Apple says it's user replaceable. So ignore what those "genius" ( who are dumb asses ) say.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why is Apple's RAM so expensive compared to other sellers?
- Thread starter jollygoodamy
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apple says it's user replaceable. So ignore what those "genius" ( who are dumb asses ) say.
So long as you don't go around mixing and matching ram, I don't see what the fuss is over not using "apple ram". Why, are their laptops so sensitive that ram of other brands will cause their system to crash or something? I was under the impression they too were using stock ram.
So long as you don't go around mixing and matching ram, I don't see what the fuss is over not using "apple ram". Why, are their laptops so sensitive that ram of other brands will cause their system to crash or something? I was under the impression they too were using stock ram.
They can use stock RAM and my 2009 MBP was even running two different brands of RAM (with different capacity and frequency) at the same time for two months just fine too.
I recommend you take some course on a decent university in logistics and stuff. Modern IS (Informations Systems) basically take almost all the pain out of that and the added cost of offering such a BTO option like RAM is next to nothing. These lot of small costs as you call them are really really small. So small in fact that you can pretty much ignore them.
Ummm I am the GM of Logistics and Supply Chain IT for a large company, I have worked with and studied supply chains and inventory management systems for companies such as Best Buy, Kohls, Target, Kodak, Avon Products and logistic companies like Ryder, TNT, the former Excel, UPS, Penske Logistics and major ocean carriers, and mfg companies like Flextronics, Cat and Komatsu just to drop a few names....I have over 20 years logistics and supply chain on my resume and hold a Six Sigma black belt. Now that I have established I know what I am talking about, and do not need some university course to tell me the how and why inventory moves, its bottlenecks and the COGS associated with exceptional inventory, what I said was there ARE incremental costs, however small to BTO options that it is not 100% profit, but you are paying for the ability to have Apple install and warranty the memory, but the cost is not a wash. There are costs for inventory carrying, management, ordering and secondary mfg line considerations, so the cost to Apple for a BTO is slightly higher than a standard unit.
While it is true you can buy the ram cheaper yourself, if you had infact went to a third party to procure, stock, install and warranty the ram, it WOULD not be cheaper than doing it yourself either. That third party would charge you cost of labor, plus profit on that labor and the money costs for procuring and managing that inventory, in addition you would be paying up front a prorated cost of risk to warranty that inventory and the installation job. While all of those costs are small at a per unit level, they are costs above and beyond the cost of the ram itself.
Apple, while charging far more than a third party is in fact incurring incremental costs for the BTO and is passing those costs on, plus profit to the consumer. No other way to say it, anyone that posts that it is 100% profit by Apple, doesn't understand supply chains, MFG, inventory management and associated costs.
Last edited:
I upgraded the RAM in my MacBook Pro myself and didn't see any "special shaped screw" inside there.
By non-standard they meant anything not offered by Apple. I am guessing they have a list of module serial number or some way to tell them apart.
The Genius did not comment on whether installing your own ram voids warranty or not - just that there would be zero issues if you go via the Apple route (ram, HDD).
----------
Sorry my mistake - T6 Torx Screwdriver is required for HDD replacement (not Ram as I previously stated).
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Install...body-Early-2011-Hard-Drive-Replacement/5119/1
Is it expensive?
The real question is, why do we assume the overall user experience of using an Apple computer (or any other consumer device) can be accurately quantified by technical specs? http://technologydimensions.blogspot.com/2012/03/you-can-lead-horticulture.html
The real question is, why do we assume the overall user experience of using an Apple computer (or any other consumer device) can be accurately quantified by technical specs? http://technologydimensions.blogspot.com/2012/03/you-can-lead-horticulture.html
There are 2 parts to this. The first is that the 4GB (2*2GB) and 8GB (2*4GB) memory kits from Crucial, Corsair, etc have basically been cut in half since Apple released the 2011 MBP(and other models). So while Apple memory is high priced, it's made much worse by the change in the market conditions and the fact that Apple doesn't normally update option prices between product refreshes.I was searching online for ram for a friend's Mac and Apple's seemed to be so much more expensive for some reason, especially when compared to others I found like Crucial and Corsair where it's like $400 compared to about $52.
The second is computer manufacturer versus Crucial, etc pricing. If you bought memory from Dell or HP, it'd be noticeably higher than Crucial, etc. Possibly not as high as Apple, but still too much.
Bottom line is that with the next set of product refreshes we should see Apple's memory prices change.
The simple answer to this question is that their RAM prices are "what the market will bear"
Not all owners of Apple Computers will be savvy enough/technically minded enough to even investigate if it is possible to upgrade the RAM themselves. They may not even know they could benefit from more RAM
Apple will weigh up factors such as overheads, demand, historical buying practices, owner demographics etc and set the price based on what their target market (the average Apple Computer owner) will bear.
You cant bitch at a company selling something for an amount of money that the average person is wiling to pay for it....
Most people on this forum would not be considered the target market for the Apple ram upgrades.
Not all owners of Apple Computers will be savvy enough/technically minded enough to even investigate if it is possible to upgrade the RAM themselves. They may not even know they could benefit from more RAM
Apple will weigh up factors such as overheads, demand, historical buying practices, owner demographics etc and set the price based on what their target market (the average Apple Computer owner) will bear.
You cant bitch at a company selling something for an amount of money that the average person is wiling to pay for it....
Most people on this forum would not be considered the target market for the Apple ram upgrades.
For the same reason it costs $250 to upgrade from a standard res screen to a 1080p screen on a Lenovo Thinkpad T520 when the standard res screen costs $3* and the 1080p one costs $5*.
They want to make more money!
They want to make more money!
The simplest reason is because 'people will pay it'. And hell, I paid it. It was $200 to go from 4GB to 8GB of RAM on the early 2011 SB refresh...and at the time the 8 GB was about $100. I just thought "hey, it will just be easier to let them do it" and so I paid the extra $100. Was it a great idea? I can't say I regret it. Now oddly enough, over a year later, it is still $200 to go from 4GB to 8GB, which I find a little surprising...but chances are that people are still paying it. Last week my friend got 8 GB of Crucial RAM for $33 shipped...so now the $200 is probably not worth it but that is a personal call.
As far as them voiding warranty, that is kind of tricky. Obviously, Apple does not build their own RAM (nor do they build their own hard drives, GPUs, CPUs, and more). The RAM supplier, like hard drive supplier, varies not only by model, but sometimes by individual unit. Samsung RAM seems to be the most commonly used RAM, but Toshiba RAM is also used (same thing actually). However, Memorex RAM is also used among others. Now, the RAM that these makers used are often not even made by them. It is possible that the same makers of 'aftermarket' RAM make the exact same RAM to the exact same standards of the 'Apple Factory RAM'...and so they are the same thing with a different sticker. So it would be hard for them to say you did not use the right brand. Perhaps they can look at your System Profiler and determine you upgraded the RAM, but them voiding your warranty over the RAM would be difficult, especially given how RAM upgrades are considered a common part of owning a laptop. So unless the RAM upgrade causes an issue and Apple can prove that the RAM was the cause, then they are probably not going to even mention it.
As far as them voiding warranty, that is kind of tricky. Obviously, Apple does not build their own RAM (nor do they build their own hard drives, GPUs, CPUs, and more). The RAM supplier, like hard drive supplier, varies not only by model, but sometimes by individual unit. Samsung RAM seems to be the most commonly used RAM, but Toshiba RAM is also used (same thing actually). However, Memorex RAM is also used among others. Now, the RAM that these makers used are often not even made by them. It is possible that the same makers of 'aftermarket' RAM make the exact same RAM to the exact same standards of the 'Apple Factory RAM'...and so they are the same thing with a different sticker. So it would be hard for them to say you did not use the right brand. Perhaps they can look at your System Profiler and determine you upgraded the RAM, but them voiding your warranty over the RAM would be difficult, especially given how RAM upgrades are considered a common part of owning a laptop. So unless the RAM upgrade causes an issue and Apple can prove that the RAM was the cause, then they are probably not going to even mention it.
Oh man. Your memory is gonna die. I can't believe you didn't see them!
I'm thinking the poster took the torx screws out of the battery to get at the mem slots.
More like "All companies charge more to do modifications when using internal components." When YOU buy RAM, you're buying the RAM. When you buy Apple RAM you're buying the RAM, the instillation, security that if anything goes wrong, etc. That's more than worth it to many people who don't know the difference between a SSD and RAM.
Apple RAM is more expensive for the same reason Mercedes-Benz 2 Gb flash drive is a $52 option on there cars, because people make rash decisions when they are not buying the accessory itself but are clouded by the big ticket item. MacBook Pro or Mercedes S550, that is what people are seeing. My opinion is all.
No different then the Apple tax they instate on all upgrades and other products. Like the mini-hdmi cable and extra hdmi cord I bought for the Pro's on Amazon for a fraction of what Apple charges alone just for their mini-hdmi connector and does the same thing lol. A lot of people though don't know better and will pay it though so.....
we have a reseller here in France that sells you upgraded macs (you can get ram, a ssd, an optibay caddy and an external usb box for your superdrive); you pay the pieces you add a decent price, and they install all of it for free if you get their bundle.
(don't know if I can put commercial link here but here is the one I got):
http://www.macway.com/fr/product/23...-8-go-ssd-120-go-dd-500-go-5400-trmin-mw.html
in french but you get the idea
(keep in mind price in euros is generally for apple what you pay in dollars)
There's probably the same thing somewhere in the US.
But a good option, you don't have to do it yourself and risk the waranty (even if it's doable). Alternative is to do it yourself and of course not get any option from apple. never.
(don't know if I can put commercial link here but here is the one I got):
http://www.macway.com/fr/product/23...-8-go-ssd-120-go-dd-500-go-5400-trmin-mw.html
in french but you get the idea
(keep in mind price in euros is generally for apple what you pay in dollars)
There's probably the same thing somewhere in the US.
But a good option, you don't have to do it yourself and risk the waranty (even if it's doable). Alternative is to do it yourself and of course not get any option from apple. never.
Because it is a lot of hassle for Apple to upgrade your RAM. If you think about it, it makes it a custom order, so computer units have to be diverted from the production line before they are packaged, then someone needs to open the computer up, and install the RAM, then seal it up. Then they have to check the computer still works correctly. Then send the computer off to be properly packaged, and then kept separate from other packaged units until it is shipped to your door.
On the other hand, it takes you about 10 minutes to pull the bottom case off, put in new RAM, and seal it up.
Therefore, factory installed RAM costs more, because Apple don't want to have CTOs messing up their assembly lines.
On the other hand, it takes you about 10 minutes to pull the bottom case off, put in new RAM, and seal it up.
Therefore, factory installed RAM costs more, because Apple don't want to have CTOs messing up their assembly lines.
Last edited: