Can I upgrade the unified memory on Apple M4 Max?

Question

Hey everyone! I’m finally looking to pull the trigger on a new MacBook Pro featuring the M4 Max chip. I’ve been holding onto my old Intel-based machine for way too long, and it’s finally time to make the jump to Apple Silicon.

I’ve been eyeing the specs, and the M4 Max looks like an absolute beast for what I do. I mainly handle heavy 8K video editing in DaVinci Resolve and I’ve recently started messing around with running local LLMs like Llama 3, which I know are incredibly hungry for VRAM. However, as much as I love the performance promises, the 'Apple Tax' on memory is giving me serious sticker shock. The price jump to get 64GB or even 128GB of unified memory at the time of purchase is pretty staggering and honestly pushes me way over my initial budget.

In the old days, I’d just buy the base model and swap in some higher-capacity sticks later when I had more cash, but I know things changed with the M-series transition. I’ve heard that because the M4 Max uses a 'Unified Memory Architecture' where the RAM is sitting right there on the package with the CPU and GPU, it’s a lot faster, but it also seems way more permanent. I’m curious if anything has actually changed with the M4 generation specifically. Is there any new modularity in the design that I might have missed in the keynotes, or is it still the same situation where everything is permanently soldered to the SoC?

I’m really worried about under-speccing and being stuck with a machine that can't handle my projects in two years, but I also don't want to throw away nearly a thousand dollars on an upgrade right now if there’s even a slim chance of adding more later.

Does anyone know for certain if the unified memory on the M4 Max can be upgraded after purchase, or are we still strictly locked into whatever configuration we choose at the checkout screen?

CinnamonCircuit · Accepted Answer

yo, late to the party but I gotta chime in on the safety of this! Basically, the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 Max 14-core CPU 32-core GPU uses a design where the memory is literally part of the chip package.

1. It's PERMANENTLY soldered down for speed.
2. No hidden slots exist, so there's zero chance of a safe DIY upgrade later.
3. Trying to swap it would 100% kill your logic board.

Honestly, I'm super satisfied with my choice, but you gotta spec it right now or you're stuck!! gl!

GlitchGiraffe · Answer

Oh man, I totally feel u on that sticker shock! I've been using the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 Max 14-core CPU 32-core GPU 36GB Unified Memory for a bit now, and honestly, the performance is insane, but the memory situation is... well, it's classic Apple.

Sooo, to give u the direct answer: no, u literally cannot upgrade the RAM later. Like, at all. I know, it sucks! Here is the technical breakdown of why you're basically locked in:

- The Apple M4 Max Chip uses what they call Unified Memory Architecture (UMA). The memory chips are literally soldered onto the same package as the SoC. It's not just on the motherboard; it's part of the actual processor housing.
- Because it's integrated, the bandwidth is amazing—we're talking up to 546GB/s on the Max—but that means there are no SODIMM slots or anything modular for us to mess with later.
- I checked the teardowns for the new Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch M4 Max 16-core CPU 40-core GPU and it's the exact same story as the M1/M2/M3 generations. No hidden ports, no modularity.

Since ur doing 8K video in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve 19 and running local LLMs like Meta Llama 3 70B, I'd highkey recommend stretching for at least 64GB or even the Apple MacBook Pro 128GB Unified Memory upgrade. LLMs will eat that VRAM for breakfast and youll be hitting swap constantly if u go too low. It's a massive upfront cost, but since u cant add more later, under-speccing now is gonna hurt way more in two years!

Anyway, hope that helps even if it's not the news u wanted to hear... gl with the build!! 👍

VioletVagabond · Answer

Same here!