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Macbook Air 11.6" 2GB able to be user-upgraded to 4GB?

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bella92108

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 1, 2006
1,610
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So I'm real interested in the Air's 11" size... but the 2GB RAM is a killer. On the apple website, it LOOKS like the ram cards are standard, but I've read others saying they're NOT standard and they're not user upgradable since attached to the motherboard.

Can someone who has the 11" let me know either way? I want an 11" with 4GB RAM, so if I have to custom order it I will, but it'd be easier and cheaper to walk in the store, but a base unit, and pop in 2x2GB cards if it'll take standard RAM.

If you can't upgrade the 2GB model sold in the store that seems like an obvious reason for me to buy it through CTO

Thanks!
 
The memory is soldered directly to the logic board, so if you want 4GB of RAM, you'll need to order the machine with it from the factory.

The "ram card" that you may have noticed is actually the solid state hard drive, which does look similar to a piece of memory. It's a new design, different from a standard hard drive design. Meaning, if you want more internal space, you'll want to get it ahead of time too. This piece is serviceable, unlike the soldered memory, but it's unlikely you'll be able to walk into a store and buy an upgrade.
 
justin216 said:
The memory is soldered directly to the logic board, so if you want 4GB of RAM, you'll need to order the machine with it from the factory.

The "ram card" that you may have noticed is actually the solid state hard drive, which does look similar to a piece of memory. It's a new design, different from a standard hard drive design. Meaning, if you want more internal space, you'll want to get it ahead of time too. This piece is serviceable, unlike the soldered memory, but it's unlikely you'll be able to walk into a store and buy an upgrade.
Click to expand...

Aww crap. That sucks that they made the "shelf models" so limited. You'd think they would do a 11" with 4GB and 128GB rather than 2GB and 64 and 2GB and 128 :-( forces people to CTO. :-( :-(
 
This is the confirmation I was looking for, too. I had thought that the RAM was soldered to the motherboard. I had a sales guy at Simply Mac tell me it was the other way around. Rather than argue the point, I just referred him to Google the answer (since all they had in stock were 2GB/64GB configurations on the MBA 11.6" model)

My plan is to order the 4Mb from the online store, hoping for a third party upgrade to 256GB for the flash storage.
 
bella92108 said:
So I'm real interested in the Air's 11" size... but the 2GB RAM is a killer. On the apple website, it LOOKS like the ram cards are standard, but I've read others saying they're NOT standard and they're not user upgradable since attached to the motherboard.

Can someone who has the 11" let me know either way? I want an 11" with 4GB RAM, so if I have to custom order it I will, but it'd be easier and cheaper to walk in the store, but a base unit, and pop in 2x2GB cards if it'll take standard RAM.

If you can't upgrade the 2GB model sold in the store that seems like an obvious reason for me to buy it through CTO

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry, you can't upgrade it, the chips are soldered directly onto the Logic board
 
I know at my Apple Store, they've been stocking the 11" Ultimate for a while now. They still have them in stock, last time I checked.
 
I'm a bit disappointed in apple. They seem to have no disclosure what-so-ever regarding the non-upgradable memory on their website, and places like the Apple store will tell you that you can upgrade the memory anytime in the future.

All notebooks (except the MBA) have Upgradable memory, which is why Apple should disclosure such. Think of all the people who bought the 2GB models, thinking in a year they can upgrade to 4gb when it's necessary. Boy will they be super pissed.
 
mm1250 said:
For an extra 2GB chip? kinda expensive actually considering you can buy 2GB chips all day long for $20/$30
Click to expand...

Yeah, Apple has always seemed high to upgrade RAM though. And I was thinking that the new Air has one slot, so I thought you were getting a 4GB chip instead of a 2Gb.
 
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