Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
8 or 16?
- Thread starter Anna Maria
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you're planning on buying a new MacBook Pro (assuming you're asking about how much memory you should get), it's better to order the most memory you can afford (16 GB). Memory in the new MacBook Pros is not upgradeable.
as a former advocate of just using 8GB for most everyday task (low intensity), I recommend 16GB wholeheartedly.
On a new computer you gotta go for 16GB minimum because you don't know what you might be tackling in 6 months or next year. You can't be too thin, too rich, or have too much memory.
Hello, I always say that normally 16GBs are not used but with some frequency the 8GBs are usually exceeded, that is to say, use 9, 10GB and it is at this moment that the 8GBs fall short.
I am generalizing, what I consider to be happening today, that is, some will never exceed 8GBs and in certain cases up to 16GBs fall short in some exceptions.
My 16GB recommendation if possible.
I am generalizing, what I consider to be happening today, that is, some will never exceed 8GBs and in certain cases up to 16GBs fall short in some exceptions.
My 16GB recommendation if possible.
16GB 100%. Performance, future proof, better resale value. Do not buy a Macbook, or any laptop or computer for that matter, with only 8GB of RAM in 2020
I'm beginning to agree with this. Maybe an Air with an 8GB would be fine, but ultimately if you're in the Pro forum, get the 16
You can do a lot with just 8GB. Lots of people who have 16GB would be perfectly fine with just 8GB, but since you're using Adobe Create Suite applications, going with 8GB wouldn't be a good idea. The 20+ tabs surfing would be fine on 8GB, but once you start mentioning those Adobe programs, you shouldn't be looking at 8GB.
BTW, here's some actual data on the 8GB vs 16GB question.
Laptop Magazine ran a bunch of common use scenarios and came up with a chart showing that 8GB served fine for all common tasks.
g
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-much-ram
Laptop Magazine ran a bunch of common use scenarios and came up with a chart showing that 8GB served fine for all common tasks.
g
Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-much-ram
I have a MB Air that only has 4GB and while it runs well enough and in 2012 it probably seemed like 8 was overkill. I would go for as much as you can afford to give yourself some future proofing.
I really appreciate this chart. But I also see how most people work. Most people don't do 'photo processing heavy' by itself: they have their mail and browsers open. The OP mentioned xd, illustrator and indesign. If you have any one of these open together with Photoshop+mail+browser, you're approaching the limits of what you can do with 8gb fast. So thanks for the interesting chart, but I'd still advise any graphical artist to go for 16gb.
I completely agree. I actually advised the same one message earlier.
I was just adding some context for late comers or for people who showed up because they were needing insight on whether they needed 8 or 16GB.
I think anyone who's using Adobe's Create Suite professionally needs to just go straight to 16GB as a starting point, but 8GB is more than good enough for people with average computing needs.
I normally go straight to 16GB regardless, but I had to struggle with this 8 or 16GB dilemma recently because I had to get my wife a new laptop and I stumbled into an eye popping deal on a pristine MBA on eBay. The only downside was that it was an 8GB machine so I had to do a little reading first to decide if it was really a problem or if it was just my RAM anxiety talking.
I concluded that 8GB should serve her needs just fine and it was a good call. Everything runs just fine and she's doing everything she wants with no restrictions and hasn't sniffed a hint of a performance issue.
Last edited:
Hey, I'm still using an 8gb mbp 13 I got in 2014, so nothing wrong with that. I also built a Windows desktop in 2002 with 16gb. That machine is now really starting to get better than my mbp, despite the lower spec overall. It's the 8gb that I'm starting to bump up against. For my office users, I get 8gb. For anybody else (that usually involves the Adobe suite), it's 16gb.