16 GB of RAM for a Pro device is not okay

[Ethosik]

No, I wasn't. 8 GB RAM was objectively too little, since macOS and its processes itself needed more than that, combined with obvious programs like a web browser and an email client, resulting in constant and bulky swapping to and from the SSD.

I have a client that is a recording studio. They are still able to edit 1080p footage and perform Photoshop work on 8GB systems. They are still running a base M1 Mac Mini and their swap usage is just fine.

Not defending 8GB, but to say it is objectively too little is objectively false. It is too little FOR YOU.

 

[Sami13496]

Did you actually encounter memory limitations in your workflow or use case? If so, I’d be interested to hear more about the specific tasks where you’re hitting that limit.

Or is it more that it feels limiting because, on paper, it’s 16 GB rather than 32 GB?

 

[throAU]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

Because a lot of people buy MacBooks pros for tasks that fit well within 16 GB of RAM.

If you need or want more, be a Pro, know your expected workload, and spec your device appropriately.

 

[upthetoffees]

Pro means you have money to splash

 

[Madonepro]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

Perhaps an understanding the concept of unified RAM might be in order. here. Thankfully we can look within the hallowed walls of Mac Rumor forums, to get some well needed guidance. https://www.macrumors.com/guide/how-much-mac-ram/

 

[al_berto39]

Not so long ago, when I was little my family had a desktop computer with 32MB of RAM. All of us survived.

This is a very stupid analogy, not so long ago requirements were very different so the comparison makes no sense.
A bit like saying not so long ago it was summer and all of us survived without heating, why are you complaining now that it's cold?

 

[Basic75]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

Anything remotely "Pro" should also have ECC RAM but Intel has successfully brainwashed everybody into thinking that's only for actual pro machines so nobody gives a **** about the integrity of their data or knowing why their machine occasionally crashes randomly.

 

[Basic75]

Not so long ago, when I was little my family had a desktop computer with 32MB of RAM.

Go back further and we had 32KB of RAM, so what? Between cameras having more megapixels, software becoming more bloated and the modern web becoming even more bloated, games having higher polygon counts and higher resolution textures, and so on, and very fast CPUs that we don't want waiting on paging or, heaven help, swapping, we simply need more RAM.

 

[iHorseHead]

This is a very stupid analogy, not so long ago requirements were very different so the comparison makes no sense.
A bit like saying not so long ago it was summer and all of us survived without heating, why are you complaining now that it's cold?

I can still survive without heating. There’s no cold weather, only bad clothing.

 

[iHorseHead]

Go back further and we had 32KB of RAM, so what? Between cameras having more megapixels, software becoming more bloated and the modern web becoming even more bloated, games having higher polygon counts and higher resolution textures, and so on, and very fast CPUs that we don't want waiting on paging or, heaven help, swapping, we simply need more RAM.

Then buy models with more RAM or write to Apple.

 

[captchasverybadman]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

AGREE

 

[throAU]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

I'm a professional network/IT architect, ran a 16 GB macbook pro including multiple virtual machines, etc. for 3 years and survived just fine.

It ran into orange memory pressure occasionally and didn't even really care/slow down. Literally the only reason i noticed was because i keep activity monitor open. The machine is still going strong with the GF, i upgraded to an M4 Max for AI and as a desktop replacement/do everything machine.

If you think "Pro" is dictated by memory you're deluded.

The pro machines have better keyboards, screens, CPUs, GPUs, more ports, etc. and all of these things are important factors, depending on what your profession is.

 

[pshufd]

I agree! Soldered RAM is so anti-consumer

I doubt anyone complained back when RAM was slotted

Intel's Lunar Lake RAM is on the SOC. You either get 16 or 32 GB of RAM. 32 GB costs $50 more. Anyone have a problem with that?

 

[Rychiar]

I’d worry more about the 256 storage… I can barely run a system where I store everything externally with 256 cus it seems to fill up no matter what and gets eaten as a scratch disc

 

[Hooyah]

I'd say it depends on the use case and user. If it was actually just not fit for purpose, then the sales numbers Apple get wouldn't be there and nobody would have any positive experiences.

Yes, it's terrible value. But when you compare every spec of the MacBook Pro line to anything on the Windows side, and you get into the nitty gritty on the specs of the SSD... the specs of the RAM... then decent screen / speakers / build... you'd be hard pressed to find anything on the Windows side of the pond considered as the same or remotely good value.

 

[cheesygrin]

While I basically agree that Apple is too stingy with RAM so they can make money on upgrades, it’s not categorically true that 16GB RAM isn’t suitable for professionals.

Say for example you’re a professional writer. The reliability, long battery life, excellent screen, great keyboard and durable chassis of the MacBook Pro might make it the perfect choice - but do you really need 32GB RAM to type on it all day? We’re not all video editors.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

While I basically agree that Apple is too stingy with RAM so they can make money on upgrades, it’s not categorically true that 16GB RAM isn’t suitable for professionals.

Say for example you’re a professional writer. The reliability, long battery life, excellent screen, great keyboard and durable chassis of the MacBook Pro might make it the perfect choice - but do you really need 32GB RAM to type on it all day? We’re not all video editors.

That is true, I'm a professional, use my computer for my profession (health care), and I spend all day every day in charting software, excel, outlook, teams, and RDP. My work computer is an i7 Dell with 8gb and it does just fine. I never even get the fans spinning.

 

[Phineasgage1848]

Ha I like to think of myself as apples favourite customer As I upgrade the ram and ssd.

I have a 32GB 15 inch air with 2TBSSD..

I love it but I’m aware I’ve gone over kill future proofing the ram but then i do keep my stuff for 7 years plus

You're actually smart because you're keeping the computer for 7 years and fitting it for your needs!

 

[Phineasgage1848]

I really don’t understand how 16 GB of ram is default in the MacBook Pros! I should at least start from 32 GB of ram to be considered a Pro Device for that price.

Because the base model MBP took the place of the standard MacBook in the lineup for those that want the MBP hardware niceties (bigger/better screen, better speakers, SD card slot) but don't need or want the true Pro internals. The mid-tier MBP with M4 Pro is where you really start to see the "Pro" internals and it starts at 24GB...but the upgrade to 48GB is what got me. I don't need that much but was forced to go 48GB as I wanted more than 24 for future proofing.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Because the base model MBP took the place of the standard MacBook in the lineup for those that want the MBP hardware niceties (bigger/better screen, better speakers, SD card slot) but don't need or want the true Pro internals. The mid-tier MBP with M4 Pro is where you really start to see the "Pro" internals and it starts at 24GB...but the upgrade to 48GB is what got me. I don't need that much but was forced to go 48GB as I wanted more than 24 for future proofing.

That's me; a base M4 Pro, 16gb and 1tb. I just wanted more ports, and an SD card reader.

I would have bought they Air if it just had those two options.

 

[Analog Kid]

I'm a professional network/IT architect, ran a 16 GB macbook pro including multiple virtual machines, etc. for 3 years and survived just fine.

It ran into orange memory pressure occasionally and didn't even really care/slow down. Literally the only reason i noticed was because i keep activity monitor open. The machine is still going strong with the GF, i upgraded to an M4 Max for AI and as a desktop replacement/do everything machine.

If you think "Pro" is dictated by memory you're deluded.

The pro machines have better keyboards, screens, CPUs, GPUs, more ports, etc. and all of these things are important factors, depending on what your profession is.

But, but, but, how can that be? I opened 50 Chrome tabs and now I have swap-- and I haven't even looked at those tabs in about 3 weeks!

...yeah, I'm being sarcastic...

 

[Astuces iOS]

But, but, but, how can that be? I opened 50 Chrome tabs and now I have swap-- and I haven't even looked at those tabs in about 3 weeks!

...yeah, I'm being sarcastic...

Chrome chrome... dude safari is there for a reason and close the heavy tabs... bruh some websites can take all your ram even if you have 32gb of ram

 

[Zdigital2015]

They have made it like that so that people will think “More is better and the base doesn’t have more so I’m forced to get more just in case I need more though I really have no idea if I need more or not!”

If the base came with 64 and there was an option for 128, it would still be, “The base shouldn’t ship with 64 if 128 is available as an option!!”

I am doing plenty of productive work on my 8GB/512GB M1 13” TouchBar MacBook Pro despite the multitudes here telling me that I am subpar computing with an old broke design, the awful, useless Touch Bar, and a pitiful amount of RAM on a wannabe Pro machine. To to those people I say 👅

 

[Allen_Wentz]

From the point of view as a customer, it means the as much as possible people should not overspeed machines when they buy them, because the beat value from Apple, in terms of what you get for the money you give them, is in the entry ;even/ base level Macs.

Bringing it back to the OP, we should ,maybe be flipping our perspective. Work out the minimum Ram you really need to fit your use-cases, stop thinking about extra Ram for future-proofing, actually watch you RAM usage now and work out if you an get away with 16 gig, because if you can, you're getting a much better deal on the hardware you're buying.

Saying "stop thinking about extra Ram for future-proofing" is flat wrong. We do not buy a box for today, we buy them for tomorrow! And smart configuring is not "the minimum Ram" but is the optimum RAM.

A Mac configured 10/9/25 will 100% be used after 10/9/25. RAM needs for the life cycle should be optimized. That life cycle is probably 2026, 2027, 2028 and beyond. The future, not today. Mac RAM needs by OS/apps have increased every year for 40 years, and that trend is not ameliorating.

Note that someone planning on doing something like creative writing for the next decade would suffice just fine with 16 GB RAM as optimum.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I don't think they're defending 8 gigs in 2025, but then, you can't buy a new a with 8Gb of Ram.

What is significant is that, for a lot of people, as you've said, RAM requirements have stayed pretty stable. 8 gigs of Ram in a Mac was absolutely fine for most tasks until and including Monterey - it wa sonly after that it became a problem.

Most with with a Mac are not editing 4K or 8K video, they'r not running LLMs at home and they're not gene sequencing.

I still have two Mackbook Airs, 2014 and 2015, with 8 Gb soldered on in both - they are still very capable "traveling" laptops. The issue with them isn;t the RA,, it issue is the screen quality.

For Monterey and below, no, I don't think 8Gb is too little RAM.

FALSE. Sorry for shouting, but when you say "RAM requirements have stayed pretty stable" you are unequivocally wrong. RAM requirements have been steadily increasing since the 128k Macs of 1984. In the most recent last decade Apple met those increasing demands with 2016 MBPs 16 GB max RAM, 2022 MBPs 96 GB max RAM, 2025 MBPs 128 GB max RAM.