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New 13" retina MacBook Pro's with 16GB RAM?

sparkie7

sparkie7

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Oct 17, 2008
2,610
318
Saw a 13" rMBP in store today and the glassy screen wasn't as reflective as the non-retina glassy ones. So I'm getting slowly used to the notion I could live with a retina type display. Loved the form factor of the 13", but currently only in 8GB RAM max. Questions...

1. Can one upgrade the RAM to say 16GB themselves, or are they soldered on?

2. What are the chances the next revision will see a bump of the RAM up to 16GB, and I guess the 15" to 32GB as a CTO?

3. And a bump to a quad core processor?
 
wmy5 said:
Huh... The space in 13 rMBP is quite limited, so I guess it not possible to squeeze 16GB in 13", nor 32GB in 15".
Click to expand...

Its more likely that if you're doing something that requires 16gb, apple wants you to buy the 15" MBP, i.e., product differentiation.
 
I ordered two rMBP 13" Haswell and I received one with 16GB RAM and the other with 32GB RAM (both have i7 quad). Now I just can't decide which one to keep?
 
ka-spot said:
I ordered two rMBP 13" Haswell and I received one with 16GB RAM and the other with 32GB RAM (both have i7 quad). Now I just can't decide which one to keep?
Click to expand...

Me thinks some one is telling porkies :p or dreaming of a awesome 13" which won't happened this year no doubt :D
 
My guess is that 16GB will be available on the 13" next year, when the MBA will get an updgraded display (possibly Retina or just IPS) and the 13" rMBP will need a stronger differentiating factor than the display and slightly faster CPU. Right now I think Apple is purposely limiting the 13" rMBP's specs to upsell you the 15" one.
 
rabidz7 said:
The RAM is not BGA, it is actually quite easy to solder some on.

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Click to expand...

Seriously? Several pictures of the rMBP logic board show the memory chips individually soldered to the board. there is no spare space; you would have to remove the existing chips. No one at home is going to be able to do this without very expensive equipment.
 
ok. i guess I'll just have to wait and see what  brings out later this year..
 
pgiguere1 said:
My guess is that 16GB will be available on the 13" next year, when the MBA will get an updgraded display (possibly Retina or just IPS) and the 13" rMBP will need a stronger differentiating factor than the display and slightly faster CPU. Right now I think Apple is purposely limiting the 13" rMBP's specs to upsell you the 15" one.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's the situation now. I've heard that the 13" rMBP case simply isn't long enough for two 8GB RAM modules. I don't know if there will be any 'rearranging' done for the Haswell model or if Apple can source cheap enough 16GB modules this year. If either of those are the case and the 13" rMBP is still only available with 8GB of RAM then it would seem to be a purposeful differentiation.

old-wiz said:
Seriously? Several pictures of the rMBP logic board show the memory chips individually soldered to the board. there is no spare space; you would have to remove the existing chips. No one at home is going to be able to do this without very expensive equipment.
Click to expand...

True. Not enough space and difficult, if not impossible to do by then end user. Even OWC, who offers to do all kinds of invasive surgery on iMacs and Mac minis does not offer some sort of rMBP RAM upgrade.
 
That's an interesting question actually. How does Apple manage to put 16GB RAM into the 15" model anyway? They would need 32 RAM chips on the logic board, but I only see room for 16. Do they solder them on the other side? If yes, then there is no technical reason the 13" couldn't get the same treatment
 
um, how about a single 16GB stick. i mean something  might get made specially for their laptops to keep it small.. just a thought..
 
sparkie7 said:
um, how about a single 16GB stick. i mean something  might get made specially for their laptops to keep it small.. just a thought..
Click to expand...

Not gonna happen. The reason it's soldered on is to keep the motherboard thin and to save space. If they put on any "stick", it'll just make the laptop thicker, which is what they don't want to do.
 
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