Just like knowing your height and weight, knowing the main components of your Mac is valuable. This tip will help you learn more about your RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is the “thinking space” of your computer, and it’s described in Gigabytes or GB.
Some software requires a minimum amount of RAM. Some tools, like Adobe After Effects, will use as much RAM as you can give your machine.
What is the easiest way to check your RAM?
Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen and select “About this Mac.”
All the central information about your system is here, including the specific model, the CPU, the graphics type, the serial number, and the RAM. And that’s how you can check the quantity of your RAM.
At the top are several different sections: “Overview” is the main one. There should also be Displays, Storage, Support, and Service.
But where is there a section for memory?
Not every Mac can have its RAM upgraded, and this tip also will show you how to quickly determine if yours can be upgraded.
If there is a section for Memory, then there is information about what type of chips are in your Mac and how many slots are used/available.
If there is no Memory section in the “About this Mac” window, your Mac cannot be upgraded, since not every Mac is upgradable.
That’s how you can determine how much RAM is in your Mac. If you are looking to get the best value on new RAM, OWC offers the most comprehensive assortment of RAM for Mac. Hope you found this helpful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments!
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Hello Jeff Greenberg,
My iMac is the Retina 4K, 2017. It has the memory tab in about this mac. My question, is my memory upgradeable? If so, what’s the maximum memory allowed?
I need how to know to do upgrade my 8GB RAM for a Retina 4K, 21.5 inches, 2017 iMac that has macOS Monterey. What is the maximum upgrade for this iMac? Can I do this upgrade myself or do I need professional help?
Felicia
Felicia, I’m a fan of everymac.com when checking out specific of Mac Hardware.
This should be your system: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i7-3.6-21-inch-aluminum-retina-4k-mid-2017-specs.html
And the group that hosts this blog, OWC, has a page dedicated for exactly this:
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/imac-2017-21.5-inch
Don’t hesitate to call them, they’re fantastic at this.
I need how to know to do upgrade my 8GB RAM for a Retina 4K, 21.5 inch, 2017 iMac that has macOS Monterey. What is the maximum upgrade for this iMac? Can I do this upgrade myself or do I need professional help?
Not sure why articles here alwasy forget to give context…
You forgot to mention that this only applies to Intel-based Macs. Mx-based Macs cannot be upgraded, only replaced.
I have an intel-based Macintosh, don’t I?
Apple is intentionally vague about it (see this: https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/upgrade-memory-syspa6de5c9d/mac) and often criticized for their lack of upgradeability. Just like you smayer, I find it frustrating, particularly on their newer systems.