Is RAM upgradeable in the Mac Mini?

[vbctv]

Looking at the pictures on Apple's website and other sites, it does indeed look like the Fan is gonna be in the way, but it could be as simple as Apple made it to where you release the one side of the hook on the Ram slot it releases the other somehow. Apple doesn't do things without reason. They highlighted that the new Mac mini is So-Dimm Ram, so that was meant more or less that it is replaceable. They will never use the word user-replaceable, but it's more or less implied when they highlighted the So-Dimm part. How easy or hard is gonna be a different story. I'm assuming easy but an article interview I read on iMore with Tom Boger saying...
With the Mac Mini, the buyer for the Mac Mini is someone is more technically savvy, is more likely to want to upgrade their memory. It's typically a system that gets put in one place, and it just runs for a long, long time.

So it definitely is replaceable by the user, again it's just a matter of how hard or easy it will be because that fan is there, but I still have a feeling they may have rigged it somehow where the one release over may click the other one also. Again though that is wishing and best case scenario.

 

[StellarVixen]

Still wonder if it will be possible to mix 4gb ram (I guess that the 8gb version comes with 2x4gb dimms) with 16gb ram dimms to have 20 gb for example.

Consensus is that this is possible, and shouldn’t cause any incompatibility problems. But you will probably have lower memory performance, due to disparity between size of two modules.

 

[whitedragon101]

And that’s to be expected, though I’m not certain most people understand how SO-DIMMs fit into the socket. It isn’t like slotting RAM in a desktop, so a lot of clearance is not necessary.

I’m just tired of reading that opening it voids the warranty because that is just FUD.

Regardless, I’ve torn down Minis and iMacs for drive replacement, all sorts of things. I’m not concerned about that.

Its not FUD when multiple people have been told exactly that by apple including me. They may be wrong and it may be internal confusion at Apple support, but the fault is theirs for not being clear. There is a support document for this all they need to do is update it and everyone will know where they stand for certain https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205041

Here is a screenshot of what they said :

 

[askunk]

The $200 is for another 8GB. If you buy the 16GB from non-Apple, you get to keep the 8GB from Apple. You can sell it or have it as a backup.

I would save them and replace them when I have to service the Mac. If you know what you're doing (and Apple does not place seals anymore) nobody would guess you touched it. After all, if it needs to be serviced, I doubt it will be because of the third party RAM.

Btw... Obviously I don't work for or specifically promote Crucial brand. Any compatible spec RAM should be good but purchasing manufacturer matched pair RAM is the best way to go regardless of which brand you choose... OWC, Crucial, etc.. Most of the major brands will all probably work well.

I would just suggest going for low-latency models (CL15). Hyper-X by Kingston seem interesting candidate DIMMs. No clue on the latency of OWC's ones.

 

[Fishrrman]

nesss wrote:
"Can you have one 4 GB stick
and one 8 GB stick or a total of 12?"

Almost certainly possible, and a good way to save some $$$.

I upgraded the factory RAM in my 2012 Mini this way by removing the "topmost" 2gb DIMM and replacing it with an 8gb DIMM, thus going from 4gb to 10gb.

It's run fine ever since, and if there was a slight "decrease" in speed, I never noticed it.

 

[Spankey]

Its not FUD when multiple people have been told exactly that by apple including me. They may be wrong and it may be internal confusion at Apple support, but the fault is theirs for not being clear. There is a support document for this all they need to do is update it and everyone will know where they stand for certain https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205041

Here is a screenshot of what they said :

View attachment 801166

I doubt anyone answering these chats has any idea of RAM accessibility on the new Mini. If the RAM is accessible on the new Mini (spinning open the bottom plate) as the old then the warranty will most likely not be voided. That's like saying popping the RAM door on an iMac to change RAM is voiding the warranty.

 

[now i see it]

The old 2007-2009 Mac mini design with the white plastic top had upgradable RAM ...but technically it wasn't really user upgradeable. It was really a pain to take that mini apart to get at the RAM. Most people paid a shop do it for them and some brave ones did it themselves. That may be the case here with the 2018.

 

[D.T.]

I doubt anyone answering these chats has any idea of RAM accessibility on the new Mini. If the RAM is accessible on the new Mini (spinning open the bottom plate) as the old then the warranty will most likely not be voided. That's like saying popping the RAM door on an iMac to change RAM is voiding the warranty.

Right, this response makes almost no sense:

"... comes with a higher spec RAM", WTH. Again, waiting for some credible info on this question ...

 

[Lammers]

I doubt anyone answering these chats has any idea of RAM accessibility on the new Mini. If the RAM is accessible on the new Mini (spinning open the bottom plate) as the old then the warranty will most likely not be voided. That's like saying popping the RAM door on an iMac to change RAM is voiding the warranty.

We already know it’s not like the old mini.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

OWC would know it is upgradeable otherwise they would get a bunch of negative reviews from people buying it and finding out it does not work...

It's not a matter of "Is it upgradeable?". It certainly is, if it's using SO-DIMM memory. The question is, did Apple design it to be field-upgradeable like the 2012 and earlier units, where it's easy to do without risk of damaging some other component, and where the cost savings in first-party vs. third-party memory is worth the risk and hassle of that.

 

[brentsg]

Its not FUD when multiple people have been told exactly that by apple including me. They may be wrong and it may be internal confusion at Apple support, but the fault is theirs for not being clear. There is a support document for this all they need to do is update it and everyone will know where they stand for certain https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205041

Here is a screenshot of what they said :

View attachment 801166

You can ask the same question repeatedly to different support agents, and you’ll get different answers. Even more so when the product has not released. The person answering has likely never seen the product, ad they are likely shooting from the hip

Also, of course Apple will direct you that someone professional should do it. They are going to assume they are talking to the lowest common denominator, because usually they are.

FUD doesn’t mean impossible, btw.

 

[D.T.]

It's not a matter of "Is it upgradeable?". It certainly is, if it's using SO-DIMM memory. The question is, did Apple design it to be field-upgradeable like the 2012 and earlier units, where it's easy to do without risk of damaging some other component, and where the cost savings in first-party vs. third-party memory is worth the risk and hassle of that.

Yeah, that frames it pretty well, though I am still curious about the language used on the RAM configuration [at Apple.com]. The iMac Pro indicates "not user accessible" and the Mini doesn't have that disclaimer - I mean, don't you think if there was any concern by Apple, where, by most estimates of "typical end user skill", too difficult, they would've just gone ahead and taken a clear stand and included the same language for the Mini[?]

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I doubt anyone answering these chats has any idea of RAM accessibility on the new Mini. If the RAM is accessible on the new Mini (spinning open the bottom plate) as the old then the warranty will most likely not be voided. That's like saying popping the RAM door on an iMac to change RAM is voiding the warranty.

Again, Apple Chat knows no more than anyone else until the support documents are out and teardowns are done. So their opinion is as valid as yours, mine, or any random dude on the street.

Regardless of whether it's "User-upgradeable" endorsed by Apple, or "Technically upgradeable, but not intended to be done by the end user" - replacing RAM won't void the warranty (in USA). The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents that. However, in order to get warranty service you might have to un-do the upgrade, with whatever level of difficulty went into that - and, of course, if you damage something during the upgrade that's not covered. Those are the issues we don't know. I'm going to guess that it's not user-upgradeable, simply because nothing on Apple's website says it is. For example - 27" iMac specs say "8GB (two 4GB) of 2400MHz DDR4 memory; four SO-DIMM slots, user accessible". Mac Mini specs just say "8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM memory, Configurable to: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB".

But that's not certain. The Mac Pro DEFINITELY has user-accessible memory, and in fact a support document that shows how to do it. But the specs are more similar to the Mini than to the iMac.

FWIW - assuming it is not officially upgradeable, I'll spec my Mini to my needs today (16GB) and then in a few years, when it's out of warranty regardless, I'll look at maybe tearing it apart and upgrading it as necessary. My 2012 Mini is right at 6 years old now, with (aftermarket) 16GB of RAM.

 

[brentsg]

Yeah, that frames it pretty well, though I am still curious about the language used on the RAM configuration [at Apple.com]. The iMac Pro indicates "not user accessible" and the Mini doesn't have that disclaimer - I mean, don't you think if there was any concern by Apple, where, by most estimates of "typical end user skill", too difficult, they would've just gone ahead and taken a clear stand and included the same language for the Mini[?]

Agreed, they usually go way over the top with language indicating when users cannot change something. They aren’t doing that here, and the rollout event highlighted the SO-DIMMs.

 

[D.T.]

I'm going to guess that it's not user-upgradeable, simply because nothing on Apple's website says it is. For example - 27" iMac specs say "8GB (two 4GB) of 2400MHz DDR4 memory; four SO-DIMM slots, user accessible". Mac Mini specs just say "8GB of 2666MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM memory, Configurable to: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB".

Ahh, that's an interesting detail about the iMac, so there seems to be three indications for [socketed] RAM: 1) Not user accessible, i.e., don't even try (iMac Pro), 2) User accessible, easily user upgraded, go ahead, we designed it like that (iMac), and 3) Don't ask, don't tell ... (Mac Mini)

 

[Lammers]

Again, Apple Chat knows no more than anyone else until the support documents are out and teardowns are done. So their opinion is as valid as yours, mine, or any random dude on the street.

Do you know that for a fact or is that an assumption? Because if I was Apple, and I'm announcing some new products, I'd start lining up at least some preliminary documentation to give to support people immediately afterwards because I know I'm going to start getting questions and it's a terrible experience if the support people don't know anything.

So unless you have inside information that says otherwise, I think it's more likely than not that the Chat folk do have some kind of documentation. And when people in this forum have asked them, the answer hasn't been "we don't know yet" it has been "we do know and it's not user-upgradeable".
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You can ask the same question repeatedly to different support agents, and you’ll get different answers. Even more so when the product has not released. The person answering has likely never seen the product, ad they are likely shooting from the hip.

As I understand it, various people on this forum have asked the same question and all had the same answer: "it's not user-upgradable". Do we have any evidence of someone asking the question and being told "yes, it is user-upgradeable"?

You don't think that maybe Apple makes sure that its support agents have some sort of documentation to refer to when they release a product?

 

[kevink2]

I think I maxed out the memory at 64mb.

I'm pretty sure it was more like 64KB

The fact you can go and buy a Mac Mini now and order it with 1 million times the memory of the Apple II is something. I have my doubts that people will be able to order a computer for personal use with 1 million times the 64GB in 30 years. If this site and I are still active in 30 years, and I am wrong, bring it up.

 

[philipma1957]

if you want to toy with the mac mini buy apple care

AppleCare+ for Mac ​

Every Mac comes with a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support. AppleCare+ for Mac extends your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage, plus applicable tax. In addition, you'll get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone.


you get 2 accidental damage claims.

So this will cover you.

asking clerks on line is not the way to go about it.

 

[StellarVixen]

Right, this response makes almost no sense:

View attachment 801175


"... comes with a higher spec RAM", WTH. Again, waiting for some credible info on this question ...

That sounds like it is spoken by one of those Indian tech support scammers.

 

[kevink2]

nesss wrote:
"Can you have one 4 GB stick
and one 8 GB stick or a total of 12?"

Almost certainly possible, and a good way to save some $$$.

I upgraded the factory RAM in my 2012 Mini this way by removing the "topmost" 2gb DIMM and replacing it with an 8gb DIMM, thus going from 4gb to 10gb.

It's run fine ever since, and if there was a slight "decrease" in speed, I never noticed it.

It is likely that the speed decrease is dependent on workload. Going from 2GB to 10GB, you were likely going from swapping to running totally in RAM, a big increase. If you lose 5% of potential speed due to memory, but your system isn't maxed out in usage, you probably won't notice it.

 

[Lammers]

Agreed, they usually go way over the top with language indicating when users cannot change something. They aren’t doing that here, and the rollout event highlighted the SO-DIMMs.

If they intended for users to be able to change the RAM, wouldn't they have just said that at the event instead of the weird comment about SO-DIMMs? And wouldn't they have actually made the RAM accessible instead of tucking it away in the corner where you can't get to it and in a case without a straightforward means of being opened? And wouldn't it say that somewhere on the website? And so forth.

The point about having SO-DIMMs is just the same as it is for the iMac Pro - to allow it to be upgraded later.... at an Authorised Apple Service Center.

I completely understand that people want the RAM to be user-upgradeable, but there is plenty of evidence to the contrary.

 

[philipma1957]

That sounds like it is spoken by one of those Indian tech support scammers.

asking online clerks is asking to be hurt. buy the apple care put the ram in. nuff said. if you broke it you have accidental coverage. If asked how it broke say I don't what happened it must have been accidental. so 100 for apple care lets you save on the ram.

 

[StellarVixen]

asking online clerks is asking to be hurt. buy the apple care put the ram in. nuff said. if you broke it you have accidental coverage. If asked how it broke say I don't what happened it must have been accidental. so 100 for apple care lets you save on the ram.

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of user-upgradability? Throwing 100 dollars on Apple Care? Isn't the whole point of upgrading RAM by yourself to decrease the cost as much as possible?

 

[ElectronGuru]

I upgraded the factory RAM in my 2012 Mini this way by removing the "topmost" 2gb DIMM and replacing it with an 8gb DIMM, thus going from 4gb to 10gb.

It's run fine ever since, and if there was a slight "decrease" in speed, I never noticed it.

Perhaps the speed increase of more ram, hid the speed decrease of unmatched pairs. Like unmatched pairs remove 10% and more ram gives 30% more, yielding 20% net.

Faster but not as much faster

 

[FreakinEurekan]

You don't think that maybe Apple makes sure that its support agents have some sort of documentation to refer to when they release a product?

Sure they do - when it's released. That'll be November 7. Apple is very info-security-conscious, they don't let the (first level) support staff have any more info than what is public.
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Do you know that for a fact or is that an assumption?

For our purposes, consider it a fact.