Should I upgrade my iMac? Or just the RAM?

[Ashley Jayde]

I’m currently using a Mac desktop for all of my workflow- it’s a Retina 4k, 21.5 inch, 2017, 3.6 GHz Intel Core i7 processor. I’ve had it since 2018, so it is right at about 4 years old. It’s been good, but it unfortunately only has 8 GB of RAM. This model is more difficult to add RAM to, so it would require a few days at the Apple store and I believe I was quoted about $300 total to upgrade to 16 GB (I need to double check, but it wasn’t a huge amount of money). 

Since I upgraded my camera in 2019, this Mac has been veryyyyy slow. My RAW images with my upgraded camera are around 50-60 MB and my computer has a difficult time keeping up with my workload. I often have to sit for 20 seconds at a time to wait for it to catch up to me. I know the RAM is the huge issue. 

My question is: would it be wiser to just upgrade my entire computer at this point? Or just upgrade the RAM? I don’t know realistically how much time I can expect to get out of this iMac. I don’t want to upgrade the RAM for it to just die in a year. This was the first purchase I made when I started photography and I’ve never known any different. 
 

Any advice would be so helpful and appreciated! 

[Brian]

Sigh. It’s a 21.5”. There are RAM slots on the motherboard, but you need to find a local repair shop that will do it since you have to COMPLETELY TAKE THE ENTIRE DAMN MACHINE APART TO ADD RAM! Why? Because there isn’t an access panel on the back of the computer to make adding RAM easier  

Honestly? It’s a 21.5” Model, and Apple has purposely crippled that line. Slower CPU, slower Motherboard, Slower HD, and a Video Card that PS can’t utilize. With today’s modern Photoshop, the choice of Video Card is just as important, if not more important than choosing the right CPU! 

The 21.5” iMacs are meant for general computing, not Photoshop. How people get sucked into them is the lower price-point; not everyone can fork out $3000-$4000 for a computer and I totally get that. It’s just unfortunate that they don realize that they are throwing money away until things like PS become so laggy and slow. 

Now for even more bad news. Apple quietly discontinued the 27” iMac. I just configured the model that will replace it, a model that I feel that will be a computer that’s “Good for Photo Editing.”

Yeah…it’s 2022 prices are double if not triple on what they should be. The cost for this new iMac? About $5100-ish. (Depending on your local sales tax.) That’s right, over $5000 for a new Mac in 2022 that’s good for photo editing  

Personally, I’d take your iMac to a repair shop, max out the RAM and deal with the slowness for now and save-save-save. Yes, you need more RAM, but also need to have realistic expectations since it’s a 21.5” iMac. 

But this is better than spending over Five Grand. 

How much you should get? If you can upgrade to 32GB, get 32GB. Or if by some chance you can go as high as 64 (very unlikely) go that route. You want to upgrade the RAM once since the whole iMac needs to be taken apart. (Oh, I personally wouldn’t attempt this, and I’ve been a Professional Technician for almost 30 years.)