Stop Paying Apple Tax
The Apple tax is no joke, but so is the typical fear of an Apple owner to reveal their systems and feed their Mac with delicious, inexpensive memory. But here’s the thing: if you pay Apple for self-installable RAM, you’re wasting money. Full stop.
How many? Let’s count.
Apple’s latest 27-inch iMac costs $ 1,799 for the base version without any modifications. That gives you a decent 8GB of DDR4 memory, but I’d say the smartest systems currently available for gamers and creative professionals should go up to at least 16GB. You may never need more of this, so why not make the most of it while you can?
Problem? If you choose this update through Apple – when you set up your system before you buy – you’ll pay $ 200 for that additional 8GB. And if you dare to go higher, prices will become even more insane:
- 32 GB (+ $ 600)
- 64 GB (+ $ 1000)
- 128 GB (+ $ 2600)
While very few of us will ever need 128GB of storage – mostly those tinkering with animated graphics and video editing – the upgrade cost is quite high. You can buy a second computer with even better specs than the base 27-inch iMac for just paying for that memory. This becomes even less reasonable when you realize that PC owners can easily equip their desktops with a full 128GB of memory, which is faster than Apple’s in frequency for one quarter of the price .
So if you are buying a new Mac, what do you do?
Before buying a Mac, check to see if it can be upgraded.
You can open some iMacs and upgrade the memory yourself if you like. But this is not always easy. Your best bet is to check first if Apple allows your system’s memory to be accessed and replaced (or augmented).
Luckily, Apple provides a pretty handy list of Macs to upgrade right here . (As for the MacBook, big chance .) Our example above, the most recent 27-inch iMac, is compatible .
You will, of course, have to purchase your own memory that exactly matches your system’s specifications (provided by Apple). You can also just cheat and use one of the web tools from a manufacturer like OWC to acquire exactly the memory your system needs to run.
You can probably save money by doing it yourself instead of using OWC kits, but you run the risk of choosing memory that won’t work with your Mac. Since you probably want to do just one hit and already going to save a lot of money by buying a RAM from Apple, OWC offers may be good enough for you – do not be ashamed, but be aware that there are other options. there.
Save hundreds (or thousands) with a little work
As for the savings, it will be significant. Here’s another list of what it will cost Apple to upgrade the memory:
- 32 GB (+ $ 600)
- 64 GB ($ 1000 )
- 128 GB (+ $ 2600)
Get the base storage for your iMac (8GB) and spring for the OWC kit, and you’ll pay as follows:
- 32 GB ($ 120)
- 64 GB ($ 270)
- 128GB ($ 600)
Apple tax is real guys.
Now you’ll have to install this memory yourself, but it’s hardly worth paying $ 500 to $ 2,000 to have Apple take care of your name. It’s absurdly easy to do; Apple will even show you how to do this . Here’s a quick version of the process for Apple’s latest iMac:
- Unplug your iMac and gently place it on the display.
- Press the gray button below the AC power port to open the memory compartment.
- Free the DIMMs (your RAM) by ejecting both visible cards and pulling them towards you.
- Remove and replace your memory, making sure you correctly orient the notch of each DIMM to the left or right (depending on your Mac’s design).
- When finished, use the levers to secure the DIMMs in place and reinstall the memory bay panel.
These instructions will differ depending on which iMac you have – older iMacs may even require you to use a screwdriver to access the memory compartment. In any case, Apple’s instructions should be clear to even the most inexperienced computer hobbyist.
What about the benefits? Well, potentially saving thousands of dollars in five minutes of work is the best compromise you’ll ever make with your Mac. Stop paying Apple tax.