed to upgrade the ram in a client's iMac! (My first iMac ram upgrade).
Thank you so much. Just upgraded my 2012 iMac 21.5 to 16 gig after watching your video. Went awesome, hardest part was taking out the old ram chips. This is probably how an apple tech does it, but they don’t tell you that.
Amazing, just did this job yesterday and took everything out to do it! (Did the nvme drive too though so I had to). The thing you call a heatsink is actually an insulator as the bottom module is so close to the other on this model. Still, very impressive! (Why do they put the logic board in upside down, total design fail?).
Ooo! I like the picture screw tracker. I'll have to think about how I can work that into doing my butchering... er... updates...
It's so easy and quick to do - especially if you can wirelessly print from your phone. It especially saves me while working on laptops.-all those tiny, nearly-identical screws.
Seems it would be a good idea to replace the CMOS battery while you’ve got it ‘cracked’ open(?).
You could. 2017 is starting to be old.
Late to the game here but could you remove or loosen the one torx screw on the corner by your pinky and give yourself a little more wiggle room? Or maybe a couple of the ones holding that end of the board? Obviously being very careful not to bend the board too much. Just wondering. Thanks for the great video. Your method looks a whole lot easier than the other ones I’ve seen.
Yes. And great comment. I'd say it would be labeled as "not best practice" though. When you start flexing/bending the motherboard, you risk breaking the microscopic wires in it during the flex. So, I don't advocate flexing the motherboard. But I may or may not do it like that myself on occasion.
@joeyslaptopGotcha! 😉Thanks for the reply!
Ijust replaced ram on my 2019 21.5 i Mac yesterday , to be honest it wasn’t that difficult , but I couldn’t have done it this way as the ram sticks were boxed in with a cover with 4 screws over them , mac must have changed design on my 2019 model ???
Thank you for the advice
Excellent, thanks man, that’s a great help!
Awesome video! Thank you!! 😊👏👏👏👏👏
Appreciate this!
What do you have to do after installing the RAM. Do you just turn it on and everything works normal?
@@delayedgratificationwithan8035 Correct. There are no drivers to install or configuration that has to take place. If you buy the RAM with the right specs, and seat it properly, it should work when you turn the computer back on. Check the Apple System Profiler found in the Apple menu after booting back up to make sure the new RAM shows up. If it doesn’t, you may need to troubleshoot further: is the RAM in place, is it the right kind, does the old RAM work in the same slot, did you plug everything back in right? If you can’t figure out the issue, ask a friend expert to verify it for you too. Do all of this before using adhesive to stick the monitor back on permanently.
Thank you for your support. I would like to know if you can help me with the noise after install the SSD on Model A1418 which comes underneath the logo of apple. a lot of noise and fan control app doesn't help.
your reply will be well appreciate.
Oh my god!
Had to ask my girlfriend for her tinny hands 😅😅 but worked!
Thank you so much!
Glad it worked for you. It's always good to have a helper around. ;)
Hi! can you upgraded to a 32G, is it possible?
That's what I upgraded mine to: 2x32 GB.
Do you know if this works for iMac Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, 2019? I'm desperate to upgrade my iMac, but too scared to even open it if this method doesn't work for it.
The ram
In mine looks like it is sitting the other way 😢
Looks like I will have to save my money and find a qualified computer to install the memory modules onto my 2017 iMac computer. I'm not dealing with all you have done!! LOL
Thank you very much for this video.
Does anyone know how much ram can be installed on this model? 32 not more?
At the time of this video, I could only find 16 GB DIMMs. So, I installed two of them for a total of 32 GB. Sometimes, the maxes stated by the company are based on what's available at the time the product is manufactured. I've had several times where I've installed more than the max stated by the manufacturer, and had the computer use and recognize it. One time, I exceeded the max, and it worked, but only recognized the stated max.
You might be able to get away with trying 2x32 GB. Good luck. I'd love to hear how it turns out.
where did you get the ram and what is the model/make of it?
I used 2 x 16 GB dims of 3200 MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM. I believe it was this:
www.amazon.com/TEAMGROUP-3200MHz-PC4-25600-Unbuffered-TED416G3200C22-S01/dp/B08T17RQ87/ref=asc_df_B089W6WV3L/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693463367197&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1251762637291771200&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9052441&hvtargid=pla-1146851470264&mcid=f47ab8c9dd193009b7793cf2d800922d&gad_source=1&th=1
Is there a trick to get the clips to release?? I'm having a really hard time.
Push them outward to the sides with your thumbs. They can be sort of stiff. If you've ever changed RAM in a PC, it's the same stiffness. I wish you success. :)
How do you take the screen off actually?
Thank you
I had my logic board replaced by Apple while under warranty. The Dimm slots we're not in the same place as the original so man was I surprised. I had to pull out the HD, loosen the power supply board and disconnect and slide out the replacement logic board to access the memory slots. So, just beware if you had prior logic board issues, be prepared to pull out more than the fan.
Interesting. I've never heard of replacing the logic board with a different-model logic board. Are you sure it was a mid-2017 21-inch iMac?
Bravo! Thank you!
I have a 2017 iMac 21.5 inch (not Retina display) that is running SUPER slow. I took it in to my computer guy to upgrade the memory and he told me that this model isn't upgradeable. Is he correct? Or should I look for another computer tech?
Look for a new computer tech. Like I showed in this video, if it's the same year iMac, it's upgradable. As far as it running slow, it depends what you're trying to do on it. Sometimes, if it's running super slow, it's because the hard drive is almost full. Or sometimes, it could be that a stick of RAM went bad. If it's slow while on the internet, it could be your connection to the Internet rather than your computer. Also, I've noticed that Chrome (which used to be the light-weight browser) hogs a ton of resources now.
I installed it !! Thank you Sir, hahahhah.....
bravo l'artiste
whats the cost from the apple store?
How many ram sticks can you put in it??
Two sticks of RAM. Make sure they're the right type.
@@joeyslaptop what's the biggest ram capable of fitting in? (One stick ram capacity) can it be 16x2?..
@@countrymanrandylewis8463 It depends which model you have. There's a 3.0 Ghz iMac model and a 3.4 Ghz iMac model. You can tell by going to the Apple menu, and selecting "About this Mac". If you have the 3.4 Ghz model, check out the following on Amazon. com:
TEAMGROUP Elite DDR4 32GB Kit (2 x 16GB) 3200MHz PC4-25600 CL22 (2933MHz or 2666MHz)Unbuffered Non-ECC 1.2V SODIMM 260-Pin Laptop Notebook PC Computer Memory Module Ram Upgrade - TED432G3200C22DC-S01
@@joeyslaptop i have a 2.3 ghz model 2017
By mid-2017 21-inch iMac you mean the one with 4K display?
Yes
Potentially damage memory pins and motherboard, best to just remove the logic board!
Unless you're being extremely brutal, you aren't going to wreck memory pins. The motherboards are fairly sturdy as well. With any computer repair or upgrade, you're encouraged to be gentle with the parts. If you remove the logic board, there are many more screws to deal with, and some aren't the same length. I did it both ways, and would much rather do it this way. Either way you choose, hopefully the tip I gave of taking a picture of the iMac opened up, printing it up, and putting the screws and parts in place on it will be helpful. I'd also add to be sure to write down every wire you detach in that process, and to be even more careful with them than you would be wrangling RAM into the slots.
If I put 16 gb ram would it be able to run gta5?
thank you 😊
Un genio! BRAVO
Thank You, Apple for your continuing quest to make your products as difficult/impossible to upgrade or repair. Douchebaggery at its best. And all this for no other reason than to FORCE you into the sky-high-priced Genius Bar or just discard and buy new. I will keep my 2011 iMac until it dies and then NO MORE APPLE!
thanks for vid! Apple should be ashamed of themselves. They claim to be "Eco friendly", yet make it very prohibitive to do minor upgrades. I suppose many users would dustbin their iMacs instead of paying their IT people $400-500/machine to upgrade. We have 20 machines that need this upgrade in my company......
I'm not sure why Apple wants to leave out the market share that likes to upgrade their own stuff. It seems like they aren't gaining any marketshare through this - and it's even questionable if they're actually able to milk the non-tech-savvy customer any more than they were willing to be milked in the first place. It just seems sort of wasteful. Anyhow, thanks for the feedback. :)
Steve Jobs believed the computer should be like an appliance rather than a hobbyist thing.. you could say he won
@@joeyslaptopI think because they own their own hardware they don’t want people going in and breaking shit and they can force charge for repairs/upgrades up front similar to a vacuum or something. It’s something I “get” but don’t like.
@@slob5041 Has Apple ever offered to fix anything when you take it to the Apple Store? lol
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏👏
I have this exact iMac, and the fact that Apple makes you do. This is absolutely ridiculous. I just had the thing apart to put an SSD in it and didn’t even realize the ram was so close… Not super excited to take the glass off again, and go through all the different steps. Ugh ….
I watched another RUclips video where someone measured out the back of their iMac and dremmeled out a rectangle shape and swapped the RAM through the back. Very tempting. lol
@@joeyslaptop that’s seriously awesome! I love Apple products, but it really irritates me how much they limit access to simple things like hard drives and Ram - two things that sooner or later will need a replacement or upgrade or both.
Did this and now my screen is broke 😊
Bummer! Yeah - you have to be careful removing the screen, disconnecting the connectors, and setting it somewhere safe. Was it a wire, the glass or the actual screen?
@@joeyslaptop the actual screen unfortunately is there a way for me to replace it with a new one online the inside of the screen is cracked and the screen is showing up black when I power it on ☹️
@@AsiaaThatGirl I think your best bet is going to be to buy another iMac of the same model from FaceBook Marketplace or CraigsList or somewhere similar. The key is to make sure that it's not broken in the same way yours is. If someone's selling it for $150 because the power supply is bad or the hard drive broke or something, you can get a good deal on it, and then take the monitor and try putting it on your broken-screen iMac. Then again, it's an old enough model that it may be time to just upgrade to a newer iMac. Good luck. I hope you get it figured out.
@@AsiaaThatGirl Also, sounds like you have a disconnected or broken wire and a cracked screen. I didn't cover this part in my video. But, I thought the guy in the other video I linked to did an adequately and safely.