4 GB vs 8 GB RAM, what would you do in this situation? - Page 2

wolfpuppies3 · Dec 11, 2012, 02:52 PM

8GB

That was easy.

CoMoMacUser · Dec 11, 2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beanoir

We should make the topic of RAM topic a sticky....

Agreed.

mattopotamus · Dec 11, 2012, 03:02 PM

with your usage I doubt you will see a difference between having 4gb and 8gb in the next 3 years. Actually, I am almost certain you will not. Yes it can "future proof" your machine, but how long do you keep you mac's for? I personally upgrade every "tick", so base models always make sense and never fail.

V10 · Dec 11, 2012, 05:21 PM

8 GB ram will "future proof" in two ways, you'll be able to enjoy it longer as upgrades to OS requires such AND your machine will be worth more when your ready to trade up....vs the 4 GB might not be very desirable at that time.

Bigserver1 · Dec 11, 2012, 05:27 PM

I got the 4GB model. I do web browsing, iTunes, iPhone backups, some iPhoto, etc. Pretty low level stuff. For me, it's awesome. My old MBP was 2GB of slow ass RAM, so this 4GB 1600 feels like it's flying.

I anticipate trading mine in a couple years from now. I used the same MBP from 2006 to just a few weeks ago, and I don't want to do that again.

With that said, you could go for the 8GB, as it is worth the $100. I would have gone with it if the Apple store had a model configured that way, and I didn't want to wait to order one online.

rcappo · Dec 11, 2012, 05:30 PM

I upgraded my MacBook Pro from 4GB to 8GB last month, and it is very noticeable once you get Firefox and VirtualBox running. I wish I had done it a year ago.

53x12 · Dec 11, 2012, 05:35 PM

I ordered a refurb MBA that I will be getting next week. Will have 4GB. Am I happy that I got the 4GB version over the 2GB version? Yes. Do I wish this model came with 8 GB? Sure. But I won't lose sleep over it. I plan on using it for 12-15 months and upgrading at that point. But for $100, I think the 8GB is a worthwhile upgrade. I am just waiting for my MBA to get me to Haswell and hopefully an IPS screen. But I would definitely order it with the max RAM possible. Especially since you can't upgrade it yourself. If you could upgrade the RAM later, then you could always do the buy and wait approach to see if you need more RAM or for the prices to drop. You don't have that luxury with the MBA.

yourtoys7 · Dec 11, 2012, 07:07 PM

can you take it to apple store to do upgrade for $100.? or it has to be purchased from NEW...

WillFisher · Dec 11, 2012, 07:11 PM

The second you doubt about RAM, go for the higher of the two.
The worst thing that happens is that you won't use it.
The best thing is its more future proofed and can run more at a time.

tillsbury · Dec 11, 2012, 07:27 PM

I'm not at all convinced that the 8Gb is necessary on an Air. If you want the machine more powerful and need 8Gb, you should seriously be looking at a MBP I would have thought. The idea of the MBA is it's a cheap and cheerful tiny machine, not a powerhouse. Just sayin'. Obviously 8Gb would be better, but then so would a more powerful computer...

53x12 · Dec 11, 2012, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourtoys7

can you take it to apple store to do upgrade for $100.? or it has to be purchased from NEW...

You can't upgrade RAM after you purchase it. The RAM is soldered to the motherboard.

krravi · Dec 11, 2012, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tillsbury

I'm not at all convinced that the 8Gb is necessary on an Air. If you want the machine more powerful and need 8Gb, you should seriously be looking at a MBP I would have thought. The idea of the MBA is it's a cheap and cheerful tiny machine, not a powerhouse. Just sayin'. Obviously 8Gb would be better, but then so would a more powerful computer...

Not sure where you got the cheap...part.

SWPROX · Dec 11, 2012, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tillsbury

I'm not at all convinced that the 8Gb is necessary on an Air. If you want the machine more powerful and need 8Gb, you should seriously be looking at a MBP I would have thought. The idea of the MBA is it's a cheap and cheerful tiny machine, not a powerhouse. Just sayin'. Obviously 8Gb would be better, but then so would a more powerful computer...

Cheap

. And no,I will say 8GB is good,when I work in Aperture,I have seen RAM usage go to about 6GB active (along with Safari and iTunes running). Moreover,cMBP 13" aint much more powerful than MBA,gap has narrowed.

Chupa Chupa · Dec 11, 2012, 09:21 PM

I would not buy any computer in 2012 with only 4GB of soldered RAM that could never be upgraded. That's the epitome of "planned obsolescence." Pony up for the 8GB or don't buy. 4GB is worthless because OS X takes half of that to run decency, and will use as much as you give it.

Johnny Alien · Dec 11, 2012, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chupa Chupa

I would not buy any computer in 2012 with only 4GB of soldered RAM that could never be upgraded. That's the epitome of "planned obsolescence." Pony up for the 8GB or don't buy. 4GB is worthless because OS X takes half of that to run decency, and will use as much as you give it.

If someone has the money than I would say upgrade for future proofing however I disagree with most of this. 2GB is the minimum requirement but OS X does not use all 2GB to run. 4GB with the fast SSD is a pretty speedy machine that will be workable for quite a few years.

noteple · Dec 11, 2012, 10:02 PM

Go big or go home.

Not too many folks regretted having a larger machine.
More than a few regretted one that is too small and cannot be expanded.

iMacC2D · Dec 12, 2012, 08:15 AM

I have a MacBook Air, Mid 2012 with 8GB memory / 512GB solid state drive. At the moment the system is using about 3GB of memory, all active / wired (so none inactive, all of the 3GB is being currently utilised). Open applications are Safari, Mail & iTunes, not to mention the Finder plus the system services in the background. I could easily push it up to 4GB if I were to open Pages, Notes, Reminders and so on - all common productivity applications.

I didn't know it when I purchased the machine, but I will be using this computer for study next year. In hindsight, and monitoring the system resources, I am thrilled that I opted to configure the system with 8GB of memory when I had the chance. The 512GB SSD, not as much as I'm not using anywhere near the maximum capacity, but I managed to bump to the 512GB version for the cost of a 256GB, so I don't have any regrets there. It always helps to have room to move.

go ipad · Dec 12, 2012, 08:32 AM

8 GB, of course.

Also B&H includes free software, when I checked last time. More is better in this case

Beanoir · Dec 12, 2012, 09:47 AM

I wonder how much hard earned cash has been wasted in just this thread alone from people ordering more RAM than they will ever use....

Miat · Dec 12, 2012, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beanoir

I wonder how much hard earned cash has been wasted in just this thread alone from people ordering more RAM than they will ever use....

Exactly. I would be surprised if the average Air user noticed any difference, apart from not being able to have 37 apps running at once.

Worst RAM problem I have run into is RAM hog browsers (Safari and Firefox, in my case), and simple quit and re-open of them fixes that. No other program I run uses much RAM.

No way I could have justified the extra $285 it would have cost me for the 8GB version. That is almost the exact price for the extended AppleCare warranty on an Air, which is a kind of future proofing.

iMacC2D · Dec 12, 2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beanoir

I wonder how much hard earned cash has been wasted in just this thread alone from people ordering more RAM than they will ever use....

The very second you jump the 4GB barrier, you know the increased initial investment was worth it. I regularly managed to break 5-6GB on my existing machine, which was a pretty good indication that 4GB was not about to cut it.

robdrj45 · Dec 12, 2012, 07:51 PM

As I type this my Air is using 1.96GB of RAM. I have Safari (one page open), Mail and Activity Monitor running. Future software updates may have this basic level of use requiring 2.5GB or more...that doesn't leave a whole lot in reserve. I'm glad I upgraded the memory.

Gorrfink · Dec 12, 2012, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miat

Worst RAM problem I have run into is RAM hog browsers (Safari and Firefox, in my case), and simple quit and re-open of them fixes that. No other program I run uses much RAM.

To me, this says why it's worth getting 8gb now. I don't particularly want to have to quit and reopen a web browser due to lack of RAM. A MBA is a considered purchase for most, and I would be irked in that situation.

I upgraded my desktop from 4 to 8 recently. It made a big difference, for a low %cost of the initial outlay. You can't do that on a MBA - you're stuck with your original decision. You need to be able to predict your future usage as well as future requirements well to feel comfortable with 4gb.

I really do wonder if Apple made 8gb available to buy off the shelf rather than have to wait for a fortnight, how many people would have gone with 4gb.

Exodist · Dec 12, 2012, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny Craig

I'm trying to decide here, it's kind of driving me crazy

The 4 GB MBA from Best buy will probably cost me around $1170 after taxes if I use my reward points.

If I get the 8 GB RAM model from an online store like B&H it will come out to $1299 flat since they don't charge shipping or tax

So it's a $130 differential

Basically what I do:

-Web browsing with an average of 4 tabs open at a time, streaming NBA games
-Movies and Music (itunes, VLC, etc)
-PDFs, powerpoint, word processing
-Minor video editing occassionally

Basically I am pretty sure 4 GB would be fine for this. My concern is that 2-3 years down the road when software and OS requirements start to increase the 4 GB will struggle to keep up. I have a short fuse for laggy computers so it makes me worry. What would you do in this situation? Is it likely that the 4 GB will indeed cause me issues within the next few years? The laptop I'm using right now has 4 GB of RAM and I got this thing in 2009 so the thought of using a 4 GB RAM laptop in 2015-2016 kind of turns me off

I got the 4GB one for my wife. She uses Facebook and uploads photos. No way she would ever use more. But if your like myself that multitask more, then you could use the 8GB. Maybe not today, but 2 years from now who knows. Personally I feel 8GB is the NORM, while 4 is econo and 16-32 is power house users. If your not sure, get 8GB... MBA isnt the easiest contraption to open up and install more in.

53x12 · Dec 12, 2012, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exodist

MBA isnt the easiest contraption to open up and install more in.

You can't upgrade the RAM. No matter how you open it up. It is soldered to motherboard. What it comes with is what it will have.

Dec 11, 2012, 02:52 PM	#26
wolfpuppies3 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Virginia, USA	8GB That was easy. __________________ 2012 MBA 13, 2 Ghz i7, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD; 2011 MBA 11, 1.8 Ghz i7, 4 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD; 2010 MB Pro 15, 2.66 Ghz i7, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD; two iPad 3s and a mini, two iPhones and a bunch of iPods
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 07:07 PM	#33
yourtoys7 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2007	can you take it to apple store to do upgrade for $100.? or it has to be purchased from NEW... __________________ iPhone4S/ iPhone5, iTV (late 2012), MacBook Air 11" (late 2012)
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 07:11 PM	#34
WillFisher macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2011	The second you doubt about RAM, go for the higher of the two. The worst thing that happens is that you won't use it. The best thing is its more future proofed and can run more at a time. __________________ 2011 Mac Mini 2.3GHz i5, White Audioengine A2, Blue Snowball Mic 2010 13" MBP 2.4GHz C2D, 256GB Samsung 830, BookBook iToys: White iPhone 5, White iPad 3. ATV3.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 07:27 PM	#35
tillsbury macrumors 6502 Join Date: Dec 2007	I'm not at all convinced that the 8Gb is necessary on an Air. If you want the machine more powerful and need 8Gb, you should seriously be looking at a MBP I would have thought. The idea of the MBA is it's a cheap and cheerful tiny machine, not a powerhouse. Just sayin'. Obviously 8Gb would be better, but then so would a more powerful computer... __________________ rMBP15, 2.6/16/768, iPhone5/32, iPad 1+2+3, iPod nano 1+4, Lisa 2 + 5Mb ProFile, IIe
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 09:21 PM	#39
Chupa Chupa macrumors 604 Join Date: Jul 2002	I would not buy any computer in 2012 with only 4GB of soldered RAM that could never be upgraded. That's the epitome of "planned obsolescence." Pony up for the 8GB or don't buy. 4GB is worthless because OS X takes half of that to run decency, and will use as much as you give it. __________________ Walled Garden ≠ Prison: "People who use Apple products considered their options, and chose Apple. If they regret their decision, they can dump it at any time." -- Harry McCracken, Technologizer.com
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 03:02 PM	#28
mattopotamus macrumors 601 Join Date: Jun 2012	with your usage I doubt you will see a difference between having 4gb and 8gb in the next 3 years. Actually, I am almost certain you will not. Yes it can "future proof" your machine, but how long do you keep you mac's for? I personally upgrade every "tick", so base models always make sense and never fail.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 05:21 PM	#29
V10 macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2012	8 GB ram will "future proof" in two ways, you'll be able to enjoy it longer as upgrades to OS requires such AND your machine will be worth more when your ready to trade up....vs the 4 GB might not be very desirable at that time.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 05:27 PM	#30
Bigserver1 macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2012	I got the 4GB model. I do web browsing, iTunes, iPhone backups, some iPhoto, etc. Pretty low level stuff. For me, it's awesome. My old MBP was 2GB of slow ass RAM, so this 4GB 1600 feels like it's flying. I anticipate trading mine in a couple years from now. I used the same MBP from 2006 to just a few weeks ago, and I don't want to do that again. With that said, you could go for the 8GB, as it is worth the $100. I would have gone with it if the Apple store had a model configured that way, and I didn't want to wait to order one online.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 05:30 PM	#31
rcappo macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2010	I upgraded my MacBook Pro from 4GB to 8GB last month, and it is very noticeable once you get Firefox and VirtualBox running. I wish I had done it a year ago.
	1

Dec 11, 2012, 05:35 PM	#32
53x12 macrumors 68000 Join Date: Feb 2009	I ordered a refurb MBA that I will be getting next week. Will have 4GB. Am I happy that I got the 4GB version over the 2GB version? Yes. Do I wish this model came with 8 GB? Sure. But I won't lose sleep over it. I plan on using it for 12-15 months and upgrading at that point. But for $100, I think the 8GB is a worthwhile upgrade. I am just waiting for my MBA to get me to Haswell and hopefully an IPS screen. But I would definitely order it with the max RAM possible. Especially since you can't upgrade it yourself. If you could upgrade the RAM later, then you could always do the buy and wait approach to see if you need more RAM or for the prices to drop. You don't have that luxury with the MBA.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 10:02 PM	#41
noteple macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2011	Go big or go home. Not too many folks regretted having a larger machine. More than a few regretted one that is too small and cannot be expanded.
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 08:15 AM	#42
iMacC2D macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Australia	I have a MacBook Air, Mid 2012 with 8GB memory / 512GB solid state drive. At the moment the system is using about 3GB of memory, all active / wired (so none inactive, all of the 3GB is being currently utilised). Open applications are Safari, Mail & iTunes, not to mention the Finder plus the system services in the background. I could easily push it up to 4GB if I were to open Pages, Notes, Reminders and so on - all common productivity applications. I didn't know it when I purchased the machine, but I will be using this computer for study next year. In hindsight, and monitoring the system resources, I am thrilled that I opted to configure the system with 8GB of memory when I had the chance. The 512GB SSD, not as much as I'm not using anywhere near the maximum capacity, but I managed to bump to the 512GB version for the cost of a 256GB, so I don't have any regrets there. It always helps to have room to move.
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 08:32 AM	#43
go ipad macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2012	8 GB, of course. Also B&H includes free software, when I checked last time. More is better in this case
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 09:47 AM	#44
Beanoir macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: 51 degrees North	I wonder how much hard earned cash has been wasted in just this thread alone from people ordering more RAM than they will ever use.... __________________ iPhone5 32Gb-iPad Mini 64Gb iMac 27" 3.2Ghz i3 / 16Gb / 1Tb MacMini 2.33GHz / 128Gb SSD / 20" ACD Macbook Air 11.6" 1.6Ghz i5 / 4Gb / 128Gb
	2

Dec 12, 2012, 07:51 PM	#47
robdrj45 macrumors member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: USA	As I type this my Air is using 1.96GB of RAM. I have Safari (one page open), Mail and Activity Monitor running. Future software updates may have this basic level of use requiring 2.5GB or more...that doesn't leave a whole lot in reserve. I'm glad I upgraded the memory. __________________ 2012 13''Air, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD - Ordered on 6/26, Picked-up on 7/3
	0

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