HT205040: iMac: Memory specifications and upgrades

Learn about iMac: Memory specifications and upgrades
gene234
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: How can I tell if my ram is malfunctioning?

How can I tell if my ram is malfunctioning?  I have a late 2006 iMac, 24", 3gb ram ( 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM), OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.  When I minimize a page to the dock, small parts of it often remain on the screen.  Also, youtube videos often have thin horizontal streaks.  Many youtube videos crash.  The video player is the latest Adobe Flash, NPAPI Plug-in version 15.0.0.239.  Streaming video problems occur especially when using Firefox browser, v 33.1.1 (I haven't updated to v34 yet).  Seven wonderful, trouble free years with my iMac before now.  Thank you.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Dec 1, 2014 9:43 PM

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gene234

Q: How can I tell if my ram is malfunctioning?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by mario49,Helpful

    mario49 mario49 Dec 3, 2014 9:22 AM in response to gene234
    Community Specialists
    Dec 3, 2014 9:22 AM in response to gene234

    Hey gene234,

     

    Thanks for the question. If I understand correctly, you want to see if there is some bad hardware. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help you isolate or resolve the issue.

     

    Using Apple Hardware Test - Apple Support

     

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

    Have a great day,

    Mario

  • by baltwo,Helpful

    baltwo baltwo Dec 3, 2014 1:15 PM in response to gene234
    Level 9 (62,256 points)
    Dec 3, 2014 1:15 PM in response to gene234

    Run the Apple Hardware Test suite, extended tests at least twice, followed by Rember.

     

    27" i7 iMac (Mid 2011) refurb, OS X Yo (10.10.1), Mavs, ML & SL, G4 450 MP w/10.5 & 9.2.2

  • by gene234,

    gene234 gene234 Dec 4, 2014 7:19 PM in response to mario49
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 4, 2014 7:19 PM in response to mario49

    Mario49, thank you.   I'll follow through with it.

  • by gene234,

    gene234 gene234 Dec 4, 2014 7:23 PM in response to baltwo
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 4, 2014 7:23 PM in response to baltwo

    baltwo, thank you.   I'll follow through with your helpful suggestions.

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Dec 4, 2014 9:55 PM in response to gene234
    Level 8 (35,054 points)
    iPad
    Dec 4, 2014 9:55 PM in response to gene234

    Screen artifacts can be symptoms of a failing graphics chipset. If you have an extra monitor around or can borrow one, see if the symptoms persist on the external. That can be very diagnostic of video issues that AHT may not pick up.

  • by gene234,

    gene234 gene234 Dec 5, 2014 5:09 PM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 5, 2014 5:09 PM in response to Allan Jones

    Alan, thank you.  Knowing the term "screen artifacts" helps.  So does your other information.  I'll try your suggestions, as well as those from Mario49 and baltwo.  Before I read the responses to my post, I thought my iMac problems might be related to a failing hard drive.  So, I purchased a new Intel 730 solid state drive, but I haven't installed it yet.  Am I safe to go ahead and install the ssd? 

  • by Allan Eckert,

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Dec 5, 2014 5:18 PM in response to gene234
    Level 9 (53,491 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 5, 2014 5:18 PM in response to gene234

    My recommendation is fix your current problem first before changing any hardware.

     

    Besides if you are going to take it Apple for the graphics problem having the old disk drive is best.

     

    Backup everything. I suggest a bootable clone for your backup.

  • by gene234,

    gene234 gene234 Dec 6, 2014 10:48 AM in response to Allan Eckert
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 6, 2014 10:48 AM in response to Allan Eckert

    Allan, thanks again for your good help.  I'd love to take my iMac into the nice folks at Apple, but I must try to fix it myself.  I'm a senior with limited income.  I just backed up all my files (~160gb) onto a new LaCie 1tb external hard drive using Time Machine.  Did that create a "bootable clone" backup you mentioned?

     

    My goal is to fix the current problem, then install a new Intel 730 solid state drive, and lastly update to the newest version of OS X my machine is capable of running.  Purchasing the ssd in hopes of fixing the current problem may have been a premature decision, as I now realize.

     

    As a senior, my iMac is vital.  Here are some specs about it:   

    Hardware Overview:

     

      Model Name:    iMac

      Model Identifier:    iMac6,1

      Processor Name:    Intel Core 2 Duo

      Processor Speed:    2.16 GHz

      Number Of Processors:    1

      Total Number Of Cores:    2

      L2 Cache:    4 MB

      Memory:    2 GB

      Bus Speed:    667 MHz

      Boot ROM Version:    IM61.0093.B07

      SMC Version (system):    1.10f3

      Serial Number (system):    QP7040WXVGP

      Hardware UUID:    00000000-0000-1000-8000-0017F2CD006C

     

    Thanks, again, to all the helpful guys who've responded.

     

    Gene234

    gene7772@netzero.com