Can I swap MacBook Air HD's?

[Mackist]

I have an early-2014 11" Air with 1.7Ghz i7, 8MB RAM and 500GB HD running OSX 10.10.
To be able to edit on a 40" '4K' TV set, I want to buy the latest (2.2Ghz i7) with only 4MB RAM and 128GB HD and put in my 8GB Ram and 500GB HD.
Can I? There won't be some firmware issue or something?
Thank you,
M

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Yes you can add an SSD, although they are really expensive, since the only available drives AFAIK are Apple OEM drives.

 

[maflynn]

The ram is soldered onto the logic board, so you cannot upgrade that. Buy what you need, since there's no replacing it.

The storage is proprietary, you cannot find any upgrades in retails stores, such as amazon. You can however find the SSDs on ebay from when people pulled them from existing MBAs (and rMBPs). My recommendation is the same as the ram, buy what you need. I don't think you'll save very much money trying to get the storage after the fact. You also have to deal with the ebay nonsense that sometimes can leave a bad taste in your mouth (and wallet).

 

[z31fanatic]

He already has the SSD from his current Air. He is wandering if he can swap over the SSD and RAM to the new machine.

SSD yes, RAM no. Not sure what you would be gaining by going with the newer 2015 model.

 

[Significant1]

Not sure what you would be gaining by going with the newer 2015 model.

"To be able to edit on a 40" '4K' TV set" is the reason.

The ssd in 2015 models has twice the trasfer-rate (only 13" officially, but people in here has confirmed on 11" too). Would be interesting to know if that would also be the case, when installed in an 2013-2014 model..

 

[Mackist]

>The ram is soldered onto the logic board

sunnovabiotch.

>Not sure what you would be gaining by going with the newer 2015 model.

My model, according to everymac, can throw to a maximum of 2560x1600 on external.
I hooked it up to a couple of 40" '4K' tv's at a store, and it was just 1080.

According to Apple, the 2015 model can do 3840x2160 (the above-mentioned so-called 4k).
I need it that to edit hd comfortably.
Tired of editing 50% res and squinting on a tiny timeline, which is all you get in 1080.

Many internetz to ya'll.
m

 

[motrek]

>The ram is soldered onto the logic board

sunnovabiotch.

>Not sure what you would be gaining by going with the newer 2015 model.

My model, according to everymac, can throw to a maximum of 2560x1600 on external.
I hooked it up to a couple of 40" '4K' tv's at a store, and it was just 1080.

According to Apple, the 2015 model can do 3840x2160 (the above-mentioned so-called 4k).
I need it that to edit hd comfortably.
Tired of editing 50% res and squinting on a tiny timeline, which is all you get in 1080.

Many internetz to ya'll.
m

If you want to run 4K you have to use DisplayPort/Thunderbolt. Were you doing that?

Depending on who you ask, pre-2015 MBAs can drive 4k at 30hz with varying amounts of hackery.

 

[Mackist]

yep, used bolt.

interesting. i'll snoop around to see if anything can be done.
30Hz would be pretty choppy, though, no?