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bubulol

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 7, 2013
967
273
Hi, i ve been lurking around mac forums and users always tend to advice to pick 8GB of ram
I m stuck with the raise of eur price because of thigh budget
My desired MBA would be the starter configuration with 4G and 128 GB (SSD)
Why do i need 8 GB if my use would be strictly basic (web browsing, watching movie, not a single photo/video editing softwares?)
My only concern about ram:
- video games and windows 7 bootcamp
I ve seen most of users in physical stores picking 4GB, MBA with 8 GB are pretty rare
So i am wondering if i really need 8 GB of ram?
Thanks
 

newellj

macrumors G3
Oct 15, 2014
8,127
3,030
East of Eden
I cannot comment on Bootcamp because when I want to run Windows I run it on dedicated Windows machines, but I can tell you that for the past week I've been experimenting with an 11" MBA with 4GB doing the other things you've outlined and the memory pressure is often as low as 12-13% and seldom higher than 22-24%, well in the green zone. I have to tell you that I'm still more comfortable with 8GB of RAM, but it does not appear to be necessary for general use at all. Just for the record, the MBA is running Yosemite.
 

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,418
43,305
For uses as you listed, 4GB should be fine. I can't answer about windows, since that is a different beast but even then, 4GB should be ok. Personally, I prefer 8GB because your ram is soldered onto the logic board and you cannot upgrade.

I think erring on the 8gb side of things is good approach, plus you don't know who OSX will be working in the years to come. I've seen some people complain about OSX being slow with 4GB (though that might be other factors). Basically, I think you cannot go wrong with 8GB even if your usage doesn't require it on day one.
 

2984839

Cancelled
Apr 19, 2014
2,114
2,239
You don't need 8 GB for those tasks. You can save your money and get the 4 GB version.

People here say to buy 8 GB for basic tasks because they don't understand how memory management works, or think it's still 2003 when laptops never came with enough RAM and were always helped by adding more.
 

bubulol

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 7, 2013
967
273
Thanks, my score is pretty low (9)
But i keep in mind these Macbook Air would be probably the last ones (new Macbook is willing to take its place)
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
Hi, i ve been lurking around mac forums and users always tend to advice to pick 8GB of ram

I m stuck with the raise of eur price because of thigh budget

My desired MBA would be the starter configuration with 4G and 128 GB (SSD)

Why do i need 8 GB if my use would be strictly basic (web browsing, watching movie, not a single photo/video editing softwares?)

My only concern about ram:

- video games and windows 7 bootcamp

I ve seen most of users in physical stores picking 4GB, MBA with 8 GB are pretty rare

So i am wondering if i really need 8 GB of ram?

Thanks


You don't need it.
 

SSD-GUY

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2012
1,151
2,104
Interstellar
If you can afford it, get it, RAM cannot be updated, the SSD technically can, you can buy Toshiba/Samsung drives on the Internet sometimes.
 

SSD-GUY

macrumors 65816
Sep 20, 2012
1,151
2,104
Interstellar
There are no ssds available for the current mbas.

There is. I have a rMBP that I've upgraded myself to 512. I bought the 512 off ebay and it works perfectly.

What I meant to say was that there are used SSDs available so technically they can be upgraded.
 

xylitol

macrumors 6502
Nov 2, 2013
315
66
Finland
Well, I ordered the new 11.6" MBA 4/128 GB, because I just needed an ultra-portable machine running OS X (no heavy apps). Here's how I reasoned: When the screen is mediocre, and the CPU is mediocre, why would I spend more money on getting 8 GB of RAM and/or bigger SSD when for little more I could buy 13" rMBP instead?
 

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Well, I ordered the new 11.6" MBA 4/128 GB, because I just needed an ultra-portable machine running OS X (no heavy apps). Here's how I reasoned: When the screen is mediocre, and the CPU is mediocre, why would I spend more money on getting 8 GB of RAM and/or bigger SSD when for little more I could buy 13" rMBP instead?
Use your new mba for a while and realize that it is anything but medicore ;)
 

newellj

macrumors G3
Oct 15, 2014
8,127
3,030
East of Eden
I've been experimenting with a pair of those this week. I think your reasoning is right on target and I doubt you'll be unhappy with your choice. If I wasn't going back and forth between the 11" display and a retina display, which is driving me crazy, I'd be very happy with the 11" MBA. :cool:
 

charlyham

macrumors regular
Jun 30, 2012
165
30
Hi, i ve been lurking around mac forums and users always tend to advice to pick 8GB of ram
I m stuck with the raise of eur price because of thigh budget
My desired MBA would be the starter configuration with 4G and 128 GB (SSD)
Why do i need 8 GB if my use would be strictly basic (web browsing, watching movie, not a single photo/video editing softwares?)
My only concern about ram:
- video games and windows 7 bootcamp
I ve seen most of users in physical stores picking 4GB, MBA with 8 GB are pretty rare
So i am wondering if i really need 8 GB of ram?
Thanks

I have a 2013 MBA 13" 4gb ram and 128 gb ssd (the base model). I run Yosemite and Windows 7 in Bootcamp. I have even used the trial version of Parallels to run Windows 7. I also don't do any video/photo editing and I have no lag or stutter. This is an awsome machine. I see on these forums all the time that you need to "future proof" and buy all the memory that Apple makes. I think those people should wait well into the future to get their new Mac. In the real world, you should buy what works for your uses. If you really need a machine that you can add upgrades to, then the MBA is not the one you want. I hope you get the base model and see what a nice laptop it is for many years.
 

charlyham

macrumors regular
Jun 30, 2012
165
30
Hi, i ve been lurking around mac forums and users always tend to advice to pick 8GB of ram
I m stuck with the raise of eur price because of thigh budget
My desired MBA would be the starter configuration with 4G and 128 GB (SSD)
Why do i need 8 GB if my use would be strictly basic (web browsing, watching movie, not a single photo/video editing softwares?)
My only concern about ram:
- video games and windows 7 bootcamp
I ve seen most of users in physical stores picking 4GB, MBA with 8 GB are pretty rare
So i am wondering if i really need 8 GB of ram?
Thanks

I have a 2013 MBA 13" 4gb ram and 128 gb ssd (the base model). I run Yosemite and Windows 7 in Bootcamp. I have even used the trial version of Parallels to run Windows 7. I also don't do any video/photo editing and I have no lag or stutter. This is an awsome machine. I see on these forums all the time that you need to "future proof" and buy all the memory that Apple makes. I think those people should wait well into the future to get their new Mac. In the real world, you should buy what works for your uses. If you really need a machine that you can add upgrades to, then the MBA is not the one you want. I hope you get the base model and see what a nice laptop it is for many years.
 

motrek

macrumors 68030
Sep 14, 2012
2,613
305
...
- video games and windows 7 bootcamp
...

It's been a long time since I used Windows for video games but I have Windows on my HTPC. Admittedly I basically only use it for web browsing and to play videos and music but it doesn't come anywhere close to using up the 2GB of memory I have in it. I would be surprised if there are a lot of games out there that don't run well with 4GB.

People forget that even 2GB is an enormous amount of memory because memory is so cheap these days. The smallest amount you can buy with a new computer is at least 4GB so people just assume that you can only do the minimum amount of stuff with the "minimum" of 4GB. This is obviously flawed thinking.
 

Cheffy Dave

macrumors 68030

MEISTER LOGIC!!:cool:

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Well, I ordered the new 11.6" MBA 4/128 GB, because I just needed an ultra-portable machine running OS X (no heavy apps). Here's how I reasoned: When the screen is mediocre, and the CPU is mediocre, why would I spend more money on getting 8 GB of RAM and/or bigger SSD when for little more I could buy 13" rMBP instead?

Cus you don't care about your machine being fast as possible?? For $100 +???:rolleyes:
 
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motrek

macrumors 68030
Sep 14, 2012
2,613
305
...
Cus you don't care about your machine being fast as possible?? For $100 +???:rolleyes:

All the upgrades to the MBAs make them faster. Do you also think everybody is stupid for not getting the i5 to i7 upgrade or the 128GB to 256GB SSD upgrade?

Am I correct in assuming that you have all these upgrades?
 
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Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
MEISTER LOGIC!!:cool:
Cus you don't care about your machine being fast as possible?? For $100 +???:rolleyes:
I linked to the ram wiki. it is not meister logic, but a wiki thread editabel by most members.

The RAM upgrade where I live costs 300€ and it does not automatically make your machine faster.
 
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xylitol

macrumors 6502
Nov 2, 2013
315
66
Finland
Cus you don't care about your machine being fast as possible?? For $100 +???:rolleyes:

I care about it being good enough for my purposes (and I do have another machine for photo&video editing, 16GB etc). Besides, I got a good discount from a local reseller who only had the 4GB models available, so in my case the price difference between 4 and 8GB (bought from elsewhere) would have been a whopping 250 euros.
 

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,253
Jacksonville, Florida
Hi, i ve been lurking around mac forums and users always tend to advice to pick 8GB of ram
I m stuck with the raise of eur price because of thigh budget
My desired MBA would be the starter configuration with 4G and 128 GB (SSD)
Why do i need 8 GB if my use would be strictly basic (web browsing, watching movie, not a single photo/video editing softwares?)
My only concern about ram:
- video games and windows 7 bootcamp
I ve seen most of users in physical stores picking 4GB, MBA with 8 GB are pretty rare
So i am wondering if i really need 8 GB of ram?
Thanks

I do Windows 7 Pro via BootCamp about 95% of the time on both my iMac 27 desktops and MBAir. When Windows 7 boots up I am using 3GB of RAM before I do anything else. I am thinking that 4GB may not be enough, depending on what you do in Windows. I am using 8GB in all of my computers except one desktop has 16GB, it came that way.
 
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2984839

Cancelled
Apr 19, 2014
2,114
2,239
MEISTER LOGIC!!:cool:

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Cus you don't care about your machine being fast as possible?? For $100 +???:rolleyes:

I don't care at all about that. There will be no performance difference for me, the OP, and most other people, so it's a waste of money.
 
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