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Should I get 8 or 16 GB RAM (13" Mid 2014)?
- Thread starter Tourgott
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No, wrong answer. PC maybe, but not for an Apple computer. Dimmished return for so much more money that is being wasted, and not used. Go to Activity Monitor, and see how much memory is being used on a daily basis. I for one never get close to 8 Gb much less more for what programs I use daily.
An apple is a pc.
The more ram the system gets the more it will use.
The more the better.
I have a gaming windows 8 pc with 8 gigs of ram I don't leave 100000 programs running and I am 100% fine with that. I do tend to leave a browser up or 2 and leave 5-6 tabs and im not even close to maxing it out. You will be 100% fine with 8gb.
I would only go for 16 GB if you really know you need as much memory as possible, for instance you want to run multiple virtual machines at the same time or large video editing.
Other than that it will just be waste of money. The OS will have a lot of cache available most of the time, but since the SSD in the Macbook is pretty fast, you won't see much benefit from that either.
Since the cost for going from 8 to 16 is quite high, I would not invest that much money just for some intangible uncertain future benefit. By the time 16 GB are required for a decent experience with OS X, the CPU will be probably also be a bottleneck and it will be time for a new laptop.
Other than that it will just be waste of money. The OS will have a lot of cache available most of the time, but since the SSD in the Macbook is pretty fast, you won't see much benefit from that either.
Since the cost for going from 8 to 16 is quite high, I would not invest that much money just for some intangible uncertain future benefit. By the time 16 GB are required for a decent experience with OS X, the CPU will be probably also be a bottleneck and it will be time for a new laptop.
8gb is more than enough, I believe
I don't know, but I have an iMac 21.5' mid 2011 with only 4gb RAM and everything works fine. I have a Bootcamp partition with Windows which works 100% too. I'm a player, so, to me, the performance is 80% about gaming - I used to play Skyrim with high configurations and now I play League of Legends with 60FPS constantly in ULTRA mode. So I think 8gb to you it's more than enough...
I don't know, but I have an iMac 21.5' mid 2011 with only 4gb RAM and everything works fine. I have a Bootcamp partition with Windows which works 100% too. I'm a player, so, to me, the performance is 80% about gaming - I used to play Skyrim with high configurations and now I play League of Legends with 60FPS constantly in ULTRA mode. So I think 8gb to you it's more than enough...
8GB is already overkill for probably 75% of people who own a Macbook, period. you would only need 16GB if you are running multiple virtual environments while also then running various types of programs that are heavy in graphics and processing, all at the same time, while then also trying to use the Macbook like a regular computer on a 2nd or 3rd monitor lol. i can only imagine what the state of the Macbook would be once it reaches close to 16GB of memory usage - i bet the fans would be on full speed, the Macbook itself would be an inferno temperature, and you would probably be reducing its life expectancy if you use it like that daily. that's why they have the Mac Pro
go with 8GB
go with 8GB
For these things, you are completely fine with 8GB of ram.
But if you have money to blow just max out everything.
No that's wrong as mentioned. Why pay for something that will not get used, its a waste of money.
Actually for some applications your system is slower with 16gb than with 8gb.
Not something i would consider relevant, but interesting anyway.
(Source: http://www.macworld.com/article/203...tional-memory-on-a-mac.html#lsrc.twt_macworld)
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I'd go with the 8GB as this is the amount of RAM that I will be getting when I get the mid 2013 rMBP.
I honestly would prefer 16GB as I've seen OSX gobble up to 10GB+ with my usage but for most of the time 8GB is plenty. I just wished that the MBA would offer 8GB as default.
I honestly would prefer 16GB as I've seen OSX gobble up to 10GB+ with my usage but for most of the time 8GB is plenty. I just wished that the MBA would offer 8GB as default.
I have 4 gigabyte of memory in my mac. Right now 4/4 GB is being used, why? Because Mac Os 10 has loaded in files I use commonly to memory. This speeds up the machine for common tasks.
I once ran out of memory and I had the following apps open:
Safari, 5 tabs.
Skype
Itunes (Song playing)
Steam
Calendar
This is a typical setup for a normal user. What will ram usage look like in 3-4 years?
post a screenshot of your activity monitor as evidence.
The apps you posted will not make you run out of memory.
If the memory pressure is green, then you are not running out of memory.
What mac are you using?
I do agree with you! I must stress, though, that 4GB isn't enough for these days, IMO. You'll have swap going on most of the time.
OS X does use extra RAM for file caching. I have 16GB on my MacBook Pro, and right now it's at 11.5GB used, of which 4.5GB is App Memory and 5.5GB is File Cache.
8GB of RAM should be enough for a regular user today but in 4 years, I can easily see 8GB not being enough (which is why I recommended the OP get 16GB if he intends to keep his computer for long, since he won't be able to upgrade then).
Oh good lord.......
Do you not see the proof all around you that 4GB is MORE than enough for most regular users?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6oaUJPZKNc
That video has about 10 times what I normally do on a 4GB machine, yet it still speeds through with no problems.
Web browsing, music, word documents, light photo editing, etc do not require near 4GB of ram. Hell, I do these things on my 7 year old work computer with 2GB of ram and a spinning hard drive with ease.
This ridiculous notion that basic users need 8GB of ram has got to stop. If they want to "futureproof" then make that argument, but please stop saying things like "I must stress, though, that 4GB isn't enough for these days," it isn't true. It may not be enough for some, but it's more than enough for many.
I agree, 8GB seems to be the "comfort zone" right now as the 4GB was just a couple of years ago.
I think as much as 3 years from now that the 16GB would be the standard, especially with more 64-bit applications that is becoming standard and will be more power hungry.
You obviously do not know how to interprete the activity monitor correctly.
If you have 16gb your system will use as much as it can. That doesn't mean it needs it.
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You, too have nothing to back this claim.
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what incredible nonsense!
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if that machine runs an hdd it will appear very sluggish.
I assume if it "locked up" it has other issues, too.
You both (capathy and Meister) should stop being condescending. We're all trying to help the OP, here. Your experiences might be different than mine, but that doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about. Heck, everytime someone tries to help someone here, they get flak for it... This has to change, guys! "I disagree" and "My experience is different" are good replies. "Oh good lord" and "You obviously do not know (...)" are not.
Switching through apps (like he does in the video) is one thing, actually working on those apps is another. If you look closely, when he plays the video it starts stuttering after a couple of seconds. You can do all the guy is doing on 1GB of RAM. It doesn't mean it's gonna be comfortable and it will never swap. My recommendation was for him to never have to swap.
I cannot, in sane conscience, recommend someone get a computer that cannot be upgraded with a minimum-viable amount of memory for today. You have to think forward with these kind of machines.
Switching through apps (like he does in the video) is one thing, actually working on those apps is another. If you look closely, when he plays the video it starts stuttering after a couple of seconds. You can do all the guy is doing on 1GB of RAM. It doesn't mean it's gonna be comfortable and it will never swap. My recommendation was for him to never have to swap.
Sorry to say, but I do know how to read it. And I never said that the File Cache was necessary. I was exemplifying how OS X will go the extra mile for more comfort if you give it more RAM (which someone mentioned it did and was ridiculed for it, much like you're doing with me).
I'm speaking from my own experience. Having owned Macs with 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and now 16GB of RAM, I can say that every couple of years, it became clear that I had to up the RAM because the computer started swapping more frequently and upping a level was always a clear improvement when it got to that point. Right now, the comfort zone where it's almost guaranteed that a regular to power user won't swap is 8GB. I just have 16GB on mine because I had an opportunity to buy it cheap. I couldn't work on 4GB due to swap and my brother (who's also a developer) recently upgraded from 4GB to 8GB and noticed a clear improvement when under stress.
I do have to agree with you on that. Even on low RAM, it shouldn't completely freeze up. It should freeze, swap, and then unfreeze.
the guys ram pressure in the video is green.
When a video stutters, it's not because you ran out of ram. He is editing the video in adobe premiere!
He could not have done what he did in the video with only one gigabyte.
With the multitasking this guy does, i would not recommend 4gb, I would recommend at least 8gb.
You fail to provide any form of tangible proof for the claim that 4gb is not enough for basic tasks.
Saying that you have experience does not qualify as proof. That you claim that a suttering video is caused by memory insufficiency leaves the strong impression, that you have no clue what you are writting about. Why do you try to give people advice if you are clueless?
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Your claim:
was unfounded and misleading.
That is not a matter of opinion.
People who don't have experience might take your word for it and it needs to be made very clear, that you are spreading misinformation.
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