They had a
repair program for that specific model. If it happens more than a year out from now, the OP would be out of luck. The 27" models seem a bit more accessible overall. They still left user access to ram in those, so memory isn't a big deal, but point taken about the irritation. It still wouldn't make me want to touch one of that age for that kind of money. As I pointed out there are more recent options for less money. They're newer generations so the differences between i5 hyperthreading disabled and i7s aren't even a point of argument. The speed hasn't increased much at the top, but the 2012s and especially the 2013/14 models can easily hold up to that. If the OP puts the graphics to work, performance would also be superior in that area.
Overall I guess I can't understand why anyone would give $2k+ a second look for something of that age, even if it might still be a solid machine (note repair program again).