Which RAM can you use in the 2018 Mac Mini?

Best answer: The 2018 Mac Mini supports SODIMM DDR4 RAM and can support up to 64GB of it, although it's unlikely you'll need that much RAM.The best RAM upgrade: Crucial 32GB RAM kit ($213 at Amazon)An affordable improvement: Crucial 16GB RAM kit ($105 at Amazon)

User replaceable SODIMM DDR4

It's been some time since Apple allowed Mac Mini owners to upgrade their own RAM, but the 2018 model brought the feature back to the table.

The Mac Mini uses standard SODIMM DDR4 modules, more commonly found in laptops. The Mac Mini can accept two modules, which combined can be up to 64GB. It's unlikely most will ever need that much, though, and kits are almost impossible to find, too.

A lot cheaper than buying from Apple

When it wasn't user replaceable, if you wanted more RAM you were stuck paying what Apple wanted to charge you for it. And that's never been close to as cheap as you could make the same upgrade for yourself. It still isn't.

When buying a new Mac Mini, increasing the RAM to 16GB costs $200, 32GB costs $600 and 64GB an eye-watering $1,400. You could upgrade to 32GB yourself and save about $400 in the process. Even at the 16GB level, you're saving $100, and that's not an insignificant amount.

Invest an hour of your time instead of hundreds of dollars for the same end result.

How do you replace it?

While the RAM is a standard sized SODIMM module and replaceable by anyone who buys a 2018 Mac Mini, it's far from as simple to accomplish as it used to be. Even so,

The RAM isn't easily accessible and requires a little know-how in order to gain access and change it out. The rewards will be worthwhile, but you'll basically be disassembling your Mac Mini in order to do a RAM upgrade.

This guide+Replacement/115309) will walk you through every step of the process. It should only require an hour to complete and doesn't need any setup doing on the Mac once installed.