Upgrade Mac Memory - Step by Step Guide for Apple Mac

The first thing you need to do is understand which mac memory chips you need to upgrade your macs memory.

You need to know which Mac model you have because Apple has many versions of the Mac and changes in memory is not uncommon.

It's critical that you know which Mac you have so you can choose the right mac memory modules.

Use Apples warranty checker to get some extra details about your Mac that you might not know. Go to Apple's warranty options. Enter your serial number and country and you will see a screen like I have shown below.



You can see above that my iMac is a Mid 2007 model. Sometimes this can come in handy as Apple can change memory types in Macs that look the same but are slightly different.

Next, go to your Apple logo in your menu and select "About This Mac". This will show you more details about your Mac.

For my Mac, I have a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 1Gb (gigabyte) of memory of type 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM.

This is important, write it down like I have above..



To get further information click on the more info button and choose memory in the left sidebar. Here you'll see my Mac has two places for memory called BANK0 and BANK1. This means you can have up to two memory chips, one for each memory bank. You will see that my BANK1 is empty so my Mac currently has just 1 memory module installed with 1Gb

A common question about upgrading memory on a Mac is does it void the warranty. The answer is NO, providing your follow Apple's instructions then you won't have a problem. Apple sells memory kits so they expect Mac owners to upgrade the memory on their Mac.

Whilst you can buy your memory directly from Apple, I like to buy my memory from other memory suppliers because the memory is the same and you can get it much much cheaper.

Buy your mac memory or from a supplier who has a Mac memory selector.

Use the Mac Memory Selector


I've already ordered my Mac memory and it's already arrived so I'm ready to start the installation process. I've purchased 8 Gb of memory, 4Gb to upgrade my iMac memory and 4Gb to upgrade my MacBook Pro memory.

To upgrade the memory on a 24" Apple iMac, all we need is a Phillips head screw driver. For new iMacs there is only one screw that needs to be removed and the metal cover that it secures.

Firstly, unplug all power and connection cables from the back of your iMac. Place a soft cloth or blanket down on the table and lay your iMac screen face down on the blanket. The blanket will protect your screen from being damaged.

When you look at the foot of your iMac once you have laid it down, you will see a basic diagram of how to install your mac memory modules.



Get your Phillips head screw driver and remove the single screw holding the cover to the memory compartment slots.



Once you have removed the memory slot cover, look for the plastic tab which is folded over. You need to flip this out so you can grab it. Give it a firm pull to eject the existing memory module.



My iMac has only one existing memory module so I only had to do this for memory BANK0. While your there, flip out memory BANK1's tab so it's ready for you to install your second mac memory module.

Take note of how the existing ram chip is positioned. On one side of the memory module, you will notice a notch cut out. This was on the left side when inserting my mac memory chips which had the sticky paper label facing down.



Now you can insert your mac memory chips in each slot. Use both thumbs to apply even pressure. You don't have to apply excessive force to insert the new memory modules. Apply even pressure on both sides of the memory chip and you should start to feel it moving into position until the outside edge is just below the edge of the bottom of your iMac.



Flip the plastic tabs over your memory so they loop over them just as they were when you removed the original mac memory. Now you can finish up by adding the memory compartment cover and using the screw to lock it back into position.



Return the iMac to it's normal operating position, plug in all the cables and turn on the power. Turn it on and it should start up as normal. if it doesn't, you have done something wrong.



Now we check that everything is working properly and that the upgraded mac memory is being recognized by the operating system.

Go to your Apple menu and choose about this Mac. You can see now that my iMac now has 4Gb of memory.



A quick look at the more info button shows that my iMac now has both memory BANKS full with a 2GB card in each slot.



That's It!!! Your all done and now your iMac is loving it's new memory and just whizzing along.

Upgrading memory on a MacBook Pro isn't much different to the iMac. Because the Macbook Pro is smaller, you'll need some smaller tools. Here I have my small electrical tool kit. You can pick these up pretty cheap from any electronics store.



Turn over the MacBook Pro and remove the battery by pushing up on the slide locks and lifting the battery out.



Take the small Phillips head tool and remove the three screws to get access to the macs memory modules. Remove the first ram module, and then the second ram module so that both memory slots are now empty.



With the cover removed you will see the memory modules. On each side of the modules you will see some metal holders. These need to be gently pushed outwards to allow the mac memory modules to pop up allowing you to pull them out.



Here you will see the memory in the mac is at a 45 degree angle once released from the holder clips. Now you can remove the memory sticks. Note the orientation of the memory modules when removing so you can put the new ones in the same way.



Take the new mac memory for the macbook pro and at a 45 degree angle gently push them into the memory slot using your thumbs on each side allowing you to apply even pressure.



When the memory modules are firmly in the slot, gently press down and allow the side clips to lock the memory stick into position. Repeat for the second memory stick.



Apply the mac memory cover and secure the three screws. Reinstall the battery and power up the macbook pro. The mac should start up as normal. Now you can check that the memory has been recognized by going to the Apple icon in the menu bar and select about this mac. You should see your new upgraded mac memory in the dialog window.

Enjoy you newly installed macbook pro memory.

If you have an older iMac like a G5, you'll find they aren't as simple to upgrade because you need to remove the back cover. It's similar to new version but the ram modules are much longer about twice as long and the new intel ram chips.

Here is my older G5 iMac which runs the older PowerPC chips. For this machine I needed to remove the back. Also the chips are longer than the new model iMacs and most likely are the same as their smaller laptop cousins of the time.

Depending on your Mac, you may find these instruction may not be 100% accurate. In this case you can find your exact model on Apple's website support.

A detailed instruction on how to install your mac memory upgrade is to follow Apple's installation manual.

Choose the manual that suits your mac.

Apple Product Support Manuals.