I see this as win-win. If you keep a machine 5+ years that extra RAM is probably going to come in handy. But I've also found it easier to sell computers with respectable (for the time) specs. A casual buyer is more likely to be able to compare amounts of RAM than processors.
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Should have gotten the 16GB version
- Thread starter Tommy c
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I see this as win-win. If you keep a machine 5+ years that extra RAM is probably going to come in handy. But I've also found it easier to sell computers with respectable (for the time) specs. A casual buyer is more likely to be able to compare amounts of RAM than processors.
I have 8gb in my early 2015 13" rMBP and currently have open, with no issues according to the memory pressure:
Safari with 6 tabs running
Mail
WhatsApp
Messages
Excel
Powerpoint
Streaming from Apple Music via iTunes
For light to medium use 8gb will be perfect for most.
Safari with 6 tabs running
Messages
Excel
Powerpoint
Streaming from Apple Music via iTunes
For light to medium use 8gb will be perfect for most.
At the moment, I'm running a game in the background, simulating an Android app I'm working on in Android Studio whilst tweaking its promo graphic in Photoshop and having Xcode open to reference the iOS version's source code. Then obviously I have the things that open that I just never close: Safari, Mail, Messages, Reeder, Spotify and Fantastical. No slowdown, all seems pretty responsive. I think 8GB is enough for the average user.
16GB only seems worth it if you're using VMs, or working with massive photos or PSDs. I can't see how writing and browsing is ever going to require it.
16GB only seems worth it if you're using VMs, or working with massive photos or PSDs. I can't see how writing and browsing is ever going to require it.
At the moment, I'm running a game in the background, simulating an Android app I'm working on in Android Studio whilst tweaking its promo graphic in Photoshop and having Xcode open to reference the iOS version's source code. Then obviously I have the things that open that I just never close: Safari, Mail, Messages, Reeder, Spotify and Fantastical. No slowdown, all seems pretty responsive. I think 8GB is enough for the average user.
16GB only seems worth it if you're using VMs, or working with massive photos or PSDs. I can't see how writing and browsing is ever going to require it.
This is exactly what I need to know. I am running similar programs (Xcode and Android) as you. Are you using 128 or 256gb SSD?
512GB. Should be noted that it's a MBP, not MBA, but was just weighing in on the 16 vs 8GB discussion.
I have no issues at all with 8GB for what I use it for, which is Excel spreadsheets, web browsing, writing papers with several Safari tabs open for mh grad school stuff.
It's felt slow originally when I first started using it out of the box, but I forgot that MacOS does a lot of indexing in the background when you first set it up. It feels much better now and I'm happy with my decision.
It's felt slow originally when I first started using it out of the box, but I forgot that MacOS does a lot of indexing in the background when you first set it up. It feels much better now and I'm happy with my decision.
Well, guys, I just bought a new 15" MBP. 2.6 I7,32GB, 512 SSD, Radeon 560X. My wife is going to use the MBA. This will be with me for a few years.
Have you considered the dGPU upgrade over the RAM? I think you will get a lot more benefit out of that (it is really hard to utilise 16GB even with multiple VM's and heavy video editing etc).
Well, I already bought it. I did not Think about it honestly. I never play games and I don't make movies. It's not something I thought about getting.
The right tool for the job vs emotional decisions about “size”I am glad I did buy 16GB RAM.
I'm happily continuing to multitask and enjoying my Apple stuff as I am used to on my iMac with 32GB RAM
Never understood the 'being cheap' and going basic config, when you anyway buy an expensive machine made to last.
I'm in the exact same boat as you. Not all of us are rocket scientists; 8GB is perfect for what I do...which is writing and light Photoshop work and surfing the web. My 2018 Air flies through those tasks with zero issues.
It's interesting to note you're using about 1.5 GB of RAM in Safari alone, with just 6 tabs. You also have a 1.5 GB worth of memory compression.
Meanwhile, I currently have just 5 windows running and have over 2.5 GB of RAM used in Safari alone. One of those sites is using over 1 GB by itself, and I've occasionally seen some sites use as much as 2+ GB worth of RAM. It's quite remarkable just how much RAM various websites are using these days, and it continues to creep up over time. Now, imagine those who keep >20 tabs going at a time. We're talking potentially 4-5 GB RAM just for Safari.
Yes, 8 GB will work, but it often requires lots of memory compression, and if you decide you want to run a lot of Safari tabs/windows while multitasking, the amount of memory used can be remarkably high. And if you have more than one user active and/or if you have a VM or two running, then the strain on memory is going to be even more and you run a strong risk of having to swap. Also remember, this is just with 2018 usage. It gets worse every single year. Back in 2009 I bought my Mac with 2 GB RAM, and it was OK as a baseline for light usage. I don't think 2 GB back then was as good as 8 GB is now, but nonetheless, 2 GB back then was probably equivalent to somewhere in between 4-8 GB now.
By my estimates in the past, RAM usage goes up something like another half every 4-5 years. That means roughly say 10% a year. With my example of a 2 GB Mac in mid-2009, that means approximately 5 GB in 2018. That's probably in the right ballpark. Now, let's say you are a light to moderate multitasker who likes keeping Safari tabs in the background, so you actually need about 6-8 GB. That means in 4 years you'd probably want between 8.8 GB and 11.7 GB.
So no, in four years you won't need 16 GB. You may not even need 12 GB, but ideally you'd want more than 8 GB, and this is what I've been saying for just about forever. You shouldn't look at this as you needing 16 GB. You should look at this as wanting more than 8 GB in a few years, that is if you keep your laptops a long time.
And finally, this is not even considering the previously mentioned benefits of application caching in memory. Caching of bloated apps really speeds up app launching of those apps. Even on my PCIe SSD endowed iMac and MacBook, loading up Office 2016 is really slow, unless it's been previously cached in memory.
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Or people could just become more efficient with the way they use apps.
I personally wouldn’t ever have 20 safari tabs open. I rarely have more than 5-6. I can’t understand how people would need to have 20 open. But then I’m not as ‘connected’ to the world as some are.
Once I’m doing anything that requires a bit more thought then I will close safari (unless I need to research something and then I’ll have 1-2 tabs open) as it just becomes a distraction.
But everyone’s real world use is different. I think the main thing to bare in mind is that you’re stuck with your choice now, unlike in the past when you could upgrade the RAM (& storage) later down the line. So people will need to think about projected use as well as current use a lot harder than previous.
I personally wouldn’t ever have 20 safari tabs open. I rarely have more than 5-6. I can’t understand how people would need to have 20 open. But then I’m not as ‘connected’ to the world as some are.
Once I’m doing anything that requires a bit more thought then I will close safari (unless I need to research something and then I’ll have 1-2 tabs open) as it just becomes a distraction.
But everyone’s real world use is different. I think the main thing to bare in mind is that you’re stuck with your choice now, unlike in the past when you could upgrade the RAM (& storage) later down the line. So people will need to think about projected use as well as current use a lot harder than previous.
This is the key point. I was happy buying a 2 GB RAM Mac in 2009 because I knew I could simply upgrade it when memory wasn't so expensive. Now we need to buy memory up front. The good news is that IIRC the upgrade from 8 to 16 GB in 2018 is cheaper than the upgrade was from 2 to 4 GB in 2009.
BTW, PowerPoint 2016 must have a memory leak. Ouch.
I would wanted the 16gb as well. But settled with a bigger HD vs more ram. Best Buy didn’t have any more in stock.
Kinda wanna return and get more ram. -.-
Kinda wanna return and get more ram. -.-
Part of the appeal of getting $200 16GB RAM option is not having to worry about trivial things like how to best use your Mac.
My kid's 2018 MBA has 16GB RAM, which was chosen largely because (1) it is used by more than 1 person (and thus fast user switching is frequently utilized), (2) it is sometimes hooked up to external display, which can greatly increase RAM consumption as GPU needs to borrow more RAM to render 2nd display, and (3) my household use computers until they die.
If you are the sort who upgrades computers often or very deliberate in how the computer is used, I think 8GB is fine, especially since SSD is so frigging fast.
Mine is fine, although admittedly, my copy is Office 365.
I’m like you, I upgrade about every 3 years sometimes less depending on if it’s a Mac or PC. To be honest, I use my phone way more than my computer these days and I think that’s the larger consumer trend now. It used to be you did everything on your computer but now you can do your banking and bill pay all from your phone.
Correct. BSD based operating system will use all available RAM, regardless of how much is installed. macOS is based on BSD, and in the BSD world there is a saying; "unused RAM is wasted RAM".
I do everything on my Mac mini Late 2014 machine with 4GB RAM and I don't have any problems.
The two times I've had otherwise identical machines side by side that was what I saw. The 16gb version just tossed more stuff into memory. Neither ever hit the yellow much less the red. I'm sure there are use cases that require 16 or even 32gb, but those users aren't posting in these threads.
My Wife's MBP 13 runs Parallels without any issues with only 8GB of RAM. She has yet to have any slowdowns or complaints...
It's all relative to use case. I wouldn't go around saying 8GB is inadequate, that is simply not true.
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Agreed. If 8GB were inadequate, then my 2014 Mac mini (base model) shouldn't be much more than a paperweight. However, it handles work tasks and web browsing without issue despite the measly 4GB RAM.