On Thursday, we shared an unboxing and teardown of the new 2017 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display that was unveiled at WWDC.
After putting the 27-inch model through its paces and confirming support for 64GB of RAM in all 27-inch iMac 2017 models, we’ve had a chance to take a deep dive into the non-Retina base model 21.5-inch 2017 iMac.
Noteworthy observations from the teardown:
- A non-Retina 2017 21.5-inch iMac ordered without a Fusion Drive does not have a PCIe socket for future PCIe SSD installation.
- The 21.5-inch iMac features two memory slots.
- We have confirmed compatibility of up to 32GB of memory.
2017 iMac Upgrades and Storage Solutions
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Is it possible to go from non retina screen to a 4k screen on this model just wondering
Is there some advantage with going with 2400MHz RAM vs 2133MHz RAM on the 2.3GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 2017 21.5″, 2017 iMac when considering upgrading the RAM from 8GB to 64GB?
Is the CPU socketed on the base model just as it is on the 4K models? If so, have you tested replacing it with an i7 7700 or any other TDP 65W CPU?
The iMac is using 2133MHz RAM, I see the upgrade option from macsales.com is 2400MHz.
So, 2400MHz RAM is compatible with this iMac?
Thank you for your question Erick! The 2017 21.5″ iMac comes standard with 2133 MHz RAM but we have fully tested 2400MHz RAM to be compatible and work flawlessly.
If you have any further questions, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you further!
The CPU is replaceable, right?
Just watched the very interesting video of a disassembly of the new 21.5″ iMac, which showed that the ram memory is indeed upgradeable, rather than being soldered to the mother board. Question is, how much ram memory can be installed on this new iMac?
Could you possibly post a short description of how you would put the screen back on and where you would get the adhesive?
Thanks in advance
Hi, Scott. Our OWC memory upgrade kits come with the appropriate adhesive strips. You can find the kit here: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/imac-2017-21.5-inch
We also provide installation videos which can be found here: https://eshop.macsales.com/installvideos/imac_21inch_4k_late_2015/
However, the install for the iMac 4K is very complex, so we recommend that it be performed by a trained professional.
That’s OK for memory but what if you just want to upgrade the Hard Drive to an SSD. Its seems that in order to get to the ram you have to remove the anti tampering sticker. Am I correct in thinking that doing that will void your warranty?