Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level.

Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level.

      Mac RAM upgrade costs have surged due to the global memory shortage.

      Apple's prices for Mac RAM upgrades were already high enough to draw attention. Following the latest increases, some of these prices now appear extravagant.

      Recently, Apple raised prices for its Mac and iPad products, attributing the hikes to escalating memory and storage costs. While the supply shortage is genuine, Mac buyers were facing steep charges for RAM and SSD upgrades well before these latest increases. Screenshots of recent MacBook Pro configurations shared by 9to5Mac illustrate how much the upgrade options have deteriorated.

      Apple's upgrades were already overpriced.

      The screenshots reveal a configuration of the MacBook Pro where 48GB of unified memory comes standard. Prior to the price increase, upgrading to 64GB, or adding 16GB of memory, cost $200. Upgrading to 128GB, or adding 80GB of memory, was priced at $1,000. Post-increase, those same upgrades are now listed at $400 and $2,000, respectively. Apple has effectively doubled the prices for these memory upgrades, and it seems that many other Mac configurations have experienced similar markups.

      The timing of this increase is unfortunate, as Apple's pricing on upgrades was already challenging to defend. Notebookcheck recently reported that Apple charges $200 for an 8GB RAM upgrade while the estimated market price is about $120. The cost of Apple's 16GB upgrade is $400, compared to an approximate market price of $185.

      Storage upgrade prices are even more difficult to justify. Apple asks for $1,200 for a 4TB SSD upgrade, while similar SSDs are priced around $459. The comparison isn't perfect, as Apple uses soldered unified memory and integrated storage instead of standard removable parts. Unfortunately, this locked design means buyers can't upgrade memory and storage later.

      Ultimately, customers are the ones facing the higher costs.

      In the end, it's the Mac buyers who bear these inflated prices. Apple can point to rising memory and storage prices, which are indeed a reality. However, the company's RAM and SSD upgrades have already been priced significantly higher than similar market hardware prior to the current shortage becoming so severe.

      For customers, there are no easy alternatives. You must either accept Apple's elevated prices from the start or settle for the base configuration throughout the device's lifespan. As RAM and SSD prices continue to escalate, Apple's already steep upgrade costs are starting to seem unreasonable for anyone needing additional capacity.

Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level. Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level.

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Apple's tax on RAM upgrades for Macs, which has always been high, has now reached an unreasonable level.

Mac purchasers are facing increased RAM upgrade costs on certain configurations, with prices now doubled, despite Apple's upgrade fees already being significantly higher than standard market prices.