Data point for M1 16gb running Parallels and Windows 11

[MikeDr206]

my main machine is a Mac Mini 2018 with 32gb, and I run Win10 via Parallels there. My travel machine is a MBA M1 16gb, and I run Win11 via Windows there.

i noticed that I’m getting yellow memory pressure, with Windows taking up 6gb (I set it to take the recommended amount fwiw). Only other thing running is Resilio and Mac Mail.

next week will be interesting, as I usually have another 4-6 apps running. Curious to see if I hit red memory pressure. I never hit that with 32gb.

just sort of throwing this out there. My preliminary conclusion is that as a main machine, where you’re running parallels/Windows all the time, I don’t think 16gb is sufficient. Or at least I wouldn’t want to do it.

 

[russell_314]

my main machine is a Mac Mini 2018 with 32gb, and I run Win10 via Parallels there. My travel machine is a MBA M1 16gb, and I run Win11 via Windows there.

i noticed that I’m getting yellow memory pressure, with Windows taking up 6gb (I set it to take the recommended amount fwiw). Only other thing running is Resilio and Mac Mail.

next week will be interesting, as I usually have another 4-6 apps running. Curious to see if I hit red memory pressure. I never hit that with 32gb.

just sort of throwing this out there. My preliminary conclusion is that as a main machine, where you’re running parallels/Windows all the time, I don’t think 16gb is sufficient. Or at least I wouldn’t want to do it.

Let us know how it goes. I think if I was going to be running a VM I would’ve went with 24 or 32 GB RAM. Of course, with the M1 MacBook Air your limit was 16 GB. That’s what I got on my M2 Air but I don’t have no plans for running a VM on it.

 

[MikeDr206]

Yeah, 16gb was the max with the M1. I’m hoping the updated Mini has 32gb as an option, not just 24GB. On my Mini, I’m routinely around 22-23gb.

if it wasn’t for the VM, 16gb would be plenty. But it makes sense that a vm has to have a gob off dedicated ram.

 

[russell_314]

Yeah, 16gb was the max with the M1. I’m hoping the updated Mini has 32gb as an option, not just 24GB. On my Mini, I’m routinely around 22-23gb.

if it wasn’t for the VM, 16gb would be plenty. But it makes sense that a vm has to have a gob off dedicated ram.

Yeah, I’m really interested in getting another mini but the 16 GB limit kind of makes me not want to do it for some of the purposes I would want it for. With my last into one I had 32 GB and I could run a Windows VM with no problems. I’m really hoping for something in October. I don’t need the power of M1 Max or M1 Ultra. I just need a bit more RAM and I wouldn’t mind maybe M2 Pro.

 

[MikeDr206]

Yeah, I’m really interested in getting another mini but the 16 GB limit kind of makes me not want to do it for some of the purposes I would want it for. With my last into one I had 32 GB and I could run a Windows VM with no problems. I’m really hoping for something in October. I don’t need the power of M1 Max or M1 Ultra. I just need a bit more RAM and I wouldn’t mind maybe M2 Pro.

Exactly this. I looked at the Studio, but $2,199 for 32/1 tb in the base configuration is hard to stomach when the Mini in 16/1 tb is $1,299 — and I don’t need the power of the Studio. Would love to see 32/1 tb on a Mac Mini for $1,499, although I’m guessing It’ll be $1,599