16GB RAM vs 512GB SSD

[Sterkenburg]

I'd personally make an extra effort to get them both, really. But if you absolutely can't then I'd suggest 16GB RAM.

It's true that macOS handles RAM usage in a smart and efficient way, but you'll never get the physical memory you don't have, and you won't be able to change your mind later. External storage, on the other hand, can be added at any time, with fast external SSD drives getting cheaper and better by the day.

That said, 256GB are pretty easy to fill if you work with lots of photos and videos, and moving large files around to keep free space on the drive is a pain. If it were me, I would just bite the bullet and get both upgrades. It's not hard to justify, it's really the best choice.

 

[Harlowgold1]

Hi everyone!

My first post here, so please bear with me! I am about to purchase the new 2017 MBP 13". After waiting what seems to be an age for the processor update to KabyLake, I am finally ready to buy!

I am getting the MBP for university (long battery life, lightweight, MacOS etc) and am opting for the touchbar model also. However, I can't decide which specification to pick.

13" MBP Touchbar - 256GB 16GB RAM
13" MBP Touchbar - 512GB 8GB RAM

I will be using the laptop for Google Chrome, Spotify, downloading music/tv, programming and I may start video editing and photo editing properly. I currently have a Mac Mini with 8GB RAM and the 1TB HDD, and it can feel sluggish at times (maybe due to the traditional HDD). I have another Windows laptop with 1TB HDD and im using 800GB!

400GB is movies/tv shows/software install packages/OS iso's etc.
120GB Steam/Games
60GB Photos
40GB Music
20GB Documents

(I doubt I will game on my mac, and I wont be storing large files such as iso of MacOS/Office/ etc)

I could store heavy files on a external HDD or computer but it seems to defeat the objective of having this new MBP.

Looking at activity monitor on Mac Mini shows that I use:

4.5GB RAM Idle
5.8GB RAM (Chrome with 5 tab, Spotify streaming, Photos, Microsoft Word, Messages, iTunes, App Store, Airmail).
6.2GB RAM (Above + iMovie)

I cant decide between the two upgrades! RAM = possible future proof for more intensive MacOS. HDD = more space for storing photos/videos/possible bootcamp. It's difficult for me to justify picking both upgrades! What is better for future proofing/increase life span? I know that I probably wont be using more than 8GB RAM currently but that could be possible especially with newer versions of software.

Thank you all for reading!

Exactly why an extra $200 isn't a big deal when you're spending around $2,000+ already. You're going this far with your purchase, don't cheap out and cripple the thing cause you're too cheap to spend another couple hundred.

I always ran out of space on my 256GB MacBook so this time I paid the premium and went 1TB. Running out of space and constantly having to manage the internal space and hook up external drives is a pain in the neck. I regretted not opting for 512 on that MacBook every single day.

As for RAM, 8GB is probably ok but barely in this day and age. Go with 16.

If you absolutely have to get one or the other, the space is a no brainer. Realistically, you'll forget how much ram you have and everything will still work fine. But on space, youll be reminded daily you don't have enough when you have to waste time moving files around and carrying around an external.

[doublepost=1498405020][/doublepost]I'm in the same boat. I currently have a 2012 MBP w/256gb. I'm always conscious of my remaining memory. I move pictures to online storage (along with my music). I'm going w/51 which should be plenty for me. I figure this much... I may pay more now, but when I go to sell it, I will hopefully get more $$$ - Best wishes Jenny

 

[king464]

It sounds like you could benefit tremendously from NAS. If that is something you are interested in, my vote would be either 16 GB of RAM, or 8 GB RAM + 256 SSD with the extra money towards a NAS enclosure and two good quality desktop class HDDs for a RAID1 setup. Because you have multiple computers, and many files spread across those systems, NAS could provide you with greater flexibility (not to mention data integrity) than a single larger local disk on just one computer. They can also be pretty awesome for media servers...

Has there been any battery tests on the 2017s yet? I ask because it sounds like battery life is something you really need, and with the 2016s the nTB models had a pretty significant advantage over the 13-TB models.

I have a 3TB NAS currently waiting to be upgraded, used for media servers/photos/videos/computer backups currently. It's just that my Windows 1TB stores so many video files of TV shows/Films - I will be transferring and storing them permanently on my separate HDD's from now on
[doublepost=1498412826][/doublepost]

Of course it's always a personal choice based on personal usage. I find it easiest to double what you usually use today as a safe bet.

The OP mentioned they are used to 1TB of storage, and by the looks of it are using about ~200GB at the moment (Excluding music/films). So they are cutting what they're used to by 75%, which is a huge adaptation to make. They may also want to have a bit of free space every now and again to act as swap space, or may one day want to instal Windows. I just think they may be permanently handicapped with space.

Anyway, for those reasons I strongly recommend 512GB HDD. RAM is always more important as there is nothing you can do should this become limited. However your use case can happily work with 8GB of RAM, but once you start photo/video editing properly as you put it you may find it annoying to work from an external drive. I always find it easier to copy whatever I'm doing to the internal, that way I don't have to worry about it. And back everything up to an external. Some jobs end up with huge files once if you are exporting high resolution .tiff files from LightRoom to edit in PhotoShop or anything. And whilst you can work from an external, or work on a few at a time. I always find it best for my workflow to complete each step in succession.

So I don't think you should see it as an either/or. I think you want 16GB of RAM and it'll by all means be a bonus, and you need 512GB HDD. You should be looking at 512GB or 1TB based on your current usage. But try get that $200 today in order to not have to worry a year down the line with the machine.

You make a very valid point - I think the 16GB RAM is a must and then I will most likely opt for the 512GB SSD as well.
[doublepost=1498413021][/doublepost]

I'd personally make an extra effort to get them both, really. But if you absolutely can't then I'd suggest 16GB RAM.

It's true that macOS handles RAM usage in a smart and efficient way, but you'll never get the physical memory you don't have, and you won't be able to change your mind later. External storage, on the other hand, can be added at any time, with fast external SSD drives getting cheaper and better by the day.

That said, 256GB are pretty easy to fill if you work with lots of photos and videos, and moving large files around to keep free space on the drive is a pain. If it were me, I would just bite the bullet and get both upgrades. It's not hard to justify, it's really the best choice.

It does look as if I will be biting the bullet and get both upgrades! Long-term it looks to be the best solution

 

[Pdp7]

For people who say that 8GB is enough, well sure its enough... but for what? I have Safari (1 tab), Chrome (running with no windows open), Mail, and iChat running. Box, Dropbox, 1Password are running as background/menu bar apps. I'm not taxing the machine at all and here is the memory situation right now.

I opted for 256GB SSD and 16Ram on my '17 MBP with TouchBar. Had I gone with 8, there wouldn't be lots of headroom and MacOS would be doing its memory management thing with the SSD to keep up as soon as few more tabs get opened and I launch iPhoto and Pixelmator, for example.

 

[Mobster1983]

I highly recommend getting both. The extra RAM will definitely benefit you if you do any type of photo/video editing, and especially in programming. 256Gb hard drive is not enough these days either. My Photos library itself is 196Gb, and I really don't have a LOT on there. I went with 16Gb RAM and a 1TB HD (on the 15"). If you can afford both, then get both (it looks like you already decided on this.

External hard drives are not that bad anymore. I keep my iTunes files on an external HD at home, since I rarely, if ever, need them on the go. If I am going on a trip, I will usually download movies and music to my iPad and maybe my MBP.

I also agree with Phil's point on the TB 13". The battery life isn't an issue. 10 hours easy, and charging is extremely fast.

It's not just the Touchbar you get with the Touchbar models though - faster processor, faster graphics, faster RAM and twice as many ports all made it worth the extra for me even without the (admittedly gimmicky) Touchbar

When I got mine, I decided to go for 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM as I want it to last me a few years, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd definitely have prioritised RAM over SSD because (as others have said) you can easily add external storage whereas the RAM you buy is the RAM you have for the life of the machine

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

For people who say that 8GB is enough, well sure its enough... but for what? I have Safari (1 tab), Chrome (running with no windows open), Mail, and iChat running. Box, Dropbox, 1Password are running as background/menu bar apps. I'm not taxing the machine at all and here is the memory situation right now.

I opted for 256GB SSD and 16Ram on my '17 MBP with TouchBar. Had I gone with 8, there wouldn't be lots of headroom and MacOS would be doing its memory management thing with the SSD to keep up as soon as few more tabs get opened and I launch iPhoto and Pixelmator, for example.

It's worth noting the memory pressure in Activity Monitor rather than looking at physical RAM usage. Software is designed to use whatever RAM it can get, so no matter how much you have installed it will always look like it's using a lot. If the memory pressure is high it means your system is struggling, if your RAM used is high it just means the software is making good use of it, no point having several gigs of RAM just sitting there when it can be used as swap space and stuff.

8GB is actually quite a lot of RAM for a lot of people, and given the speed increases of RAM and SSD's over the past 5 years it isn't as much of an issue as it was a decade ago. It's always best to get as much as you can, but it's not always as essential as people think a lot of the time.

 

[ZapNZs]

Chrome can be a little piggy - the OS is still using a hilariously small amount of memory

 

[kdm0505]

both upgrades > no upgrades > 16gb memory > 512 SSD

How bad would it suck if you chose the wrong option? If you keep your laptop for 4 years it's around $4.17 per month outlay considering you don't recoup any of that $200 if/when you sell etc. Basically the cost of a craft beer or whatever you millennials like

 

[Primejimbo]

I would save to get both, but if I had to get one, I get 16GB of RAM. You can always put movies on an external hard drive, and they are cheap.

You might be able to save up, or wait until they show up in the refurbished store. If you get 8GB of RAM, that will hurt you more than a 256 GB hard drive. You can move data off a hard drive, you can't move programs off of RAM.

 

[king464]

Just an update - thank you all for your views! I bit the bullet and got both, had the MBP delivered a couple of days ago and I am really loving it! Already used to the keyboard, finding TB useful with BetterTouchTool and of course the design is flawless! Really happy

 

[iamkevin]

I have the same question

 

[magbarn]

You're looking at a laptop that's good until 2024? Get BOTH 16gb of RAM and at least 512gb SSD. $500 amortized over 5 years is nothing these days. You're stuck with Apple's extortion prices as both are soldered. I just popped in a 2TB NVME in my 2013 rMBP for about $215. At least that previous gen had removable SSDs. But I'm stuck with the 8gb of RAM

 

[iamkevin]

You're looking at a laptop that's good until 2024? Get BOTH 16gb of RAM and at least 512gb SSD. $500 amortized over 5 years is nothing these days. You're stuck with Apple's extortion prices as both are soldered. I just popped in a 2TB NVME in my 2013 rMBP for about $215. At least that previous gen had removable SSDs. But I'm stuck with the 8gb of RAM

You're looking at a laptop that's good until 2024? Get BOTH 16gb of RAM and at least 512gb SSD. $500 amortized over 5 years is nothing these days. You're stuck with Apple's extortion prices as both are soldered. I just popped in a 2TB NVME in my 2013 rMBP for about $215. At least that previous gen had removable SSDs. But I'm stuck with the 8gb of RAM

Thanks for your advise!

 

[petvas]

I always buy 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. Do not settle for less if you want to have a device that is as future proof as it can get. If you want more storage you can always buy an external Thunderbolt SSD (Samsung has a great one) and the performance will be almost the same as on the internal SSD..
If you cannot afford both the RAM upgrade and the SSD, then get the 16GB RAM. Go with 256GB SSD and later you can get an external SSD. As I wrote at the beginning though, try to get everything from the beginning. Don't settle.