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Which should I buy? (16gb model is £50 moe expensive)

  • Base Model M2 MBA Space Grey (Applecare+ until March 2026)

  • 16gb 256gb 10 core gpu M2 MBA midnight (apple warranty until March 2024)


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Denex327

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 25, 2023
1
0
Hi, currently having a purchase dilemma. I'm looking to replace my 2015 Macbook Pro which has 8gb of Ram and 128gb SSD. Right now I have found a deal for two different m2 macbook air specs:

1. Base model m2 macbook air (8gb 256gb) in space grey with Applecare+ until March 2026
2. 16gb 256gb 10 core gpu M2 macbook air in midnight with apple warranty until March 2024.

The 16gb version is about £50 more expensive. Both are in new condition with 100% battery health but the base model has 3 battery cycles vs 16 cycles on the 16gb model.

Not sure which one to go for. In terms of my use case, I know for the short term I will be fine with the base model as I will just use it for browsing, light gaming, youtube, emails, job applications etc (I already have a work laptop). However, my use case may change in about a year as I may start learning web development or coding. In that case the 16gb model will be more useful. However I do also have a pretty powerful gaming pc which I can fall back on if the base model is not sufficient. Right now my pc is just used in my living room as a glorified console.

Another factor making me lean towards the base model is the colours. I don't mind midnight but I prefer space grey just because it will show less fingerprints and scratches will be less visible.

The extra warranty with Applecare+ is also nice for peace of mind (note accidental damage is not covered as the seller is unable to transfer ownership). However in the UK we have strong consumer laws so I may be able to get out of warranty repair done for free with the 16gb model.

It may also be more expensive if I have to sell the base model in a year or two because of insufficient ram and replace it with a 16gb model. Also the 16gb model will have better resale value longer term.

Which one do you guys think I should go for?
 
I would get the 16gb. Even though the 8gb base can handle a lot, the extra ram is important.
 
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