Manor50

Q: New RAM cards don't fit in the slot for iMac 27" late 2009?

have anybody experience that new RAM cards don't fit in the slot for iMac 27" late 2009?

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)

Posted on Feb 27, 2016 2:32 AM

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Q: New RAM cards don't fit in the slot for iMac 27" late 2009?

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  • by K Shaffer,Apple recommended

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Feb 27, 2016 3:21 AM in response to Manor50
    Level 6 (14,340 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2016 3:21 AM in response to Manor50

    Was the computer identified correctly as an iMac 27-inch Late 2009 model?

     

    If so - according to http://mactracker.ca database download - specs are:

     

    Introduced    October 2009

    Discontinued    July 2010

    Model Identifier    iMac10,1 (Core 2 Duo) iMac11,1 (Core i5, i7)

    Model Number    A1312

    EMC    2309 (Core 2 Duo) -- EMC 2374 (Core i5, i7)

    Order Number    MB952LL/A (3.06 GHz), MB953LL/A (2.66 GHz)

     

    Maximum Memory    32 GB (Core i5 or Core i7 Actual) 16 GB (Apple)

    Memory Slots    4 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM

     

    • Install memory in an iMac - Apple Support

    Carefully read through this ^ support article since there are many different iMac model specs listed.

     

    Processor:    Intel Core 2 Duo (E7600, E8600), Core i5 (750), or Core i7 (860) ("Wolfdale, Lynnfield")

    Processor Speed:    3.06 or 3.33 GHz (Core 2 Duo), 2.66 GHz (Core i5), 2.8 GHz (Core i7)

    Architecture:    64-bit

    Number of Cores:    2 or 4

     

    Cache:    3 MB (3.06 GHz) 6 MB (3.33 GHz) L2, 8 MB (2.66, 2.8 GHz) L3

    System Bus:    1066 MHz (3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo) or 1333 MHz (3.33 GHz Core 2 Duo)

    -- or Intel Direct Media Interface (DMI) at 2.5 GT/s (Core i5 and Core i7)

     

    Graphics Card    ATI Radeon HD 4670 or Radeon HD 4850

    Graphics Memory    256 MB (Radeon HD 4670) or 512 MB (Radeon HD 4850) GDDR3

     

    Where did you get the RAM and what are the specs, and name brand?

     

    • Memory specs for 'Late 2009 iMac 27-inch model' from OWC macsales:

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/iMac/DDR3_21.5_27

     

    Two quality Mac-centric vendors are OWC macsales and Crucial.com. You'd still

    have to identify the computer build model exactly & get quality RAM for them to work.

    And note the keyway shape of the memory chips as they need to be oriented correct

    in order to fully and properly fit into the slots. If they are the correct spec for your iMac.

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by Manor50,

    Manor50 Manor50 Feb 27, 2016 3:28 AM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 27, 2016 3:28 AM in response to K Shaffer

    The RAM cards are as per spec but they feel a bit thicker than the originals.

    Don't want to order new ones before I know the reason.

  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Feb 27, 2016 4:49 AM in response to Manor50
    Level 5 (6,197 points)
    Mac App Store
    Feb 27, 2016 4:49 AM in response to Manor50

    FWIW, "feel a bit thicker" and "don't fit in the slot" are two different things.

  • by K Shaffer,Helpful

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Feb 27, 2016 5:16 PM in response to Manor50
    Level 6 (14,340 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2016 5:16 PM in response to Manor50

    The numbered specifications are not always the same between manufacturers

    however even the physical specs can vary enough from the OEM that a poor

    copies of quality parts can be telling you something. Order quality from good

    reputable sources.

     

    What was the brand? Can you cite the printed specifications including physical

    and electronic? There is where the details are important. Almost any correct spec

    upgrade RAM may fit the slot, too; and of those, some do not work in a Mac when

    under a load or with OS X. Cheaper manufacture processes can allow different

    grades of the same spec RAM. Your computer needs quality matched pairs in sets.

     

    Several similar spec RAM pieces have somewhat the same numbers. Even if they

    do fit, there is a matter of the system log files and indicators of big troubles. Before

    the Kernel Panic and lost time when the computer crashes, the early logs appear.

     

    If the memory chips you bought have a limited return & money back, note the days.

     

    Good luck...!

  • by Manor50,

    Manor50 Manor50 Feb 27, 2016 5:20 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 27, 2016 5:20 PM in response to K Shaffer

    image.jpeg

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Mar 1, 2016 11:19 AM in response to Manor50
    Level 6 (14,340 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 1, 2016 11:19 AM in response to Manor50

    Those look like memory chips all right.

     

    Reminds me of a matched pair I bought for my Mac Mini from a supplier and

    now I've spent nearly two weeks troubleshooting them, reading through Log

    reports and seeing  odd artifacts in there makes me wonder if the RAM is

    somehow corrupting the data stream. I wish I'd have bought from OWC but

    their product is about 30% more than what I paid from oempcworld for the

    crucial memory. And I did not choose the brand, they did from memory chart

    of suitable upgrade RAM. The Crucial.com site offers several chips that fit

    but not all are the correct ones for the exact computer. OWC avoids that.

     

    And the place I got my upgrade chips from, puts a 'do not remove' sticker

    right over the top of the spec label on the RAM they send out. So you are

    unable to verify the label details against another source. However, I can

    see the prefix of the brand code on the original label as it appears at the

    edge of where their label didn't cover. So I've contacted the oempcworld

    company about an RMA or return authorization. My old RAM (4GB) runs OK

    and is of high quality; my new 16GB upgrade, not so much, & with issues.

     

    Anyway, hopefully the memory chips won't damage anything inside the slot

    if they are physically incorrect; and if so, they also may be inexact otherwise.

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by Manor50,

    Manor50 Manor50 Mar 1, 2016 4:48 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 1, 2016 4:48 PM in response to K Shaffer

    I tried to get hold of OWC memory chips but they would not send them to me (Indonesia). I guess they are afraid they may get lost.

    Anyway all my laptops and iMac are now up and running well. Again thanks for valuable input.