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16GB or 32GB of ram (MacBook Pro 2020)
- Thread starter DrSarah
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What do you regret more, not buying 32GB of RAM that you probably wont use now or not having a good reason to upgrade to the 14 inch Macbook Pro 2 years later because you have "32GB of RAM"?
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MacOS will pretty much use as much RAM you throw at it, but at a certain point you’ll have greatly diminishing returns. If OP was fine on 8, she will be fine at 16, and yes, fine with 32gb.
Resell value is a moot point, if you keep it long enough, nobody will want it anyway.
Go with 16. In all machines I’ve tried 32 it’s been pretty much pointless.
How often do you refresh your laptop? Are you changing the 2018 after 2 to 3 years because thats how often you do or because you don't like the 2018?
When i next refresh my Macbook Pro 15/16" i will be going for 64GB RAM, not because i need it now, but because i keep my Macbooks in use for a very long time, so i have to think will i need a lot more ram in say 2026? Since i'm still using my 2013 Pro almost 8 years on, its realistic my next one will still be use by 2028 if not longer.
If however i got a new Macbook every 2 or 3 years i would likely get what i know i need.
When i next refresh my Macbook Pro 15/16" i will be going for 64GB RAM, not because i need it now, but because i keep my Macbooks in use for a very long time, so i have to think will i need a lot more ram in say 2026? Since i'm still using my 2013 Pro almost 8 years on, its realistic my next one will still be use by 2028 if not longer.
If however i got a new Macbook every 2 or 3 years i would likely get what i know i need.
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Reason to go for 32GB is only because i can and i also think of future proofing And i do not want to think “i should have gone for a bigger specced one”.
i am definently not going for the I7, i feel like that is a total waste since i use “Turbo Boost Switcher Pro” all the time to have the best battery-life possible.
i would like to keep my laptop for a long time. I am only selling this one because i got it for barely no money and i would like the better keyboard.
Reason to go for 32GB is only because i can and i also think of future proofing And i do not want to think “i should have gone for a bigger specced one”.
i am definently not going for the I7, i feel like that is a total waste since i use “Turbo Boost Switcher Pro” all the time to have the best battery-life possible.
I love to over-specify my own hardware, but in truth I think 16GB will be fine for the lifespan of a MacBook Pro purchased today unless you have a clear use for more.
If you look at Apple's lineup, it includes MacBook Air, MB13 and iMac models with 8GB of RAM and the rest have 16GB (apart from the iMac Pro and Mac Pro), so software is going to be targeting that level of RAM for a long time to come.
If you look at Apple's lineup, it includes MacBook Air, MB13 and iMac models with 8GB of RAM and the rest have 16GB (apart from the iMac Pro and Mac Pro), so software is going to be targeting that level of RAM for a long time to come.
This, i do not want to regret not buying 32GB,, guess i am stuck in my thought process..
The regret of not having enough memory outweighs the regret of having too much. Because once you're stuck with less memory, that's it. And while 16GB might be fine today, there's no telling how bigger and bloated apps may become over the next few years. Personally I noticed a difference moving from 16GB to 32GB on my desktop. I'm not even doing anything intesive right now, Chrome, Firefox, Slack and Notion and I'm already up to 14GB of usage.
2016-2019 are a rough sell because of the keyboard and other problems. If you keep your machines for a decade or more, then you'll want as much RAM as you can get - unless it's expandable.
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The only downside is cost.
I'm not doing anything (Firefox, Thunderbird, iCloud Noes, Reminders, Calendar, VLC and using 15 GB. Firefox is running at least 12 processes on my system. I think that Twitter uses a ton of RAM. I need to start up my trading programs in an hour and those use a fair amount of RAM too. I could turn off performance mode in Firefox and it would probably use 1/4 the RAM but it would run slower too.
I'm currently running with 48 GB of RAM on a 2008 system. I'm really glad that it will take 48 GB of RAM. I am particularly curious if it would run with 96 but 16 GB DDR3 sticks are pricey.
The i7 is definitely a huge waste. That’s the only thing I regret wasting money on with my new mbp
My model right now is to use a large memory desktop with a strong CPU for heavy-duty stuff and a MacBook Pro for lighter things. I would still want 32 GB in a laptop though. I have not looked carefully at the CPU options and don't have a good way to compare to current equipment. That just means I don't plan to buy anything in the near future.
Pff i5/16GB/1TB is on sale at the moment in my country for 2139 euro with taxes. That is roughly 200 less than on Apple’s website.
it is in space gray though which i do not like as much as silver..
it is in space gray though which i do not like as much as silver..
In my experience the amount of memory you need will not change by much if your workload does not change and there are only some specific workloads that really need 32 GB.
So if you need 32 GB you will know it.
Personally I do not buy into ”future proofing”, there are so many things that can change over a long time, so I would by for a 3 year life time.
So if you need 32 GB you will know it.
Personally I do not buy into ”future proofing”, there are so many things that can change over a long time, so I would by for a 3 year life time.
Ugh, i am tired of watching macbook pro 2020 video’s on youtube.. just 2 have the 32gb one though..
Guess i’ll get some good sleep and think about it.
Guess i’ll get some good sleep and think about it.
Lot of good responses already and I think a lot of us can empathize with the decision. In my view, here's what I think are the 2 leading points from each perspective:
As you mentioned, the "cost" aspect isn't a big factor. Argument is that the downside of getting 16gb, and potentially feeling like you didn't get enough if your needs change, isn't worth the relatively smaller "downside" of higher cost today.
On the other hand, no one wants to "waste" money when you don't have to. And realistically, even though you believe you'll want this laptop for 4-5+ years, will you really be able to resist the allure in 2-3 years if any combination of 14" / mini-LED / ARM comes out?
If you think there's a decent chance you'd be really attracted to upgrading in 2-3 years if there's a big change, then I would go with the 16gb / 1TB today (even more so if it can be had in your market at a discount from Apple), knowing the $400-600 ($400 ram upgrade + $200 discount) can be put towards the next 14" MBP!
As you mentioned, the "cost" aspect isn't a big factor. Argument is that the downside of getting 16gb, and potentially feeling like you didn't get enough if your needs change, isn't worth the relatively smaller "downside" of higher cost today.
On the other hand, no one wants to "waste" money when you don't have to. And realistically, even though you believe you'll want this laptop for 4-5+ years, will you really be able to resist the allure in 2-3 years if any combination of 14" / mini-LED / ARM comes out?
If you think there's a decent chance you'd be really attracted to upgrading in 2-3 years if there's a big change, then I would go with the 16gb / 1TB today (even more so if it can be had in your market at a discount from Apple), knowing the $400-600 ($400 ram upgrade + $200 discount) can be put towards the next 14" MBP!
Thank you for your response.
To answer your question about the 14”, i will resist. This because in 2 years, i won’t have a lot of money to spend due me and my partner are planning to get pregnant and o want to safe up for my little guy or girl.
i want to buy a laptop now that will do his thing for years to come.
not going to lie, yes i will be tempted but i won’t buy it due not having this money haha!
Hehe in that case, my view would be save the $400-600, and bank that money for the future (as a young dad with 2 kids <4yrs old, the expenses come fast and furious!). Especially given there seems to be agreement that your use case shouldn't need 32gb for the foreseeable future.
I think many people have said this before, but nowadays future-proofing is a false economy. By the time 32GB vs 16GB RAM makes an appreciable difference on a 13” laptop, there will have been a far more pressing reason to have upgraded many years beforehand (I/O technology, battery degradation, wireless connectivity protocols, etc.).
macOS is written for the lowest common denominator, and that is (and will be for the next few years at least) 8GB RAM.
As others have said, if you need 32GB, you wouldn’t need to ask the question. macOS has a habit of using as much RAM as is available, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into noticeable performance improvements.
I’ve been using an 8GB machine and have shipped multiple apps (50,000+ lines of code in some) with Xcode, run Photoshop/Affiity Photo often at the same time, use Android Studio, run multiple simulators, all whilst the usual crud is in the background (Mail, Safari, Spotify, Calendar, etc). Very rarely does my memory pressure go orange or red. A family member has a 2018 13” with 8GB which is usually used as a secondary machine at work, however due to lockdown has been working on it from home (they are a TV film editor). They have cut multiple HD documentaries for BBC Two in the UK On FCPX, and it works perfectly fine. You really do have to be pushing these things to require more RAM.
If I were to buy new today, I’d go for 16GB as I would like a little more headroom for those very intense parts of my workflow. But unless you’re running multiple VMs, using a lot of poorly written/old programmes (e.g. Avid MC seems to require at least double the RAM of FCPX), using PS with large RAW files or crunching massive Excel spreadsheets, I see little reason to spend $400 on 32GB RAM. It’ll be put to far better use elsewhere.
macOS is written for the lowest common denominator, and that is (and will be for the next few years at least) 8GB RAM.
As others have said, if you need 32GB, you wouldn’t need to ask the question. macOS has a habit of using as much RAM as is available, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into noticeable performance improvements.
I’ve been using an 8GB machine and have shipped multiple apps (50,000+ lines of code in some) with Xcode, run Photoshop/Affiity Photo often at the same time, use Android Studio, run multiple simulators, all whilst the usual crud is in the background (Mail, Safari, Spotify, Calendar, etc). Very rarely does my memory pressure go orange or red. A family member has a 2018 13” with 8GB which is usually used as a secondary machine at work, however due to lockdown has been working on it from home (they are a TV film editor). They have cut multiple HD documentaries for BBC Two in the UK On FCPX, and it works perfectly fine. You really do have to be pushing these things to require more RAM.
If I were to buy new today, I’d go for 16GB as I would like a little more headroom for those very intense parts of my workflow. But unless you’re running multiple VMs, using a lot of poorly written/old programmes (e.g. Avid MC seems to require at least double the RAM of FCPX), using PS with large RAW files or crunching massive Excel spreadsheets, I see little reason to spend $400 on 32GB RAM. It’ll be put to far better use elsewhere.
That is some good writing. I think you are right.
i am going to buy the 16GB then. I have the mac mini with 32gb anyway.. and i will safe some money and a lot in delivery time.
Lets do this!
I think that’s a good choice - enjoy the new machine! I have a 2016 13” and am very tempted by the new keyboard - despite liking the feel of the Butterfly, I do not enjoy the reliability (two top case replacements). If it fails again, I’m buying a new one.
The hiked cost of the extra 16GB of ram puts me right off investing in a 32GB
For probably 95% of normal users of MBPs; 16GB is more than sufficient I’d say