While Macs certainly aren't as easy to upgrade every bit a typical PC, it'southward surprisingly simple to upgrade some components like RAM—especially if you've got a Mac desktop or an older laptop. Adding more RAM tin jiff new life into an sometime Mac.

As ever, make sure y'all know what you lot're doing earlier diving in. If y'all've got an old Mac that's out of warranty, you lot tin can have more than risks than if you lot're thinking about tearing open a brand new MacBook Pro.

Finding Your Mac's Model

Macs are regularly refreshed and even if newer models don't look all that different, big changes tin can happen on the inside. A 21.5" iMac from 2012 and a 21.5" Retina iMac from 2016 might await the aforementioned at a casual glance, just they're totally different computers. To find out exactly what Mac you lot have, click the Apple logo in the height left corner of the card bar, and then select the "About This Mac" command.

On the Overview tab, you'll encounter your Mac's exact model. I've got MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015).

When you lot know what model you have, you lot can discover out whether you can upgrade the RAM yourself.

On Which Macs Can You Upgrade the RAM?

Whether or non you can upgrade the RAM in your Mac—and how piece of cake it is to practise so—depends entirely on the model. Some iMacs, like all the 27" models, have an access panel specifically for calculation RAM. And it takes only a few seconds to popular that console off.

Other modelss, like the latest 21.5" iMac models, require you to remove the screen and logic board—a process that will take at least a few hours. As things stand now, y'all can upgrade the RAM yourself in the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Core ii Duo
  • MacBook Unibody
  • MacBook Pro 13" (Mid 2009-Mid 2012)
  • MacBook Pro fifteen" (Late 2008-Mid 2012)
  • MacBook Pro 17" (All Models)
  • iMac 17" (All Models)
  • iMac 20" (All Models)
  • iMac 21.v" (All Models)
  • iMac 24" (All Models)
  • iMac 27" (All Models)
  • Mac Mini (Mid 2010-Belatedly 2012)
  • Mac Pro (All Models)

Unfortunately, in the final few years Apple has taken to soldering the RAM to the motherboard of the figurer—peculiarly on laptops. You currently cannot upgrade the RAM yourself in these Mac models:

  • iMac Pro (All Models)
  • Retina MacBook (All Models)
  • MacBook Air 11" (All Models)
  • MacBook Air 13" (All Models)
  • MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display (All Models)
  • MacBook Pro thirteen" with Bear on Bar (All Models)
  • MacBook Pro 15" with Retina Brandish (All Models)
  • MacBook Pro 15" with Affect Bar (All Models)

How to Upgrade the RAM in Your Mac

Information technology'southward far across the telescopic of this article to talk you through every possible Mac RAM upgrade. Instead, I'chiliad going to pass you lot over to our friends at iFixit who specialize in this sort of thing. They have detailed guides for replacing the RAM in any Mac where it is possible. They also sell all the tools and components yous need to make the upgrade.

Head to iFixit and discover the guides for your Mac model. And obviously, you won't find guides for models that don't permit you upgrade the RAM. Each guide has links to all the components and tools you need to exercise the chore.

You can see below that upgrading the RAM in a 27" iMac is a uncomplicated job. All y'all have to do is pop open the access panel, remove the existing RAM modules, add your new modules, and and so replace the console. The whole thing should take less than five minutes.

And when you lot've installed the new RAM, your Mac should kicking upwardly every bit normal. If yous have any issues, check out our guide to troubleshooting your Mac.