How picky are iMACs about their memory?

Fireflash

Sup guys,

Basically my GF has an iMac, early 2008 model. Only 1gb of RAM and she needs at least 2 to upgrade her OS. Apple website says we need memory with these specs:

PC2-6400
Unbuffered
Nonparity
200-pin
800MHz DDR2 SDRAM

But someone at work is selling a 2 GB stick http://www.corsair.com/memory/standard-dimms-and-sodimms/sodimm/vs2gsds667d2.html for cheap, but it's a bit slower. Will it still work fine? I know nothing of Macs.

Thanks!

ben0207

It'll be fine, though the Mac would work better with matched pairs (and 4gb (2x2) is really cheap)

Echo

Corsair has an app on their site you can download and run and it'll give you a list of compatible model numbers.

edit: but yeah, RAM is cheap. I think I paid 50 bucks for 2x2 gigs for my Macbook about a year ago.

edit edit: two and a half years ago, actually.

Fireflash

Alright, thanks a lot for the reccomendations! I'll find somewhere cheap where she can buy 2xgigs.

Zombie Nirvana

If she's upgrading to lion, she should really take some time to research it before doing so. May lose access to certain applications she uses. Hasn't been without it's issues, I'd say.

Fireflash

Zombie Nirvana wrote:

If she's upgrading to lion, she should really take some time to research it before doing so. May lose access to certain applications she uses. Hasn't been without it's issues, I'd say.

She hasn't really researched anything actually. She just wants the shiny new OS! Maybe I'll have to look this up too...

useless4

Crucial . com or Other World computing has the best deals on guaranteed to work mac memory.
I have bought from both multiple times over the years.

FF

I recently forgot to order RAM from my favorite vendor (Crucial) for my Grandma's iMac. Had to get her computer done this weekend or I'd be in tons of trouble, so I ran to Frys and got RAM of the same spec, worked out just fine.

Jasconius

As long as the basic model of RAM is correct, the only thing you really have to worry about is voltage.

I don't know what iMacs require, but voltage is one of those things that will cause RAM not to work on a motherboard.

You'll have to dig for exact specs if you want to be super safe... but I've seen several iMacs upgraded with aftermarket RAM and have never seen any problems at all.