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A1418 | EMC 2889 | Late 2015 | 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 or 2.8 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5. Released October 13, 2015.

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iMac RAM Upgrade through motherboard replacement

Hello. I recently bought an iMac (was a bit of low-funds emergency purchase to replace MacBook that died on me) and realised that RAM is not upgradable on 21,5 models and i'm basically stuck with base 8GB.

I'm not really hurrying to sell this one and get a better one even though it might be, maybe, an easier option.

So i had a thought - in theory, would it be possible to get hands on iMac motherboard for same iMac model as mine, but with more RAM (16) soldered on it and replace mine with that one doing a sort of RAM upgrade by that, or there are some problems this procedure might result in?

(The tricky replacement procedure itself doesn't count as the problem)

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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How about cost and risks do they count here?

The cost of a replacement logic board (P/N 661-02983) approx. $1,500 - 1,800 US! Thats very close to buying a used one.

The amount of work is quite high and there are risks if you are not skilled on opening this series of iMac's. Many people kill the display just in the process of opening the system. Here's the IFIXIT guide: iMac Intel 21.5" EMC 2889 Logic Board Replacement. Did you note the warnings! This is not something I would recommend for a DIY project.

Frankly, I would just make a backup of my system sell it and get a new or used system that met my needs.

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Thanks, i was mostly wondering about costs of the parts and possibility of doing it in general (if there are any hardware/activation issues that will make it impossible to use new motherboard in place of less powerful).

I did check out the guide and noted all the risks there (which are nearly on every step) before posting a question, i just forgot to mention it, sorry.

But yeah, costs pretty much render this whole idea pointless, even in hands of a skilled and careful person. Thanks for the answer.

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saflambear will be eternally grateful.
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