Is it worth it to upgrade iMac 2008?

Thanks for clarifying this, Phil0124. Just too much technology for an old man like me 😉

No worries, glad I could help.

More RAM is ALWAYS desirable, if your computer can take it, if you are using resource hungry applications.

I think whether you think so or not, your 2008 IMac is benefitting from that extra 2 GBs of RAM.

Especially resource hungry Adobe design applications or any serious resource hungry apps, like other high end digital painting/image editing apps, video apps, 3D image and animation apps, etc.

Even though OS X Snow Leopard, itself, will still run OK with a minimum of 2 GBs of RAM. It really runs better when it can take 3-4 GBs of RAM.

Before you had the 6 GB of RAM installled, neither the OS or Adobe apps were running optimally with just 4 GBs of RAM.

You have installed 50% more RAM that now can be used for other applications (Photoshop, as well ) that you didn't have previously available.

As a long-time Adobe user and expert Photoshop user, you really should be using Adobe Photoshop alone with no other applications running in the background.

No other Adobe apps, no other apps like perhaps Mail and, definitely, NO active web browsers running. Web browsers can be real resource hogs, also, even though they are doing nothing but running dormant in the background.

Havng apps running in the background and not being actively used, still use CPU cycles and eat up some of that extra RAM that you installed.

You can run Adobe InDesign and AI simultaneously, but I always use Photoshop running totally alone to let it take as much RAM and CPU resources as it needs as Photoshop IS one of those highly computer resource hungry applications.

And my Mac has much more RAM than your Mac and i still run PS on its own for maximum performance.

Plus, you run a lot of PS plugins within PS which makes even more resource demands that PS needs, also.

Photoshop runs best if you run and use it alone with no other apps running.

If you do not do this now, I recommend that you try this approach.

You'll see a better performance in PS working this way.

Agree with everything you say, MichelPM and for the most part, I try to follow the advice you give but this is not always possible (for me, at least). There are times when I need to have AI up and running at the same time as PS. I have, however, trimmed down my PS app to some degree by, #1 deleted some of the many brushes I had loaded (and didn't really use that often). #2, Disable WYSIWYG font display. #3, reduced the number of "histories" in the History palette. #4, Allocated more scratch disk space for PS. #5, Allocated slightly more memory to PS. #6, Disabled many fonts in Font Book - fonts that I don't use that often nor need to have active for InDesign. #7, Double checked all my fonts (those stored in HD / Library / fonts, Adobe loaded fonts and the fonts in, Use / Library / fonts to make sure I don't have any corrupted fonts.

All this resulted in a slight increase in speed (throughout my system) and definitely better efficiently when in PS.....and even AI.

BTW - I note that you are a professional graphic artist/designer. Would you happen to have some of your work displayed on the internet. Always interested in a fellow artist's artwork.

not tech but surley if you got 2gb in system both will need be same 667 or 800mhz /they may both run together but at the lower speed you got 666mhz you be best throwing it in the bin and replacing both faster ram 800 as long as its compatible with your mac which that year can run higher spec your model no i.e. A1224 SPECS IS WHERE YOUD NEED TO START FROM will give you type motherboard t550 i might be wrong but not all motherboards of that year are compatible ram although there seem to be two different boards same processor speed

I could have looked up the wrong Mac model at Crucial.com. You should go there and go thru the process to see what modules it offers for your model. Or use their application that you can download and run. It will see what you need and take you to the webpage that has those modules.

With Mavericks and later the OS X is much more picky about RAM modules and mixing different speeds will not fly.

I have the same 2008 iMac setup and currently have 2 x 2gig memory. How did your performance change with the upgrade to 6gig ?

If you choose to add an SSD then stick to OWC's 3G Mercury models, or any other compatible SSD that uses the SandForce controller. TRIM is not required.

If I understand correctly: ...because...Some SSD drives, such as those supplied by OWC, do not require TRIM to be enabled because they have the feature built into the drive, and are as such unaffected.(

Yosemite kills third-party SSD support)