How many people regret getting the base 16GB RAM on the M4 Mac Mini....?

[Turnpike]

I could use a new computer pretty quick, and the M4 Mac Mini seems like a bargain and as updated as I need, but getting the max ram doubles the price and keeps it from being the quick purchase I need.

How many people have the 16GB RAM and regret it on a daily basis? I do a lot of browsing, open Chrome tabs, and have 5 or 6 different brand browsers open at once most of the time (research). I 3D print, also I'm learning some CAD programs, but just learning, and I can put it off for a few months till I upgrade again, but in the meantime, is the base RAM only good for a few tabs and browsing, or does it take some pretty heavy applications to slow it down?

 

[uller6]

Base RAM lets you do some pretty heavy stuff. You can always buy it and try the machine out within apples 14 day return period. If you need more RAM, return and get another with more RAM.

 

[Moonjumper]

You should easily be fine with 16GB.

I have an M4 Pro in my Mac Mini, which gives me 24GB, but I am doing a lot more with it and I don't feel like I am working it hard at all. Typically I have a game engine, code editor with multiple files open, image editing software, mail, and a browser with multiple tabs and it is fine. If I want to edit some video using DaVinci Resolve, I don't even bother closing the other software. I would never have considered that on any previous machine, even though I have had more RAM.

 

[smirking]

I'm a developer and didn't have a single regret over 3 years of ownership of a 16GB M1 Pro MBP Pro. It just worked. I constantly had Capture One Pro, PHPStorm loaded with 2 large projects, 1-2 virtual servers, 3+ different browser programs each with a lot of tabs, and all the usual productivity apps.

I'm not sure how you'd do running CAD on 16GB. It would depend on what you're doing. If you're just dabbling, I wouldn't think it'd be an issue, but for everything else you said, the fears are unfounded.

 

[CharlesShaw]

If you're near a Micro Center, they're selling the base model for $449 in-store with a 15-day return policy.

I'm a basic user and have no regrets with the base m4 model, which I thought was deal when I paid $499.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

I could use a new computer pretty quick, and the M4 Mac Mini seems like a bargain and as updated as I need, but getting the max ram doubles the price and keeps it from being the quick purchase I need.

How many people have the 16GB RAM and regret it on a daily basis? I do a lot of browsing, open Chrome tabs, and have 5 or 6 different brand browsers open at once most of the time (research). I 3D print, also I'm learning some CAD programs, but just learning, and I can put it off for a few months till I upgrade again, but in the meantime, is the base RAM only good for a few tabs and browsing, or does it take some pretty heavy applications to slow it down?

It takes some pretty heavy applications to slow it down.

 

[estabya]

I usually have a 2-3 browsers with 8-25 total tabs open, Pages, Numbers, Mail, torrent client, and Ultimaker Cura open at the same time. I also am exporting or converting video files in the background a lot of days. My base M4 mini keeps up just fine and I've never had memory pressure in the red.

 

[Fishrrman]

If you want "CAD", you want more RAM.

Get 32gb. EIther get a more substantial SSD (at least 512gb, 1tb is better).

You WILL NOT regret having done this four or five years "down the road"...

 

[redheeler]

16 GB is the bare minimum nowadays. It's usable for me personally. However, I also have a Linux PC I turn to for things like running Docker containers or LLMs. I don't know how much memory CAD programs require so I can't answer for your specific use case. But in general I've been able to recommend the base model Mac mini, and it's the first one I've been able to since 2012 so that's saying something. External SSD is a must however, as 256 GB fills up fast.

 

[m1maverick]

16GB should be more than sufficient for your needs. If not there's a simple solution which I rarely, if ever, see mentioned: Quit the programs you're not using.

 

[maflynn]

If you buy 16 GB, you buy for today, but when you buy a computer, you buy it for today and tomorrow.

Even the reviews state if you like to have a bunch of chrome tabs open, you'll start feeling the pinch with 16GB. Why take a chance if you're not 100% sure, especially since you cannot upgrade it

 

[redheeler]

If you buy 16 GB, you buy for today, but when you buy a computer, you buy it for today and tomorrow.

Even the reviews state if you like to have a bunch of chrome tabs open, you'll start feeling the pinch with 16GB. Why take a chance if you're not 100% sure, especially since you cannot upgrade it

I bought my 16" MacBook Pro for today and tomorrow also...and then they announced that tomorrow was to be Apple Silicon and not Intel. The value of my upgrades plummeted immediately.

You can't help but take a chance. No one outside of Apple really knows, unfortunately.

 

[cjsuk]

I had a 16Gb Mini. I've just replaced it with a 24Gb/1TB 14 core M4 Pro MBP.

The memory was absolutely fine for everything. Zero issues at all. But the number of P-cores was too low for what I do and I need to go mobile for a bit.

 

[gumbaloom]

I've got currently a Mac Mini 2018 max model upgraded from 8GB to 32GB of ram. Due to working with sensitive customer data and a company liability insurance that mandates up to date OS + it now being considered "vintage" I'm about to pull the trigger on a new machine.

Use case -
General web surfing / streaming
PHP Storm / Virtual Machines etc
Node JS / NPM etc etc
Can often have Zend Studio + PHP Storm + virtual machines + node JS running all the same time.

It the M4 24GB model seems to be the sweet spot - doesn't seem worth it to jump up to the M4 Pro to be honest

Can anyoe convince me otherwise to either
a) downgrade to the 16GB / 512GB SSD model
b) upgrade to the M4 Pro

 

[redheeler]

I've got currently a Mac Mini 2018 max model upgraded from 8GB to 32GB of ram. Due to working with sensitive customer data and a company liability insurance that mandates up to date OS + it now being considered "vintage" I'm about to pull the trigger on a new machine.

Use case -
General web surfing / streaming
PHP Storm / Virtual Machines etc
Node JS / NPM etc etc
Can often have Zend Studio + PHP Storm + virtual machines + node JS running all the same time.

It the M4 24GB model seems to be the sweet spot - doesn't seem worth it to jump up to the M4 Pro to be honest

Can anyoe convince me otherwise to either
a) downgrade to the 16GB / 512GB SSD model
b) upgrade to the M4 Pro

M4 + 24 GB seems like it'd be the right choice in your situation. It's 8 GB less than you currently have, and I don't know the details of your virtual machines or how much memory they need, but I assume you did the calculations already.

 

[maflynn]

You can't help but take a chance. No one outside of Apple really knows, unfortunately.

Actually that is my point, you are well within your power to up the ram and not take a chance.

I'm not sure your anecdote about apple transitioning to ARM is the same. I mean, the rumors were rampant back then and there was quite an expectation. Plus the announcement was made in 2020, and it looks like support will drop off intel CPUs in 2027, so like nearly every apple computer you got 7 years of support from apple.

Now that's not to say how gutted you must have felt on having just bought a laptop only to find out the apple is moving to a different platform, yeah I feel for you on that, and it sucks, but I surmise that apple supported your laptop and will continue until it hits legacy status.

 

[dumastudetto]

You'll need more than 16GB if you want to take full advantage of all the amazing new advancements in Apple Intelligence next year.

 

[maflynn]

I've got currently a Mac Mini 2018 max model upgraded from 8GB to 32GB of ram.
...
It the M4 24GB model seems to be the sweet spot

Question - you opted for 32GB of ram on your current machine, why are you considering downgrading? Have you tracked memory utilization to the point where the 32GB was unused? My point is while I agree with you that 24GB does seem like the sweet spot, down grading on a newer machine is some what of a rare occurrence.

I'm not saying its a bad move, just curious as to the reasoning, especially since it seems application demands only go up in the future.

 

[polyphenol]

I've been using an M1 MBP with 16GB since they came out.

But when I got an M4 mini, I went for 24GB. The reason being primarily that running a Windows VM was very noticeable. It worked. MacOS and Windows were OK in terms of performance. But I wanted to be able to run a VM without me feeling there was any difference.

My M4 mini seems identical whether or not I have a VM running. But I usually avoid running a VM on my M1 MBP.

My original experience on macOS was on an M1 mini with 8GB. And I never found I couldn't run things - including VMs. But I did sometimes get the feeling of relative slowness in switching apps, etc.

 

[Fishrrman]

gumbaloon wrote:
"It the M4 24GB model seems to be the sweet spot - doesn't seem worth it to jump up to the M4 Pro to be honest"

Get the m4 with 32gb of RAM.
It doesn't make sense to "downgrade" from 32 to 24, regardless of the CPU.
Buy Apple refurbished if need be.

Since you're using this computer for income, it's a business investment that can be depreciated, is it not...?

 

[redheeler]

Actually that is my point, you are well within your power to up the ram and not take a chance.

I'm not sure your anecdote about apple transitioning to ARM is the same. I mean, the rumors were rampant back then and there was quite an expectation. Plus the announcement was made in 2020, and it looks like support will drop off intel CPUs in 2027, so like nearly every apple computer you got 7 years of support from apple.

Now that's not to say how gutted you must have felt on having just bought a laptop only to find out the apple is moving to a different platform, yeah I feel for you on that, and it sucks, but I surmise that apple supported your laptop and will continue until it hits legacy status.

The rumors of Apple putting ARM in Macs had been floating around for 5+ years at that point, just like rumors of the Apple Car and other random things they were working on over the years. Nothing was concrete and Apple was very tight-lipped on the timeline until 2020.

And to my point, upping the RAM does not mean you're not taking a chance. Even 24 GB isn't enough to run complex LLMs today, let alone years in the future. You and I have no idea what's around the corner.

It's difficult to justify at Apple's prices, much easier if you can do the upgrades yourself for cheaper or as needed like what used to be the case...Factory-upgraded Macs depreciate much faster also, even without a major architecture change.

 

[OUsooner08]

I could use a new computer pretty quick, and the M4 Mac Mini seems like a bargain and as updated as I need, but getting the max ram doubles the price and keeps it from being the quick purchase I need.

How many people have the 16GB RAM and regret it on a daily basis? I do a lot of browsing, open Chrome tabs, and have 5 or 6 different brand browsers open at once most of the time (research). I 3D print, also I'm learning some CAD programs, but just learning, and I can put it off for a few months till I upgrade again, but in the meantime, is the base RAM only good for a few tabs and browsing, or does it take some pretty heavy applications to slow it down?

Not me, it’s handled everything I’ve thrown at it. I have multiple tabs open, usually watching a video podcast, email, running Remote Desktop for work, etc while outputting to a 34 inch monitor and have had ZERO slowdowns.

 

[ItWasNotMe]

Not me

 

[maflynn]

much easier if you can do the upgrades yourself for cheaper or as needed like what used to be the case.

Yet that largely excludes Macs, its either you live with the stock configuration or your configure it at time of purchase with the ram/storage/cpu you want.

Factory-upgraded Macs depreciate much faster also, even without a major architecture change.

No question, but I suspect many of us don't buy Macs as an investment or consider depreciation rate when selecting their configuration. I'm not a business but rather a hobbyist and as such I'm selecting a configuration that will work for me (as best as I can estimate) for for today and tomorrow and not what I could possibly get when I go to resell it.

 

[raythompsontn]

You'll need more than 16GB if you want to take full advantage of all the amazing new advancements in Apple Intelligence next year.

No one knows what AI will require. It may require minimal hardware as most of the work is done on servers. 16GB may be fine. I don't buy second guessing the a future I cannot predict. I buy for what works now. If three years down the road I have to buy again, so what. At least then I will know what I need.

Yes, buying again will lose some value. But how much? $300 a year if trade-ins are included. Less than a dollar a day. From people that spend $8.00 a day for a cup of coffee.