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KevinRightWing

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 15, 2007
270
31
Houston TX
I think I am finally ready to upgrade to Apple silicon. Is spending the $400 to upgrade the ram a good idea for a user that doesn’t do anything hugely intensive but is going for longevity of the machine?
 
use the extended holiday return period to test trial an 18 gb device first. then go from there
 
I would do exactly what F23 advised you if you are not sure BUT if you are not doing anything quite demanding like heavy photoshop editing or video montage, gaming, or virtual machine stuff, I can tell you that 18 GB is more than enough.

What will be your main usage of the machine ? Professional or personal ? Which softwares do you usually use ?
 
I have a 14" M1 pro 16gb. I've only run out of RAM during heavy video editing in 4K (3-4 streams and colorgrading applied). I've done pretty straight forward editing of RED 8K footage without problems as well though. So I really thing you will be fine with 18GB
 
Another MBP 14" M1 Pro with 16 GB here: Never had a problem with it. I have 17 apps open right now, including two browsers, and "memory pressure" is solid green.
 
I'd go slightly different to others here and say that, if you want the option to keep the machine for 5+ years, I'd spring for the 36GB. It gives you room to "grow into" the machine if you end up wanting to do more in future years. You'll also be able to sell it for more money when the time comes to upgrade.
 
Tbh I think with yearly upgrades to MBPs the upgrade/resale value is going to tank. With the influencer economy asking everyone to upgrade frequently it’s going to be tough to get a good chunk back if you upgrade less than 3-4 years. Any custom configuration is not going to fetch more money. If you keep it beyond 4 years then you will get your money’s worth in usage. Just my 2c
 
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