thadoggfather
macrumors P6
I thought about that today 😛 going to be crazy expensive and a fingerprint magnet. Not sure it makes much sense for me.
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.
Dilemma: maxed out M5 MBA or wait for M6 MBA?
- Thread starter Populus
- Start date
-
- Tags
- purchase advice ram specs
- Sort by reaction score
Calaveras
macrumors regular
waiting is pointless unless you have a very specific use case that is fulfilled by a specific announced product.
Also the ram and flash storage prie thing is a result of the AI bubble. The AI bubble won't last forever. It will probably crash later this year and the absurd demand for those components will go back to normal.
Also the ram and flash storage prie thing is a result of the AI bubble. The AI bubble won't last forever. It will probably crash later this year and the absurd demand for those components will go back to normal.
I’m more pessimistic. I think the demand of RAM and flash storage is far from ending. I won’t say a year because I guess no one knows when the big AI companies will stop building data centers, but I bet it won’t be anytime soon.
Apple has managed to keep prices stable thanks to its historic margins and the long term contracts they had, but that’s ending soonish. Tim Cook said the story could change during this month. I feel like a price increase is inevitable.
conmee
macrumors 65816
All things equal, if you plan on getting 6-10 years out of the MBA, just max it out and be done with it, regardless of workload. Since you don't want to go MBP, and given how long you want the MBA to last, why skimp out on memory or storage? 32GB and at least 1TB (ideally 2TB). Apple Intelligence/Siri AI won't be able to replicate everything that's possible with larger local LLM models. It remains to be seen how useful Siri AI will be, but the 12GB requirement indicates that any on-device inferencing will be utilizing a small, highly quantized model. And I'm sure in order to make it useful/responsive, Apple is limiting the model to what tasks it can accomplish. I won't be surprised if Siri AI recommends using the Cloud for certain tasks even if a device has the required 12GB memory.
The benefit of the M5 vs M4 is mainly down to improved ray tracing (if you play games) and the neural accelerators in the GPU cores for AI work. 32GB is the bare minimum if you want to do more than just "proof-of-concept" or play around with small LLMs (and you'll want to even with Siri AI available). You can comfortably run qwen3.6 or Gemma4 ~30billion parameters at 4-bit quantization on 32GB (not so on 24GB). I've already run into memory constraints with 64GB and will look to get a Studio with 256GB when available. At any rate, even Apple may up the memory requirements for on-device AI in the future, with the way things are progressing - 32GB gives you some breathing room especially for as long as you plan to daily drive your MBA.
Last note on heat. As others have pointed out, there are Intel MBPs still running. I was using a 2019 16" MBP with 5500M 8GB GPU until this March when I purchased my M5 Pro and it ran like a combo hair dryer+nuclear reactor the past 7 years. The M5 MBA will not generate anywhere near the heat of the Intel Macs which have survived quite a while. Unless you plan on running extended, sustained workloads like large video exports, code compiling, or complex requests to your local LLM, in which case an MBA is not the right tool for the job, I think you'll be more than fine with an M5 MBA.
This is sad but so true. IMO computers matured long ago and are now commodities.
With each new release of macOS we see the discontinuation of support for perfectly working Macs. Most will be retired not because they’re not useful but because they will no longer be supported and will be unable to integrate with many tasks people do.
In the old days when computers were maturing this kind of obsolescence was understandable. Today it’s disappointing.
Apple is not alone here, the Windows 11 made perfectly functional PCs obsolete. Modern vehicles will likely go down this path too.
Exactly. My car is an old school one with atmospheric gasoline engine and little electronics. It is 25 years old and relatively easy to maintain and repair. Today’s cars are a whole different story, unfortunately.
I understood when my core 2 duo MacBook Pro was left unsupported on High Sierra. It was already a bit old. But my 2014 core i5 Mac mini, a dual core machine with four threads and the Iris Graphics, while stuck on Monterey, is still quite fast. I cannot imagine a powerful SoC such as the M2 or the M4 not being able to run macOS. But I guess they will eventually be left unsupported after 8 years plus two more of security patches…
Anyway, the decision here is whether to invest in a maxed out M5 or get the 512/24 so that I can lose less money when I sell it to get either the M6 or M7
conmee
macrumors 65816
Max out the M5 MBA, baby!!! The base M6 isn't going to be a substantial improvement over the base M5. And according to some rumors, the MBA/MBP won't be getting a redesign, only the "MacBook Ultra" will get thinner. I remember when I had a 2014 MBP and held off for the 2016 "redesign." Turned out in 2016 Apple made the chassis thinner, it ran much hotter than my 2014, the keyboard sucked, they got rid of all the ports and function keys and introduced the TouchBar, and somehow - probably due to the thinner shell - the webcam sucked and looked way worse than my 2014's webcam. I upgraded to a 2015 instead and used that until I bought a 2019 (mainly for the additional memory and supposedly "improved" butterfly keyboard). My point? You may end up being happier with your maxed out M5 MBA and not find the M6 MBA compelling. I wouldn't factor resale value in unless you plan on updating annual/every two years - and don't you plan to try to get 6-10 years out of this purchase?
Here are the Geekbench scores I got for the wife's M4 MBA and the base M5 MBP that I tested out.
M5 MBP 32GB: Single Thread/Multi Thread (4196 / 17872) - GPU Metal (76609)
M4 MBA 16GB: Single Thread/Multi Thread (3699/ 15472) - GPU Metal (55171)
To be honest, I feel no difference in speed between these machines. The only time speed is noticeable is running benchmarks. The M5 will perform local AI much better due to the upgraded GPU but not enough to matter. And of course, games that use ray tracing will see a huge improvement on base M5 vs base M4. And those are the only times the M5 would get warm. And the only time the M5 needed a fan in the MBP was when running Cinebench or 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmarks in a loop. Otherwise, the base M5 would get warm but almost never required a fan. So M5 MBA should be fine and on the off-chance you do something really intensive, it will just throttle to keep the temps manageable.
Here are the Geekbench scores I got for the wife's M4 MBA and the base M5 MBP that I tested out.
M5 MBP 32GB: Single Thread/Multi Thread (4196 / 17872) - GPU Metal (76609)
M4 MBA 16GB: Single Thread/Multi Thread (3699/ 15472) - GPU Metal (55171)
To be honest, I feel no difference in speed between these machines. The only time speed is noticeable is running benchmarks. The M5 will perform local AI much better due to the upgraded GPU but not enough to matter. And of course, games that use ray tracing will see a huge improvement on base M5 vs base M4. And those are the only times the M5 would get warm. And the only time the M5 needed a fan in the MBP was when running Cinebench or 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmarks in a loop. Otherwise, the base M5 would get warm but almost never required a fan. So M5 MBA should be fine and on the off-chance you do something really intensive, it will just throttle to keep the temps manageable.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
I'd buy an M5 MBA, use it, love it and not stress about it.
They are phenomenal machines.
You can't go wrong here.
They are phenomenal machines.
You can't go wrong here.
turbineseaplane
macrumors Penryn
I'm hearing really great things in store for the M8's also.
Might be worth waiting on those tbh.
You’re all tempting me to time travel a few years ahead and grab the last MBA with an IPS display, maxed out of course, and come back with it.
You know what? You’re convincing me of getting the 32GB option, which currently has an estimated delivery of 3 to 4 weeks. This first version of Siri AI is a bit dissappointing from what I’ve seen (although it’s still in the first beta), and maybe I should try to have as much RAM as possible in the case I want to use any decent Local LLM or RAG system…
Also, who knows what we’ll have in the future, maybe Local LLMs take lees RAM in the future, or better compression methods, and those 32GB could fit better models or have bigger context… and maybe future iterations of Siri AI let users download bigger models as long as they have enough RAM.
With the memory supply constraints the whole industry is facing, future M6 Macs will probably have only two configurations: 16 and 24, and those will likely be pricier.
So yeah, I think I’ll invest in an M5 MacBook Air with 32GB of RAM.
Now the remaining decision is storage:
a) Getting the base 512GB of storage at a still reasonable price of 1560€ or…
b) Paying the extra 250€ for the 1TB storage option, rising the price to an obnoxious 1810€… Honestly, being so close to 2000€ with a MacBook Air makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I’m not too positive about spending that much money.
Reminder that I have several 1TB and 2TB external SSD and NVMe. So maybe it’s a waste of money getting the 1TB MBA… if I can edit video from external drives, execute games from external drives, and even boot on the M5 MBA from an external drive, then maybe I will make do with a 512GB MacBook Air.
Also, storing too many documents on the device without a backup could be dangerous. Any failure could make me lose everything.
What are your thoughts?
snipr125
macrumors 68030
Yeah, I kind of regret not getting mine with 24 GB now and paying slightly extra now as the prices are going to go up, but 16 GB RAM should realistically be fine for me based on my usage.
boswald
macrumors 68040
I chose 24/1 for longevity and power and I'm so glad I did. I can't imagine how much storage and RAM will cost in the next year, perhaps even the next 6 months. I hope you can get one with enough to suit your needs ASAP. Don't sleep on it much longer unless budget is an issue!
You’re absolutely right. Maybe they absorb the cost for the next A20/M6 gen, but chances are that, while they are probably absorbing it on the iPhone, on the Mac side at least the upgrade options will be more expensive soon…
maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
You have your answer regarding pricing
Tim Cook Says Apple Price Increases Are 'Unavoidable' Due to Memory Costs
1BadManVan
macrumors 68040
if you have plenty of external storage options already and have no need to store large files or apps locally on your Mac, then I think you'll be just fine with the 32/512 option. I went for 24/1tb because I don't have any external drives at my disposal. even 24/1tb is overkill for me currently but I want this to last me many years and I have gotten my ram usage up to 20gb so I do feel good that I went with the 24gb model
maflynn
macrumors Broadwell
Buy now will more likely be a cheaper option. Something that those of us who grew up in the 1970s have experience with. The inflation of the 1970s changed people's buying habits, waiting equated to products being priced higher.
Dilemma solved.
MacBook Air purchased.
Never have I ever spent so much money in a computer… but I finally went with the 1TB/32GB. The price difference between each one of the compromised specs (half the storage or 24GB of RAM) was 250€. That’s the extra money I decided to spend on top of the configuration I was already set to purchase. And that’s the money I’ll need to justify to myself, because the first 1550€ were going to be spent anyway… [excuse my bad grammar]
Delivery: August. Hopefully they will apply to me the Back to School promo, that will be already active by then.
Now, let’s see how much does Apple charge for each memory and storage update after the imminent price increases… I am curious.
EDIT: Grammar.
MacBook Air purchased.
Never have I ever spent so much money in a computer… but I finally went with the 1TB/32GB. The price difference between each one of the compromised specs (half the storage or 24GB of RAM) was 250€. That’s the extra money I decided to spend on top of the configuration I was already set to purchase. And that’s the money I’ll need to justify to myself, because the first 1550€ were going to be spent anyway… [excuse my bad grammar]
Delivery: August. Hopefully they will apply to me the Back to School promo, that will be already active by then.
Now, let’s see how much does Apple charge for each memory and storage update after the imminent price increases… I am curious.
EDIT: Grammar.
Last edited:
thadoggfather
macrumors P6
If you do upgrade sooner than you think spec bumps really do help with resell. Both price and turnaround
I think my 16 plus sold as fast as it did because I had 256gb model when 128 was base.
Now that it’s 256 minimum maybe less so perks of reselling say the 512 bump model for iPhone. 17 line … but going to be a very long time before airs move up from 16/512 base imo in the Mac space
And if you just enjoy the device and don’t worry about these things you got a screaming fast and capable laptop right in front of you.
I always wish I moved up on 8/256 in specs for my m2 15 inch air but then again the money saved went towards this upgrade on m5 with spec bumps. But I also feel like it was time after having that style configuration for well over 10 years
JPack
macrumors P6
Agreed this is the right move given the imminent price increases.
I’m not so sure about this statement, at least in my country where most people look for the base model, and in the second hand market the price difference between a base MacBook and one with upgraded memory/storage is not that big. Let’s just say most people here don’t spend more than a thousand in a used laptop.
That, of course, could change if Apple dramatically rises their prices… but as a general rule of thumb, the more upgrades you pay for the device, the more you’ll lose whenever you sell it.
thadoggfather
macrumors P6
yeah you're certainly not going to re-coup it all, but I think it does help out a bit with the resell.
ie I think if you put $400-$600 in upgrades, you can expect to see roughly half that back. and a faster turnaround time.
But I guess depends on the country and market like you said. and what comes of these price hikes, too.