RAM Soldered Into New Mac Mini To Block Memory Upgrades

Zarathustra[H];1041179926 said:
I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it is not as common as suggested previously in this thread.

I consider RAM to be some of the most stable and reliable components in a computer.

Usually once installed, unless you have a lightning strike or something of that nature it never goes bad. Typically damage occurs due to improper handling resulting in ESD or other damage during install / removal.

I've never been a grounding strap guy, but I'm always very careful to handle the RAM by the edges of the PCB, so I am not touching any of the leads or chips. These days now that most ram has heat spreaders, it's even more difficult to kill it. You'd have to be grabbing it by the leads at the bottom which is just stupid.
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I've seen at LEAST a dozen bad sticks of ram over the years. Now.... I've built/worked on HUNDREDS of computers so the average is low. It still happens.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041179926 said:
I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it is not as common as suggested previously in this thread.

I consider RAM to be some of the most stable and reliable components in a computer.

Usually once installed, unless you have a lightning strike or something of that nature it never goes bad. Typically damage occurs due to improper handling resulting in ESD or other damage during install / removal.

I've never been a grounding strap guy, but I'm always very careful to handle the RAM by the edges of the PCB, so I am not touching any of the leads or chips. These days now that most ram has heat spreaders, it's even more difficult to kill it. You'd have to be grabbing it by the leads at the bottom which is just stupid.
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reminds me of when I was trying to kill a RAM module and the only way I finally managed to do so was connect leads to my car battery.
 
WaltC said:
Heh...;) Back in the '80's everything was permanently soldered to the motherboard--to get an upgrade you had to swap out entire motherboards--which was expensive, considering you had to buy everything else on a new motherboard, too (cpu, gpu, etc.)
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Maybe in the 1970's with early computer builds and do-it-yourself kits, everything would need to be soldered.
What systems from the 1980's had everything soldered, CPU included?
 
ManofGod said:
Thank you for the link, that is much appreciated. I have been waiting to get one of these deals for a while now but this is fantastic. I have a spare SSD, Hard drive, Power supply and ram to use with it. I will probably just install Windows 10 preview on it.
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NP! When I first discovered it, it was $10 cheaper, but it is still a good deal, and I kind of like that cooler master case.

Almost wish I needed another HTPC :p
 
Red Falcon said:
Maybe in the 1970's with early computer builds and do-it-yourself kits, everything would need to be soldered.
What systems from the 1980's had everything soldered, CPU included?
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All the non-x86 computers (Atari, Commodore, TI 99 line, etc) all had the components soldered in. I can remember taking my Atari ST 512 into my Dad's work and using a heat gun to pull the old memory and then wiring in a massive 2MB daughter card in it's place.

I can remember my XT with the memory soldered in too. The AT 286 I had sockets for it's memory chips, individual sockets for each one. SIMMs/DIMMs were standard from the 386 on IIRC.
 
TroubleMagnet said:
All the non-x86 computers (Atari, Commodore, TI 99 line, etc) all had the components soldered in.
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Aside from the carts they utilized that was the norm for those platforms.

Chips were very expensive at the times and the platforms were more ot less fixed aside from plug in devices.
 
Azhar said:
Meh, not much different from making batteries unremoveable on various Macs and PCs. Part of the quest for being the thinnest too, I'm thinking.
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And thus, the desktop turns into a tablet.
I suppose for 99% of the population, this is just fine.

But for that 1% (us who are [H]), this is unacceptable!!! :eek:

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Zarathustra[H];1041177728 said:
Ever had a girlfriend?

I've never met a woman who didn't prefer a Mac to a PC, and rolled their eyes at me whenever I complained about all the limitations of Macs.

(
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My girl loathed her iphone. She was more than happy to switch to an android phone. I loved her the minute i saw her thinkpad on her desk and not a fruit in site.:D
 
t0ked said:
My girl loathed her iphone. She was more than happy to switch to an android phone. I loved her the minute i saw her thinkpad on her desk and not a fruit in site.:D
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I know two girls that wouldn't be caught dead with an Apple product. Both are HEAVY duty Android users. One's running an M8 and the other an S4.
 
I spent a bit over $5K on my last custom gaming rig. It lasted me a good many years, and continues to do so. For it's time, it was beastly. I just recently bought a Mac Pro to replace it. It cost me about a grand less, and is comparable in spec. (It also uses a lot less power, and is significantly quieter. Progress!)

Despite all the Mac hate on this site, modern Apples are very decent (if pricey) machines. More than just clueless wemminz and Starbucks-swilling hipsters buy Apple products. There's also the neck-bearded Linux zealots like myself. I consider myself to be strongly technically inclined. I have the skill set to build a more powerful computer by hand. I have the experience to buy something stronger, faster, and cheaper than the Mac Pro. And I still didn't. Why?

It's not because of marketing, despite what you'd like to believe. It's because of the solid user interface, the powerful subsystem, the compatibility with just about every standard under the sun, the quality hardware, and my own past experiences with stuff "just working the way I think it should". I've continued to invest in the Apple ecosystem as a result of these reasons, and will likely continue to do so. I'm happy with my Mac, even if that makes me a Sheeple who buys crApple products made for iDiots. Besides, everyone knows that hipsters are Android users these days. ;)

(Side note: I experimented with Hackintosh solutions several times over the years, and eventually gave up. The oddest quirks show up at the worst times, and I solve problems like that all day at work. I don't want to deal with it when I get home.)
 
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