Kyle Vaclav

Q: Randomly shutting down late 2012 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz i5 processor.  16 out of 32 GB ram (crucial).  Tried the PRAM and SMC, both did not work.

Hello,  I have a late 2012 27" iMac.  Its a 3.2 GHz i5 processor.  I originally upgraded my ram to 32 GB and was running like a champ for over a year.  Then, it started to randomly turn off no matter what I was doing.  I took it to the apple store and they said it was the ram.  So I ordered 16 GB of ram from Crucial that matched what they said my computer would need. I got it in last week and installed it and it still turns off randomly. I have tried the PRAM and SMC resets and the computer will run like a champ for 15-20 mins then turns off. I would love any help, advice or possible solutions as I am by no means a computer wiz. Thanks in advanced! 

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Aug 6, 2014 8:03 AM

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Q: Randomly shutting down late 2012 27" iMac, 3.2 GHz i5 processor.  16 out of 32 GB ram (crucial).  Tried the PRAM and SMC ... more

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  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 8:58 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav
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    Aug 6, 2014 8:58 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Are these the instructions you followed:

     

    iMac: How to remove or install memory

     

    And here is the RAM you'd need:

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iMac/2012_27/DDR3L

     

    Did you install the modules in pairs (slot 1 + 3, and 2 + 4 matching) unless you got a kit of 4? I've read some posts here where people had problems with Crucial; you might want to do a search here of the forums.

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 6, 2014 9:23 AM in response to babowa
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    Aug 6, 2014 9:23 AM in response to babowa

    Yes, I followed the instructions right from the apple site. I did get the correct ram for specs and followed what the Apple site said to use because it said its guaranteed to work and can use that to my advantage if/when I take the computer back to the Apple store.  The only ram in the computer now are two 8 GB sticks.  If you are looking at the slots from top to bottom it goes empty, full, empty, full.  Please correct me if they need to be in a different order. I just want to use my computer for more then 15-20 mins at a time without having to unplug the power cord and try again.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 11:05 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 6, 2014 11:05 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    I am not familiar with where Apple puts the OEM RAM in the new Macs (mine has 2 rows of side by side slots) - so do you have the RAM in the same slots it was when you got it?

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 6, 2014 11:12 AM in response to babowa
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    Aug 6, 2014 11:12 AM in response to babowa

    With the computer being a little over a year old I am not positive. I relied on a picture from the apple site on where to place them.  I am assuming that the site is correct.  I have read that people with this issue found it to be the logic board or the power cord.  I ran the hardware test by holding the D key during power up and it says that there are no issues but its not the same test that the guy at the apple store did so its hard to say if there was an issue with the logic board and they wanted to blame it on the ram or what.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 11:53 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 6, 2014 11:53 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Very true - and the tests they do at the store are far better than the AHT. As well, Apple does not tell you where it puts the RAM - they just tell you to add RAM in the empty slots, LOL. Your About this Mac > Memory should show your two modules next to one another (which, as I've decided to "name" them would be slots 1 and 3 as showing from the top as you are looking at it with all the slots facing you (the bottom being towards the bottom of the display). The odd thing (to me) is that the 'about this mac' window still shows the same arrangement even though the modules are now placed vertically. In mine (with two rows of two slots side by side), it shows the OEM RAM in the top and the additional RAM I added on the bottom (which is exactly how the slots are arranged):

     

    Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 11.43.00 AM.png

     

    And, one more thought - maybe way off - the late 2009/mid 2010/early 2011 iMacs had problems with adding a full complement of third party RAM (they were ok with all OEM or a lesser amount of third party RAM - that is why mine only has 12 GB rather than the supported 16 GB). There were several very lengthy threads about this; I will try to find one of them which I had bookmarked (I can't find my bookmarks in this new iteration here)...

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 6, 2014 12:08 PM in response to babowa
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    Aug 6, 2014 12:08 PM in response to babowa

    Once I get home from work I will try to power on my iMac and make sure that the ram shows the two sticks I have on the top row and not a different combination.  I just bought a new Macbook Pro for work.  Does the Apple Care for that cover questions I might have on my iMac if I were to call Apple?

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 1:33 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 6, 2014 1:33 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Technically no, but I'd guess it would depend on the person you're speaking to and how close to the script s/he feels that it needs to be... However, any advice/troubleshooting at a Genius Bar is free if you want to take it in.

     

    FWIW, I cannot find my old bookmarks - I've posted a question to other long time users here to see if bookmarks still exist in this new forum format and where I can find them. The discussions were sometime in late 2009/2010.

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 6, 2014 1:51 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 6, 2014 1:51 PM in response to babowa

    I work close to an Apple Store.  Just ***** that I'm going to need to carry it in yet again.  I looked and my ram slots are full on the top two with the bottom two being empty. I just hope that maybe someone else can jump in and give some input.  My iMac shuts off like 5 times a day and its uncalled for the premium price we pay for Apple products

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 2:10 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 6, 2014 2:10 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Are the RAM you now have in there the original or the ones you bought? RAM can go bad occasionally, so Apple may - or may not - be correct. If it's the original OEM RAM in there, I'd make the point that third party vendors usually offer a lifetime warranty on RAM, so it might be good customer service for Apple to do the same - talk them into trying your iMac with new Apple supplied RAM (even though your overall warranty has expired).

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 6, 2014 3:10 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 6, 2014 3:10 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Thanks to a couple of helpful members, I have now found my bookmarks - there were two threads in particular, you might just want to read through them (no idea if that problem was still/again evident in 2012:

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2567907

     

    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2588800

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 7, 2014 6:42 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2014 6:42 AM in response to babowa

    No the ram in the computer now is under a week old.  I can put the original ram in it. I will for sure read those threads to see if there is anything else I can try to do.

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 7, 2014 2:15 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 7, 2014 2:15 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    I got tired of dealing with it so I took it into the Apple Store on my way to work.  I showed them all the tests that I ran and everything else that I have read online.  The tech ran a test that said it was a software issue and that my new ram was causing the issue.  When I told him that the person who helped me last time told me to buy it from them he backtracked a little bit.  I will keep you up dated on how everything turns out as they are doing an erase and reset.

  • by Kyle Vaclav,

    Kyle Vaclav Kyle Vaclav Aug 8, 2014 11:41 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2014 11:41 AM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    Update... Apple tried to say it was the ram again but after not settling for that answer I asked them to run more tests. They claimed it was a software issue and I still asked them to look further.  Here they are saying its the Logic/Mother Board.  They said it would be around $800 out the door to get it fixed.  I asked the rep to type up all the tests they ran and what they found to be wrong with it.  They rep was a little hesitant and did not want to do that or put the screen back on for me to pick it up as $800 is slightly outrageous when a new computer is only a little more.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Aug 8, 2014 1:20 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav
    Level 7 (32,244 points)
    iPad
    Aug 8, 2014 1:20 PM in response to Kyle Vaclav

    How far out of warranty are you? Did you by chance start documenting the problem with them before the warranty ended?

     

    Yes, logic board replacements are expensive (unfortunately); I think part of it is the placement of it. I had to have mine replaced (free of charge under Applecare) and the tech literally had to dismantle absolutely every part and screw before he got to the logic board as the only way to access anything is to remove the screen (and the logic board is the last part and closest to the back). In any case, I'd think it's good to get things noted - I usually start making notes with them watching and including their name(s), date, etc.