M2 or M3 MBA and 8 vs 16 gig ram

[Subliminal87]

So I wanna pick up the new MacBook Air. I’m actually torn on m2 or m3.

Should I pick up an M2 w/ 16 gig - $1079
Or m3 with 8 or 16 gig (899 and 1199))
prices are the education discount.

With that, I don’t know if I should get the 8gig or 16 gig version.
This will be a laptop that I just take with me to work and travel. That’s it.
My uses are Safari and or Firefox depending on what I’m doing.

Watching videos or movies via YouTube, Netflix, max and apple music etc.
Discord would be open in the background
Apple mail or Microsoft outlook would be opened in the background.
I’ll be using Microsoft word throughout the day. No big excel spreadsheets or anything like that but either youtube or apple music in the background.
No photo or video editing and no gaming either.
I’ll have an external ssd with me or just use the cloud if I need to....if I am at home with it, it'll connect to my NAS which...has a very decent amount of storage.


So with this, should I just save the money and buy the base model m2 or save an extra amount and buy the base m3.
To be honest the only reason why i considered the m3 is 1 it’s new. 2, less fingerprints on the midnight one.

 

[matrix07]

M3 8Gb would be plenty for your need.

 

[krspkbl]

Get an M2 8GB instead of an M3 8GB if you're wanting to save money but if you can afford it then get the M2 16GB. Don't worry about not getting the M3 because the M2 is still an amazing chip and will be way more than enough for you.

Get as much RAM as you can afford. Don't worry too much about M2 vs M3 and storage. The most important thing is RAM.

I know 8GB is enough for a lot of people but I think it's shocking for such an expensive computer in 2024. Another question to ask yourself is do you plan on keeping this 2-3 years or want to use it for 3+ years. 8GB might be fine for you today but how long will it hold up? 16GB will give it a bit of extra life.

 

[iHorseHead]

Get an M2 8GB instead of an M3 8GB if you're wanting to save money but if you can afford it then get the M2 16GB. Don't worry about not getting the M3 because the M2 is still an amazing chip and will be way more than enough for you.

Get as much RAM as you can afford. Don't worry too much about M2 vs M3 and storage. The most important thing is RAM.

I know 8GB is enough for a lot of people but I think it's shocking for such an expensive computer in 2024. Another question to ask yourself is do you plan on keeping this 2-3 years or want to use it for 3+ years. 8GB might be fine for you today but how long will it hold up? 16GB will give it a bit of extra life.

The thing is in my country M3 MacBook Air 16GB is $3000. I could get a much better PC for that money, pay my rent for 6 months etc. Yeah, I live in Eastern Europe, but still. I'll stick with my M1 MBA 8GB. It still runs Xcode and everything just fine.

 

[krspkbl]

The thing is in my country M3 MacBook Air 16GB is $3000. I could get a much better PC for that money, pay my rent for 6 months etc. Yeah, I live in Eastern Europe, but still. I'll stick with my M1 MBA 8GB. It still runs Xcode and everything just fine.

OK wow. don't get that lol.

If you can get the M2 16GB go for that. If not then the M2 8GB.

 

[Subliminal87]

Get an M2 8GB instead of an M3 8GB if you're wanting to save money but if you can afford it then get the M2 16GB. Don't worry about not getting the M3 because the M2 is still an amazing chip and will be way more than enough for you.

Get as much RAM as you can afford. Don't worry too much about M2 vs M3 and storage. The most important thing is RAM.

I know 8GB is enough for a lot of people but I think it's shocking for such an expensive computer in 2024. Another question to ask yourself is do you plan on keeping this 2-3 years or want to use it for 3+ years. 8GB might be fine for you today but how long will it hold up? 16GB will give it a bit of extra life.

Thanks, I'd probably would get an m2 with 16 then, it would make it only $120 cheaper than the m3 then with the same amount of ram.

I actually until very recently had a 2015 macbook pro that I traded in for an ipad air. I think that macbook pro had 4 gig of ram.

I just wish the apple store had the 16 gig variants for same day pick up

 

[smirking]

The base model is more than enough for what you need. I'd agree with getting the base model M2 if your goal is to save as much money as possible. For what you're doing with your laptop, there's not going to be a meaningful difference between the M2 and M3.

The 8GB models are very capable. I've driven one very hard on photography and Web developer workflows and ran virtual machines on it. It surprised me how well it performed.

 

[Subliminal87]

The base model is more than enough for what you need. I'd agree with getting the base model M2 if your goal is to save as much money as possible. For what you're doing with your laptop, there's not going to be a meaningful difference between the M2 and M3.

The 8GB models are very capable. I've driven one very hard on photography and Web developer workflows and ran virtual machines on it. It surprised me how well it performed.

Thanks, do you think it would be worth it to throw in upgraded ram into the m2 at all?

 

[smirking]

Thanks, do you think it would be worth it to throw in upgraded ram into the m2 at all?

For what you're doing? No.

I had to borrow an 8GB 13" M1 for a couple of weeks and I was running RAW Photography editing, compiling code, running Windows using Parallels, multiple browsers (not tabs... browsers) simultaneously and only occasionally had a noticeable hiccup.

I'm sure it would have been better on 16GB, but my point is that the consequences were so minor that even on a heavy workflow, 95% of the time I wouldn't have known it was an 8GB machine if I didn't already know. Even with red memory pressure, it just kept going with few noticeable stalls.

 

[matrix07]

Thanks, I'd probably would get an m2 with 16 then, it would make it only $120 cheaper than the m3 then with the same amount of ram.

If you don’t need 16GB why would you spend MORE money on it? People here have inexplicable fetish about RAM and like to project their insecurity into others. Your works doesn’t need that much and really 4 years on and my 8GB M1 is still snappy and would handle all of your lists just fine.

 

[Subliminal87]

For what you're doing? No.

I had to borrow an 8GB 13" M1 for a couple of weeks and I was running RAW Photography editing, compiling code, running Windows using Parallels, multiple browsers (not tabs... browsers) simultaneously and only occasionally had a noticeable hiccup.

I'm sure it would have been better on 16GB, but my point is that the consequences were so minor that even on a heavy workflow, 95% of the time I wouldn't have known it was an 8GB machine if I didn't already know. Even with red memory pressure, it just kept going with few noticeable stalls.

Thanks for this, I'll pick up the base m3 then!

If you don’t need 16GB why would you spend MORE money on it? People here have inexplicable fetish about RAM and like to project their insecurity into others. Your works doesn’t need that much and really 4 years on and my 8GB M1 is still snappy and would handle all of your lists just fine.

Honestly reading the comments on other topics here and a large amount of people slamming the 8 gig really made me second guess my choice. Im hoping to keep using it for years to come.

 

[bradman83]

How long do you think you'd want to keep the machine? If you're the type who gets the upgrade itch every 3-4 years then 8GB is fine for your current needs. If you think you'll keep the machine 5+ years then 16GB will keep it running smoothly in the long run. As websites get more and more complex and media-heavy they consume more RAM, so even just casual web browsing increases RAM needs as time goes on.

 

[krspkbl]

If you don’t need 16GB why would you spend MORE money on it? People here have inexplicable fetish about RAM and like to project their insecurity into others. Your works doesn’t need that much and really 4 years on and my 8GB M1 is still snappy and would handle all of your lists just fine.

I assume I am one of those projecting my insecurities. My PC has 64GB RAM and I like to think I have a good understanding of how RAM works. I'm not hating on 8GB RAM and I said to OP it should be enough for their needs even though I recommend 16GB. To me 16GB feels really low compared to what I'm used to and you'd think I should have just got 24GB or even went with a Pro model with 18-64GB or more (I could afford it)... but I know 16GB is likely just fine for my uses and I can understand how 8GB can be enough for others.

When it comes to how expensive Macs are I just don't think 8GB is fair. Here in the UK to go beyond 16GB it's £1200. That's a lot of money especially when you can't upgrade it. Although not officially, I had a MacBook with 8GB back in 2011 but that's because back then Apple let you upgrade RAM. My MacBook came with 2GB and I upgraded to 4GB and then 8GB.

Apple knows better than all of us how capable 8GB is today, how it will hold up in a few years after software updates, how long they intend to support 8GB. I know Apple wants to make profits but I don't think they would be selling 8GB if it wasn't good enough. Most people who buy a Mac are probably only using it for basic needs and 8GB will be perfectly fine for them... for now.

If you're spending this much money on a computer I guess you want to use it for 3+ years. Who knows where we will be in 3 years time. If the rumours of iOS 18 having loads of AI features is true then I assume MacOS will have those features too and AI loves RAM (and storage). AI is mostly a marketing gimmick but I reckon the average user will make use of it and if Apple wants to run it locally, because they claim to love giving users privacy, then I really can't see 8GB lasting beyond 2 years. Actually, I think these MacBooks will be the last with 8GB and going forward they will have 16GB minimum.

Apple might release cheaper Macs and I think they will probably come with 8GB. If the device is cheaper then 8GB is totally reasonable. For a $1000+ device I think it sucks.

OP could get an 8GB machine and be very happy with it there is no doubt about it. I only recommend going for 16GB if you can afford it and/or you intend to keep it for as long as possible.

 

[Subliminal87]

How long do you think you'd want to keep the machine? If you're the type who gets the upgrade itch every 3-4 years then 8GB is fine for your current needs. If you think you'll keep the machine 5+ years then 16GB will keep it running smoothly in the long run. As websites get more and more complex and media-heavy they consume more RAM, so even just casual web browsing increases RAM needs as time goes on.

I am hoping to keep it for at least 5 years or more. I just got rid of my 2015 macbook pro recently so hoping to get that kind of use out of this.

 

[krspkbl]

I am hoping to keep it for at least 5 years or more. I just got rid of my 2015 macbook pro recently so hoping to get that kind of use out of this.

Get 16GB then even if it's an M2. 8GB is not going to last that long.

My 15 Pro Max has 8GB and I don't expect it to hold up after 5+ years even though it's way more lightweight than a Mac.

 

[smirking]

Honestly reading the comments on other topics here and a large amount of people slamming the 8 gig really made me second guess my choice. Im hoping to keep using it for years to come.

I had the same RAM anxiety until I spent two weeks with my full workflow crammed into an 8GB base model as an experiment. What that told me was that if I make a mistake and buy too little RAM, it's possible that I'll have to accept some inconveniences like closing out of other programs first, but the chances that my computer becomes a brick is very small.

The thing that really sold me was that I was actually running a 6GB machine occasionally because I had to leave 2GB to run Windows 10 over Parallels. Windows 10 didn't run so hot with only 2GB, but the Mac side just kept chugging along with only 6GB left.

 

[smirking]

Get 16GB then even if it's an M2. 8GB is not going to last that long.

My 15 Pro Max has 8GB and I don't expect it to hold up after 5+ years even though it's way more lightweight than a Mac.

It should be fine for everyday use. I gave an absolute hammering to a base model M1 as a test drive once and that convinced me that anyone doing everyday computing has nothing to worry about for the foreseeable future.

If I can run an Capture One Pro RAW export batch while also working inside a fully loaded large PHPStorm storm project at the same time with all the usual Apple productivity apps open on 8GB, I don't think there's much to worry about.

The only thing I didn't like was that I was hitting swap so viciously that I ran up as much as 1TB of swap per day... but few people are going to push an 8GB machine that hard.

 

[kp98077]

Always get the most current so in this case the m3. more technology, newer, will be covered longer etc.!!!

 

[ctjack]

I would throw another vote for M3 just for the AV1 decoder added: all the current youtube 4K and up videos are running on AV1 format - if you do not have decoder then you are basically raw powering the playback with the CPU power. That is to say that my gaming Win laptop(with AV1 support) never stutters at any 4-8K youtube videos while Air might do stutters sometimes here and there with lost frames (there is a geek button on youtube which counts lost frames).

While M Pro chips in MBP 14/16 just have some sheer power to chew thru it with the CPU/RAM/GPU cores alone, so maybe not that apparent.

 

[iHorseHead]

OK wow. don't get that lol.

If you can get the M2 16GB go for that. If not then the M2 8GB.

I actually have M1 MacBook Air. I hope Apple will release at least 3 new operating systems on it, considering they haven't fully dropped Intel yet.

 

[krspkbl]

Always get the most current so in this case the m3. more technology, newer, will be covered longer etc.!!!

In that case OP should buy a MBP at $7,200 with M3 Max, 128GB, 8TB or a Mac Studio at $8,800 with M2 Ultra, 192GB, 8TB...if they need the extra 64GB RAM

 

[iHorseHead]

In that case OP should buy a MBP at $7,200 with M3 Max, 128GB, 8TB or a Mac Studio at $8,800 with M2 Ultra, 192GB, 8TB...if they need the extra 64GB RAM

Yes, for "future proofing". You never know how much RAM you'll need. Maybe someday you'll have to open a massive Excel spreadsheet. How do you know? It's better to be safe than sorry.

I like this "future proof" talk because when it comes to Apple they drop your Mac anyway, no matter how much RAM you have. Like 2013 Mac Pro and other Macs. My favourite one is that High Sierra dropped 2009 MacBook Pros but not 2009 MacBooks etc.

Also I used to have a Mac with 4GB of RAM and it couldn't run Mountain Lion, while Air with 2GB of RAM was able to run it. I regretted the money I spent on RAM so much.

 

[krspkbl]

Yes, for "future proofing". You never know how much RAM you'll need. Maybe someday you'll have to open a massive Excel spreadsheet. How do you know? It's better to be safe than sorry.

I like this "future proof" talk because when it comes to Apple they drop your Mac anyway, no matter how much RAM you have. Like 2013 Mac Pro and other Macs. My favourite one is that High Sierra dropped 2009 MacBook Pros but not 2009 MacBooks etc.

Also I used to have a Mac with 4GB of RAM and it couldn't run Mountain Lion, while Air with 2GB of RAM was able to run it. I regretted the money I spent on RAM so much.

lol I get future proofing. there is a good reason to do it. i was just joking with my comment.

you should absolutely get the best specs you can if you want it to last as long as possible.

 

[smirking]

In that case OP should buy a MBP at $7,200 with M3 Max, 128GB, 8TB or a Mac Studio at $8,800 with M2 Ultra, 192GB, 8TB...if they need the extra 64GB RAM

I suspect that the poster meant in terms of OS support. Thing is most people will move on to their next Mac before OS support runs out and even if you hit the end of the line, there's stuff like OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

 

[iHorseHead]

you should absolutely get the best specs you can if you want it to last as long as possible.

I honestly kinda disagree with that. Mac OS X Lion is unusable these days. Windows however is supported for much longer and so are many Linux distros. I've been starting to think maybe I should give a PC another chance + Android phones as well. Apple is too overpriced and unreliable. It's not normal to charge 3000€ for 16GB of RAM.