Apple's new MacBook Pro models are powered by cutting-edge M3 Apple silicon, but the base configuration 14-inch model starting at $1,599...

8GB RAM in M3 MacBook Pro Proves the Bottleneck in Real-World Tests::Apple’s new MacBook Pro models are powered by cutting-edge M3 Apple silicon, but the base configuration 14-inch model starting at $1,599…

  • Iwasondigg@lemmy.oneEnglish
    321·
    11 months ago

    Don’t they also solder it to the motherboard so you can’t upgrade your RAM as well?

    • BorgDrone@lemmy.oneEnglish
      491·
      11 months ago

      It’s not so much soldered to the motherboard as much as part of the same package as the CPU. As in: there are no separate memory chips.

      • GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        231·
        11 months ago

        But they did indeed solder it in before that, on their old Intel laptops. I think they started doing that in 2013 or 2014 but I forget exactly.

        • 4am@lemm.eeEnglish
          51·
          11 months ago

          That has more to do with faster traces; the ram is “closer” to the CPU so the signal is cleaner.

          Not defending the move, I’d take upgradability in a laptop.

          • TwanHE@lemmy.worldEnglish
            31·
            11 months ago

            Only makes a difference at oc levels of manual tuning. Which apple isn’t doing at their factory I reckon.

            • 4am@lemm.eeEnglish
              2·
              11 months ago

              I mean, when you’re the one manufacturing the board, I’m pretty sure you could eek out some more baseline performance without having to tweak each one for OC in the production line, my dude.

              • TwanHE@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                11 months ago

                At 100gb/s for the base model there probably actively downclocking the ram to make the higher end models more attractive.

      • Billiam@lemmy.worldEnglish
        41·
        11 months ago

        So wait- if you want to increase your RAM, you have to install a whole new CPU?

        • Lupec@lemm.eeEnglish
          7·
          11 months ago

          That’s soldered as well! It’s theoretically possible but way too involved for most to bother with hiring a professional to get it done or what have you.

    • Petter1@lemm.eeEnglish
      125·
      11 months ago

      Lol, the ram is part of the m3 chip That’s a reason why it is so efficient. The storage in m3 is for RAM and videoRAM.

      Wikipedia: The M3’s Unified Memory Architecture features up to 24 GB RAM, the M3 Pro up to 36 GB, and the M3 Max up to 128 GB. Like the M2 generation, the M3 SoCs use 6,400 MT/s LPDDR5 SDRAM. As with prior M series SoCs, this serves as both RAM and video RAM.

    • Sendbeer@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      11 months ago

      Well yeah, if you were paying $50 a GB wouldn’t you too? Got to lock that shit down!