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Apple Cuts More Mac Studio and Mac Mini RAM Options as Memory Shortage Worsens

MacRumors said:
The M3 Ultra Mac Studio is now available only in a 96GB RAM configuration, with higher-tier options eliminated. Both M3 Mac Studio and M4 Max Mac Studio models have delivery estimates of 9 to 10 weeks.

As for the Mac mini, the M4 Pro model now maxes out at 48GB of RAM, with customers no longer able to choose the 64GB option. The standard M4 Mac mini can only be purchased with 16GB or 24GB of RAM, because the 32GB option has been removed.

Update: Article updated to note that the 32GB M4 Mac mini is also no longer available.
Click to expand...

Basically, all the 16GB and 32GB DRAM dice options are no longer available, only 8GB and 12GB remains.

No Longer Offered
M4 32GB = 16GB x 2
M4 Pro 64GB = 16GB x 4
M3 Ultra 128GB = 16GB x 8

Customers can only buy options with 8GB or 12GB DRAM dice.

If this continues, even 12GB might become rare. What that means is only Pro stuff gets 12GB. Neo 2 will probably stick with 8GB.
 
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What's unfortunate is that Apple is already so deep in the M5 mini and Studio development it is unlikely they can change direction, without completely shelving what they have. And what is needed is for M5 Pro units to support LPCAMM2 memory modules. Because if this RAM shortage lasts another cycle (and it is likely to do so), the M5 Pro mini/Studio units will be a bust from a marketshare expansion perspective… won't see any sales bump from them because they'll be perpetually constrained, limited by factory-birth-ordained soldered-RAM decisions. That will be a shame, because it will mean that Apple ONCE AGAIN likely misses out on an opportunity to dramatically grow marketshare because of mind-numbingly stupid/greedy design decisions (as they also did during the Win7-to-Win10 changeover, lagging in upgrading their Intel CPUs and base RAM size, as well as choosing to debut and glue themselves to a terrible laptop keyboard).
 
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Really would be nice to have upgradable RAM on these models, imagine needing to buy one now and then having to purchase one again later on once the prices go back down. As opposed to just being able to replace some RAM sticks.

Heck, imagine being okay with paying for more RAM, if Apple didn't sell you as much RAM you wanted back then you could just buy more. Now you're stuck with whatever Apple sells you.
 
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Howard2k said:
That's bizarre, I read here that there was no memory shortage and Apple was just reacting to rumours.

Maybe the memory shortage turns out to be real after all. Who knew?
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The silly people who posted that are out to lunch. They still haven't realized AI companies have larger budgets than Apple.

I remember the people who posted earlier this year, "shortage is only desktop DIMMs, not SODIMMs nor NAND." LOL.
 
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I really don’t see how Apple Intelligence would hold up over time, if you can’t configure them with more RAM. We should be able to have that option.

Unfortunately, it looks like with each OS update, Safari ain’t gonna be all that snappy.
 
vantelimus said:
Thank goodness I went against my best instincts and got a 512GB (instead of 256) M3-Ultra when they were available. This is pretty normal for me now:

View attachment 2627667
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This doesn't mean what you're implying - that you would not have been fine with 256 GB of RAM. Possibly, you would not have been. I don't know you're workflow or RAM needs, but this screenshot is of no indication one way or the other. All modern operating systems will (typically) use as much memory as is available. Why wouldn't they?

If you only had 256 GB of Physical Memory, Activity Monitor would like report your Memory Used as 228GB. If you had a mythical 1 TB of RAM the reported Memory Used would likely read 909 GB. Think of "Memory Used" as RAM that's allocated. It's not an indication that you're low on RAM or that you need more.

Still, I'm jealous that you have 512 GB of RAM ; )
 
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This is all part of AI’s plan. It’s slowly choking us on the hardware side while simultaneously impacting global finance. Stage 2 it will begin collapsing logistical infrastructure followed by mass starvation on a global scale. Tell me I’m crazy until all the lights go out and no police are coming when people are breaking into your house to steal whatever supplies you’ve managed to scrape together.
 
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May the odds be in your favour when M5 Mac Mini pre-orders open. 😘

IMG_4007.jpeg
 
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jayducharme said:
I expect this to delay the introduction of new minis and Studios until sometime next year. Why introduce new desktops with so few configuration options?
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I could still see it going either way. They do use a different RAM speed with the M5 which may or may not be the same RAM chips. It could be that they stopped production of the M4 variants due to the imminent M5 launch and are just running out of stock faster than expected due to people panic buying. But also could just be supply constraint. My thought is likely somewhere in the middle. But I do bet that even if they launch the M5 based mini/Studio on schedule they will probably still be supply constrained, but I'd prefer they get on with that release then so I can at least get my order in the queue. I just really don't want to spend the money on an M4 when the M5 is theoretically imminent. I would if I actually needed it, but my M2 Max Macbook Pro is fine for now so I don't need to rush.
 
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aUsern@me said:
This doesn't mean what you're implying - that you would not have been fine with 256 GB of RAM. Possibly, you would not have been. I don't know you're workflow or RAM needs, but this screenshot is of no indication one way or the other. All modern operating systems will (typically) use as much memory as is available. Why wouldn't they?

If you only had 256 GB of Physical Memory, Activity Monitor would like report your Memory Used as 228GB. If you had a mythical 1 TB of RAM the reported Memory Used would likely read 909 GB. Think of "Memory Used" as RAM that's allocated. It's not an indication that you're low on RAM or that you need more.

Still, I'm jealous that you have 512 GB of RAM ; )
Click to expand...
I think the implication was a big fat middle finger to folks on this thread who don't have the means or wherewithal to acquire a beast of a machine like that. My 64GB looking insecurely small next to 512GB. lol 😉
 
It's very "Apple," responding to upstream constraints by removing certain models rather than raising the price on any of them.

It also seems to affirm that the lowest-tier models are where Apple is willing to profit less per item while hoping to sell more items.
 
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