Mac mini/4K - UHD 630/Ram allocation etc

[paddylaz]

I know the Mac mini/4K topic is no stranger to this forum. You could say it's been done to death.

BUUUTTTT:

Does anyone definitively know the maximum amount of ram the iGPU can obtain access to when needed? I want to buy a Mac mini for use with a 4K display and although I know that should be ok.......I don't want to have to worry about any stuttering or lag whatsoever when working with video.

I'll obviously be using it in the 1080p scaled display mode.

Would paying for 32gb be a waste of money/overkill because there's some sort of allocation limitation? If so, what IS the allocation, anyway?

 

[Nütztjanix]

1.536 MB are used for graphics.

And, remember, you can always add more RAM afterwards. Do it yourself or pay some shop / Apple Store / AASP to do so.

 

[Akseli Paavolainen]

As the previous poster mentioned the maximum size that can be allocated to the built-in GPU is 1536 MB.

If you're going to use either a native 2160p resolution or 1080p scaling you should be perfectly okay with the default amount of RAM (8GB), but if you would like to use something like 1440p scaling I would strongly recommend to upgrade memory to 32 GB.

 

[Stephen.R]

4K on 8GB was widely reported to have issues when they came out. Consider 16GB the minimum for using a 4K but also I believe it’s a dynamic assignment - it doesn’t just fix 1.5G for the GPU, so a memory heavy task could impact it too.

 

[Fishrrman]

Because roughly 1.5gb of the RAM is "allocated off" for graphics, leaving only 6.5gb (of the base level 8gb) "left" for the OS (and VM disk swaps, etc.), doing any "scaling" on a 8gb Mini may result in "lagginess" of the display (as perceived by the user), but it in fact may be due to lagging in other OS operations (such as disk in/outs).

So... I consider 16gb as "the minimum" installed RAM that most folks should be using.
That's how I ordered mine.
No lagging.

 

[gusping]

As the previous poster mentioned the maximum size that can be allocated to the built-in GPU is 1536 MB.

If you're going to use either a native 2160p resolution or 1080p scaling you should be perfectly okay with the default amount of RAM (8GB), but if you would like to use something like 1440p scaling I would strongly recommend to upgrade memory to 32 GB.

Just to chip in with my experience. I have the i7/16GB ram model. Currently running two 4k displays, one with no scaling, the other at 'looks like 1440p', and I have absolutely no lag. Having said that, I'm just doing fairly basic stuff, although I do have quite a lot of applications open. I paid Apple to upgrade the ram when ram prices were horrifically high, so there was little benefit to me doing it myself. I never use over 13GB ram, so 32GB seems overkill (for now at least).

 

[Nütztjanix]

I ordered the 8GB version and upgraded it myself to 32GB right on arrival. I'm using the Mini with dual DCI 4K screens attached (4096x2160, 60Hz, 30bit colour, no scaling).