Wondering if the newer PC3-12800 DDR3L 1600MHz SO-DIMM 204 Pin CL11 RAM slots found in latest iMacs are legacy / reverse compatible with older PC3-10600 DDR3 1333MHz SO-DIMM 204 Pin CL9?
Thanks in advance for your insight.
Most likely you can run the slower RAM, but then this will cause a general performance slowdown in the computer - provided there is no problem using the RAM. Most often computers can use slower spec'd RAM than what is recommended with a loss of performance. But since there are many variables regarding hardware configurations, there is no guarantee the memory will work. Just that it probably will work.
Chances are the computer will not even boot.
The first thing in the boot process is that the firmware reads
a little IC that is on the memory card to determine its characteristics.
If the computer can adjust to those stored values it won't boot.
In particular, Macs are very picky with RAM. I had purchased an
iMac last summer and got a PNY memory upgrade that "met all specs"
but worked like crap. Replaced with OWC RAM and things have been
trouble free ever since.
So,putting RAM that is not the correct spec will likely cause all manor of problems,
if the computer works at all.
I was wandering the same thing. And I wanted to know, if you put the new RAM in the computer and it did have problems/not boot up would it affect the computer long term, in other words if you just took the new RAM out and replaced with the old RAM would it work the same that it used to?
Thank you
Yes, it should.
Ok thanks!
PC3-10600 Usable in PC3-12800 RAM Slots?
