The Corsair ValueSelect RAM provides fast & efficient performance for an affordable price tag.
If you want to achieve faster computing speeds from your existing computer then you should look into upgrading its amount of RAM. Upgrading RAM is one of the cheapest ways to boost performance and it is so simple to do that virtually anyone can do it. A few years ago, it used to be that 16GB of RAM (especially in the form of 2 x 8GB sticks) typically would run you a couple hundred of dollars or more. In this day and age (thanks to Moore's Law), you can now get a pair of 8GB sticks for under $100. This is a great thing for consumers like us as it is easier than ever to max out your computer's memory limits and get a change to experience its full potential.
Today, I will be reviewing my most recent purchase for my new 27″ iMac, which was a pair of Corsair ValueSelect 8GB memory sticks therefore equating to adding an additional of 16GB of RAM to my machine. Since the 27″ iMac (2011) only comes stock with 4GB of RAM, I knew it was a necessity for me to upgrade the the memory capacity right away as I tend to be a heavy multi-tasker. It is not uncommon for me to have 5-7 fairly resource heavy programs consecutively running at one time so I did not want my lack of memory slowing down my productivity and becoming frustrating.
Surprisingly, I was in the market for this RAM at just the right time as I was able to somehow snag the pair for only $76.99 on Amazon with no tax or shipping fees. This was an absolute steal and seemed to be a temporary deal as now the price has jumped back up to $92.28 at the time this review was written.
Installing the RAM into the bottom of the iMac was simple and fit snug between the two existing 2GB sticks. I was able to combine the 16GB sicks with the existing 4GB to form 20GB total. It seems as though Apple claims my iMac model is only capable of running 16GB of RAM at once, but it registers and utilizes the full 20GB with no issues. I noticed the performance boost immediately especially considering the significant decrease in the amount of time it took for the OS to boot from a cold start.
I decided to run my iMac through the NovaBench software to see how it scored.I received a surprisingly high 979 (the average NovaScore for my stock iMac model is 883) with the ram clocking in at a score of 232. It is evident the additional RAM boosted this overall score tremendously and the performance gained is well worth my $77 investment.
I am now able to run 5-10 resource heavy programs at once without experiencing and bumps or issues. If I could do it all over again I would still choose this set of RAM as I believe it provides the best bang for your buck on each dollar spent and will work just as well as the higher priced competitors. It is also worth mentioning that this RAM comes with a full lifetime warranty from Corsair themselves that will be there in those unfortunate situations where your memory dies out or malfunctions over time.
If you are in the market for some additional RAM for your Mac or PC computer then the Corsair ValueSelect RAM series is an excellent choice. It provides some serious value in terms of money spent and will be comparable to RAM at a much higher price. I fully recommend this RAM to any prospective buyers who are not sure if they should take the leap and purchase it.
Please note the photo of the physical RAM sticks shown above does NOT belong to me. I was too anxious to install the RAM that I forgot to snap a picture and had to resort to a product photo from Amazon. The Mac screenshots however are all real shots taken by me from my computer.
