Mac RAM Upgrade: Options, Limits and Prices

Can you upgrade the RAM in a Mac?

In most cases, no. Every Mac with an Apple M-series chip has its memory built into the chip package, so there is nothing to add after you buy it. An upgrade is only possible on a short list of older Intel models: the 27-inch iMac from late 2009 to 2020 and the MacBook Pro from 2008 to mid 2012. Those machines take standard SO-DIMM modules, the same small laptop sticks many Windows notebooks use.

If you want the basics first, such as what memory does and why a full memory slows a computer down, start with what RAM is. This page goes through each kind of Mac, tells you which modules fit and shows what they cost this week.

Start by finding the exact model. Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. The window shows the model name with its year, for example iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020), and the amount of memory installed now. You need that full name to use the tables below, because Apple's limits change from one model year to the next.

Apple silicon Macs: the memory is part of the chip

Since Apple moved to its own chips in 2020, it has placed the memory inside the package of the M-series chip. Apple says so in plain words for the Mac mini, from the M1 model of 2020 up to the M6: the memory is integrated and can't be upgraded, so you pick it when you buy. Apple says the same about the 24-inch iMac from 2021 on. All Apple silicon Macs share this unified memory design, which includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with an M-series chip.

There is no slot, no module and no adapter that changes this. An external SSD adds storage space, but it does not add working memory.

This makes the order screen the only moment that counts. Pick too little and the only fix later is a new Mac. Pick a size that leaves room for the next few years of updates and heavier apps, since you will keep the machine for its whole life with the memory you chose on day one.

New Mac: which memory size to order

Because the size is fixed, it helps to know what Apple offers before you check out. The table lists the memory options Apple gives for its current laptops, based on Apple's own tech specs pages.

The prices in the first column are Apple's US list prices, not prices from our data. Newegg's 2026 guide puts 16GB at the level for browsing, office and school work and 32GB at the level for photo editing and light video, and although it is written for PCs, those tiers are a useful starting point for a Mac too. If you edit photos or video, run virtual machines or keep many heavy apps open, a step up at checkout is the only chance you get. Our guide on how much RAM you need goes through the tiers for each type of work.

Not sure whether your current Mac is short on memory? Open Activity Monitor and choose the Memory tab. It shows the physical memory installed, the memory used, compressed memory and swap used, plus a Memory Pressure graph. Apple says you can use that graph to judge whether your Mac could use more RAM. Check it during a normal working day before you decide how much to order on the next one.

MacBook Pro: only the models up to mid 2012

Apple keeps a page that lists the MacBook Pro models where you can swap the memory yourself. It names only the 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models from 2008 to mid 2012. Apple adds that any laptop not on that page has memory you cannot remove. Look up your exact model on that page before you order anything.

The 2011 and mid 2012 models have two SO-DIMM slots for 204-pin DDR3 modules. The 2011 MacBook Pro uses 1333MHz memory, the mid 2012 model 1600MHz. Apple gives 8GB as the maximum for both, as two 4GB modules. So if you want to give a 2011 MacBook Pro more memory, the kit to look for is 2 x 4GB of DDR3 SO-DIMM.

The 2015 MacBook Pro is not on the list. People often ask about a 16GB upgrade for it, but Apple says its memory is not removable. The same goes for every later Intel model and for every MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with an M-series chip.

The table sums up what Apple lists for the MacBook Pro line.

iMac: only the 27-inch models have slots you can reach

The 27-inch iMac from late 2009 to 2020 is the one Mac line that is easy to upgrade. Apple lists four user accessible SO-DIMM slots for it. The 21.5-inch iMac is a different story: Apple says its memory is not removable by users on the late 2012, late 2013, mid 2014, 2017 and 2019 models, although an Apple Authorized Service Provider may offer an upgrade. The late 2015 21.5-inch models cannot be upgraded at all, and the 24-inch iMac with an M-series chip from 2021 on has its memory in the chip.

The table shows what Apple lists for the 27-inch models.

The 2020 model ships with 8GB as standard. Apple lists the memory for it as unbuffered and non-parity SO-DIMM.

Which memory to buy for an older Mac

An older Mac takes the same kind of SO-DIMM modules as a Windows laptop. Match the type (DDR3 or DDR4), the speed and the capacity per module to what Apple lists for your model.

The table shows the laptop memory kits that fit the upgradeable Macs, with the number of kits in our data and the cheapest one we found at Adorama, Amazon.com, B&H Photo, Best Buy, Corsair.com, Newegg and Walmart this week. Prices are excluding sales tax, last checked on November 2, 2026.

DDR3 laptop memory is an old product, so the choice is small and a size can be out of stock in a given week. DDR4 SO-DIMM is still widely sold. Every DDR4 laptop kit we track, with the price per GB, is on our DDR4 laptop RAM page, and all sizes and both generations are on the laptop RAM prices page.

The installation itself is short. Kingston's advice for any computer applies: shut it down, unplug the power cable and touch a separate piece of bare metal first, because static can damage the parts. Corsair adds that with a free slot you should match the type, capacity and frequency of the module already installed. Our guide on how to upgrade RAM covers the general steps.

Common mistakes

• Buying memory for a Mac that cannot take it. Every Apple silicon Mac and every MacBook Pro after mid 2012 has fixed memory. Check the model name before you pay.
• Assuming a 2015 MacBook Pro has a slot. It does not, so a 16GB upgrade for it is not possible.
• Ordering desktop memory. Macs with slots use SO-DIMM laptop modules. A full size desktop stick does not fit.
• Mixing up DDR3 and DDR4. The 27-inch iMac moved to DDR4 in 2017. The 2015 and older models need DDR3, and a module of the other generation will not fit.
• Going past Apple's maximum. A 2011 MacBook Pro tops out at 8GB in Apple's list, so a 16GB kit is money you do not need to spend.
• Saving on memory when you order a new Mac. You cannot add any later, so the checkout screen is your only upgrade.