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doxtorRay · Feb 20, 2005, 09:12 PM

1) is it possible that some manufacturers sell the DIMMs that can be used in an iMac G5 with some sort of metal shield attached? None of those I have seen sold online for the iMac have a shield, but maybe that is just chance.

2) if the appropriate DIMMs can come with a shield, is it possible to remove said shield?

Here's why I'm asking...
Seeing how excited I was about my G5 iMac, my father-in-law bought one. He tried to buy RAM to upgrade it, and ended up going to a giant national electronics retailer instead of buying from the several websites I suggested (he does not like shopping online).

The Megastore sold him two 1 Gig DIMMs that they what they said were correct, but he could only fit one of them into his computer because they have a metal shield on them. The one he did get in there seems to be working, but he seems to be unable to get more than one stick installed (he can't even get the original 256 module back in with the new one installed).

I asked him if they were PC3200, unbuffered, nonparity, 184-pin, 400Mhz DDR SDRAM, and he said they were, but also seemed a bit displeased that I was sort of nagging him, so I didn't press it.

I sort of feel responsible for him getting a good experience, since this is his first Mac after tons of PCs. Plus, there is the whole meathead vs. father-in-law thing

Thanks.

Link · Feb 20, 2005, 09:40 PM

those aren't shields, they're heat spreaders.. you might be able to get them off, but it'd be easier to simply buy a module without them.

zenatek · Feb 20, 2005, 11:29 PM

I have heat spreaders on mine and they fit in the imac fine...I have the 20 inch model so that may make a difference.

doxtorRay · Feb 21, 2005, 12:02 AM

Thanks, both of you. I figured it was heat dissipation feature.

His is a 20-inch, so I bet he just got DIMMs with above-average (size) heat spreaders.

I was just wondering if anyone had fit them into their iMacs, or if they should be avoided.

Is there a list of modules that fit in the iMac? I know DealRAM separates those that work for sure from those that "should" work in the iMac, but is there a more complete list anywhere?