2020 MBA i3 & 16GB vs i5 & 8GB

[nepats81]

hello all,

I am going to buy a 2020 MBA. I would like to keep the cost down, as I do only basic things and like to upgrade every 3 years or so.
Should I get
i3 with 16 GB RAM $1080 USD
i5 with 8 GB Ram $999 USD

My uses - youtube, many safari tabs, Spotify, iMessages, excel, iBooks. I like to play youtube videos and listen to the audio while I do light browsing with other tabs. I'm an impatient cat, so speed is important to me.

Thanks!

 

[KPOM]

hello all,

I am going to buy a 2020 MBA. I would like to keep the cost down, as I do only basic things and like to upgrade every 3 years or so.
Should I get
i3 with 16 GB RAM $1080 USD
i5 with 8 GB Ram $999 USD

My uses - youtube, many safari tabs, Spotify, iMessages, excel, iBooks. I like to play youtube videos and listen to the audio while I do light browsing with other tabs. I'm an impatient cat, so speed is important to me.

Thanks!

For what you describe, I’d go with the 16GB i3.

 

[mtneer]

If your interests are going to be in the range of what you describe over the next 3 years, then get the base i3 and save even more money.

 

[nepats81]

should i use the savings on the apple leather sleeve navy blue? $180 but would surely give me status at coffee shops or the campus library.

What do you guys think?

 

[mba2015]

hello all,

I am going to buy a 2020 MBA. I would like to keep the cost down, as I do only basic things and like to upgrade every 3 years or so.
Should I get
i3 with 16 GB RAM $1080 USD
i5 with 8 GB Ram $999 USD

My uses - youtube, many safari tabs, Spotify, iMessages, excel, iBooks. I like to play youtube videos and listen to the audio while I do light browsing with other tabs. I'm an impatient cat, so speed is important to me.

Thanks!

i3 16GB

 

[twintin]

For your needs even i3 8 GB will do.

 

[deeddawg]

My uses - youtube, many safari tabs, Spotify, iMessages, excel, iBooks. I like to play youtube videos and listen to the audio while I do light browsing with other tabs. I'm an impatient cat, so speed is important to me.

Zero need for 16GB RAM for this workload, it'll be fine in 8GB and should remain fine for years.

Do you already have a mac of some sort? Check your current Memory Pressure - see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201464

This way you can make a decision based on facts and not conjecture by people happy to spend your money for you.

should i use the savings on the apple leather sleeve navy blue? $180 but would surely give me status at coffee shops or the campus library.

What do you guys think?

I've never concerned myself with "status" or what others thought of me based on my choice of stuff, and back in the days when I'd frequent coffee shops and the campus library I was focused on getting my work done.

Personally, I think dropping $180 on a computer sleeve is dumb. An ICON Sleeve from Incase is a very protective sleeve and costs over $100 less.

 

[mba2015]

For your needs even i3 8 GB will do.

„My uses - youtube, many safari tabs”
many open tabs can eat up any amount of RAM

 

[Daino92]

I have essentially the same use case but am probably going to use more office related apps and a Java based app. I have the i5 and 8 GB of RAM and am fine.