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Transcend gives Mac Pro a 128GB memory upgrade option

It's somewhat slower memory, but it's still faster than a solid-state drive for those who need serious amounts of memory.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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Stephen Shankland
Is the 64GB maximum in factory-built Mac Pros not enough? Transcend is offering 128GB.
Is the 64GB maximum in factory-built Mac Pros not enough? Transcend is offering 128GB. Apple

For folks like video editors who really, really need a lot of memory, Transcend announced new memory modules that can bring Apple's new Mac Pro machines up to 128GB.

The option doubles the 64GB of RAM available in Mac Pros from Apple, but there's a catch: the DDR3 memory modules have a slower 1333MHz interface compared to the 1866MHz DDR3 memory Apple ships. It'll still be a whole lot faster than an SSD or, heaven forfend, a hard drive.

Transcend also offers 1866MHz modules that max out at 64GB. The memory is "fully tested," Transcend R&D Director Angus Wu said in a statement Thursday. The company guarantees "100 percent compatibility with the Apple Mac Pro 2013 model."

Its upgrade follows about three months after Mac memory specialist Other World Computing began selling 2013 Mac Pro memory upgrades.

Transcend will charge $490 for 32GB, $980 for 64GB, and $2480 for 128GB when the modules ship in April, the company said. OWC charges $449 for 32GB and $849 for 64GB.

The Mac Pro comes standard with 16GB of memory. Apple charges $400 for an upgrade to 32GB and $1,200 for an upgrade to 64GB.

Updated at 4:49 a.m. PT with pricing and availability information.