Is the Retina MacBook Pro RAM User-upgradeable?

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Level 1

13 points

Is the Retina MacBook Pro RAM User-upgradeable?

Ivy Bridge, just like Sandy Bridge, supports RAM upgrades all the way to 32 GB. However, Apple seems to be limiting this to 16 GB. Websites like Crucial will sell you a 32GB RAM package for the same price as Apple offers you a 16GB ram upgrade. Can anyone enlighten me on this? Will the Retina MacBook Pro be able to upgrade the RAM separately say after a year or so of owning it? I have heard that the RAM is soldered to the board, but there are also indications that there is an upgrade tab on the top right-hand corner of the RAM card location.

Posted on Jun 12, 2012 11:50 PM

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Answer 1

Maziyar

Level 1

15 points

Jun 13, 2012 12:54 AM in response to SOJHA

Take a look at this pal. Seems to me there is no way we can replace anything from this architecture:

And as you mentioned, the other people are saying they all soldered.

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Answer 2

SOJHA Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:04 AM in response to Maziyar

Would the battery at some point be replaceable? I know it lasts long but even so?

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Answer 3

wjosten

Level 10

95,321 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:07 AM in response to SOJHA

Nothing...absolutely nothing in the new Retina MacBook Pro's is designed to be user upgradable or serviceable. Even the screws are tamper resistant & the battery is glued in place.

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Answer 4

jws1982

Level 2

175 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:10 AM in response to SOJHA

The battery doesn't even appear to be one unit. It looks like it's 6 different smaller batteries.

Notice the SSD being in a mini SATA slot, and having a screw holding it down. It will be replaceable, but we'll see when or if any parts come available.

Apple would have to make the battery and SSD replaceable, as those are the two parts that will go bad eventually. They don't want Apple Stores having to replace entire machines because those go out.

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Answer 5

SOJHA Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:19 AM in response to jws1982

By SSD you mean the flash memory boards right? There's no SSD in the retinas

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Answer 6

jws1982

Level 2

175 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:33 AM in response to SOJHA

"flash memory" and "solid state" mean the same thing. The black boxes above the 2nd-to-left battery is the flash memory, or solid state disk. Same thing.

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Answer 7

jws1982

Level 2

175 points

Jun 13, 2012 9:37 AM in response to jws1982

Also, on the RAM, Apple may have soldered it straght to the board. But, it still probably follows the same connection pattern as having two SODIMM slots, like they had before. I don't believe 16gb SODIMM chips are out yet, so that's why they only offer 8GB (2x4GB) and 16GB (2x8GB) setups.

Personally, I don't see any need to put the memory straight on the logic board, only to force people to upgrade directly through Apple. DIMM slots are about the thinnest things out there, and there appears to have been plenty of room to put two of them in there.

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Answer 8

Kliffy

Level 1

14 points

Aug 6, 2012 7:36 PM in response to SOJHA

What if i took my Retina MacBook Pro after a year or so to apple genius bar to upgrade Ram they will say no?! I know Its not user upgradeable but even apple won't upgrade it?!

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Answer 9

Maziyar

Level 1

15 points

Aug 6, 2012 10:24 PM in response to Kliffy

Sorry there is no way to change or upgrade the RAM. This is what Apple says when you want to buy a MBPR in Memory section:

"Note that every MacBook Pro with Retina display comes with 8GB of memory built into the computer. If you think you may need 16GB of memory in the future, it is important to upgrade at the time of purchase, because memory cannot be upgraded later in this model."

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Answer 10

Feb 28, 2013 9:32 PM in response to wjosten

Actually that's not neccessarily true! (I know that this thread is old prior to the Retina's release, but) OWC released a video upgrading the Retina's SSD on Youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7mzTB5KoAw

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Answer 11

Network 23

Level 6

12,333 points

Feb 28, 2013 9:51 PM in response to Kliffy

Kliffy wrote:

What if i took my Retina MacBook Pro after a year or so to apple genius bar to upgrade Ram they will say no?! I know Its not user upgradeable but even apple won't upgrade it?!

Right now there is no facility anywhere in the world, not even Apple, that will upgrade the RAM of a Retina MacBook Pro. If there is a way, it would be risky. If you ever think you'll need more RAM, order it with the maximum from the start.

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