Do I need 16 gigabytes of ram?

[jmarttu24]

8 should be fine. If you're doing any 3d modeling programs or graphic intensive programs then honestly you should have went the windows route, they tend to be better in that area. But if its just what you're saying then 8 is plenty for the average user.

 

[doitdada]

This is what I’ll probably due since I’m going to spending big bucks anyway no point in not getting the extra memory now.

We already got you in the store, why not buy the kingsize bed, the satin sheets, the 78 inch TV, the new 15.1 surround system, a new bluray player that looks a little better, insurance against ZYX, you name it. We will take care of the financial if you just sign right here. Welcome to the future even though it still is in the now

Always beware of people trying to sell you the future without talking about what's happening now.

In other words, get exactly what you need, not what you may need. Buy the cheapest option in school, and then get the company you are working for to pay for the custom to order Mac after graduation. Resale value is always best on baseline because second hand buyers are bargainers looking for the cheapest entry level product that they can acquire.

All my biggest losers in the second hand market have been with CTOs and higher end products. A few exceptions, but those are hard to get items and Apple products will always pop up in apps and portals that sell used merch and skit. In the pre iPhone times, Apple products was a niche, but no longer. Mainstream, baby!

 

[Dave245]

I think people opt for 16GB to be safe and not sorry, but the reality is that majority of people do not need 16GB, and I'd even say most school work doesn't require 16GB. I know there's exceptions to that, so as others stated, do your due diligence and find out the system requirements for the software you'll be expected to use.

This is true, i use my iMac 2012 with 16GB Ram to edit Youtube videos and help friends with their videos, even when doing that i don't think i hit 16GB (not to sure how to tell tho) i did get it back in 2012 in order to be as you said safe and not sorry!

 

[doitdada]

This is true, i use my iMac 2012 with 16GB Ram to edit Youtube videos and help friends with their videos, even when doing that i don't think i hit 16GB (not to sure how to tell tho) i did get it back in 2012 in order to be as you said safe and not sorry!

The GPU is of more importance than memory in your situation, and the 13" don't have a dGPU. I would probably go for 8GB on a 13", and on the 15" there is no way to downgrade or upgrade, it is simply 16GB or bust.

Actually the iMac you have from 2012 is about as fast as the baseline MacBook Pro 13" in Geekbench.

Also most of my calculations have shown that it is better to go baseline, then sell it after a year and upgrade, rather than to wait another year to sell it. The devaluation of the product will catch up on you on the second year. Would buy the baseline now, sell it before WWDC 2018 and buy the new quad core Coffee Lake or Kaby Lake R that will fit into a 13".

 

[Dave245]

The GPU be of more importance than memory in your situation, and the 13" don't have a dGPU. I would probably go for 8GB on a 13", and on the 15" there is no way to downgrade or upgrade, it is simply 16GB or bust.

Yea when I do eventually upgrade I might just stick with 8GB Ram and get the 13” MacBook Pro with Touchbar. The most I use really will be Final Cut Pro, Pages, Safari tabs (no more than 8 open at a time). I’ve been told that 4K editing can be done on the 13” MacBook Pro.

 

[doitdada]

I would say you need to bring in at least 500 dollars a month for three years to only justify the purchase of an iMac Pro, which is the only viable and updated hardware for 4K editing in the Apple pipeline right now. That is just to keep the iMac financed along with a Internet connection, storage and a decent video camera. It's a bit expensive to just be a hobby.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

There's nothing wrong with doing that, tbh, I did the very same thing. I opted for 16GB and I'm glad I did. I've been running VMs (multiple) and the extra memory has come in handy.

Yep, when you have to share between VMs, 16 GB is the bee's knees.

 

[Msivyparrot]

I suspect that High Sierra will start to tax devices that are less than 16GB, my macbook pro running high sierra is lagging a bit compared to Sierra on the same laptop, High Sierra uses a new file system for the hard drive, and my 2013 retina macbook pro is finding High Sierra hard to process, but not with Sierra...

As you will be using the laptop for a couple of years, I would suggest going for 16GB, after all you are blocked from post purchase upgrading, so if you find you might want to edit video, or do something a little complex, and you are using 8GB, you will want to throw the laptop out the window...Who knows in 2 to 10 years from now if we will have more than 16GB RAM, or if 16GB is the limit...

I really cannot understand why Apple refuses to allow post purchase upgrading or refuses to use chips that allow more than 16GB, on a mobile device, 16GB is woefully limiting..I checked on 2017 laptops and FCPX is OK, not 100%, maybe with more than 16GB it would be better...Go for 16GB....you wont be sorry...sure it is more expensive..but the pain of frustration is not worth the savings...