RAM on RMBP *really* not upgradeable?

[macbook123]

I the retina RAM really not upgradeable? It's soldered in place, but can't it be taken out and replaced by a trained professional anyway?

I'm wondering specifically because they only sell the 8 GB version of the 2.6 GHZ/512 GB high end model in store, and I can't afford to wait to get a BTO version with 16 GB of RAM shipped to me.

Meanwhile, my 8 GB option is swapping like insanity with only Safari, Mail, and Aperture in use.

 

[maflynn]

The ram on a retina MBP is soldered onto the logic board. What you get when you buy, is what you'll have without any option to upgrade later.

 

[GGJstudios]

I the retina RAM really not upgradeable? It's soldered in place, but can't it be ripped out and replaced by a trained professional anyway?

It's really not upgradable. First, trying to rip it out could likely damage something. Second, there is no replacement RAM available.

 

[aaronw1986]

I the retina RAM really not upgradeable? It's soldered in place, but can't it be taken out and replaced by a trained professional anyway?

I'm wondering specifically because they only sell the 8 GB version of the 2.6 GHZ/512 GB high end model in store, and I can't afford to wait to get a BTO version with 16 GB of RAM shipped to me.

Meanwhile, my 8 GB option is swapping like insanity with only Safari, Mail, and Aperture in use.

...permanent.

 

[gentlefury]

Soldered ram advantageous in the fact that it's faster, but it is not upgradable.

 

[dukebound85]

Soldered ram advantageous in the fact that it's faster, but it is not upgradable.

No. It's advantageous as it takes up less space than having it be removable.

 

[gentlefury]

No. It's advantageous as it takes up less space than having it be removable.

Are you really another person arguing that latency is not an issue???

Soldering to the logic board means it has a direct path to the CPU...standard connections have to travel across more copper to get to the CPU, plus there is the possibility of getting dust or corrosion in the connectors in the DIMM slots!

 

[jcpb]

Soldered ram advantageous in the fact that it's faster, but it is not upgradable.

Integrating components into the system, as opposed to making them removable, has one huge benefit: you get rid of extraneous connectors and circuitry, and therefore save a ton of real estate.

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Are you really another person arguing that latency is not an issue???

Soldering to the logic board means it has a direct path to the CPU...standard connections have to travel across more copper to get to the CPU, plus there is the possibility of getting dust or corrosion in the connectors in the DIMM slots!

You're being dense.

 

[melterx12]

I the retina RAM really not upgradeable? It's soldered in place, but can't it be taken out and replaced by a trained professional anyway?

I'm wondering specifically because they only sell the 8 GB version of the 2.6 GHZ/512 GB high end model in store, and I can't afford to wait to get a BTO version with 16 GB of RAM shipped to me.

Meanwhile, my 8 GB option is swapping like insanity with only Safari, Mail, and Aperture in use.

is it technically possible to unsolder the RAM chips and replace them? Yes.

is it possible to do by hand? No.

 

[gentlefury]

Integrating components into the system, as opposed to making them removable, has one huge benefit: you get rid of extraneous connectors and circuitry, and therefore save a ton of real estate.

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You're being dense.

Amazing how everyones answer to saying anything logical on this forum is just to say the person is dumb. Incredible. You are wrong....take it as you will.

 

[macbook123]

I'd like to know more about what soldering it on entails. That's why I started this new thread. I think you all have to agree that given the right amount of resources (money, technicians), you'd be able to replace the RAM.

So the point of my starting this thread is not to get confirmation from X people that it's really hard, but to get concrete information on HOW HARD it would be.

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is it technically possible to unsolder the RAM chips and replace them? Yes.

is it possible to do by hand? No.

Thanks. If it is technically possible, why wouldn't we hope that there will be third party ways of getting this done in the future?

 

[gentlefury]

I'd like to know more about what soldering it on entails. That's why I started this new thread. I think you all have to agree that given the right amount of resources (money, technicians), you'd be able to replace the RAM.

So the point of my starting this thread is not to get confirmation from X people that it's really hard, but to get concrete information on HOW HARD it would be.

I think the effort/risk/cost would make it more worth just selling the unit in 3 years and buying whatever is new...since all the other components will also be ready to replace.

 

[melterx12]

I'd like to know more about what soldering it on entails. That's why I started this new thread. I think you all have to agree that given the right amount of resources (money, technicians), you'd be able to replace the RAM.

So the point of my starting this thread is not to get confirmation from X people that it's really hard, but to get concrete information on HOW HARD it would be.

it is impossible to do by hand.

getting the chips off the board is very simple, all you need to do is heat up that area of the board with a heatgun.

soldering chips back on will require a machine similar to the one they use at foxconn or where ever they manufacture the logic board.

 

[Trey M]

Lol it's a question about soldered ram not politics....man people are quick to result to stuff like that.

On that thought, would Apple literally have to replace your mobo in order to replace defective RAM? I know logic boards can be from 500-700$, especially Apple's.

 

[hallux]

Lol it's a question about soldered ram not politics....man people are quick to result to stuff like that.

On that thought, would Apple literally have to replace your mobo in order to replace defective RAM? I know logic boards can be from 500-700$, especially Apple's.

Yes, Apple would replace the entire logic board. Apple has the resources to replace the failed chip(s), then it would be reset to defaults, have the serial cleared from NVRAM and sent out as a refurbished part to repair another system.

I would imagine the same holds true for the MBA.

Dell does this all the time, every board I get in from Dell to repair a laptop has a sticker on the ESD bag indicating it's a refurb. I'm also an ACMT (Apple Certified Mac Technician) but I have yet to replace any hardware internally. I deal with 11" and 13" MBAs and a few 13" MBPs in my environment.

 

[golu14]

I the retina RAM really not upgradeable? It's soldered in place, but can't it be taken out and replaced by a trained professional anyway?

I'm wondering specifically because they only sell the 8 GB version of the 2.6 GHZ/512 GB high end model in store, and I can't afford to wait to get a BTO version with 16 GB of RAM shipped to me.

Meanwhile, my 8 GB option is swapping like insanity with only Safari, Mail, and Aperture in use.

It is possible for anyone with some overconfidence
I have the 8gb version too, going really fine for me. But im worried it will slow down when i install windows 8 which im yet to.

Ive seen 2011 macbook air's whole logic boards for sale on ebay, all kinds of it. You can do it that way?

I know there are usb GPUs but i wonder if theres usb/thunderbolt ram?

 

[daleski75]

Definitely not upgradable and don't even attempt to upgrade it yourself or get any other company to do it.

 

[dailybibliotaph]

Meanwhile, my 8 GB option is swapping like insanity with only Safari, Mail, and Aperture in use.

Can you attach a screen shot of activity monitor showing memory use with those apps open?

I find it hard to believe that just those apps will cause your rMBP to swap its 8GB memory. I attached a screenshot of my 2.6ghz rMBP with 8GB running safari with 12 tabs, mail, kindle, twitteriffic, contact, calendar, scientific calculator, iMovie with a large HD movie thumbnails, iTunes, MS Word and Excel, iPhoto with an 80GB catalogue, Lightroom with a 50GB catalogue and MenuTab Pro, all running with more than 4GB of available RAM - 3.3GB free + 740MB inactive.

The whole 8GB being non-upgradable is a non-issue for me.

 

[dukebound85]

It is possible for anyone with some overconfidence

I'm sure you said that in jest, but no, it is impossible to upgrade it. The solder points are much too finess and too many that one would need very expensive equipment, not to mention the details of the logic board,associated code, for it to be feasible

This is not something you could do with a solder gun

 

[heisenberg123]

I'd like to know more about what soldering it on entails. That's why I started this new thread. I think you all have to agree that given the right amount of resources (money, technicians), you'd be able to replace the RAM.

So the point of my starting this thread is not to get confirmation from X people that it's really hard, but to get concrete information on HOW HARD it would be.

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Thanks. If it is technically possible, why wouldn't we hope that there will be third party ways of getting this done in the future?

very hard...thats what she said

 

[macbook123]

Can you attach a screen shot of activity monitor showing memory use with those apps open?

I find it hard to believe that just those apps will cause your rMBP to swap its 8GB memory. I attached a screenshot of my 2.6ghz rMBP with 8GB running safari with 12 tabs, mail, kindle, twitteriffic, contact, calendar, scientific calculator, iMovie with a large HD movie thumbnails, iTunes, MS Word and Excel, iPhoto with an 80GB catalogue, Lightroom with a 50GB catalogue and MenuTab Pro, all running with more than 4GB of available RAM - 3.3GB free + 740MB inactive.

The whole 8GB being non-upgradable is a non-issue for me.

Can you update that screen shot after hitting the "Real Mem" tab on the top of the RAM column, in order to put the apps that use most at the top of the list? In my case Aperture is consuming close to 2 GB, Safari about 2 GB as well, an app called kernel_task is consuming 1 GB, WindowServer and Mail another 1 GB, and all sorts of little things another 1 GB or so so that about 1 GB is free right now.

 

[lazer155]

You could unsolder and resolder the ram in fairly easily with a smd solder rework station/kit. The issue is that there isn't a place to buy plain ram chips by themselves (chips not already soldered onto a logic board). So even if you get the 8gb one off there is no way to get a 16gb chip unless you get a logic board that has a 16gb one on it and take it off there. That wouldn't make sense though because logic boards are so expensive. Basically to upgrade the ram yourself it's too expensive. The only way you could ever get the 16gb chip is if you buy an entire logic board but by that point you may as well just replace your whole logic board since you have a new one rather than pulling the ram off it and soldering it into your old 8gb one.

 

[Daremo]

Are you really another person arguing that latency is not an issue???

Soldering to the logic board means it has a direct path to the CPU...standard connections have to travel across more copper to get to the CPU, plus there is the possibility of getting dust or corrosion in the connectors in the DIMM slots!

It would take another computer to measure any latency, and there's no human alive that would notice, let alone be able to detect RAM latency between soldered RAM and DIMM slots. It's a NON ISSUE.

 

[Fortimir]

It would take another computer to measure any latency, and there's no human alive that would notice, let alone be able to detect RAM latency between soldered RAM and DIMM slots. It's a NON ISSUE.

Correct, but everyone is ignoring a real benefit to soldered RAM: much lower potential of corruption and performance issues.

The absolute most common RAM issues are caused by seating with the RAM slots. None of that exists with soldered RAM.

 

[gentlefury]

It would take another computer to measure any latency, and there's no human alive that would notice, let alone be able to detect RAM latency between soldered RAM and DIMM slots. It's a NON ISSUE.

You are correct it is a non-issue..you would not perceive it....but it is still true, regardless of how minor it may be. People are so into white sheet specs that are imperceptible, but this notion is crazy.