3 ms·
Apple RAM prices always had quite a bit of margin though, I think they charged around 4x the going market rate per GB (that said you can't fully compare their R
by ThePhysicist 4mo ago
Apple RAM prices always had quite a bit of margin though, I think they charged around 4x the going market rate per GB (that said you can't fully compare their RAM to a loose DIMM stick). I was planning to pick up a new Mac Studio this autumn, now I'll have to see if I can afford it, though I have been spending 1,000 USD on LLM subscriptions in some months so I guess even a 10,000 USD Studio Mac amortizes quite fast if it allows me to run coding models locally.
- Xiol 4mo agoThat's an expensive looking 'if'.
- dirasieb 4mo agothere's no local AI model that comes even close to the ones you get access to by paying 1000 USD per month
- digitaltrees 4mo agoThe large models are really close in my experience. Just slower.
- esperent 4mo ago> you can't fully compare their RAM to a loose DIMM stick Why?
- kg 4mo agoIIRC modern Apple devices integrate the memory into the whole SoC instead of making it separate on the board and replaceable. It's definitely not swappable like a DIMM or CAMM module would be. Can't find a photo of a decapped M4 chip to prove it, though...
- MadnessASAP 4mo agoIts not integrated to the SoC, it is soldered to the mainboard though.
- theshackleford 4mo agoThe memory is not integrated into the SoC die itself, but it is packaged alongside the SoC rather than being separately mounted.
- esperent 4mo agoAt Apple scale I would have thought that makes it cheaper, not more expensive.
- theshackleford 4mo agoI wouldn’t know honestly, it’s not one of my “special” areas of interest so I lack the knowledge haha. I’m just mates with a dude who’s been an Apple hardware engineer for a long time.
- lynguist 4mo agoCheck my sibling comment for a photo link (M1); or here: https://macmagazine.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18-teardown-mac-mini-chip-m1-2.jpg https://macmagazine.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18-tea...
- lynguist 4mo agohttps://macmagazine.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18-teardown-mac-mini-chip-m1-2.jpg https://macmagazine.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/18-tea... This image shows it best. The memory is on the same package as the SoC. (It's not on the motherboard.)
- yreg 4mo agoThe funny thing is that currently Apple's RAM upgrades are cheaper than the loose dimm sticks. I've just got a new MBP this month, because I expect the prices to rise significantly with the new macbooks in the fall.
- deleted 4mo ago[deleted]
- theturtletalks 4mo agoI would wait until the next Mac Studio. Rumors are it will have 768GB max memory and with the M6 Max chip, even faster prefill. I feel like it’s the endgame.
- kilroy123 4mo agoYeah for like $25,000+
- theturtletalks 4mo agoProbably will be but I have a feeling the days of $20 and $100 coding plans are winding down. Now that people are so used to using agents, they will raise prices and tighten their grip. At $20k, I might be tempted.