iMac Pro's RAM Can Only Be Upgraded by Apple or Authorized Service Provider

[MacRumors]

Standard 27-inch iMacs have a small hatch in the back that allows the RAM in the machine to be upgraded after purchase, but the iMac Pro does not have that feature.

There is no rear hatch because the RAM in the iMac Pro is not user upgradeable following purchase, but there's good news -- an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider is able to open up the iMac Pro and swap out the RAM.

iMore's Rene Ritchie spoke to Apple and learned that any service center is able to upgrade the RAM on an iMac Pro following purchase.

Yes. Any service center, Apple or indie, can upgrade the RAM on iMac Pro post-purchase. https://t.co/4JIRCSsu5H-- Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie) December 14, 2017

At Apple Stores, iMac Pro users will likely only be able to upgrade to Apple-provided RAM, but third-party service providers will be able to offer non-Apple RAM and might even allow users to bring in their own RAM. Policy will undoubtedly vary by location, however.

The entry-level $4,999 iMac Pro ships with 32GB of 2666MHz ECC RAM, but up to 128GB RAM is supported. Apple charges $800 to upgrade to 64GB RAM and $2,400 to upgrade to 128GB RAM. Upgrading RAM after purchase in eligible machines is often more affordable than purchasing Apple's RAM upgrades at checkout.

There are no post-purchase options for upgrading the SSD, processor, or graphics card in the iMac Pro.

Apple began allowing customers to purchase the iMac Pro this morning. 8 and 10-core machines will begin shipping out this week, while 14 and 18-core options won't be available to ship out for 6 to 8 weeks. While the entry-level iMac Pro is priced at $4,999, there are a number of upgrades available. A maxed out 18-core machine with 4TB of storage and a Radeon Pro Vega 64 is priced at $13,199.

Article Link: iMac Pro's RAM Can Only Be Upgraded by Apple or Authorized Service Provider

 

[robertosh]

Another stupid thing to the boat

 

[asdavis10]

People (who aren't in the market for this machine) will still complain that "pros" can't open it up themselves to upgrade the internals. Because all "pros" are techie people who open up their machines.

 

[scottcampbell]

I guess that makes me an indie service center

 

[zorinlynx]

I don't get it; what's the reason behind this change? Surely they should make a Pro machine MORE upgradeable, not less.

 

[pat500000]

No user upgradability, but third party companies could.... Just give me my mMP.

 

[aaronhead14]

Apple makes their Mac products more and more anti-consumer every year. It's really sad.

 

[michael siccofield]

Now it deserves its price.

 

[aaronhead14]

I just want a modular Mac Pro.

 

[Jaro65]

Good that there is an official option as well.

 

[itguy06]

I opened up my previous generation (2012) iMac to replace a failed HDD. It wasn't hard at all. Probably took 10 minutes to get the display off and then 10 to clean the adhesive residue and replace the adhesive strips.

Only hard thing was making sure I had the adhesive on hand first. Other than that it was quite straightforward and not a hindrance in any way.

 

[69Mustang]

I don't get it; what's the reason behind this change? Surely they should make a Pro machine MORE upgradeable, not less.

The upgradeable machine is coming in 2018. The modular Mac Pro. Think of this machine as the plug-n-play workstation for the professional who cares more about what they have to do with the machine than what the machine will be down the road.

 

[Baymowe335]

And almost no one cares except the vocal minority.

Literally, who cares.

 

[Delorean2006]

so this means you can "unofficially" do it yourself and instantly voiding your warranty. So there is user upgradable parts!

 

[gugy]

Apple just want to keep you tied to them and earn as much as possible.

 

[Blackstick]

I was a Mac Genius for 7 years. Opening iMacs has sucked since the iMac G5 which was cake to open, which was fortunate because it had a defective power supply recall. In fact, it sucked opening iMac G3 (CRT discharge)/G4 too.

 

[jayducharme]

$2400 extra for 96 gb more of RAM? What are they? Nuts?

 

[kwikdeth]

the way i look at it is this - there's the imac for pros who dont need user upgradability, and there's the mMP next year for people who do. imacs have not ever really been meant to be super upgradable. we should consider it a blessing that Apple is catering more to the creative crowd that needs maximum power in this form factor.

now if we could just get a mac mini pro.... or is that what the next mac pro will be....?

 

[Apple_Robert]

Those are some crazy prices for RAM. I will stick with my 2017 27" iMac with 40 GB RAM.

 

[jimbobb24]

So iMac Pro less user upgradeable then iMac? Weird choice.

 

[indychris]

Isn’t it funny how Apple is for the ‘consumer’ when it comes to net neutrality, but when it comes to benefitting the consumer by allowing cheaper third party upgrading...

 

[kwikdeth]

$2400 extra for 96 gb more of RAM? What are they? Nuts?

you can be certain the base 32GB config does not come as a single DIMM. 4x 32GB DIMMs at market rate is about $1600. $2400 is well within normal markup percentage range Apple charges for pre-installed RAM.

 

[06tb06]

Coming to Mac from the PC Master Race and building my own rigs, I would rather void the warranty and perform a iMac DIY teardown for repairs and upgrades than use Apple's costly and time consuming authorized dealer.

 

[asiga]

The whole design of this thing is a show-off of why the current Apple is against the traditional Mac Pro concept. The current Apple wants to be in control of your choices and moves. The traditional Mac Pro put you in control, and Apple cannot permit that anymore. The only hope for the promised “modular Mac Pro” is that this weird thing fails like the cylinder. And still... what will the current Apple mean by “modular”?

 

[Swift]

I don't get it; what's the reason behind this change? Surely they should make a Pro machine MORE upgradeable, not less.

My guess is, it's very tight quarters, and with improper installation the incredible performance (from the reviews) of a whisper-quiet fan may have something to do with it. In other words, I don't know. It's not normal RAM, too. Not easily available on the consumer market, so what you find may be expensive even when you're buying it for your Intel W workstation.