Why can't I increase the RAM on Macbook Air and Retina? MacBook Pro Retina RAM: replacement and upgrade RAM for macbook pro 13

Modern, thin, light and powerful, the MacBook pro Retina is almost perfect. it can handle almost any task, but if for some reason the retina’s performance is not enough for you, we start thinking about an upgrade. Any upgrade means replacing the hard drive with an SSD, increasing the amount of RAM, replacing the video card and processor.

But if we are talking about the MacBook - in all modern models, starting from 2009 (and in some cases even earlier), it is very difficult to replace the central (CPU) or graphics (GPU, video card) processor - BGA soldering is required, accurate calculation of process parameters, and installation is possible only using a limited number of chips, which do not differ very much from each other in performance. SSDs are already installed in all models with a Retina display, so only the storage capacity can be increased. Now we come close to the topic of this article. Is it possible to replace the RAM of a MacBook Pro Retina 2013? Yes and no, but more on that:

Increasing the RAM of a MacBook Pro Retina is a technically very complex, time-consuming and difficult to achieve process.

• The MacBook Pro Retina RAM in all models, like the MacBook Air, is integrated into the motherboard!

And, although it is officially considered non-removable (for example, in a report on the MacBook Pro 13 Retina system, the RAM is represented by two “non-removable” modules), it is technically possible to replace the RAM chips (modules) with more “volumetric” ones, however, this raises the question of financial feasibility and profitability of such an upgrade. The operation requires a soldering station, and the engineer performing the re-soldering will need unique experience, since memory chips are changed in groups, and such a replacement cannot be compared in complexity even with reinstalling a graphics processor (GPU, video chip) on Apple boards - even a slight deviation of the technological process parameters from the required ones regulations leads to failure of memory chips or the entire motherboard.

Of course, there is always another option - replacing the motherboard. This is an expensive operation and we can only recommend it if you have tried all other ways to increase the performance of your system.

If you still decide to replace the board, entrust this operation to better knowledgeable engineers, who work exclusively with trusted suppliers, since you will hardly be able to check the condition and “source” of components yourself. The issue of board quality is very important and, of course, does not require unnecessary justification.

Now it is urgent to install maximum modifications of boards, since the RAM of the macbook pro retina, even in the minimum configuration, is now 8 GB (the very first samples of the MacBook Retina 13 with 4 GB of RAM have long left the market, and they can only be found on various forums). But at the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that the cost of such a board will be 50-70% of the cost of a working (not always new) Mac.

So, is the macbook pro retina RAM upgradable?

• Yes, but in practice this means replacing the entire motherboard and you should resort to this option only as a last resort, having assessed all the pros and cons in advance.

If you really need to increase the RAM memory of your macbook pro retina, we, MacBookPro-Fix, are ready to select the appropriate option for you and install the board in the shortest possible period of time. If you need to replace the memory chips themselves, you shouldn’t give up either, each case deserves a separate study, and we can offer our recommendations based on the results of a free diagnosis.

Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.

If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.

Warranty and responsibility

A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.

Half the success in Apple repair is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so a good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts for current models, so you don’t have to waste extra time.

Free diagnostics

This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for the service center. Diagnostics is the most difficult and important part of the repair, but you don't have to pay a penny for it, even if you don't repair the device based on its results.

Service repairs and delivery

A good service values ​​your time, so it offers free delivery. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.

Convenient schedule

If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00

The reputation of professionals consists of several points

Company age and experience

Reliable and experienced service has been known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.

How many masters in areas

If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give your Macbook for repair to an expert in the field of Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices

Technical literacy

If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.

MD104LL is equipped with two 4Gb SO-DIMM DDR3 PC3-12800 HMT351S6CFR8C-PB 1600MHz CL9 (9-9-9-24) RAM modules, manufactured by the South Korean company Hynix. There is nothing supernatural in this memory, in the sense that the memory can be easily replaced with any other one you like.

I spotted inexpensive memory on eBay from the manufacturer Corsair, model CMSA16GX3M2A1333C9, set of 2 8Gb sticks, operating frequency 1333MHz. Ordered, installed - everything works. Usually my laptop never turns off, but suddenly dancing with a tambourine began. When turned on, the computer showed a loading window and went into reboot again. Moreover, this symptom only appeared if the computer was not working for a long time. From the 3rd to 5th time the computer turned on and worked as if nothing had happened. Google only helped me find people with a similar problem and, alas, without a solution. I was already upset, how come the Mac is buggy? The problem could not be determined for a long time, because... Immediately after purchasing the Mac, I installed OptiBay (which I will write about in the next article) and Corsair RAM. And to test the problem, you need to turn off the computer and wait 3-4 hours and then turn it on again, imagine how much time and nerves were spent :)

Everywhere on the sites they write to reset the cache when loading, and there are a lot of other recommendations that did not help. Finally it dawned on me to install the native Hynix RAM and lo and behold - everything worked smoothly! At this moment I was taken aback, is it really possible that Macintosh computers have really unusual RAM? My friend's ASUS laptop was used. We installed this RAM in it and glitches really began to manifest themselves in it too! By the method of exclusion it was found that one strip is defective!

For the first time in my life I held “broken RAM” in my hands, although I am a fan of Kingston. No matter how many computers I have had, I have always installed memory from this manufacturer and never had any problems, according to the principle - install and forget. I went back to searching the Internet and on the Kingston website I found the ideal option for a brand new, sizzling RAM Kingston HyperX 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 SODIMM (Kit of 2) HyperX Plug n Play - KHX16S9P1K2/16. The main search criterion was CL9 timings, because... CL11 has very long timings (11-11-11-34/37, versus CL9 9-9-9-24). Because of this, oza is not cheap and I had to take a second risk. Ordered, installed, as expected from Kingston - set and forget!

So, the pitfalls:
If your Mac suddenly starts to turn on poorly, randomly reboots, has trouble waking up from sleep mode, and other hemorrhoids - start looking for the problem with RAM! Install any other brackets from any other used computer and perhaps you will find a solution to the problem instantly!

For a MacBook, replacing RAM may be necessary regardless of when the laptop was released: this is influenced by the tasks performed and the resource intensity of applications. Actually, increasing the amount of RAM (RAM) is one of the few available upgrade solutions, and it is recommended to resort to it at the first opportunity.

Apple laptops have two slots for RAM, but often only one slot is installed initially. Models released before approximately 2008 have 2 GB of RAM; between 2008 and 2010-2011, laptops were produced with 4 GB of RAM pre-installed. Most modern models have 8 GB. Thus, installing an additional bar will allow double the RAM, which will have a significant impact on performance.

Of course, the RAM in a MacBook may need to be replaced if it breaks down. For example, if the laptop was flooded, the contacts could oxidize. The bar could be damaged if it fell, or if the MacBook was disassembled by a non-specialist. Another common case is when the MacBook does not see one of the RAM slots (connectors), in which case you have to resolder the RAM connector on the MacBook. In any case, before purchasing replacement RAM, you need to check diagnostics and make sure that this is where the problem lies.

Rules for choosing replacement RAM for MacBooks

• It is recommended to install brackets from the same manufacturer in both slots. If you are planning to upgrade, you should buy Hynix or Samsung RAM (MacBooks usually have modules from these brands); you need to check the specific brand for each individual laptop. If the RAM on a MacBook is replaced due to a breakdown, you can choose any manufacturer.
• Both slots must contain bars of the same volume. Of course, when replacing RAM on a MacBook, you can connect another RAM - the system should start in this case. But when working in some applications, you may encounter problems, including the laptop rebooting and a blue screen appearing, so it’s better not to risk it.
• It is imperative that both strips operate at the same frequency. Ideally, replacing RAM on a MacBook is done with RAM at the same frequency. True, some models allow frequency increases from 1066 MHz to 1333 MHz, but before purchasing, be sure to make sure that your laptop is one of them.

If you are choosing RAM for a replacement MacBook, you can check the RAM specifications by contacting Apple technical support. You can also use the correspondence table.

But the best option is to contact a service center.

Today we will tell how to replace out of order RAM or just increase its volume by adding a new one. In fact, everything is extremely simple and does not require superhuman resources. We assure you that everyone can do this.

So, first we will need to familiarize ourselves with the requirements for the latest MacBook Pro 13", 15" and 17", released in 2011. We will consider only those Macs with memory less than the maximum 8GB, while those with 8GB have the same requirements same.

So, the memory requirements are listed above. Absolutely any memory that meets these parameters will do. To avoid conflicts, we recommend buying two identical memories of the same size.

So step 1: you need to remove the back plate of the Macbook Pro; to do this, turn the computer over and sequentially unscrew all the screws that hold the back cover. I would like to point out right away: choose exactly the screwdriver! The screws are very small! Do not try to unscrew them with a knife or other improvised means - you may break the thread. The author of this instruction failed on this, so don’t be lazy and find a screwdriver.

Step 2. After we have removed the cover (it can be removed with a simple upward movement), we proceed directly to the RAM. To the right of the RAM block there is a power cable coming from the battery; it is recommended to remove it (but you can do without it). To remove it, feel free to grab it with your hand and pull it towards you. Do not remove the battery. The fact that the cable has moved away from the contacts is enough. On the sides of the RAM block we see two levers: we stretch them in different directions. After this operation, the RAM should seem to “jump out at you”.

Step 3. We remove the memory from the slots, take out both cards one by one, insert our new ones in their place, or replace only one if you are planning to increase it to 6GB. Press the boards (not too much) downwards until you hear a characteristic click. If a click occurs, everything is ok, you can assemble the computer (close the lid and screw it on).

Step 4. Go to “About This Mac” (click on the apple in the top panel). We check whether the computer saw the correct frequency (1333Mhz - in this case the correct one):

Step 5. Click “More details” We check whether the computer has seen all the memory, in my case it is 8GB.

That's all! We have successfully replaced RAM in MacBook Pro 13"/15"/17" 2011. Good luck!