Although OS X Yosemite is no longer supported by Apple, it is still available for download from the official website. It means that users can still run it on their Macs. And luckily, it’s got the same system requirements as the old one, OS X Mavericks. To make sure you can upgrade to OS X Yosemite, you’ll need to check your Mac model, OS X version, memory (RAM), and available hard drive space. We’ve got everything laid out below.

Which Mac Models Can Upgrade to OS X Yosemite?

If you have one of these Mac models, you can upgrade to OS X Yosemite.

Mac models that can upgrade to OS X Yosemite
  • MacBook
    Late 2008 aluminum, early 2009 or newer
  • MacBook Air
    Late 2008 or newer
  • MacBook Pro
    Mid-2007 or newer
  • iMac
    Mid-2007 or newer
  • Mac Pro
    Early 2008 or newer
  • Mac mini
    Early 2009 or newer
  • Xserve
    Early 2009
OS X versions that can upgrade to OS X Yosemite

What version of OS X do you need to upgrade?

If you’ve got version 10.6.7 or higher, you can upgrade to OS X Yosemite. To check your OS X version, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen.
  2. Select “About This Mac.”
  3. Underneath “OS X” is a version number.
    If you’re running a version of OS X older (lower) than 10.6.7, you’ll need to look into upgrading your OS X or maybe even consider upgrading your Mac — it might be time for a new one.

How much memory do you need to upgrade to OS X Yosemite?

How much memory do you need for OS X Yosemite?

If you’ve got at least 2 GB of RAM (memory), you can upgrade to OS X Yosemite. To check how much memory you have, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen.
  2. Select “About This Mac” and then click on “More info…”
  3. Next to “Memory,” you’ll see the amount of RAM (memory) you have.
    If you’ve got more than 2 GB of memory, great. If not, consider upgrading your RAM in order to upgrade to Yosemite.

How much disk space do you need to upgrade to OS X Yosemite?

And what about disk space?

You’ll need at least 8 GB of free disk space in order to upgrade to OS X Yosemite. To see how much disk space you have:

  1. Click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen.
  2. Select “About This Mac.”
  3. Click on “More info…” and then “Storage.”
  4. Next to the name of your hard drive, you’ll see the phrase “X.XX free out of XXX.XX.”
    If you have more than 8 GB free, cool, you’re good to go. If you’re a bit low, don’t worry — look into using a Mac cleaning app like CleanMyMac. If you download CleanMyMac X, you’ll have enough free space in no time.