iMac 2019 27" 5k ram upgrade up to 128gb and not just 64gb?

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Level 1

8 points

iMac 2019 27" 5k ram upgrade up to 128gb and not just 64gb?

Hey guys,

I just purchased a new iMac 2019 27" 5k and it's on its way to me, and i was looking into buying some extra ram (32gb kit of two 16gb sticks ddr4 2666) for it to give it a little bit of a ram boost. Now i know the official maximum ram upgrade for this model is 64gb, but while trying make my final decision on which brand to go for, i came across OWC's listing on their website that for this model you can actually upgrade its ram up to 128gb and not just 64gb!!! So does anyone know anything about this? has it been tested?

I wanted to confirm and see if anyone can help me with this, since this will be detrimental to my purchase. If the device does indeed support 128gb of ram, then i'll most likely go for a single 32gb stick since i will definitely be gradually moving my way up and upgrading it to 128gb in the future! Also, would one 32gb stick affect performance negatively?

I really appreciate your input guys!

Thanks!

S.

Posted on Mar 30, 2019 6:52 AM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Mar 30, 2019 7:06 AM in response to sabd83

Apple's specs are always conservative. If OWC says 128GB you can believe them. Also the RAM is guaranteed, so if for any reason it doesn't work you can return it.

Also, see the specs at everyman.com. It states it is upgradeable to 128GB

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i9-3.6-27-inch-aluminum-retina-5k-early-2019-specs.html

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Answer 2

Mar 30, 2019 9:24 AM in response to sabd83

Hi again, sabd83 !

I think whatever problems would arise from the lopsided RAM install would be negligible. I can find nothing where Apple specifically forbids or warns against it.

Install memory in an iMac

I am - generally speaking - against doing anything just because one can. If OWC - or anyone else - says you can do something that doesn't mean it's a great idea. I make a habit of not listening to or watching sources that disclaim any and all liability but urge you to do something counter to Apple specifications. Outside of Photoshop I cannot picture a use-case where 128 GB of RAM is a requirement for optimal operation of a Mac. I know of Photoshop pros - and work on their Macs - tweaking images that appear in major magazines on 32 GB of RAM without any issues.

Apple doesn't establish limits arbitrarily. Those limits are there for a reason, even if they never share that reasoning. I do not want to stop you, but rather urge you to pause and carefully consider the ramifications of your actions.

Good luck !

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

136,361 points

Mar 30, 2019 7:04 AM in response to sabd83

64GB is the most Apple offers. That doesn't mean it's the most you can install.

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Answer 4

macjack

Level 10

111,242 points

Mar 30, 2019 9:07 AM in response to sabd83

Generally you will get the best performance installing the RAM in pairs. But that said, it should work well enough by installing one 32GB stick.

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Answer 5

Mar 30, 2019 8:45 AM in response to sabd83

Hi, sabd83 !

64 GB is the maximum supported configuration, per Apple. That means if you need to seek support from Apple in the future, you may be asked to return the iMac to a supported configuration for testing and diagnostic purposes. Theoretically, running 128 GB of RAM could be considered an unauthorized modification, voiding your warranty. Apple is always the final arbiter of such things, so the prudent course of action would be : buyer beware.

Good luck !

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Answer 6

sabd83 Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 30, 2019 8:53 AM in response to Buster_From_Oak_Park

Hey Buster_From_Oak_Park!

Okay, well that's useful to know. Thing is i wouldn't do the 128gb upgrade all at once, since that would be a whooping $1099 at this point, and i still need to recover from my initial purchase of the machine itself :) My intention is to do it gradually, and by the time i get to 128gb, it will be well past the 1 year warranty most likely.

That being said, my concern at this point is if the single ram stick of 32gb would be problematic in terms of performance. It seems like the consensus here (and on most other apple blogs and forums) is that it can in fact take up to 128gb of ram, but would that one 32gb stick hinder the performance or device in anyway? I'm tempted to already make the purchase from macsales (owc), but i am trying to be cautious here. I would basically have a 32gb slot, an empty slot, and two 4gb slots that total up to 8gb, making my ram total up to 40gb.

What do you think?

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