MBA M2 with 16GB Ram or 512GB SSD ?

[GurhanCevik]

Hello everyone. Im going to order MBA M2 soon. I wanted to order the basic 8/256 version but according to my research, i need to configure either the ram or the storage. I mostly use it for CAD apps and coding.
I can only upgrade either the ram or the storage. Which one is the best option for the better performance ? Or do i really need to upgrade either one ?
Thanks.

 

[arw]

What do you mean? Why shouldn‘t you be able to order the base model?
Upgrading the RAM or SSD currently reduces delivery time in the US from 2-3 weeks down to 1-2, that‘s all.
Or do you mean „need“ in the sense of performance requirement for your tasks? Then that’s a different story of course and there are plenty of threads here already.

EDIT: but specifically for CAD, I would upgrade to the 10-core GPU before anything else; that has always been my bottleneck

 

[nikhsub1]

CAD uses lots of RAM.... I'd go for that.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

Hello everyone. Im going to order MBA M2 soon. I wanted to order the basic 8/256 version but according to my research, i need to configure either the ram or the storage. I mostly use it for CAD apps and coding.
I can only upgrade either the ram or the storage. Which one is the best option for the better performance ? Or do i really need to upgrade either one ?
Thanks.

So many threads on this OP, did you bother to research?

 

[jav6454]

Hello everyone. Im going to order MBA M2 soon. I wanted to order the basic 8/256 version but according to my research, i need to configure either the ram or the storage. I mostly use it for CAD apps and coding.
I can only upgrade either the ram or the storage. Which one is the best option for the better performance ? Or do i really need to upgrade either one ?
Thanks.

Memory is always the better choice over storage. You can add storage by using SD cards, external drives via USB, Network or the likes. Memory? It's fixed and can never be upgraded future state.

 

[ThailandToo]

16GB of RAM will run that puppy ten years from now without any worries for the same types of tasks you use it for today. You can always expand it with a simple SSD connected to the MBA even semipermanently via a little ingenuity and short USB C cable or even go for faster connection Thunderbolt with requisite upgraded drives. The 8GB is unlikely to last that long. Think about this, as long as you can run your OS in ten years, you'll be fine.

If you're just looking for a short-term solution let's say for three years, maybe the 512GB would serve you better but it depends on your use cases.

I personally own the 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max. Nice computer, but I bought my wife a base-spec MBA and it honestly does everything fast enough. And it's so much lighter and thinner. Great computer.

 

[RichP74]

Just nut up and upgrade both. You know you want to. That's the laptop I have, and this thing absolutely screams and runs stone cold. You won't regret the stretch.

 

[sjperformance]

Just do 16/512 if you plan to keep it for next few years. Avoid the could've/would've/should've.

 

[wilberforce]

Definitely get 16GB RAM rather than 512GB storage. (Better would be both.)
Be prepared to buy an external SSD like a Samsung T7 if you get 256GB internal storage. Note that you should plan on not filling the internal SSD more than about 80%, else it will slow down and not have room for MacOS caching and snapshots. It is really annoying when it tells you it does not have enough room to install a MacOS upgrade.

But still get the 16GB RAM in preference to more internal storage.

 

[1BadManVan]

Ram is king, it’s not even close. More ram means less swap. As long as ram is available, that’s what it will use for those apps, not the ssd.