New macbook pro 16 or 8 gb

[killerpp]

Hi,

I currently have mac mini late 2012 with 2,3 ghz i7, 16 gb ram and 256 ssd. I need a portable machine and the logical choice seems to be the new macbook pro 13" with touch bar. However i am wondering if i would be fin with 8 gb ram or if should get 16 gb ram? According to the activity monitor of my mac mini my standard workflow uses 10 gb of ram, with green memory pressure.

 

[GBlansten]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/8-or-16-gb-macbook-pro-2016.2010456/

 

[Altis]

16 GB will allow for a longer usable life since 8 GB of RAM is going to be the first bottleneck of the machine, most likely. CPU, SSD, battery life, screen, ports, etc are all good to go for years... but 8 GB is getting pretty tight.

 

[fs454]

Sure, you can skimp and grab 8GB, but it's just like getting a 16GB iPhone. It's like financial suicide. Not worth spending the money if it's going to chug in a year.

 

[johnparjr]

Im on the opposite side right now the minimum requirements for Mac os is 2GB so 8GB is way past that but I also don't run any memory intensive programs either just a normal everyday house stuff

 

[bluush]

People on here declaring 8gb ram is only good for another year should be promptly ignored. Every last 13" new MBP model is sold with 8gb. Some are cynical enough to believe Apple want to sell you a laptop that lasts for only one year before it's gasping for more RAM and will need to be replaced, but 8gb will last you plenty of years -- especially if you're not running intensive operations ie compression

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2015/08/20/why-you-dont-need-16gb-macbook-ram-upgrade/

This link is a good resource to check out. The difference between 4gb ram and 8gb ram is pretty big, but the difference between 8gb ram and 16gb ram is nearly neck and neck in most casual use situations.

One thing to note is that when you have enough RAM for all your apps and games to run smoothly, more RAM won’t make it all magically run faster, and most casual users probably have enough RAM anyway, even with 4GB of RAM and definitely with 8GB of RAM.

 

[fs454]

People on here declaring 8gb ram is only good for another year should be promptly ignored. Every last 13" new MBP model is sold with 8gb. Some are cynical enough to believe Apple want to sell you a laptop that lasts for only one year before it's gasping for more RAM and will need to be replaced, but 8gb will last you plenty of years -- especially if you're not running intensive operations ie compression

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2015/08/20/why-you-dont-need-16gb-macbook-ram-upgrade/

This link is a good resource to check out. The difference between 4gb ram and 8gb ram is pretty big, but the difference between 8gb ram and 16gb ram is nearly neck and neck in most casual use situations.

Missing out on a cheap upgrade on a $1500-$2500 computer because things run okay right now is an absolutely dumb, dumb, dumb idea. This is a FINAL decision for the life of the computer. If it were upgradeable, sure, grab an 8GB model. I'm sure all the people who bought 4GB MacBook Airs aren't using their machines anymore, or aren't having fun doing so. It's not being advocated for speed increases, it's being advocated to solidify a multi thousand dollar purchase so it'll remain capable and resellable in years to come. It's a $200 upgrade - less than a quarter a day if you keep the machine for 3 years, and it will ensure that you get an easy sale when you're done with it. Ain't nobody looking to buy a computer with 8GB of RAM in 2018-2019.

 

[rasputin1969]

Hi,

I currently have mac mini late 2012 with 2,3 ghz i7, 16 gb ram and 256 ssd. I need a portable machine and the logical choice seems to be the new macbook pro 13" with touch bar. However i am wondering if i would be fin with 8 gb ram or if should get 16 gb ram? According to the activity monitor of my mac mini my standard workflow uses 10 gb of ram, with green memory pressure.

Do you intend to buy it with 512 or 256gb ssd? This is relevant because the os will use 8 or 16gb of your ssd as a sleep image. Configuring a 256gb ssd machine with 16gb ram leads to an unbalanced machine IMHO.

 

[bluush]

I'm sure all the people who bought 4GB MacBook Airs aren't using their machines anymore

Don't act so certain about these things. I'm running a 2011 iMac 27" (top of the line model, 4gb ram) and it rarely ever slows down due to shortage of ram.

It's not being advocated for speed increases, it's being advocated to solidify a multi thousand dollar purchase so it'll remain capable and resellable in years to come.

At least you cop to the fact the additional ram isn't for your notebook's benefit but instead your wallet's benefit down the road when it comes time to sell. As for it being a multi-thousand dollar purchase, as long as you keep maxing out everything so you can sell it down the road for maximum profit, then yes, it will be a multi-thousand dollar purchase. And unnecessarily so.

 

[Petey-ed]

Depends on your situation. If you cut final cut pro videos all day every day, yeah get 16gb. If you use a lot process intensive stuff, go ahead and get it. I got the 8gb however because I switch machines pretty regularly (1-2 years), so if I have an issue with it down the road, I'll just buy a new model with more ram.

 

[thadoggfather]

Depends on your situation. If you cut final cut pro videos all day every day, yeah get 16gb. If you use a lot process intensive stuff, go ahead and get it. I got the 8gb however because I switch machines pretty regularly (1-2 years), so if I have an issue with it down the road, I'll just buy a new model with more ram.

it which point it may even come standard, even after waiting it out with apple dragging their feet and penny pinching

 

[thesaint024]

The RAM bottleneck is not as big of a deal because of the new SSD's. Still it is something. But like others said, depends on what you do with it. I got 8gb on my windows desktop 4 years ago, and I rarely see RAM bottlenecks still to this day. RAM and CPU demands have plateaued with smaller jumps. Given all that, I still got 16 just because I know that is always the best bang for the buck upgrade when I do an aftermarket upgrade. Since there's no chance to upgrade later, I would do it. Like I told someone who was debating SDD size, if you're debating it, just do it. You probably won't regret spending the extra $200 a couple years from now, but it could be a HUGE regret if you go smaller.