Soldered RAM upgrades void the warranty.

Yes. Any modification that involves desoldering and replacing RAM chips will void the warranty.

Manufacturers consider the RAM soldered to the motherboard part of the main board assembly. Desoldering that chip, even if done by a shop with professional rework equipment, is a physical alteration that they’ll treat as damage. The same goes for any other soldered component — storage, CPU on some laptops, whatever.

Some people get away with it because the repair is invisible or the manufacturer doesn’t check closely, but that’s luck, not policy. If you have to send the machine in for any issue, they can spot reflow or replacement under a microscope. And they will deny the claim.

If you need more RAM than a soldered configuration offers, buy the higher-spec model from the start. The upgrade path isn’t worth the warranty risk for most people.