IMAC model 8.1 20" 2008 - memory upgrade - Mavericks

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Level 1

16 points

IMAC model 8.1 20" 2008 - memory upgrade - Mavericks

I recently updated to Mavericks 10.10.5 and more recently to 10.11 as it promised better performance. My IMAC (model 8.1 20") has been crawling since the Mavericks upgrade. I would like to know if adding memory will give me enough of a boost to keep going with this machine for awhile or is it better to just bite the bullet and go for a new machine.

When I click on the memory upgrade instructions in the system profiler it says my max is 4 GB. One site I looked at says 6 and another 8. Does anyone know which is correct and whether the upgrade will help solve my problem. Below I've pasted in some of the hardware particulars:

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac8,1

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache: 6 MB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz

Boot ROM Version: IM81.00C1.B00

SMC Version (system): 1.29f1

Serial Number (system): W88360MCZE3

Hardware UUID: 20863512-B418-53FF-8DBE-EFD3295287FC

Your Mac contains 2 memory slots, each of which accepts

a 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory module.

Max memory acc to Apple for this machine is 4 GB

Posted on Oct 4, 2015 11:46 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

stedman1

Community+ 2024

Level 10

256,290 points

Oct 4, 2015 3:43 PM in response to fherman

Maximum Memory

6.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple) Memory Slots

2 - 200-pin PC2-6400 (800MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM

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Answer 2

BobHarris

Level 9

53,009 points

Oct 4, 2015 3:43 PM in response to fherman

You could use more RAM. But you might also want to see about cleaning out 3rd party junk that has accumulated over the years and may be slowing down your Mac. <http://macsales.com> and <http://crucial.com> are well recommended Mac RAM vendors.

If you want to post the EtreCheck output, someone will be happy to look it over

<https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6174>

RAM will not be too expensive, but if you really intend to keep this system for a while longer, you might also consider an SSD to either replace the current hard disk, or remove the DVD drive and put an SSD in that slot (MacSales.com DataDoubler). But DO NOT over spend if you are even considering a new Mac. Rather save the money towards that new Mac.

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Answer 3

fherman Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 4, 2015 3:44 PM in response to stedman1

Thank you for these details. If I go for increasing RAM I this gives me the info I need

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Answer 4

fherman Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 4, 2015 3:49 PM in response to BobHarris

Extremely helpful and informative. As you say, I should consider carefully the balance between spending on RAM upgrade vs buying a new machine. SSD, also an interesting option. And I guess that's the part I really need advice about. Will extra RAM make enough of a difference?

I ran EtreCheck. There are some warnings about insufficient RAM. I've pasted the report below

EtreCheck version: 2.5.3 (206)

Report generated 10/4/15, 6:39 PM

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.

Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: (What does this mean?)

iMac (20-inch, Early 2008)

[Click for Technical Specifications]

[Click for User Guide]

iMac - model: iMac8,1

1 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

2 GB RAM Upgradeable

[Click for upgrade instructions]

BANK 0/DIMM0

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM1

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Video Information: (What does this mean?)

ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - VRAM: 256 MB

iMac 1680 x 1050

System Software: (What does this mean?)

OS X El Capitan 10.11 (15A284) - Time since boot: about 6 hours

Disk Information: (What does this mean?)

Hitachi HDP725032GLA380 disk0 : (320.07 GB) (Rotational)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 319.21 GB (63.86 GB free)

Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB

USB Information: (What does this mean?)

Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

GenesysLogic USB2.0 Hub

Apple, Inc. Keyboard Hub

Logitech USB Receiver

Apple, Inc Apple Keyboard

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Gatekeeper: (What does this mean?)

Anywhere

Kernel Extensions: (What does this mean?)

/Library/Application Support/Roxio

[not loaded] com.roxio.TDIXController (1.1) [Click for support]

/Library/Extensions

[loaded] com.sophos.kext.sav (9.4.50 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

[loaded] com.sophos.nke.swi (9.4.50 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.Cycling74.driver.SAVD (1.0.0d1 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.Cycling74.driver.WondershareAudioDevice (1.5.2) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.Intechusa.DeviceTuner.FireWireSPB2LUN (1.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.Logitech.Control Center.HID Driver (3.6.0 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.Logitech.Unifying.HID Driver (1.2.0 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.iokit.KensingtonMouseDriver (3.0) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions/KensingtonMouseDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.ADBID32Mouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.ADBID32MouseX1 (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.ADBID4Mouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.ADBID4MouseX1 (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.KMWBluetoothHIDMouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.KMWBluetoothOldHIDMouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.KMWUSBHIDMouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.USBMouseX1 (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.VirtualMouse (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.driver.VirtualMouseX1 (3.0) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.kensington.mouseworks.iokit.KensingtonMouseDriverX1 (3.0) [Click for support]

System Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[killed] com.apple.CalendarAgent.plist

[killed] com.apple.CallHistoryPluginHelper.plist

[killed] com.apple.CallHistorySyncHelper.plist

[killed] com.apple.EscrowSecurityAlert.plist

[killed] com.apple.FolderActionsDispatcher.plist

[killed] com.apple.Maps.pushdaemon.plist

[killed] com.apple.akd.plist

[killed] com.apple.cloudd.plist

[killed] com.apple.cloudphotosd.plist

[killed] com.apple.coreservices.appleid.authentication.plist

[killed] com.apple.coreservices.uiagent.plist

[killed] com.apple.icloud.fmfd.plist

[killed] com.apple.pbs.plist

[killed] com.apple.photolibraryd.plist

[killed] com.apple.pluginkit.pkd.plist

[killed] com.apple.printtool.agent.plist

[killed] com.apple.suggestd.plist

[killed] com.apple.swcd.plist

[killed] com.apple.telephonyutilities.callservicesd.plist

19 processes killed due to insufficient RAM

System Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

[killed] com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.plist

[killed] com.apple.akd.plist

[killed] com.apple.audio.systemsoundserverd.plist

[killed] com.apple.awdd.plist

[killed] com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced.plist

[killed] com.apple.ifdreader.plist

[killed] com.apple.nehelper.plist

[killed] com.apple.periodic-daily.plist

[killed] com.apple.softwareupdated.plist

[killed] com.apple.symptomsd.plist

[killed] com.apple.sysmond.plist

[killed] com.apple.tccd.system.plist

[killed] com.apple.wdhelper.plist

[killed] com.apple.xpc.smd.plist

14 processes killed due to insufficient RAM

Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.Affinegy.InstaLANa.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.Logitech.Control Center.Daemon.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.barnesandnoble.nookconnect.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.hp.help.tocgenerator.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.sophos.uiserver.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.wondershare.AllMyMusic.Agent.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.sophos.common.servicemanager.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)

[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]

[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

[failed] com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.autostart.plist [Click for support] [Click for details]

[failed] com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.notify.plist [Click for support] [Click for details]

User Login Items: (What does this mean?)

iTunesHelper UNKNOWN (missing value)

DTLplus_Launcher UNKNOWN (missing value)

AdobeResourceSynchronizer Application (/Applications/Adobe Illustrator CS/Adobe Reader.app/Contents/Support/AdobeResourceSynchronizer.app)

MouseWorks Background Application (/Library/PreferencePanes/MouseWorks.prefPane/Contents/Resources/Support/MouseW orks Background.app)

HPShortcutManagerStartup Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/HP Scanjet Scanner/HPShortcutManagerStartup.app)

HP Scheduler Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Software Update/HP Scheduler.app)

Other Apps: (What does this mean?)

[running] com.apple.xpc.launchd.oneshot.0x10000007.EtreCheck

[running] com.google.Chrome.110432

[running] com.hp.scan.shortcutmgr.151392

[running] com.hp.scan.shortcutmgr.startup.149792

[running] com.sophos.autoupdate

[running] com.sophos.configuration

[running] com.sophos.intercheck

[running] com.sophos.notification

[running] com.sophos.scan

[running] com.sophos.sxld

[running] com.sophos.webd

[running] jp.co.canon.cijscannerregister.122592

Internet Plug-ins: (What does this mean?)

OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 [Click for support]

Default Browser: Version: 601 - SDK 10.11

AdobeAAMDetect: Version: AdobeAAMDetect 1.0.0.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 19.0.0.185 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.11 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

DivX Web Player: Version: 3.4.0.6 - SDK 10.10 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

Flash Player: Version: 19.0.0.185 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

PDF Browser Plugin: Version: 2.4.4 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.11 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.5.5 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Silverlight: Version: 5.1.30514.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 15.0.1 - SDK 10.11 Check version

Safari Extensions: (What does this mean?)

Firebug Lite for Safari

The New York Times

3rd Party Preference Panes: (What does this mean?)

Flash Player [Click for support]

Flip4Mac WMV [Click for support]

FUSE for OS X (OSXFUSE) [Click for support]

HP Scanjet [Click for support]

Logitech Control Center [Click for support]

Kensington MouseWorks [Click for support]

Perian [Click for support]

Time Machine: (What does this mean?)

Skip System Files: NO

Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

Volumes being backed up:

Macintosh HD: Disk size: 319.21 GB Disk used: 255.36 GB

Destinations:

My Book [Local]

Total size: 500.10 GB

Total number of backups: 16

Oldest backup: 2015-01-02 21:28:06 +0000

Last backup: 2015-09-24 22:47:16 +0000

Size of backup disk: Too small

Backup size 500.10 GB < (Disk used 255.36 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: (What does this mean?)

96% HPShortcutManager

16% WindowServer

12% SophosAVAgent

3% Google Chrome

1% SophosUIServer

Top Processes by Memory: (What does this mean?)

240 MB Google Chrome Helper(4)

228 MB kernel_task

98 MB Google Chrome

80 MB SophosAVAgent

59 MB InterCheck

Virtual Memory Information: (What does this mean?)

19 MB Free RAM

1.98 GB Used RAM (578 MB Cached)

69 MB Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: (What does this mean?)

Oct 4, 2015, 04:22:43 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SophosAutoUpdate_2015-10-04-162243_[redacted].c rash

Oct 4, 2015, 12:12:38 PM Self test - passed

Oct 3, 2015, 05:21:33 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SophosAutoUpdate_2015-10-03-172133_[redacted].c rash

Oct 2, 2015, 03:45:53 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/_2015-10-02-154553_[redacted].crash

Oct 1, 2015, 10:35:20 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/_2015-10-01-223520_[redacted].crash

Oct 1, 2015, 10:29:53 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SophosWebIntelligence_2015-10-01-222953_[redact ed].crash

Oct 1, 2015, 10:15:13 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Safari_2015-10-01-221513_[redacted].hang

Oct 1, 2015, 10:05:40 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Device Manager_2015-10-01-220540_[redacted].crash

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Answer 5

BobHarris

Level 9

53,009 points

Oct 4, 2015 4:01 PM in response to fherman

2GB, and running El Capitan. You are seriously RAM starved. That is one of the reason so many com.apple... tasks were killed, to save RAM.

[loaded] com.sophos.kext.sav (9.4.50 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

[loaded] com.sophos.nke.swi (9.4.50 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]

[running] com.sophos.autoupdate

[running] com.sophos.configuration

[running] com.sophos.intercheck

[running] com.sophos.notification

[running] com.sophos.scan

[running] com.sophos.sxld

[running] com.sophos.webd

[running] com.sophos.uiserver.plist [Click for support]

[running] com.sophos.common.servicemanager.plist [Click for support]

Get rid of your Anti-Virus. It is just sucking resources you do not have. And the Mac already has protections

How does Mac OS X protect me?

<http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg-builtin/>

96% HPShortcutManager

HPShortcutManagerStartup Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/HP Scanjet Scanner/HPShortcutManagerStartup.app)

I do not know what this is, but I suspect you do not need it that badly to allow it to consume that much CPU. It is possible it was something useful on a previous OS X release, but is not playing nice with El Capitan.

You may want to go through the list of 3rd party additions and clean out any that are no longer used. And if used, make sure they have the most recent El Capitan compatible versions.

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Answer 6

fherman Author

Level 1

16 points

Oct 4, 2015 5:06 PM in response to fherman

Great information. You've given me some things to try. I tried to move the HPShortcutManager to trash but I get a message that it cannot be moved because they're open. Nothing shows up in the force quit dialog which shows anything related to this. Where else can I look.

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