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Advice - 16GB worth it?

J

Juanma8

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 22, 2013
16
0
Hello good people.
I'm traveling to NY in April and I'm planning to get the new Retina MacBook Pro 13" .
I choose the 256 ssd - 8 GB ram one ($1500) , but then started doubting about getting the 16 GB Ram version.
Is it worth the extra $200 or the base model is ok?
I do not need so much power, just want it to last long.

Thank you very much
 
Juanma8 said:
Hello good people.
I'm traveling to NY in April and I'm planning to get the new Retina MacBook Pro 13" .
I choose the 256 ssd - 8 GB ram one ($1500) , but then started doubting about getting the 16 GB Ram version.
Is it worth the extra $200 or the base model is ok?
I do not need so much power, just want it to last long.

Thank you very much
Click to expand...

We've got a 3 year old MacBook Air with 2GB of RAM and it does just fine for light use (Safari, Calendar, iWorks, iPhoto, and a few other light apps) under Mavericks. 4GB would be just fine 8GB is really "future proofed" for such use being 4x the current minimum for the current OS.

That said, you will be told by most to get 16GB because you can't add more later.
 
First, people should never give advice without knowing what the needs are. This it one of the things that causes these big RAM threads.

So, to the OP, what will you use your computer for and how long would you like to keep it?
 
Thank you all.
Web browsing , photoshop and some games (not heavy) . I would like it to last at least 4 years!
 
Last edited:
Juanma8 said:
No, I just want a fast and durable computer
Click to expand...

If your usage is such that its not using the 8gb and it seems like it won't then the added 8gb of ram, won't help you.

I'd say stick with the 8gb and enjoy the machine :)
 
In most circumstances, coupled with an SSD 8GB should really be ample...if you do a lot if heavy duty work in Aperture, Logic etc, then it might be worth considering...remember that you have to choose the option at purchase time.
 
Macman45 said:
In most circumstances, coupled with an SSD 8GB should really be ample...if you do a lot if heavy duty work in Aperture, Logic etc, then it might be worth considering...remember that you have to choose the option at purchase time.
Click to expand...

Also keep in mind that most of the stores only carry the the base configuration CPU/RAM in stock... I just picked one up yesterday and none of the stores in Westchester/NYC had the 16GB in stock. So if you wanted 16GB it will need to be ordered.
 
I had a similar question when I purchased my 2012 retina 15" with 8GB ram. To be honest, I thought I would be sorry to get 8GB, but I got a really good deal on a machine with 8GB.

Maybe since I don't know what type of a performance hit I am taking (if any), I am oblivious to needing 16 GB anymore. I regularly run the following and have not run into issues.

Lightroom 5, Adobe Photoshop CS6, Adobe Premier Pro CS6, Logic Pro, etc., and have not had any issues. Now...one caveat...I believe if I were doing more video, with multiple camera angles and needing to edit all of this at once....I would go with 16GB. For the enthusiast...like me...8GB has been sufficient.
 
Get 16gb. End of story.

(Ok maybe not the end, but really... if you ever imagine you will run iphoto or like opening up lots of windows, you need the memory.)
 
tarjan said:
Get 16gb. End of story.

(Ok maybe not the end, but really... if you ever imagine you will run iphoto or like opening up lots of windows, you need the memory.)
Click to expand...

I do that on my Mac Mini with 8GB and its fine, no issues.
 
Gman021 said:
I'm going to assume, and hope, that was sarcasm. The post you were responding too.
Click to expand...
This whole thread is sarcasm.....
At least once every few days someone opens the exact same ram thread and the exact people write the exact same responses. I even gave about 20 links to 20 threads about the exact same topic somewhere. I used to like ram threads but it is getting just ridiculos now.

Besides that i can run everything fine and multitask fluently on my mini with 4gb!
So maflynn is telling the truth.
.... Had to reply. ram threads tempt too much :D
 
maflynn said:
No I'm serious, I found 8GB of ram to be fine on my Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

I think he meant the post you responded to not yours.
Anyway, working with 8GB worked fine for me too (even while doing a 1080p homemovie while editing some pictures was fine)
 
Meister said:
This whole thread is sarcasm.....
At least once every few days someone opens the exact same ram thread and the exact people write the exact same responses. I even gave about 20 links to 20 threads about the exact same topic somewhere. I used to like ram threads but it is getting just ridiculos now.

Besides that i can run everything fine and multitask fluently on my mini with 4gb!
So maflynn is telling the truth.
.... Had to reply. ram threads tempt too much :D
Click to expand...

Seems like an honest request from someone who doesn't search the forum first (which are most people, it seems).

I always post to these threads saying "don't upgrade" because there are always people who are willing to spend the OPs' money on something they don't need. Not only is 4GB enough, but even 2GB (on our MBA) works fine when there is an SSD for caching and the system is lightly used. Yes, even iPhoto works in 2GB RAM.
 
maflynn said:
No I'm serious, I found 8GB of ram to be fine on my Mac Mini.
Click to expand...


I worded my post weirdly. I was talking about the post you responded to earlier about the windows and iPhoto. I think he was being sarcastic.
 
Isn't it fun now that retina and air MacBooks are pretty much the only machines most people consider, so many people are forced to upgrade the RAM as a form of "insurance" since they wouldn't be able to do so later if needed. Great move there by Apple.

On a based 13" rMBP the upgrade from 4GB to 16GB is $300, not a small chunk. I got a previous generation, upgradable MBP and the net cost of upgrading it to 16GB after purchase was exactly half that (I sold the 4GB the laptop came with). I think a lot of clueless people who are looking at these new laptops would be served just as well by buying an older gen refurbished unit and not worrying about upgrading RAM unless they actually start feeling that they need it. It's a pity the refurbished section is hidden behind a tiny link at the very bottom of the Apple Store.
 
Yeah it is :D actually I've been told by an Apple specialist at my local Apple store they've see a ton of returns on these new retina models because of this fact. However with that said they get even more from those who have a hard time deciding between the 13" and 15".

I was in this ram boat awhile ago. What helped me is to look at it long term. $200 does not make that much of a difference in the cost of a notebook plus it likely will help it last a little while longer by giving you some headroom.
 
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