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pldelisle

macrumors 68020
May 4, 2020
2,248
1,505
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I just installed my memory upgrade.
System: iMac 20.2 (i7 3.8 GHz 8 core, GPU 5700 XT)

I bought Kingston memory which is system specific memory for iMac 2020.
64 GB RAM (4 x 16 GB) [Kingston - KCP426SD8/16]
Kingston System Specific Memory for iMac 2020

My test result with default 8 GB:
View attachment 954685

Novabench RAM test with 8 GB:
View attachment 954699


My test result with 64 GB (DIY):
View attachment 954686

Novabench RAM test with 64 GB:
View attachment 954687

Anyway, this is also worth looking into if you haven’t decided on RAM yet.
Best combination of memory for the 2020 iMac
Did you notice, is the Kingston RAM using Micron chip or Hynix ?

Kingston never replied me to confirm if Kingston RAM for Mac uses locked BOM.
 

panjandrum

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2009
713
890
United States
From the gaming benchmarks I've seen it takes a significant memory speed difference to see ANY performance difference even in extremely demanding applications. At a guess you are going to be better off with more memory at a very slightly reduced speed. But as others have mentioned, it's a big "depends on." If you really aren't using more than the 32, you might as well just stick with that at 2666.
Also see post #409, and post #422, as another data point

Yeah, it looks like I was wrong about this. Or at the very least "woefully out-of-date." I built my current game-rig, (now powering a Pimax 5K+) several years ago and at that time there was so little difference in performance between memory speeds that it simply made no difference at all unless the speed differences were extreme, and even then the differences were extremely small. This was also true when it came to upgrading older systems like the classic MacPros. There just wasn't any meaningful real-world difference.

That's no longer the case, which I could have discovered had I googled:

(YouTube links to proper time for FPS graphs):


Reddit Post with some nice benchmarks as well

(Personally, I like using game benchmarks as an overall system-performance metric because games tend to hammer everything in a system so aggressively. Regardless, seeing these kinds of performance differences in game titles certainly shows that RAM speeds have real-world performance implications in modern computers.)

So ignore my incorrect post and definitely try to maximize your RAM speeds in your modern Macs, (but probably don't bother to worry about it in older systems).

I really gotta build a new game-rig now. Oh boy.
 
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eslaesla

macrumors newbie
Sep 10, 2020
3
2
Just finished installing 128 GB's of Crucial's RAM!

System: iMac 20.1 (i9 3.6 GHz 10-core, AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT)

Geekbench Results:

iMac20,1.png


Novabench RAM test results w/ 128 GB:

RAM Transfer Speed 31175 MBs.png
 

vinchensoo

macrumors newbie
Sep 15, 2020
2
0
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/3836982 my geekbench result for 2x32 Samsung M471A4G43MB1-CTD.
I tried to run my Imac2020 with aftermarker + Apple memory, but it crashed and didn't start.
Samsung memory works great, apple hardware test doesn't show any errors, benchs looks better (ram speed is better that 2x4 apple ram too).
 

jasonefmonk

macrumors 6502
May 5, 2011
385
431
I am testing 64GB in 2×32GB configuration from Crucial. I bought the CT2K32G4SFD8266 kit but Crucial's site says it is not compatible and instead recommends the CT2K32G4S266M kit. As far as I can tell this is just a "Mac Compatible" branding and nothing else, but please enlighten me if I am wrong.

RAM transfer speed tests from Novabench:
Apple 8GB: 26,122MBps
Crucial 64GB: 29,397MBps

Geekbench is normal as well, I believe; 1391 single, 8907 multi (i7-10700K w/ 64GB). Any reason for me to return that kit and buy different memory?
 
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pldelisle

macrumors 68020
May 4, 2020
2,248
1,505
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I am testing 64GB in 2×32GB configuration from Crucial. I bought the CT2K32G4SFD8266 kit but Crucial's site says it is not compatible and instead recommends the CT2K32G4S266M kit. As far as I can tell this is just a "Mac Compatible" branding and nothing else, but please enlighten me if I am wrong.

RAM transfer speed tests from Novabench:
Apple 8GB: 26,122MBps
Crucial 64GB: 29,397MBps


Geekbench is normal as well, I believe; 1391 single, 8907 multi (i7-10700K w/ 64GB). Any reason for me to return that kit and buy different memory?
It will work.
 

AZREOSpecialist

Suspended
Mar 15, 2009
2,354
1,280
Too much handwringing in this thread... Why all the shilling for Crucial? I bought a pair of 32 GB NEMIX modules (64 GB total) from NewEgg and they are running at 2667 MHz and 30,101 MB/sec (RAM score: 366) in Novabench. $220 delivered.
 

jasonefmonk

macrumors 6502
May 5, 2011
385
431
Too much handwringing in this thread... Why all the shilling for Crucial? I bought a pair of 32 GB NEMIX modules […] $220 delivered.
I've put Crucial in most of my Macs since I started using them in 2007 and never had a problem, bought G.SKILL once and they were good too. Like anything, branding works; I buy what I'm familiar with and trust. My pair of 32GB modules cost CAD$375 so I'm a bit jealous your price, I'll keep looking around but Newegg is a no-go lately for me because they ship from US and charge for that and for returns.
 
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pldelisle

macrumors 68020
May 4, 2020
2,248
1,505
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Too much handwringing in this thread... Why all the shilling for Crucial? I bought a pair of 32 GB NEMIX modules (64 GB total) from NewEgg and they are running at 2667 MHz and 30,101 MB/sec (RAM score: 366) in Novabench. $220 delivered.
With Crucial, you know you get good quality Micron DRAM chips. And it will always be Micron chips. So if you buy 2x32 GB and have two free slots, you know you can buy another kit in a year or two and have the exact same chips so it will work flawlessly. They have top notch testing procedures, their modules are certified. You absolutely know 100% that it will work flawlessly. All this has a price.
 

thermalthrottle

macrumors newbie
Aug 13, 2020
24
5
I got my i7 iMac last week, had a stick of 8 gb crucial ram 2666 ddr4 so-dimm so stuck it in. At first the 2 apple 4gb sticks were arranged in slots 1 and 3 so I stuck the 8gb in slot 2. About this mac recognised the ram as 16gb total but running at 2133 speed so I looked up Apple's advice on ram upgrades and paired the 2 apple ram sticks to slots 1 and 2 while placing the spare ram in slot 4. Now the ram is working at 2666mhz. No idea whether this configuration loses dual channel or not.

Ran geekbench, got a slightly higher score compared to when it only had the 2 apple sticks. Suspect the score might be even faster had I stuck 2 8gb sticks in stead of the 3 sticks of 2x4gb and 1 8gb.
 

TiffMy

macrumors newbie
Aug 20, 2020
26
8
I got my i7 iMac last week, had a stick of 8 gb crucial ram 2666 ddr4 so-dimm so stuck it in. At first the 2 apple 4gb sticks were arranged in slots 1 and 3 so I stuck the 8gb in slot 2. About this mac recognised the ram as 16gb total but running at 2133 speed so I looked up Apple's advice on ram upgrades and paired the 2 apple ram sticks to slots 1 and 2 while placing the spare ram in slot 4. Now the ram is working at 2666mhz. No idea whether this configuration loses dual channel or not.

Ran geekbench, got a slightly higher score compared to when it only had the 2 apple sticks. Suspect the score might be even faster had I stuck 2 8gb sticks in stead of the 3 sticks of 2x4gb and 1 8gb.
Probably flex mode, but as both channels have the same amount of RAM, the end result is not big different from real dual channel of 4x4GB
 

wilberforce

macrumors 68030
Aug 15, 2020
2,890
3,163
SF Bay Area
I got my i7 iMac last week, had a stick of 8 gb crucial ram 2666 ddr4 so-dimm so stuck it in. At first the 2 apple 4gb sticks were arranged in slots 1 and 3 so I stuck the 8gb in slot 2. About this mac recognised the ram as 16gb total but running at 2133 speed so I looked up Apple's advice on ram upgrades and paired the 2 apple ram sticks to slots 1 and 2 while placing the spare ram in slot 4. Now the ram is working at 2666mhz. No idea whether this configuration loses dual channel or not.

Ran geekbench, got a slightly higher score compared to when it only had the 2 apple sticks. Suspect the score might be even faster had I stuck 2 8gb sticks in stead of the 3 sticks of 2x4gb and 1 8gb.
Probably not running dual channel, but it might be OK because you have 8GB (2x4GB) in Channel A and 8GB in Channel B.
"Certain Intel chipsets support different capacity chips in what they call Flex Mode: the capacity that can be matched is run in dual-channel, while the remainder runs in single-channel."

Run Novabench RAM speed test and you should get about 28,000 MB/s if in dual channel. (Run it several times and use the highest score.) If you get much lower, it is not running dual channel
 
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MauriceG

macrumors regular
Feb 9, 2013
104
45
You are not in dual channel. There is no way to really check it, but you are not for sure.

Only benchmarks and your level of satisfaction towards them will tell you.
You can run Geekbench 4. It will give you detailed scores on memory performance. And you can compare in the database of Geekbench 4 (search for iMac20, )
 

wilberforce

macrumors 68030
Aug 15, 2020
2,890
3,163
SF Bay Area

Calpike

macrumors newbie
Aug 28, 2018
3
5
I had this issue with OWC ram. But I was even getting errors when starting the iMac with both sets in. I just ditched the Apple ram and ordered 16gb more from OWC. Hopefully it all works since they will be the same brand.
I ordered 32 GB of OWC RAM (2x26) and installed in the upper two slots with the original Apple RAM (2x4) in the lower two slots. I *thought* I had a no-boot issue, but it turns out that the memory test took about 30 seconds. So, from the time you press the power button be sure to allow enough time for the memory to be recognized. The apple won't show up on the screen until that happens.
 

AZREOSpecialist

Suspended
Mar 15, 2009
2,354
1,280
I ordered 32 GB of OWC RAM (2x26) and installed in the upper two slots with the original Apple RAM (2x4) in the lower two slots. I *thought* I had a no-boot issue, but it turns out that the memory test took about 30 seconds. So, from the time you press the power button be sure to allow enough time for the memory to be recognized. The apple won't show up on the screen until that happens.
Ditto. I thought it wasn't starting, too, and realized it was checking the memory. I installed my extra RAM before starting up for the first time.
 

RichiMac

macrumors regular
Dec 14, 2012
203
31
SoCal
I have noticed this problem on mine too.

I have always upgraded the RAM myself on iMacs, and my 2019 model has two 4GB Apple sticks and two 16GB Apple sticks, and registers 40GB at 2667 MHz without an issue.

My 2020 model is stuck at 2133 MHz.

This is despite them both using Crucial RAM of the same specs, in addition to the Apple RAM.

I've played around with the sticks and these are my findings:

The 2020 iMac registers 2133 MHz using the same RAM sticks that the 2019 registers at 2667 MHz.

I took the sticks out of the 2019 model and placed them in the 2020 model, in the correct formation, and they reported 2133 MHz. So the 2020 model is more particular about RAM.

The 2020 iMac has a slightly different RAM arrangement:

View attachment 942848
2020 iMac (above)


View attachment 942855
2019 iMac (above)

This change is probably tied to the implementation of the T2 controller?

Putting all four 16GB Crucial sticks in the 2020 model still registered 2133 MHz.

This surprised me as they are all the same brand and spec. So I rearranged the sticks to what to me seems to be the 'wrong' way - my inherited 2019 Crucial sticks in Slots 1 and 2 (rather than 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 as you would normally expect), and the newly-bought Crucial sticks in Slots 3 and 4, and low and behold it is now running at 2667 MHz and 64GB.

The 2020 iMac is fussy even between different batches of the same RAM manufacturer and specs, not just between Hynix and Crucial. Get around this by keeping each batch/manufacturer to its own channel.

I am not sure what (if any) performance hit will come by mixing DIMMs in this way. I have always been told to install them in pairs in the first and third, or second and fourth, slots.
Where does it say 2133mhz on your 2 reports??? All I see is 2667mhz??
 

Brookzy

macrumors 601
May 30, 2010
4,976
5,573
UK
Where does it say 2133mhz on your 2 reports??? All I see is 2667mhz??
That is not the point of the screenshots. The point is to show that the 2020 iMac has a different configuration in terms of names and positions of the modules.
 

RichiMac

macrumors regular
Dec 14, 2012
203
31
SoCal
That is not the point of the screenshots. The point is to show that the 2020 iMac has a different configuration in terms of names and positions of the modules.
OK, so where did you find out that it was only running at 2333? Trying to sort out all of this info as I troubleshoot my 128gb OWC ram problems.
 
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