I have a 21.5" 4K 2017 model with 3.0 GHz CPU. Spec says it can go to 16GB RAM, but the 3.4GHz can go to 32GB.
Specs also suggests SSD upgrade is 500GB Max with the 3.0 GHz machine, and 1TB with the 3.4GHz machines.
Has anyone tried going beyond 16GB RAM and 500GB SSD, on the 3.0GHz model? Does it work?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
FWIW, you would simply replace the HDD with a SATA3 SSD.
Size of the SSD in this case is only limited by how big your
wallet is.
Be aware, replacing RAM in a 21.5" 2017 iMac will require
a complete teardown on your iMac and if you do not have
the proper tools and and an anti-static environment, you could
end up with an expensive iBrick.
The chipset on that Mac ought to be able to support 32GB of RAM. That model wasn't configurable with it, but that's more a marketing decision for that one preconfigured model than it was a limitation of that Mac's system board. If you were talking about the 21.5" non-retina iMac, that, I would imagine, is an entirely different story.
As for the SSD upgrade, so long as you have a compatible upgrade drive (such as an OWC kit or another Apple OEM drive), you ought to be able to use a 1TB drive just fine. ****, if it's the same drive that's found in its 27" counterpart, you could probably go even larger.
Apple specs for your iMac suggests that it is configurable : 3.0GHz quad‑core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz)
Configurable to 3.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.2GHz)
Memory
Storage1
This site is often worth a look at: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i5-3.0-21-inch-aluminum-retina-4k-mid-2017-specs.html
Thanks Sapper and Woodmeister50.
I am aware of the complexities of the RAM change, I will not be doing this myself but sending it to an Apple specialist who does this as a service. He has suggested that I should only go to 16GB because the spec says that's what it can go to, but I am questioning this and hoping that I can put 2x 16GB modules into this machine.
iMac RAM and SSD Upgrade
