New concept of RAM “upgrades”?

[ian87w]

So we all now now the non user upgradeable RAM in AS Macs, with the first batch maxing out at 16GB. This begs the question on the desktops and higher end Macs. But what if Apple will pair the RAM with the SoC itself?

So we practically have four M1 chips for now:
- 7 GPU core with 8GB RAM
- 7 GPU core with 16GB
- 8 core with 8GB
- 8 core with 16GB

What if to get 32GB of RAM on, let’s say the iMac, Apple will simply put in 2 x 16GB M1 chips inside? So dual M1? And for the Mac Pro, you just keep adding M1 chips to extend the RAM? The desktop form factor means more space and better cooling, so Apple can probably cram a cluster of M1 chips.

So let’s say base iMac will have 2 of the 8GB M1 chip, giving a total of 16GB RAM, and double everything else. And let’s say for the Mac Pro, it will start with 4 x of the M1 8GB, giving quad M1 with 32GB RAM. And Apple simply scale up from there?

Thoughts?

 

[Glmnet1]

I'm not an expert but it seems to me like there would be a lot of issues to try and scale with multiple SoCs.

1) Multiple secure enclaves, input controllers etc. would be wasted.
2) Sharing resources between SoCs wouldn't be as fast so every process would be limited to the RAM where it's located.
3) The need for multiple cooling systems.
4) Less efficient.
5) Probably a need for some sort of controller to act as a medium between the multiple SoCs.

I believe they are going to build over time 2-3 SoCs (just like they are doing with A14, A14X A14 Bionic etc.) and differentiate models with other features.

 

[ghboard2010]

Multiple SOC's? Kinda' perverts the concept of 'System on a Chip'. 🤔 Now, it is possible to have variants of the M1, eg. M1 Deluxe, M1+, M1 Exteme. However, having multiple M1 chips on the same motherboard ain't gonna' happen (methinks; I could be mistaken though).

 

[jashsayani]

IMO, Apple should put a 32GB RAM in every M1 chip. Then lock up the RAM and only make 8GB useable. In future, you can pay extra on Apple's website to "unlock" more RAM on your MacBook. This is how Tesla sells cars too.

 

[aednichols]

So we all now now the non user upgradeable RAM in AS Macs, with the first batch maxing out at 16GB. This begs the question on the desktops and higher end Macs. But what if Apple will pair the RAM with the SoC itself?

So we practically have four M1 chips for now:
- 7 GPU core with 8GB RAM
- 7 GPU core with 16GB
- 8 core with 8GB
- 8 core with 16GB

What if to get 32GB of RAM on, let’s say the iMac, Apple will simply put in 2 x 16GB M1 chips inside? So dual M1? And for the Mac Pro, you just keep adding M1 chips to extend the RAM? The desktop form factor means more space and better cooling, so Apple can probably cram a cluster of M1 chips.

So let’s say base iMac will have 2 of the 8GB M1 chip, giving a total of 16GB RAM, and double everything else. And let’s say for the Mac Pro, it will start with 4 x of the M1 8GB, giving quad M1 with 32GB RAM. And Apple simply scale up from there?

Thoughts?

No.

The world has been moving towards more cores, fewer sockets for years.

The G5 started as two CPUs, dual sockets, and ended dual core, one socket (except the quad). The Mac Pro dropped its second socket in 2013.

I can't quite explain the physics of why, but having two separate chips doing X + X work draws more juice than a single larger chip doing 2X.

 

[leman]

So we all now now the non user upgradeable RAM in AS Macs, with the first batch maxing out at 16GB. This begs the question on the desktops and higher end Macs. But what if Apple will pair the RAM with the SoC itself?

So we practically have four M1 chips for now:
- 7 GPU core with 8GB RAM
- 7 GPU core with 16GB
- 8 core with 8GB
- 8 core with 16GB

There is one M1 chip, and there are two M1 packages (one with 8GB RAM and one with 1GB). In some of the shipping M1 chips one GPU core is disabled due to it being defective.

What if to get 32GB of RAM on, let’s say the iMac, Apple will simply put in 2 x 16GB M1 chips inside? So dual M1? And for the Mac Pro, you just keep adding M1 chips to extend the RAM? The desktop form factor means more space and better cooling, so Apple can probably cram a cluster of M1 chips.

As others have pointed out, this is not a good idea. Apple will make a new generation of chips that are larger and new generations of packages that support more RAM.

 

[Machspeed007]

I would very much like a mac with a swappable "M-Board". Instead of swapping out 8GB for 16GB RAM chips like we do today, we would instead swap a 8GB+M1 for a 16GB+M1 (or M2, why not).
When upgrading PCs we are doing that anyway (swap motherboard, processor and RAM) if there's a multigeneration leap. I've upgraded a lot of PCs in the past 20 years and I can't think of more than 1 or two instances where I just upgraded the RAM or just the processor or just the motherboard. Usually its all 3 at the same time..

 

[Mikael H]

IMO, Apple should put a 32GB RAM in every M1 chip. Then lock up the RAM and only make 8GB useable. In future, you can pay extra on Apple's website to "unlock" more RAM on your MacBook. This is how Tesla sells cars too.

Don't give them ideas - these computers are expensive enough as it is without unnecessarily paying for a maxed-out machine (because any "upgrade" cost would be additional - you know that...).

 

[jazz1]

Don't give them ideas - these computers are expensive enough as it is without unnecessarily paying for a maxed-out machine (because any "upgrade" cost would be additional - you know that...).

Great, built in “Ransomware” direct from Apple