Incompatible crucial 32 GB RAM with iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017)

Why are you increasing the RAM? If it's to speed up your iMac that won't do it. Boot speed, speed of app launching and saving is due to the speed of the drive, not more memory. Additional memory will let you open larger files and process those files while one quicker. But saving, opening and booting is a direct relation to disk speed.

If it is memory you need than OWC (MacSales.com) is the vendor to use. It's also the vendor to use if you want a fast external SSD to boot from to generally speed up your iMac. Do you have a HDD or a Fusion drive in your 2017?

Facing on a long and established history of iMac performance characteristics here, I would be remiss in not asking why you are adding RAM.

I ask because so many come here wanting to speed up their iMacs by adding RAM when the root causea of the "slows" are actually caused by the iMac's storage type.

Take this quick test:

—Is the computer slow to start up from cold?

—Do big apps (MS Office; Photoshop; etc) take a long time to launch?

—Once launched, do those big apps seem to wok a expected speed?

if you gave three "yes" answers to that quiz, there is about a 98% chance you have a slow and/or ailing storage device, not a RAM issue. In that case, the only change by adding RAM will be to your bank balance.

Yes I would get both. However, I don't think you'd need more than 16 GB of RAM. I have the same model with 16 GB of RAM and the only time I had problems with memory was when I tried to edit a 550 Mb image file with Photoshop Elements with it's version of Photos Retouch tool. Was a bit slow.

If you do a lot of video editing then maybe more RAM would be in order.

On the other hand, I wouldn't put too much $$$ into it that you can't take with you when you upgrade. i.e. an external SSD. That model is considered Vintage and when the next system is released it will fall into the obsolete category and will no longer be getting security updates.

I just got a new Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. I pared it with a 32" LG 4K monitor w/speakers. It was $625 less than a comparably configured 24" iMac. It's so much faster than my 2017 Intel iMac.

Just some food for thought.

An additional 8 GB of RAM (two 4 GB modules from OWC) would server you well. I normally have 39 tabs open with 16 GB of RAM with no apparent slowdown. This is with both an Intel iMac and a Silicon Mac Mini and a 500 Mbs internet connection.

Voula_2000 wrote:

How do I upgrade to 32 GB in iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017? I purchased Crucial 32GB (2 X16) DDR4-2400 without success.

den.thed wrote:

Crucial no longer supplies RAM upgrades for the 27" iMac's.

Since Crucial no longer sells compatible memory for the older Macs, you must be extremely careful.

FYI, when purchasing memory for any computer these days, you must use the tools on the memory vendor's website to identify the exact part numbers compatible with a specific computer model. Ordering memory based only on the main speed/frequency is not good enough since there are several other critical timings that must also be matched, but Apple & most vendors do not provide those kinds of technical specifications.

And if you are purchasing Crucial RAM from a third party, then make sure that the Crucial part number of their memory matches exactly the part numbers Crucial identifies as compatible for your specific computer model. And when you receive the memory, confirm the part number are exactly what you ordered.

Crucial usually has "For Mac" or "Mac Compatible" listed on the plastic packaging of the memory....at least they did several years ago when I last purchased Crucial memory for a Mac.

Crucial no longer supplies RAM upgrades for the 27" iMac's.

Return that RAM to whomever you purchased it from and go for an OWC RAM upgrade.

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/imac-2017-27-inch

Return the RAM and purchase OWC RAM from Macsales.com. Why, simple because it works!

You're welcome.

You're welcome.