I spent the last hours doubting and researching how much ram to get. I went with the base non touch bar version, so 8 gb. I will be fine and will have saved 250€.
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8GB RAM is enough, right?
- Thread starter ahoydecoy
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I would also consider how long you are going to hold onto the device for. The RAM can't be upgraded in a year if you need it. If you are going to hold onto the device for 3-4 years I think the extra money spent now would be well worth it. After 3 years you're not going to be miss that extra 160 pounds, but you may regret not having 16GB. That is how I would look at it.
I have the same base model nTB 13" MBP and 8GB RAM.
In the week I've had the machine, I've never once noticed an issue due to lack of RAM. Even running a Windows 10 VM that was configured to have 6GB of RAM didn't seem to cause issues. Yes, I did notice some virtual memory paging, but didn't notice any significant system performance effect. I've since reduced the Windows VM to use only 4GB s it didn't at all need 6 to begin with (accidentally left it that way when copying it from another machine).
Bottom line - if you don't already know that you need more than 8GB, then you don't need more than 8GB.
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256GB is the standard. Even on the cheapest base model.
Oh I meant 512gb not being offer as standard
They are charging more, market it as a pro machine but comes with 256gb, just same as the 12" Macbook
Ah. Perhaps 256GB is not enough for certain "pro" uses, but at least its not out of the norm given HP and Dell machines geared towards the high end market also start at 256GB.
Though can't get a 2TB in a 12" MacBook!
I wouldn't buy a computer as we roll into 2017 with 8 GB of non-upgradable RAM. That's the same amount that's in my 2010 MBP.
RAM is typically the first bottleneck that ages a computer and compels you to either upgrade or replace.
We're pretty much coming up on the point where software demands are stagnating, so hardware should be usable for longer. You shouldn't have to buy a new computer every 2-3 years, despite what many around here seem to think.
I would just pay for the RAM upgrade to probably get a few more years out of the machine, and make it easier to sell when the day does come to replace.
RAM is typically the first bottleneck that ages a computer and compels you to either upgrade or replace.
We're pretty much coming up on the point where software demands are stagnating, so hardware should be usable for longer. You shouldn't have to buy a new computer every 2-3 years, despite what many around here seem to think.
I would just pay for the RAM upgrade to probably get a few more years out of the machine, and make it easier to sell when the day does come to replace.
For those who surf the web, email, use Office or the like, YouTube and other light day to day use programs, 8 GB is more than enough. Spending money to get 16GB just so you can say you have it is a waste of money for the use, in my opinion.
If one where placing heavy daily loads on the Mac with video editing or other technical, professional apps, 16 GB would be more appropriate.
And what if OP decides to do the other tasks that currently are done on a desktop on this new MacBook Pro? Who knows what they'll want to do over the next 4-8 years or however long they keep it (which depends on how long it's usable for).
At some point in the not-so-distant future, 8 GB of RAM will be lacking. It will likely be the first bottle-neck as CPU demands have stagnated already, for the most part. Having 16 GB of RAM will extend the usable life of the device as MacOS and other software updates require more of it.
The tasks OP describes don't even warrant the need for a new computer at all -- they can be done on any MBP from the last several years, no problem. Funny that the same argument for not getting more RAM (not needed, waste of money) could pretty well be extrapolated to the purchase as whole. Maybe just get a refurb 2015 model, save the money, and upgrade sooner. 8 GB on a $2000 computer in 2016-2017 seems like a waste if the whole computer has to get replaced in a few years.
The OP gave no indication that his or her needs would or could drastically change in the next several months. If such is a possibility, the obviously a new assessment should be done.
My main point was that too many people on the forum are quick to say get 16 GB just because you can. It is easy to say such things when it is someone else's money.
In my opinion, people should get the device that best suits their needs in the here and now, not projecting 2 - 3 years down the road of what ifs. That ends up being wasted money.
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This is absolutely a true statement. But then the converse -- buying a top-spec machine every single time one upgrades -- would have to be the rule. And for some it is, but it's not the right choice for everyone. If everyone bought a computer based on what they might do, we'd all be spending a lot more money than we do now.
Agreed, since one cannot upgrade later due to Apple's design choices, one has to take that in to consideration. But the extra cost for some is going to be prohibitive.
Not suggesting you're wrong in any way -- getting 16GB now eliminates possible regret later on. But one must make some sacrifices or otherwise we'd could end up overbuying and walking around $4200 maxed-out 15" MBPs, lol
(Yes, I know, it's a stretch. Like I said, your point of view is just as valid. Some choices are hard)
They're tasks that OP currently does, just not currently with the laptop -- but they might if said laptop was more able to do it. Having foresight into what you might need to do with the device over the years is how you should be making the selection in the first place.
Worst case scenario, OP gets 16 GB and the computer is usable for a few extra years and has an easier time selling (and possibly selling for a little bit more). Best case scenario is all of that plus the ability to use the device for other tasks over the life of owning it.
Having said that, Apple's RAM prices are nearly criminal. It still doesn't make sense to invest so much money into a device that will have a permanent bottleneck that will show up sooner than later. It'd be a whole other story if the RAM was upgradable.
I guess it depends on how long one goes between upgrading their computer. It could be a big waste of money to overbuy if you frequently upgrade. But if you try and hang onto your devices for a bit longer, it can get you an extra couple of years.
It's a fair point, but there's more to it... it's all about buying a well-rounded machine for a reasonable price, ultimately.
So you wouldn't buy an expensive computer with a single deficiency (such as RAM, CPU, or storage). You either get it without that deficiency (upgrade the bottleneck), or you buy one that costs less and has a better balance (downgrade the other elements). So no quad-core i7 with 4 GB of RAM, and no 16 GB of RAM with core m3 CPU.
You can buy the most expensive variant and max everything out, but like you say, that's really expensive. The law of diminishing returns kicks in quickly (especially with Apple). Or you buy nothing but base models and upgrade them more frequently... but this is still rather expensive and you really never get to enjoy having the upgraded model.
Personally, I think the best solution is to buy last year's refurb with well-rounded specs for much, much less, and be on a different upgrade schedule. So rather than paying $2500 for a laptop with 8 GB of RAM, you can spend $1500 for a very similar computer (still with 8 GB of RAM) but a year older. Or you can pay the same $2500 for a year older machine that has greater performance and usable lifespan than the $2500 current model.
It's paying base model price for upper model specs.
Just my nickel's worth of free advice on making the most of your buying money.
If you plan on keeping it for more than 2-3 years, then I would opt for 16G RAM for sure...if nothing more than to help future proof it a bit.
I think the main issue is the RAM on the Macbook Pro can't be upgraded. This whole discussion would not even be relevant if Apple would just let us upgrade the RAM. 8 gb is probably enough today, but in (perhaps?) two years 16 gb might become recommended.
You could conclude that it's probably better to get 16 gb if you intend to future proof, but the decision is not so easy because Apple, again, charges A LOT for that 8 gb upgrade: $240 in Canada, $216 with education discount. A quick Google search shows that laptop RAM sticks go for about $50 per 8 gb...
I thought I should just stick with my 8 gb model, but now I'm not so sure. I've still got like 9 days to get a refund and order a custom one online. Thoughts?
You could conclude that it's probably better to get 16 gb if you intend to future proof, but the decision is not so easy because Apple, again, charges A LOT for that 8 gb upgrade: $240 in Canada, $216 with education discount. A quick Google search shows that laptop RAM sticks go for about $50 per 8 gb...
I thought I should just stick with my 8 gb model, but now I'm not so sure. I've still got like 9 days to get a refund and order a custom one online. Thoughts?
Apples prices for RAM sucks, especially when base models are usually on sale from third party retailers.
I bought my base 2015 13" for about $980+VAT at a retailer and just to get 8GB more RAM I would have to pay about $1500+VAT on the AppleStore instead. Not exactly worth it for a 128GB, dual core i5 machine..
Apples 13" BTO options are such low value for money that if base model don't work for you,
then the only upgrade worth the money is geting the 15" instead.
I bought my base 2015 13" for about $980+VAT at a retailer and just to get 8GB more RAM I would have to pay about $1500+VAT on the AppleStore instead. Not exactly worth it for a 128GB, dual core i5 machine..
Apples 13" BTO options are such low value for money that if base model don't work for you,
then the only upgrade worth the money is geting the 15" instead.
Thanks for all the opinions. It's been really helpful and interesting to see all you discussing it.
At the moment I think I'll stick with the 8gb and keep the return window in mind. Maybe test it and see how far I can push it.
To add fuel to the discussion, my Dell laptop with 8gb ram has served me well, even when running a web browser, a few office programmes and having a dozen RAW photos open in photoshop at once - which is my usual "heavy" usage.
Is there any school of thought on whether Mac utilises memory differently to Windows? Does it take up any more or less to run the same tasks?
At the moment I think I'll stick with the 8gb and keep the return window in mind. Maybe test it and see how far I can push it.
To add fuel to the discussion, my Dell laptop with 8gb ram has served me well, even when running a web browser, a few office programmes and having a dozen RAW photos open in photoshop at once - which is my usual "heavy" usage.
Is there any school of thought on whether Mac utilises memory differently to Windows? Does it take up any more or less to run the same tasks?
I believe OSX to be much more memory efficient than Windows.
I run both OS X El Capitan and Windows 7 on my 8 GB 2010 MacBook Pro.
Windows 7 seems to use quite a bit less resources. It will even run quite well with 3 GB of RAM, while El Capitan will not.
The nice thing is this means it will have longer usable life since OS X is becoming unbearable on it. Windows 10 ran beautifully with the exception that the forced updates ate up my mobile data and battery life while on the go sometimes... so I went back to 7. It's nice that the machine will be usable for some years to come.
Of course, a nice lightweight distribution of Linux uses by far the least resources.