Can I increase RAM on an iMac 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5?

My computer has been running very slow so I went into the activity monitor and observed that I have 4GB of physical memory and I am using 3.60-3.98 GB during regular operation. Can I add RAM to this machine or is there another way to lower the GB of memory used so the machine runs faster.
My hard drive is 500GB and I have 210GB free, so I don't think it is a hard drive problem.
Any support is much appreciated.
Machine is 21.5 inch iMac, mid 2011.
Processor is 2.5GHz Intel core i5
4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
AMD Radeon HD 6750M 512 MB

EtreCheck version: 2.1.2 (105)
Report generated December 14, 2014 at 4:15:17 PM PST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011) (Verified)
iMac - model: iMac12,1
1 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 4-core
4 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok
BANK 0/DIMM1
empty empty empty empty
BANK 1/DIMM1
empty empty empty empty
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
AMD Radeon HD 6750M - VRAM: 512 MB
iMac 1920 x 1080
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.10.1 (14B25) - Uptime: 6:50:14
Disk Information: ℹ️
WDC WD5000AAKS-402AA0 disk0 : (500.11 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 499.25 GB (209.89 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
HL-DT-STDVDRW GA32N
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Configuration files: ℹ️
/etc/launchd.conf - Exists
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Mac App Store and identified developers
Adware: ℹ️
Geneio [Remove]
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.Belcarra.iokit.USBLAN_netpart (2.0.2) [Support]
[not loaded] com.Belcarra.iokit.USBLAN_usbpart (2.0.2) [Support]
[not loaded] com.RemoteControl.USBLAN.usbpart (2.0.6) [Support]
[not loaded] com.aliph.driver.jstub (1.1.2 - SDK 10.7) [Support]
[not loaded] com.kodak.print.printerdock.merge (1.0.0) [Support]
[not loaded] com.sony.driver.prs (1.0.1d1) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/Belcarra.USBLAN_netpart.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.belcarra.iokit.netpart.panther (1.6.1) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/Belcarra.USBLAN_usbpart.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.belcarra.iokit.usbpart.panther (1.6.1) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/RemoteControl.USBLAN_usbpart.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.RemoteControl.USBLAN.panther (1.6.1) [Support]
Startup Items: ℹ️
IntegoCommon: Path: /Library/StartupItems/IntegoCommon
Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Support]
[running] com.rosettastone.rosettastonedaemon.plist [Support]
[not loaded] com.sony.ReaderLibrary.RunReaderLibrary.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.app4mac.CheckUpAgent.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Support]
[running] com.intego.personalantispam.daemon.plist [Support]
[running] com.intego.task.manager.daemon.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.sonos.smbbump.plist [Support]
[running] com.synium.cleanappdaemon.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[running] com.mlbam.nexdef.core.NexdefLoader.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
apple-scc-20131201-092552 UNKNOWN (missing value)
Spotify UNKNOWN (missing value)
Jawbone Updater Application (/Applications/Jawbone Updater.app)
EvernoteHelper Application (/Applications/Evernote.app/Contents/Library/LoginItems/EvernoteHelper.app)
Huddle Application (/Applications/Huddle.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Support]
nplastpass: Version: 3.1.21 [Support]
Unity Web Player: Version: UnityPlayer version 2.6.1f3 [Support]
Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.2.0.49 [Support]
RealPlayer Plugin: Version: Unknown [Support]
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.30514.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.240 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.240 - SDK 10.6 Mismatch! Adobe recommends 16.0.0.235
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.38.6.0 - SDK 10.8 [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
Photo Center Plugin: Version: Photo Center Plugin 1.1.2.2 [Support]
SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.4 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
GarminGPSControl: Version: 3.0.1.0 Release - SDK 10.4 [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 7 Update 71 Check version
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.92 [Support]
WebEx64: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
WebEx: Version: 1.0 [Support]
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
Evernote Web Clipper
LastPass
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Flash Player [Support]
Flip4Mac WMV [Support]
Growl [Support]
Java [Support]
NetUpdate [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Macintosh HD: Disk size: 499.25 GB Disk used: 289.36 GB
Destinations:
Data [Network]
Total size: 3.00 TB
Total number of backups: 91
Oldest backup: 2013-07-20 00:44:13 +0000
Last backup: 2014-12-14 23:52:50 +0000
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 3.00 TB > (Disk size 499.25 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      2% WindowServer
      1% Huddle
      0% mds_stores
      0% loginwindow
      0% fontd
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
198 MB Safari
172 MB mds_stores
163 MB Evernote
94 MB Finder
90 MB Mail
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
50 MB Free RAM
1.72 GB Active RAM
1.67 GB Inactive RAM
849 MB Wired RAM
4.02 GB Page-ins
6 MB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
Dec 14, 2014, 04:12:13 PM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-14-161213_[redacted].crash
Dec 14, 2014, 09:25:46 AM Self test - passed
Dec 14, 2014, 08:47:55 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-14-084755_[redacted].crash
Dec 14, 2014, 07:22:42 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-14-072242_[redacted].crash
Dec 13, 2014, 11:07:25 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-13-110725_[redacted].crash
Dec 13, 2014, 10:57:59 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-13-105759_[redacted].crash
Dec 13, 2014, 10:33:44 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-13-103344_[redacted].crash
Dec 13, 2014, 03:07:07 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-13-030707_[redacted].crash
Dec 12, 2014, 11:42:48 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-12-114248_[redacted].crash
Dec 12, 2014, 07:28:17 AM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-12-072817_[redacted].crash
Dec 11, 2014, 07:34:56 PM CleanApp Daemon_2014-12-11-193456_[redacted].crash

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IMac CPU3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB, Extremely slow and repeatedly "out of Memory" since migration from Mountain Lion to Mavericks

Dear Apple Support Community.
As mentioned by a number of users reporting the same problem, my 2009 iMac CPU3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM, has become extremely slow and repeatedly "out of Memory" since it was migrated from Mountain Lion to Mavericks (OS 10.9 then OS 10.9.1).
I have already run CleanMyMac, deleted 5GB of useless stuffs, which did not translate into any improvement. Following the advices collected in other Apple Support Community threads, I have applied EtreCheck the outcome of which is provided below.
For information, I have also upgraded my 2011 MacBook CPU2.3 GHz Core i7, 8GB which became only a bit slower than before, sometimes freezing which it almost never did before. However, I am used to the fact that Mac get usually slower and more prompt fo freeze after upgrading to a more recent OS.
Both my 2009 iMac and my 2011 MacBook have F-Secure installed. So the problem with the 2009 IMac is unlikly to be due to the presence of F-Secure. Interestingly, the few abnormalities found by Etrecheck were exacly identical before I ran CleanMyMac. There are two more findings (mentioned below) since I ran CleanMyMac on the 2009 iMac, which again didn't improve the problem.
So please find below the details of the EtreCheck experience and some additional measurements made with iStat while running EtreCheck:
Hardware Information:
iMac (24-inch, Early 2009)
iMac - model: iMac9,1
1 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2 cores
8 GB RAM
Video Information:
ATI Radeon HD 4850 - VRAM: 512 MB
Audio Plug-ins:
BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
AirPlay: Version: 1.9 - SDK 10.9
AppleAVBAudio: Version: 2.0.0 - SDK 10.9
iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
System Software:
OS X 10.9.1 (13B42) - Uptime: 0 days 2:40:57
Disk Information:
WDC WD1001FALS-40K1B0 disk0 : (1 TB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
XooS5 HD (disk0s2) /: 999.35 GB (189.85 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>: 650 MB
OPTIARC DVD RW AD-5670S
USB Information:
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Canon CanoScan
Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
FireWire Information:
WD My Passport 071D 800mbit - 800mbit max
EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 209.7 MB
disk1s2 (disk1s2) <not mounted>: 2 TB
Boot OS X (disk1s3) <not mounted>: 134.2 MB
Thunderbolt Information:
Kernel Extensions:
com.f-secure.kext.fsauth          (1.0.0d1)
Problem System Launch Daemons:
[failed] com.apple.wdhelper.plist [REMARK: this abnormality appeared only after running CleanMyMac. It does not appear on my 2011 MacBook]
Problem System Launch Agents:
Launch Daemons:
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist
[invalid] com.bjango.istatlocaldaemon.plist [REMARK: this abnormality pre-existed to running CleanMyMac. It appears also on my 2011 MacBook]
[loaded] com.f-secure.fsavd.dbhelper.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.fsavd.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.fsmac.firewall.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.fsmac.fsupdated_guts2.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.fsmac.licensetool.plist
[loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2.Agent.plist
Launch Agents:
[loaded] com.babylon.activation.plist
[loaded] com.bjango.istatlocal.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.relauncher.plist
[loaded] com.f-secure.trasher.plist
User Launch Agents:
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist
[loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.diskSpaceWatcher.plist
[loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.scheduledScan.plist
[loaded] com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.trashWatcher.plist
User Login Items:
iTunesHelper
Dropbox
F-Secure Anti-Virus for MAC
3rd Party Preference Panes:
Flash Player
Internet Plug-ins::
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 11.9.900.170 - SDK 10.6
Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.04 - SDK 10.6
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.04 - SDK 10.6
DivXBrowserPlugin: Version: 2.1
Flash Player: Version: 11.9.900.170 - SDK 10.6
OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.2.8
Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 6.1
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
User Internet Plug-ins::
Picasa: Version: 1.0
Bad Fonts:
None
Old applications:
None
Time Machine:
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
XooS5 HD: Disk size: 930.71 GB Disk used: 753.90 GB
Destinations:
XooS5 TM [Local] (Last used)
Total size: 2
Total number of backups: 32
Oldest backup: 2013-09-15 01:11:39 +0000
Last backup: 2013-12-07 12:48:45 +0000
Size of backup disk: Too small. Backup size 2 < (Disk used 753.90 GB X 3)
Time Machine details may not be accurate. All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
REMARK: The above finding is unlikely to be accurate. In fact, my Time Machine is supported by a 2TB WD My Passport Studio external HD connected with a Firewire 800. As mentionned, only 754GB of the 2000GB are used.
Top Processes by CPU:
5%          backupd
5%          Mail
5%          WindowServer
3%          Finder
3%          Dropbox
Top Processes by Memory:
1.60 GB          mds_stores REMARK: this item was marked in red in the outcome of EtreCheck, so I assume there is something wrong there
82 MB          Finder
74 MB          Mail
49 MB          softwareupdated
49 MB          Dropbox
Virtual Memory Statistics:
97 MB          Free RAM
1.21 GB          Active RAM
1.19 GB          Inactive RAM
1.21 GB          Wired RAM
1.83 GB          Page-ins
36 MB          Page-outs
Please find now some additional measurements collected with iStat while running EtreCheck:
Practically:
The iMac can work slowly with only one software e.g. either Mail or Safari or Firefox, but still the below "out of Memory" message occurs about every 3 minutes.
Aperture has becomre to slow to be useable
If trying to write a mail (with Mail) while Safari or Firefox is open, then the "out of Memory" message occurs about every 20 seconds so I need to check on "Resume" several times per minute.
Conclusions
From the above, unless anyone in the Apple Support Community proves to be able to identify a specific problem leading to a way to find a cure, I tend to conclude that Mavericks is not suitable for computers operating with a Core 2 Duo CPU even with a 8GB of RAM.
Unless I missed something, I did not see any warning from Apple Computer Inc. informing their customers they should refrain from upgrading Core 2 Duo Computers.
The only solution I see so far is to downgrade from Mavericks to Mountain Lion. And the Apple Support Community would confirm that it is the only solution, I would appreciate to get your guidance on how to proceed.
Intended action plan
Migrate the above 2009 iMac to a 2014 Mac Mini Server operating on Mavericks to ensure that no data may be lost while downgrading to Montain Lion.
Provided the above downgrading operation is successful, assign this 2009 iMac to partial retirement e.g. Mail, Skype, iTunes and DVD player.
In advance, I would like to thank the Apple Community for helping me either i) finding a cure to the problem, ii) or confirming that Mavericks cannot operate properly on Core 2 Duo computers, iii) and in such a case, guiding me on how to downgrade to Mountain Lion.
Yours sincerely
Core

... what anti-virus would you recommend using?
Use what is already included with OS X. It already includes everything it needs to protect itself from viruses and malware. Keep it that way with software updates from Apple.
A much better question is "how should I protect my Mac":
Never install any product that claims to "speed up", "clean up", "optimize", or "accelerate" your Mac. Without exception, they will do the opposite.
Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources. Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
Don’t supply your password in response to a popup window requesting it, unless you know what it is and the reason your credentials are required.
Don’t open email attachments from email addresses that you do not recognize, or click links contained in an email:
Most of these are scams that direct you to fraudulent sites that attempt to convince you to disclose personal information.
Such "phishing" attempts are the 21st century equivalent of a social exploit that has existed since the dawn of civilization. Don’t fall for it.
Apple will never ask you to reveal personal information in an email. If you receive an unexpected email from Apple saying your account will be closed unless you take immediate action, just ignore it. If your iTunes or App Store account becomes disabled for valid reasons, you will know when you try to buy something or log in to this support site, and are unable to.
Don’t install browser extensions unless you understand their purpose. Go to the Safari menu > Preferences > Extensions. If you see any extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone.
Don’t install Java unless you are certain that you need it:
Java, a non-Apple product, is a potential vector for malware. If you are required to use Java, be mindful of that possibility.
Disable Java in Safari > Preferences > Security.
Despite its name JavaScript is unrelated to Java. No malware can infect your Mac through JavaScript. It’s OK to leave it enabled.
Block browser popups: Safari menu > Preferences > Security > and check "Block popup windows":
Popup windows are useful and required for some websites, but popups have devolved to become a common means to deliver targeted advertising that you probably do not want.
Popups themselves cannot infect your Mac, but many contain resource-hungry code that will slow down Internet browsing.
If you ever see a popup indicating it detected registry errors, that your Mac is infected with some ick, or that you won some prize, it is 100% fraudulent. Ignore it.
Ignore hyperventilating popular media outlets that thrive by promoting fear and discord with entertainment products arrogantly presented as "news". Learn what real threats actually exist and how to arm yourself against them:
The most serious threat to your data security is phishing. To date, most of these attempts have been pathetic and are easily recognized, but that is likely to change in the future as criminals become more clever.
OS X viruses do not exist, but intentionally malicious or poorly written code, created by either nefarious or inept individuals, is nothing new.
Never install something without first knowing what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to get rid of it when you don’t want it any more.
If you elect to use "anti-virus" software, familiarize yourself with its limitations and potential to cause adverse effects, and apply the principle immediately preceding this one.
Most such utilities will only slow down and destabilize your Mac while they look for viruses that do not exist, conveying no benefit whatsoever - other than to make you "feel good" about security, when you should actually be exercising sound judgment, derived from accurate knowledge, based on verifiable facts.
Do install updates from Apple as they become available. No one knows more about Macs and how to protect them than the company that builds them.
Summary: Use common sense and caution when you use your Mac, just like you would in any social context. There is no product, utility, or magic talisman that can protect you from all the evils of mankind.

Late 2006, 24" iMac, 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Screen Tearing, nVidia 7300

Late 2006, 24" iMac, 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Screen Tearing, nVidia GeForce 7300 GT
I've been suffering with screen tearing, strange screen artifacts, etc. followed by totally unresponsive freezing machine. This problem has been happening to varying degrees for about 9 months.
Initially, I was able to mitigate the problem with smcFanControl. Adjusting the fan speeds up helped keep the machine cool and prevent most of the problems. Recently, we had a spell of hot weather and the fans just couldn't keep up. If you're using smcFanControl, the only fan speed that will really make a difference is the CPU. The HDD and ODD fans are no where near where you need to be.
Also, I noticed the machine was LOADED with dust when I took it apart, including the heat sink fins for the graphics card. If you have time you may want to try a thorough cleaning with compressed air before replacing the card. You just need to get through step 11 below to access what needs to be cleaned.
Based on reading here and elsewhere, I decided to replace the graphics card. To give back to the community, I wanted to layout the procedure here.
Where to buy the card.
I had a tough time finding the right card. I did exhaustive web searches using every combination of Nvidia 7300 GT, etc. You really need to search by the Apple part number. The Apple part number for the 7300 is 661-4179, for the 7600 is 661-4180. I found it at We Love Macs and at dv warehouse. I paid $248 for the 7600 card. BE CAREFUL buying a "refurbished" card. At We Love Macs, "refurbished" means "pulled from a working machine." Could be a machine with as much mileage as yours and prone to the same failures as yours.
The card is an MXM style card (generally used in laptops), with a giant heat sink and heat pipe assembly. The card can be separated from the heat assembly. If I had time, I would have tried a generic, cheaper, MXM style card.
Dispelling some myths.
People here and elsewhere have said that no Intel iMac graphics card can be replaced, that they're wedded to the logic board. The one on this model can be replaced, I've done it. Also, some have said you can't put a 256MB, 7600 GT in a machine that originally had a 128MB, 7300 GT. Also, not true. That's what I did to my machine and it is working fine.
So here's the step-by-step on my take apart and replacement. This is just one user helping out others, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. This takes about 1 1/2 hours to take apart and 2 to put back together.
1) Install the iStat widget and monitor the temperatures for a few days and record the temperatures (to be able to verify that you've completed the repair correctly later)
2) Make a complete backup of any internal drives and make sure the backup will be bootable (use Carbon Copy Cloner)
3) Use static safeguards, like an anti-static wrist strap.
4) Get a pen a stack of paper envelopes to separate and label the pieces you remove.
5) You'll need a #2 Phillips and #6, 8, 10 Torx. Most of the screws at T-8. There are 8 T-8s holding in the LCD. They are about 1 1/4" down. You'll need a long, skinny T-8 to get to them.
6) Unplug the machine and place it on it's back on a large white sheet of paper.
7) Remove RAM door, #2 Phillips x 2.
8) Remove RAM.
9) Remove 4 T-8s along bottom.
10) Remove large rectangular plastic bezel surrounding the whole machine, tilt up being careful not to stress iSight cables. You'll need to stretch it around the RAM ejection tabs.
11) Detach two iSight cables.
12) Peel up black stickers at lower corners of speakers.
13) Remove LCD screws, T-8 x 8. You'll probably drop a few, they're pretty easy to retrieve.
14) Remove two retaining screws on right hand LCD cable. T-6 x2 Unplug cable.
15) Remove LCD inverter cable, left.
Start unplugging everything connected to the logic board.
16) Unplug cable coming from right speaker. Note cable routing, it is the only one that's a little tricky. Also, note that the left one plugs in on the right and the right one plugs in on the left.
17) Remove right speaker. T-10 Note: left and right speaker screws are different lengths.
18) Unplug ODD blower cable.
19) Unplug ODD temp cable and lift up tape.
20) Unplug HDD blower cable.
21) Unplug the HDD temp cable.
22) Unplug the camera & mic cable.
23) Unscrew the clamp securing the airport card (has two antenna cables going to it, labeled PCIE), T-6 x 2
24) Unplug SATA cable.
25) Unplug Power cable, thick black plastic harness, socket.
26) Unplug ambient temp cable.
27) Unscrew the bluetooth card, T-6 x2.
28) Unplug CPU blower cable.
29) Unplug power button cable, 2 conductor, tiny cable, bottom left.
30) Unscrew left speaker, T-10, unplug from logic board, but just leave dangling, no need to remove cable completely.
31) Remove logic board screws. Be careful to segregate them, they have different lengths and different thread pitches and thread types. Some are machine threads going into metal, some are coarse threads going into plastic.
31a) Heat sink frame to case T-8 x 2
31b) Logic board to case T-8 x 3
31c) Screws at heat sink from arrows T-8 x 3
31d) Logic board at bottom near RAM slot T-8 x 2
32) Unplug ODD ribbon cable, be extremely careful. Release plastic tabs on each side to remove. Be sure it is fully and evenly seated when you put it back later.
33) Remove logic board with attached graphics card.
34) Unplug graphics card heat sink sensor cable at logic board end.
35) Remove graphics card screws 2 x T-6
36) Remove single screw from small L-bracket on heat sink 1 x T-6
Replace graphics card.
Reverse steps, put everything back together. Be careful not to pinch any cables when you put the logic board back in. When you put the LCD back in, if you can't get the screws to stick to the driver, use some glue stick from your kid's art supplies.
Test everything. You've disconnected every cable in the system.
I torture tested the machine with a space heater on it, 5 different videos of different formats playing at the same time. No problems.
I took a lot of pictures inside the machine. As soon as I figure out a good place to post them, I'll try to add a link here.
Good luck

Greetings!
I know this is in response to your post from over 2 years ago, but I was searching on Apple's site for the max RAM I can upgrade our refurbed iMac too and it brought up this post.
Oddly enough, I've been experiencing the same screen issues and locking up on our iMac as well. I was concerned it was a bad memory module, but now I'm thinking it's the same issue you found.
Because I bought this some 2+ years ago refurbed from Apple, I'm not surprised that could be the actual problem.
I've pulled this thing apart once to replace the hard-drive which crashed about a year ago, so I'm not totally new at opening it up, but this process you mention sounds pretty intense...just wanted to get your second take on it based on what I've done thus far.
Thanks again for posting this...it was an eye-opener as to what might actually be causing our issues with our trusted Mac!
Joshua

GB09 & iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Whoa!

Monday my old eMac 1 Ghz PPC died. Luckily today the new iMacs came out so I purchased a 24" iMac 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3. 1 Terabyte internal.
When I opened GB09 it was so fast my eyebrows singed! OUCH!
Now I don't have to use every trick in the book to keep GB from stopping every 3 seconds!
Apparently the motherboard in my eMac died but the drive is most likely still good. Unfortunately it has all my GB files and synths on it. (I was going to buy a new iMac as soon as it came out and transfer all my files to it but as luck would have it the eMac crapped out one day too soon).
Anyway since this is the forum I use the most I wanted to know if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can get my info off my other drive>
Can I remove it and get some sort of connector and hook it up to my new iMac?
Thanks
P.S.
My usual screen name is WarriorAnt but for some reason my new iMac is using my real name? Go figure.
Sending out the HangTime bat signal for advice
Message was edited by: WarriorAnt

Matt,
That eMac weighs at least 50 pounds! I already brought it to the Apple store twice in one day. They made me come back with it 4 hours later because I didn't have an appointment. 30 miles trip each way.
I finally got the eMac to respond thru commands from a safe mode start and then repairing the directory with diskwarrior and then again from the install DVD. I have pretty much determined that the RAM is OK and the logic board is functioning. The problem seems to be that the OS on the HD is somehow corrupted and cannot send the right info to the eMac to boot up.
I can boot it from the install disc no problem but I need some sort of bootable system disk like SYS 9 used to be able to get to the drive contents ( I think). I had to send away for a firewire 400 - 800 connector adapter so I can try to make the eMac drive a firewire target for migration to the iMac. The new iMac do not have 400 firewire capability.
If I can't get the info to migrate then I guess I'll have to open the eMac and pull out the drive and do the connector route and see if it will function as an external drive.
And just to relate this part of the thread to GB, well, all my GB .band files are on that drive in that computer! It only had to last one more day! The horror..........
I'm really loving my new iMac though. 5 years of using the old eMac with GB has truly tested my patience.

I have a mid 2007 iMac.    2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, OSX 10.9.5.   I attempted to do the latest update and got the message: Start up disk is full. Delete files. How do I do that?

I have a mid 2007 iMac.    2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, OSX 10.9.5.   I attempted to do the latest update and got the message: Start up disk is full. Delete files. How do I do that?

Freeing Up Space on The Hard Drive
1. See Lion/Mountain Lion/Mavericks' Storage Display.
2. You can remove data from your Home folder except for the /Home/Library/ folder.
3. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on freeing up space on your hard drive.
4. Get an external hard drive on which to store some of your files after which you can
      erase the data from your internal drive to free up space.
5. Also see Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk.
6. See Where did my Disk Space go?.
7. See The Storage Display.
You must Empty the Trash in order to recover the space they occupied on the hard drive.
You should consider replacing the drive with a larger one. Check out OWC for drives, tutorials, and toolkits.
Try using OmniDiskSweeper 1.8 or GrandPerspective to search your drive for large files and where they are located.

I have an iMac 1.83 ghz Intel Core Duo. The sound is suddenly intermittent, the magic mouse erratic. I'm running OS X 10.6.8. How do I correct this? Will Lion run on this machine?

I have an iMac 1.83 GHZ Intel Core Duo. The sound is suddenly intermittent, the magic mouse erratic. I'm running OS X 10.6.8. How do I correct this?
Will Lion run on this machine?

Unless you have an intel core 2 duo processor or greater, you can not run Lion
General requirements-Lion
Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
2GB of memory
OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
7GB of available space

IMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7, running Lion 10.7.3, won't recognize external speaker jack, any suggestions?

iMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7, running Lion 10.7.3, won't recognize external speaker jack, any suggestions? Got a brand new iMac and purchased external speakers for same. Hooked them into external speaker jack and the computer does not recognize the external speaker jack. I then plugged them into the external head phone jack and the computer recognized the head phone jack. How can I get the computer to recognize the speaker jack?

Thanks "a brody," my mistake, I was mistaking the "audio in" jack for a speaker output jack. I have some Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers with a built in amplifier that I am using and they sound beautiful. I do have them plugged into the correct jack, but was thinking there was a speaker out put and headphone out put.
Thanks again for correcting me, I feel much better now that I know my brand new iMac isn't defective, lol.

Imac 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GBs enough?

Before I drop 5 bills of Logic 8, what kind of performance am I looking at with a Imac 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 gigs?

Your machine is a whole bunch faster than the G5's most of us use, and 2 gigs should be fine. The only way you'll get a benefit from more than 2 gigs of ram is if you use other programs alongside Logic, or if you use lots of large EXS samples. Additional ram beyond 2 gig will not get you greater track count, more Space Designers (or any other plugins besides EXS) or lower latency. It will not get more instances or sample sizes for third party plugs used as AU within Logic. If you run third party plugs as rewire or standalone - separate from Logic - they will benefit from additional ram.
I'm doing very well with a G5; additional drives and pci interface help alot. You should do even better with an Imac, although I don't know if it has a PCI slot.

Upgrade path for iMac 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo from OSX 10.5.8 to mountain lion

Hi,
I have an Apple iMac 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 Gbytes of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM.
It is currently running MAC OSX 10.5.8 --
I would like to know the proper upgrade path to the most current version of OSX which is
compatible with this hardware.
Thanks!

The starting point is to call Apple at 1-800-MY-APPLE and ask to purchase a copy of Mac OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard." It will cost about US$20 plus shipping. When you receive it, install it and use Software update to get to OS10.6.8; the updates are free to that point.
Now you will have the App Store app in your Dock. You can use that to purchase Mac OS 10.8 "Mountain Lion," the lastest. According to the MacTracker database, your iMac--which is either a Mid-2007 or Early 2008--can support 10.8.
CAVEATS:
• your iMac is at or near the minimum level to suport 10.8; performance may not be stellar
• if you currently run any old PowerPC apps (like Office 2004), they will still work unders 10.6 but no higher. You will have to upgrade to newer versions to continue using them. Office 2008 runs on either PPC or the newer Intel Macs. Office 2011 runs only on Intel Macs.

IMAC 2.16 GHZ INTEL CORE 2 DUO PERFORMANCE

Just picked up a 20' Imac 2.16 ghz intel core 2 duo with 2 gigs of ram. So before I drop Pro Tools for Logic, what kind of performance am I looking at?

This thread will have the performance numbers of most recent makes of Mac.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3917793
You might have to do a little reading, but it's in there.
X

Can I increase RAM on an iMac 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5?

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