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Update on Memory Prices for Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac
Related: iMac, laptop, Mac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, memory, Other World Computing
(This is a re-run with updated graphs).
Memory prices have plummeted this year.
Profit margins
One reason that Apple is so profitable is that Apple doesn’t pass along drops in component costs. Very profitable in the short run, but it has long turned me away from Apple for any kind of hardware upgrade; paying exorbitant prices for a commodity should make anyone feel foolish, and feeds the “Macs are expensive” dogma with the cold hard truth of cash. I don’t mind paying a moderate premium for a reliable vendor with good selection and service, but Apple’s premiums are wallet-emptying.
MacBook Pro memory (applies to iMac also)
For a new MacBook Pro, Apple still charges $400 to upgrade from 4GB to 8GB. Didn’t get that 8GB memory initially? Then it’s $600 from Apple.
View memory prices for the MacBook Pro or iMac at OWC.
The OWC price graphed below is for an 8GB kit; you can also get a rebate on your old memory ($25 as I write this). So the true cost for OWC memory is even lower than shown, about $98 for 8GB.
There are many 3rd-party memory vendors, but OWC tests their memory in every model of every Mac they sell it for in their test lab. I’ve bought all my memory from OWC, and have 100GB or so now in various Macs. It’s a shame that the MacBook Pro maxes-out at 8GB, or I’d stuff 32GB in mine.
Note that current iMac and MacBookPro memory are the same 1333MHz modules, so this means that a 16GB kit for the iMac is about $248 as I write this, pretty much a no-brainer for anyone using the iMac for serious work.
MacPro memory
The price is on trend to be less than half what it was in May.
View memory prices for the Mac Pro at OWC.
I’d have shown what Apple charges in this graph, but it’s so far off the chart it’s just too awkward: $1275 upcharge for a new Mac, or $1500 if bought later.
