Upgrade or Replace early 2009 iMac?

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Level 1

5 points

Upgrade or Replace early 2009 iMac?

My wife is casual user of the computer. For example, her hard drive is a 320 GB drive and she uses about 100 GB. She has few apps and primarily uses the system for email, messaging and shopping. She is quite happy with it except for the abundance of time spent waiting for the 'spinning colored wheel'. Her computer is an early 2009, 20" iMac with 2GB of memory. The computer is running Mac OS X El Capitan v10.11.6. The App Store indicates she can not upgrade the OS.

I suspect the spinning wheel is an indicator that her computer has insufficient Memory (2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3). It is indicated in the 'Memory' section of 'About This Mac' that 2 GB is the max that this computer can use. However, posts on this forum suggest this computer can, unofficially, be upgraded to 8 or 16 GB of memory.

If upgrading Memory is a practical alternative for a semi-computer literate husband; and would eliminate the spinning wheel, it would be a worthwhile effort. I'm guessing the cost of the memory chips would be a relatively small percentage of the cost of the new 21" iMac (she loves the iMac form factor).

Is upgrading memory on this computer practical and reliable? Where would I look to get guidance on the process?

Is an upgrade in memory the only obsticle in the way of upgrading the OS from El Capitan to the current version?

Are there other technical issues I may be overlooking arguing for replacing this 'obsolete' computer with a new one?

Thanks for any insight and guidance.

Jim

Mac Pro (Late 2013), macOS High Sierra (10.13.4)

Posted on Apr 12, 2018 12:15 PM

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Answer 1

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,488 points

Apr 16, 2018 12:57 PM in response to u2jimbo

You won't be able to upgrade the OS beyond 10.11.x, an early 2009 is simply too old. The machines that can have 10.12.x and 10.13.x installed are:

iMac – all models from late 2009, iMac 10,1 – 17,1
MacBook & MacBook Retina – all models from late 2009, MacBook 6,1 – 9,1
MacBook Pro – all models from 2010, MacBook Pro 7,1 – 11,5
MacBookAir – all models from 2010, MacBook Air 3,1 – 7,2
Mac Mini – all models from 2010, Mac Mini 4,1 – 7,1
Mac Pro – all models from 2010, Mac Pro 5,1 – 6,1

Let her continue to use it and if the additional RAM proves beneficial for her needs then you're set for awhile. However I would think a new iMac is in her future, when is the question.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

215,532 points

Apr 12, 2018 1:51 PM in response to u2jimbo

Actually, your model 2009 iMac can utilize 8 GB of RAM. At the time of production larger sizes of RAM modules weren't available so Apple didn't address larger sizes.

You can get a couple of 4GB modules from either Crucial.com or Macsales.com. They are the most reliable, dependable Mac memory module vendors out there. An 8 GB kit for your model, 2 x 4 GB, will run you about $90 at Crucial and $75 at MacSales.

If that's all you wife does then upgrading to 8 GB of memory should see a big improvement.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

215,532 points

Apr 16, 2018 2:15 PM in response to u2jimbo

Are there any other things we could do to improve performance and maintain security?

Just follow the recommendations in this user tip: Effective defenses against malware and other threats

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Answer 4

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,488 points

Apr 12, 2018 12:49 PM in response to u2jimbo

Considering the age of the computer my guess is the hard disk is original. On most computers it is moving parts such as a HD that wear out. This is similar to cars, what tends to wear out the fastest are moving parts such a tires, brakes, etc... A 9 year old computer is considered quite old, that doesn't mean it will not work for another 9 years it simply means it could fail at any time.

My suggestion would be to upgrade the RAM to 12GB which may improve speed quite a bit if the computer is starved for RAM. However, a failing HD would also affect performance too. I am hoping she has been using Time Machine to backup her computer to save any valuable data stored there. My guess is you are not aware of TM so here is a link How to use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support .

RAM is relatively inexpensive and may be what is needed. However if you have the funds available to replace the Mac the new machines are substantially faster, especially ones with 16GB or more of RAM and that also have a SSD installed which is dramatically faster than a HD and has no moving parts.

If you decide to upgrade the RAM, please only purchase from either Crucial.com or macsales.com. The reason for recommending these vendors is simple, iMacs are sensitive to using quality RAM. Both vendors supply high quality products and sell them for very fair prices and provide excellent support. Upgrading RAM is a 10 minute process that only requires a screw driver. Here is a link for a video that shows how to do it. iMac Memory Installation Video at MacSales.com

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Answer 5

u2jimbo Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 13, 2018 10:51 AM in response to rkaufmann87

rkaufmann87:

Thanks for your response. I don't believe my wife has any issues with the hard drive (knock on wood) and I do backup her important info (photos). I'm pretty sure the only issue is the delays related to the spinning, colored wheel which I believe is RAM related.

$100 bucks to test that theory compared to $1400 for a new iMac seems like a reasonable first step.

Thanks a bunch for the video link and vendor recommendations.

I don't know why I can't give you a "solved" checkmark. Old Toad's response was in my inbox and I read it before I read this one and checked the "solved" button for his help. I should be able to do the same for you, too. In any case, thanks for solving my issue.

u2jimbo

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Answer 6

u2jimbo Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 13, 2018 10:55 AM in response to Old Toad

Old Toad:

Thanks for responding and supporting my new adventure! I think adding a new memory upgrade is a smart first step. I have added memory modules to my MacPro and various other Apple computers in the past so I don't think replacing my wifes' will be a problem.

Thanks again.

u2jimbo

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Answer 7

u2jimbo Author

Level 1

5 points

Apr 16, 2018 12:44 PM in response to rkaufmann87

rkaufmann87 & Old Toad:

I received the 8 GB this morning. It took about 15 minutes to unpackage and install. The computer started right up and my wife is currently shopping to test the system response. It doesn't get any easier than this.

I was hoping the upgrade would allow me to install the OS High Sierra but the App Store won't allow a download. I am guessing this memory upgrade will carry us another ~ year before the early 2009 iMac's become obsolete and not supported.

Would you agree? Are there any other things we could do to improve performance and maintain security?

In any case, you both were very supportive and helpful.

Thanks!

Jim

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Answer 8

rkaufmann87

Level 10

148,488 points

Apr 13, 2018 11:14 AM in response to u2jimbo

Your Welcome.

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Upgrade or Replace early 2009 iMac?

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