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Mac mini 2014 has non-upgradable RAM

Apple’s new Mac mini has one new quirk that may prove particularly undesirable to prospective buyers – non-upgradable RAM.

Previous Mac mini models allowed the user to crack open the casing and replace its memory units, thus enabling you to boost its RAM as required.

The new Mac mini, announced on Thursday, won’t feature this ability. As discovered by the Macminicolo blog, Apple has opted to solder the RAM modules to the motherboard for its new entry-level Mac.

You can still specify up to 16GB of RAM from the off, but once you’ve decided, there’s no going back. Or forward, in this case.

Of course, the Mac mini is effectively a MacBook in a small, screenless box, but the fact that previous iterations enabled you to tinker with the RAM setup will make this omission particularly galling to some users.

This isn’t the only area of limitation for the new Mac mini, either. Apple has limited the build-your-own specification element to include just dual-core processors (no quad-core), and the storage options don’t go any higher than 1TB (the iMac goes up to 3TB).

Meanwhile, the report claims that while it’s possible to upgrade the Mac Mini’s hard drive yourself, doing so may well void your warranty.

Still, the Mac mini remains the most affordable entry point to the world of Apple computers. Indeed, it’s even more accessible now, with a starting price of £399 for a 1.4GHz dual-core i5 model with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.

Read More: OS X Yosemite review

Via: MacRumours

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