Soldered RAM is a dead end

No, you cannot replace soldered RAM with higher capacity.

Once RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, it’s part of the board itself—not in a removable slot. There’s no easy way to unsolder it and put in a bigger chip without specialized tools and a lot of risk. Even if you had a rework station, the motherboard’s design usually locks the memory controller to the original configuration.

This is a deliberate choice by manufacturers to save space and cost, especially in ultra-thin laptops, Chromebooks, and some MacBooks. The trade-off is zero upgradeability. So when you buy, you’re stuck with that amount for life.

If you’re shopping for a laptop today, check whether the RAM is soldered or socketed before you buy. If you need flexibility, avoid anything that says “onboard” or “soldered memory.” Future you will thank you.