Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
2016 mac pros with soldered ram?
- Thread starter hugodrax
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
At Apple, we strive to innovate... so we have created a new way of making sure that Ram sticks never move out of their sockets, we call it iSolder!
What a stupid move that would be. Seems illogical considering we're talking about the top of the line workstation. You buy a Mac Pro because you have specific needs, among them the amount of ram you're going to install/need. Mac Pro users are more DIY than Grandma and her iMac.
Last edited:
I dont see this happening anytime soon, nor any reason for it. The only way Apple would do this is to create a significantly smaller form factor in which standard RAM sticks would not fit.
Read up on latest Mini.
They didn't make it any smaller, they just soldered in the RAM because they wanted to.
The price point of the mini is justifiable to do so. A pro buying a pro desktop would not dedicate that kind of money on a computer in which they are committing to set RAM for its lifetime.
THE BIG PICTURE.
They started soldering iMac RAM, now it's Mini. They have been moving from replaceable CPUs to soldered. They were using MXM GPUs, now all are soldered.
There is no missing the direction this is headed, unless one chooses to keep one's head in the sand.
The Mac Pro is not exempt, have a look at it's current pared down condition. Apple's goal is a 1 piece computer that you use until it breaks or they give you good reason to "upgrade".
Think of all the times over the years a RAM stick has gone bad. For iMac and Mini owners out of warranty that now means a completely new logic board.
Yeah, but it's basically one of three computers Apple still offers where it's not. Who knows, maybe in the next revision it will be.
I fully expect Apple to remove all consumer upgradability in the next few years, and I fully expect I'll be saying "goodbye" to them around the same time.
I'm someone who will purchase a new iPhone every year or two, and budget for it. I'm not someone who expects to have to purchase a multi-thousand dollar computer every few years because I can't simply upgrade it.
If you or your company can afford to...then all the power to you!
Ah, another sad story with this one. Well, Apple sometimes does not follow reason. I hope they will at least draw a line between computers and "soldered devices acting like computers".
And yet....
Find me 10 people in 2012 who posted "I wish the Mac Pro were 1/8 the size it is, I'd gladly give up internal drives and GPUs and 4 RAM slots if it was small and cute and looked like a trash can"
I'd be very surprised if in 5 years there is anything WITHOUT soldered RAM.
It's a trend; more and more stuff moves into a single chip, as frequencies increase, more stuff is on a chip or board. Intel wants to have a whole computer on a chip. Someday they may even have a graphics card on the main chip!
So just upgrade the board.
Some designs are created with thoughts of upgrading; some aren't.
So just upgrade the board.
Some designs are created with thoughts of upgrading; some aren't.
You won't, but you can easily find people on this forum in 2012 who said "My 2006 machine is still going great!" and there is the issue. I think sales were just low to the point where this semi-appliance model works better for them financially.
-----------------------
Anyway, doubt RAM or CPUs will be soldered as it would be too big an expense to service. GPUs being custom means it doesn't matter.
Its rude to do it when the form factor doesn't require soldered on components and 99% of people would happily have another few mm on the thickness of their devices in order to make them upgradeable. Its simply a money making strategy and at some point it will backfire.
I'm sure Apply know what they are doing but I can't help but feel that in 10 years their PC business will be completely aimed at the average consumer. The pros are moving in that direction even though there are plenty of other macs that service the lightweight user. Still not being able to order 32gb ram in a macbook pro is a joke.
They seem to have a very obvious direction in their macbook pros. Give the user just enough power for most users and offer expensive upgrades when you order if you want something for intensive tasks. Give you ~10hrs battery life (which is obviously BS under normal use/work use). The overriding effort is to make it smaller and thinner which the pessimist inside me can't help think is partially to justify removal of user upgradeability.
I appreciates that the current rMBPs are amazing machines due to apples dedication to a small and light machine but honestly I don't feel like they need to go smaller on a pro model until they can do so without compromising the performance significantly.
My 13" 2013 rMBP is a beautiful machine but its not powerful enough anymore. I wan't something with 32gb ram and a top draw processor. I don't want to have to spend an extra £1000 to get a bit more ram and better processor that costs apple another £200.
Basically they are testing my faith and at some point it will break.
I'm sure Apply know what they are doing but I can't help but feel that in 10 years their PC business will be completely aimed at the average consumer. The pros are moving in that direction even though there are plenty of other macs that service the lightweight user. Still not being able to order 32gb ram in a macbook pro is a joke.
They seem to have a very obvious direction in their macbook pros. Give the user just enough power for most users and offer expensive upgrades when you order if you want something for intensive tasks. Give you ~10hrs battery life (which is obviously BS under normal use/work use). The overriding effort is to make it smaller and thinner which the pessimist inside me can't help think is partially to justify removal of user upgradeability.
I appreciates that the current rMBPs are amazing machines due to apples dedication to a small and light machine but honestly I don't feel like they need to go smaller on a pro model until they can do so without compromising the performance significantly.
My 13" 2013 rMBP is a beautiful machine but its not powerful enough anymore. I wan't something with 32gb ram and a top draw processor. I don't want to have to spend an extra £1000 to get a bit more ram and better processor that costs apple another £200.
Basically they are testing my faith and at some point it will break.
