Is 8GB of RAM Enough for MacBook Pro?

[Mr_Ed]

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• Daily Tasks and Light Usage: For basic tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, 8GB of RAM generally suffices. Modern Macs use features like memory compression and intelligent allocation, which help macOS run smoothly even during multitasking.
  Professional and Creative Workloads: For more intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D modeling, or software development, 8GB may be limiting, and can cause slower performance and reduced efficiency, as independent tests have shown. This is especially true if you work on advanced projects that require enormous files and content libraries.

If all you need to do is web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, you can buy a Windows laptop with expandable memory and SSD for a fraction of the price of an MBP. Even if you want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, a cheaper Air will certainly do.

Offering an 8gb RAM base config on a “Pro” with expensive upgrade options just looks like a consumer-hostile, money grubbing driven decision. Apple is betting a large portion of “Pro” laptop buyers will throw in the add-ons up front because upgradability (delaying obsolescence) is denied by design.

 

[nutmac]

8 GB is enough if you are using the MacBook "Pro" for casual use -- Office, email, browser with few dozen tabs, and music streaming app running in the background. This surprisingly covers a decent percentage of office professionals.

But if you are truly using the computer with pro apps -- creative apps like Adobe Creative Suite, development tools like Xcode or IntelliJ, Windows VM or Docker, then 16 GB should be the absolute minimum.

 

[User 6502]

No it is completely inadequate in a product with that price tag and the word ‘pro’ in the name. The only excuse to include only 8gb would be to sell it for $499 - $599 max. Anything above that price should have 16 GB as a bare minimum.

 

[mymuyi]

It doesn't make sense that you pay a whopping premium price like 1600 usd and it comes with very limited ram. If the cost were around like 600 usd or so then i think it would be okay. But it is expensive and supposedly a pro machine and then you have to use it only for light browsing? It doesn't make sense. If 8 gb of ram is okay when what about 4 gb ram? I guess it wouldn't hurt to offer 4 gb as well, as you are only supposed to use it for light browsing after all, no?

 

[dwaltwhit]

It's not about what's right, it's about price point. 8gb of ram keeps the base model at that price point. If they increased the base model ram, the base model wouldn't stay the same price. The new base model would be $200 more. They want a $1,600 computer, ram be damned.

 

[Dorv]

One of best realizations I came to in my "techy" life was the realization that I don't need a MBP. My company switched the spec to a MBA after the M-series transition, and I've been happy with it. So I agree that Daily Tasks and Light Usage don't need it, and if you're just using an MBP for that you've already wasted money.

Edit: that being said, I'm curious about the percentage of non-video compiling users that have actually run into barriers because of the entry-level 8gb?

 

[2128506]

Why do you care whether the product name has pro on it with 8GB of RAM? How does the marketing term “pro” affect the performance of the Mac, especially when you wouldn’t be buying the base model to begin with?

My issue here is with the misleading scammer-like marketing from Apple. Which causes insane amount of zero-content "articles" like the one above.

AirPods Pro is objectively better than non-Pro version.
iPad Pro is objectively better than non-Pro versions.
Even iPhone Pro is better than non-Pro.

Yet for laptops they decided to release "Pro" version which is worse than non-Pro version. Go figure.

 

[Lift Bar]

The “pro” aspect seems to be having a nicer screen and more useful ports. Professional workflows are not only about tasks like video editing and the like, they could be about being prepared to use an HDMI cable without an extra dongle, or having a brighter and better display. Or simply “looking the part” with a fancy new color!

The offensive aspect here is the cost for the upgrade. Apple’s 900% markup on RAM is exorbitant.

 

[Dorv]

My issue here is with the misleading scammer-like marketing from Apple. Which causes insane amount of zero-content "articles" like the one above.

AirPods Pro is objectively better than non-Pro version.
iPad Pro is objectively better than non-Pro versions.
Even iPhone Pro is better than non-Pro.

Yet for laptops they decided to release "Pro" version which is worse than non-Pro version. Go figure.

Ok, I'll bite. How is the entry-level MBP worse than the entry-level MBA?

 

[lindros2]

This reposted "article" is outdated.
The new MacBook Pros offer 18GB RAM, not 16GB RAM.
(or 36, 48, etc. GB RAM)

 

[ctjack]

I don’t understand the whine. 16gb in apple laptops was always a 1600-1800-2000 dollar price point. It still is.

8gb is a plateud memory size which is enough for browsing and regular people tasks. For its price it offers premium body and screen. It is good to have a stop gap for people who don’t know what is 8gb vs 16gb and just buy the cheapest pro laptop because they had good luck with pros in the past.

I had friends with first iphones and all they used it for was sms and mms, while phone offered so much more. Even now you don’t need the latest iPhone to scroll instagram - while raw 48mp edited in lightroom and prores videos edited with luts represent the true pro use case of an iphone, but how many people do that?

 

[coffeemilktea]

8 GB of RAM might feel "adequate," but it's also going to wear away the solid-state drive at an increased pace, and the SSD in a Mac laptop isn't replaceable, meaning the whole computer will become useless even faster, and wind up in a landfill even sooner.

But I guess that point didn't quite make it into Tim's meeting with "Mother Nature," huh? 🤡

 

[ChrisA]

Wow, an accurate article. The bottom line is if you need to use instrumentation like "Activity Monitor" to see if you have enough RAM, then you have enough RAM. If the computer is lagging badly, or maybe you find you are getting up to get coffee while the computer works on something, then use instrumentation to find the bottleneck. Many times it is not RAM but we find the developer was lazy and the app is single-thread.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

For the prices that they are charging, no. But is 8GB enough for the average or casual user? Definitely! I have an M2 Mini with 8GB, i'm a casual user and I have encountered zero problems. It's twice as fast as my 2018 Mini with 32GB of RAM.

 

[3xBoom]

The question that Apple and its fans must answer is not whether 8 GB RAM is enough but what tasks that utilize 8GB of RAM or less need M3 performance.

 

[8Bitpolar]

I have one of those and a MacStudio and I get so annoyed when I have to move to the Macbook Pro. Lets say Im on the road and I have to continue a project for Video or 3D... I want to throw it from the roof!!! [insert "take me jesus" meme here]. I move to the iPad Pro and works better than the macbook. Im telling you is annoying AF!
PS. For anything else works just fine, but fine is not what we should be aiming for. `\(-.-)/`

 

[Kal Madda]

I’m so tired of people trying to gatekeep the term “pro” when it comes to professional work on computers. Many people do professional work on 8GB MacBooks, not every professional workflow requires 16GB of RAM, and for many, 16GB is just excessive. Different professional workflows have different requirements, stop pretending that every professional workflow is the same. Those with more demanding workflows that require a higher spec shouldn’t be gatekeeping when many professionals use lower spec configurations. It would be like me arguing you can‘t be a professional and have less than a 4K monitor, because “real professionals” edit video and require 4K monitors…🤦🏼‍♂️ And this base spec with the M3 chip likely won’t appeal to that crowd (video editors, game devs, 3d artists, etc.) anyways, they’ll probably gravitate towards the M3 Pro chip configurations that are the same price as they were last year due to the greater graphics performance and cpu performance that will suite their use case better. This option is cheaper than the last two years base specs. I’m just so tired of all the “pro computer” gatekeeping from people who think their more demanding workflow is the only “real” professional workflow, and everyone else who doesn’t need that isn’t professional…🙄

 

[citysnaps]

If you're just using a laptop to surf the internet and use email, it's fine. That likely represents a large percentage of Apple customers.

Why force people to pay more for RAM if they don't need it?

If you need more RAM, simply pay for it. Easy. So much entitlement going on demanding free stuff.

 

[mymuyi]

I don’t understand the whine. 16gb in apple laptops was always a 1600-1800-2000 dollar price point. It still is.

8gb is a plateud memory size which is enough for browsing and regular people tasks. For its price it offers premium body and screen. It is good to have a stop gap for people who don’t know what is 8gb vs 16gb and just buy the cheapest pro laptop because they had good luck with pros in the past.

I had friends with first iphones and all they used it for was sms and mms, while phone offered so much more. Even now you don’t need the latest iPhone to scroll instagram - while raw 48mp edited in lightroom and prores videos edited with luts represent the true pro use case of an iphone, but how many people do that?

With 8 gb of ram you will use swap frequently which will tear down your soldered ssd's lifetime significantly. Also you will have to deal with subpar experience. Even youtube needs more ram than it did like a few years ago. This business model is not comsumer friendly.

 

[citysnaps]

This option is cheaper than the last two years base specs. I’m just so tired of all the “pro computer” gatekeeping from people who think their more demanding workflow is the only “real” professional workflow, and everyone else who doesn’t need that isn’t professional…🙄

Yup.

And what's even funnier. is that many people don't understand the "Pro" moniker is just Apple's way of segmenting products by price and features.

 

[andrewxgx]

No.

Having 8 gigs in a computer with a "Pro" in the name is a disgrace.

 

[Timpetus]

The workaround for Apple's expensive upgrade prices is to take advantage of the fact that they don't add nearly as much to the cost once the machine is used or an older model. Now you can buy M1 Max MBP models with 64GB/2 or 4TB for around/slightly less than what the 16GB/1TB machines cost when they were new. This means if you need more RAM or SSD, buying an older generation machine will save you a huge amount of money vs. buying an M3 Max with the same RAM and SSD. You only pay the Apple tax on upgrades if you actually buy new from Apple. The rest of the market correctly values these upgrades and makes them much more affordable.

 

[neuropsychguy]

It is enough RAM for many professional users (there are many different types of professionals, all with different computer needs). However, I don't think Apple should start with 8 GB RAM. Maybe 12 GB, but I'd like to see them jump to 16 GB, even if it means raising the starting prices by $100.

This being said, there is a potential benefit for keeping the amount of RAM down in the base models. It puts some pressure on software engineers to keep their software more efficient. Whether or not this happens is a different discussion but there is something to be said for keeping macOS efficient with 8 GB of RAM.

 

[JitteryJimmy]

Many people believe that more RAM (and perhaps more storage) induces apps to run faster. So they would very naturally conclude that 8 GB of RAM is just too darn slow for a Pro branded computer.

 

[Apple_Robert]

My issue here is with the misleading scammer-like marketing from Apple. Which causes insane amount of zero-content "articles" like the one above.

AirPods Pro is objectively better than non-Pro version.
iPad Pro is objectively better than non-Pro versions.
Even iPhone Pro is better than non-Pro.

Yet for laptops they decided to release "Pro" version which is worse than non-Pro version. Go figure.

There is no scam going on. Apple clearly states the specs of each model.