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I am really torn between 8GB vs. 16GB RAM
- Thread starter Booji
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MacOS Big Sur (and/or the M-series chip) has bloated macOS by 40-50%; the time will come when Apple will cut of all macOS upgrades on machines with less than 16GB or RAM.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/macos-11-0-big-sur-the-ars-technica-review/2/#h5
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/macos-11-0-big-sur-the-ars-technica-review/2/#h5
No matter how FAST the new M1 based system handles RAM, the capacity of the RAM is still very objective, 16G will be 16G and when apps need more RAM, 16G will be better than 8G (with swapping).
But but but so many people say 8GB ought to be enough for anybody
What do you both think the relationship between the file size of an executable and how much RAM a computer has is?
Even permanent and static data will move around on an SSD. The wear leveling algorithm does this so as to harvest available write cycles. A very simplified algorithm:
1) You write new contents to a logical sector. The drive puts the data into a physical sector from the "erased" list.
2) It maps the old logical sector to this new physical sector.
3) The drive now erases the old physical sector.
4) The drive now grabs a "random" sector and copies it to the sector erased in step 3.
5) It now fixes up the logical to physical mapping for the copied data.
6) Next it erases the source sector involved in the copying.
7) This erased sector now goes onto the end of the "erased" list.
The reality of unified memory is probably something like n GB of RAM on an M1 is equivalent to n+1 GB on an Intel machine.
Both comments are true, but completely unrelated? Pairing them that way implies the size of the OS on disk is related to RAM usage.
The 16G + 256G combo is a very reasonable choice.
If you plan to use the MacBook for at least 3 years, 16G will make you future proof, and an external SSD drive will be a cheaper option compared to the 512G upgrade. (In China you can get a 1T SanDisk or Samsung external SSD drive for 999CNY ~ 152 USD, or a faster 1T Samsung T7 for 1299CNY ~ 198 USD, while you need to spend 1500CNY ~ 228 USD to upgrade to 512G).
If you plan to use the MacBook for at least 3 years, 16G will make you future proof, and an external SSD drive will be a cheaper option compared to the 512G upgrade. (In China you can get a 1T SanDisk or Samsung external SSD drive for 999CNY ~ 152 USD, or a faster 1T Samsung T7 for 1299CNY ~ 198 USD, while you need to spend 1500CNY ~ 228 USD to upgrade to 512G).
My guess is that the SOC needs to be manufactured per order, since the RAM is soldered inside the enclosure.
BTW, in Apple Stores here in China, some stores do have stocks of the 16G+1T config MBAs (perhaps MBPs and Minis too) available. So if you can afford it and need it fast, be sure to check the stock options in your local Apple Store.
If you're on any Mac forum the answer is more memory.
If you're not on any Mac forum then the answer is 8GB.
Why? Because anyone who exerts any effort to sign up and reply back in a place like this tend to heavily use their Macs. As such... 16GB or more is the answer.
8GB? That's what your nana uses to Facetime the grand kids.
I was mostly serious. Seems like a small price to pay to double the RAM. Of course everyone may have different needs.
I went with the 8gb (Mac Mini) for a few reasons. I didn't want to go "all in" on the first gen. Secondly, since it's an apple chip, i'm assuming it's going to get updates as long as the ipads and iphones. A lot of us have to let go of the notion that everything that happens to intel chips will apply to the M series. This includes the upgrade cycles. The OS itself is in a transition period now. It will only get more efficient going forward.
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Another video has just been posted on this subject. The conclusion is that 8GB will be sufficient for most people -
Beaten to it!
The reason these sorts of threads go on forever without any conclusion and just endless debate back and forth is that it’s a highly individual decision. Including, most importantly of all, the “value” of $200/£200/etc to you personally. Nobody can answer that for you.
Is 16 better than 8? Yes. Is it much better, or even noticeably better? At this point, based on the available evidence so far, no. Will there come a time in the lifetime of this device when the benefit of 16 over 8 is greater than now? Possibly, depending how long you intend to keep the device. Is the upgrade worth the $200/£200/etc? Only you can answer that based on affordability.
Is 16 better than 8? Yes. Is it much better, or even noticeably better? At this point, based on the available evidence so far, no. Will there come a time in the lifetime of this device when the benefit of 16 over 8 is greater than now? Possibly, depending how long you intend to keep the device. Is the upgrade worth the $200/£200/etc? Only you can answer that based on affordability.
Now I am questioning whether I should I have gone with 8gb myself as I continue to wait 3-4 weeks for my 16gb/1TB Mini to arrive. I am very tempted to cancel it and just order the 8gb/256 base and have it arrive in a days time. I am coming from a 2013 iMac and just wanted to future proof myself, but I highly doubt I’ll keep this first gen silicon mini for another 7 years anyways. I don’t really do anything extreme. I run mostly all native apple apps. Safari (for my eBay business), Photos and Mail are open 100% of the time. Occasionally I use final cut with some pixelmator. Do I really need the 16gb config? would I notice a difference?
The way memory management works in a modern computer is based on the concept of unused memory is bad. As a result, if a machine has a lot of memory, a process that requests memory will be allocated that memory and may never have that memory deallocated, even if the process is not actively using the memory. Because the process just might need the instructions or data in that memory sometime in the future. So the program may have more memory allocated to it on a large memory system than a smaller memory system. But, this does not mean the program needs this memory to run fast and efficiently.
There are a lot of ways to measure this and Apple has aggregated these to the Memory Pressure graph. The graph provides an at a glance view. If it is green and not too high you have adequate memory. Yellow is bad. And red really bad.
I thought this guy had an interesting take on this subject. Still good with my 8GB though...
EDIT: Ah, posted already. Still an interesting take.
EDIT: Ah, posted already. Still an interesting take.
You bring up a critical point of how long you plan on keeping the devices.
Apple Silicon for MacOS is just at the beginning. There will be more powerful M1xxx chips followed by M2,... Personally, I expect substantial upgrades every 2 years or so since Apple uses a SOC which puts process, memory, GPU, NN accelerator on a single component. So any upgrade in these features requires a new system.
I'm leaning to 16/256. Then upgrade when 32 or 64 comes out. 16/256 should be usable for a decade.
I don't mind running old operating systems.
Get the 16GB and call it good for the next 8 or so years.
Edit: it’s only $25 more a year over that 8 year span.
Edit: it’s only $25 more a year over that 8 year span.