32 gigs of ram enough?

[ninethirty]

I'm a UX designer. I use apps like Illustrator, Sketch, Figma, etc. I usually have browser windows open, news, stocks, email, etc, nothing crazy. I'll also have this connected to a studio display.

Is 32 going to feel sluggish, or start to feel sluggish soon? I can get a 32gig ram config pretty quickly, but if I want to upgrade that to 64, it's going to be 1-2 months.

If 32 is going to be fine for what I'm doing, then I'm good to go, but thought I'd check and see what people think first.

Thanks!

 

[rm5]

Depends. Will Illustrator, Sketch, etc. use all the RAM? If so, upgrade to 64 GB. If not, just keep it at 32.

Also, I know you are looking at a Mac Studio, but if your projects are light and don't require much resources, you probably don't even need a Mac Studio and 32 GB of RAM. My M1 MBA works just fine with Resolve, Blender, Logic, and 15-20 Chrome tabs open, albeit using most of the RAM.

 

[TTYS0]

No one is going to be able to tell you if 32GB of RAM will feel sluggish to you now or at some future time. If you need the system now, then go for it. If it's not enough, then return it, and order the 64GB version.

 

[orionquest]

What are you working with now? 32 should be fine doesn't sound demanding at all.

 

[StudioMacs]

I'm a UX designer. I use apps like Illustrator, Sketch, Figma, etc. I usually have browser windows open, news, stocks, email, etc, nothing crazy. I'll also have this connected to a studio display.

Is 32 going to feel sluggish, or start to feel sluggish soon? I can get a 32gig ram config pretty quickly, but if I want to upgrade that to 64, it's going to be 1-2 months.

If 32 is going to be fine for what I'm doing, then I'm good to go, but thought I'd check and see what people think first.

Thanks!

How much RAM is in your current machine, and what machine is it?

If you are using more than 32GB of RAM now, the answer is easy.

 

[haralds]

How long do you expect to use this system?
I always look at a potential horizon of 5-6 years, if not as a primary system maybe a secondary or hand-to for another family member. So I went for 64GB. Also comes in handy with Parallels VMs.

 

[wilberforce]

Basically, feedback on this forum about RAM is all over the map and thus is pretty worthless. You will get opinions ranging from "8GB is fine" to "64GB is a must." You will get a confusing combination of validation and FUD.

 

[rm5]

Basically, feedback on this forum about RAM is all over the map and thus is pretty worthless. You will get opinions ranging from "8GB is fine" to "64GB is a must." You will get a confusing combination of validation and FUD.

If you're talking about the MacRumors forum in general, I totally agree. RAM should not be a complicated issue at all. And it's pretty easy to figure out how much you need based on your usage of the computer.

You just need to future-proof yourself, and that's all there is to it. People make it complicated for absolutely no reason. I went with 16 GB in my MBA because I knew I needed it. I didn't have to "guess" on this. Although I understand it you are switching from Intel to Apple Silicon because the RAM is completely different, but it's still the same principle.

 

[StudioMacs]

What if we all just said 32 GB was enough? That would solve this problem immediately.

only if OP comes back to read the replies….

 

[wilberforce]

It's all about people's opinions. I don't think there's a "unified" way to think about this issue.

What if we all just said 32 GB was enough? That would solve this problem immediately.

Sure, there are going to be differences of opinions, based on different experiences and values. But if the OP is looking for clarity, I find these types of threads generally create more confusion, not less. Unless OP is just looking for validation, in which case OP can select whatever responses validate their choice.

 

[ninethirty]

Sure, there are going to be differences of opinions, based on different experiences and values. But if the OP is looking for clarity, I find these types of threads generally create create more confusion, not less. Unless OP is just looking for validation, in which case OP can select whatever responses validate their choice.

Hah, no, not looking for validation. Genuinely wondering if 32 would be enough for the type of work I do, or if it's better to wait the 2 months to get the 64 upgrade.

As others have said though, answers are all over the place, and I'm not any more clear on what I should do here.

 

[whgmkeller]

I've been thinking about getting a Mac Studio myself somewhere in the (probably near) future. To figure out how much RAM I need I have started monitoring how much RAM I use in my Mac Pro 5,1 (there is a very handy app "activity monitor" in MacOS as you probably know).

So far my RAM-usage hasn't gone above 20GB on any given day, with all my useful apps open (and then some more just to make sure).

Maybe doing this will give the OP some clue.

Grteez,
Willem

 

[darngooddesign]

I'm a UX designer. I use apps like Illustrator, Sketch, Figma, etc. I usually have browser windows open, news, stocks, email, etc, nothing crazy. I'll also have this connected to a studio display.

Is 32 going to feel sluggish, or start to feel sluggish soon? I can get a 32gig ram config pretty quickly, but if I want to upgrade that to 64, it's going to be 1-2 months.

If 32 is going to be fine for what I'm doing, then I'm good to go, but thought I'd check and see what people think first.

Thanks!

How much RAM does your current computer have and are you using all of it?

Buy the 32GB Studio and use it for week, and place an order for the 64GB Studio. Apple wont charge your card until the 64GB is ready to ship.

If 32GB is enough cancel your 64GB order, and if it isn't return the 32GB Studio and wait for your order which will arrive sooner than if you have waited to order it.

 

[StudioMacs]

How much RAM does your current computer have and are you using all of it?

I asked the same question yesterday, but they don't want to tell us.

 

[darngooddesign]

I asked the same question yesterday, but they don't want to tell us.

They put the RAM in the basket or they get the yellow memory pressure again!

 

[rm5]

Hah, no, not looking for validation. Genuinely wondering if 32 would be enough for the type of work I do, or if it's better to wait the 2 months to get the 64 upgrade.

As others have said though, answers are all over the place, and I'm not any more clear on what I should do here.

Like I said earlier, 32 GB will be enough for your needs. (I still don't know why people are making this really complicated.)

Hope this answers your question.

 

[HazardousT]

Question, has 32GB been enough for you in the past or did you find yourself needing more?

 

[F-Train]

I'm a UX designer. I use apps like Illustrator, Sketch, Figma, etc.

I don't think that anybody can give you useful advice without knowing how much RAM you use now and what you're doing with those programmes; and even then the advice isn't much use unless it's coming from other users of those apps.

To take the example of a programme that I know something about... If somebody says "I make music and I want to use Logic Pro X, how much memory do I need?", it's impossible to answer the question without knowing what the person is doing with Logic. Depending on what they're doing, the answer, including for professional use, may be 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB. There are also cases where some adjustments in the programme can affect whether one actually needs 32GB or 64GB, of particular interest to people who don't have money to burn.

The other issue is how much you care about so-called "future proofing". Do you want the computer to last 3 years or 5 years or 7 years? Personally, I'm a skeptic when it comes to future proofing, but my Max is replacing a computer that was purchased less than four years ago.

I do think that some people who have purchased, or are talking about purchasing, a Mac Studio are engaging in some extraordinary RAM inflation. All of a sudden, I'm seeing claims that one needs 64GB of RAM to use Photoshop/Lightroom or Capture One, which for the vast majority of people is complete rubbish. The fact is, most people don't need 32GB of RAM for those apps. As far as I can tell, what's happening is that some people have decided, because Mac Studios come with 32GB of memory and up, that 32GB is now a minimum. It helps them justify their purchase to themselves.

You might find it useful to look at YouTube videos that test M1 Max computers (14" and 16" MacBooks and the Mac Studio), and indeed M1 Pro computers, with the actual apps that you're using.

 

[ZMacintosh]

it's because depending on the App a lot of them use webservices which in turn seems to eat a lot of memory. so if you have browser based tools/apps and use things like Photoshop or anything that may connect to the cloud thats drawing some memory resources, from my experience. if you can get the most you can afford

 

[gmpirate]

I've been using a 2018 i7 with 32 GB of RAM. I normally keep a lot of windows open in Safari, Mail, Preview, maybe Numbers. Working with Affinity Designer & Photo I've never had an issue. Just added Lightroom to the mix and now I am running out of RAM. All photos and graphics -- no video. Sure, I can quit some programs and/or restart but I would rather not. I'm not a professional in this field, rather just do a lot design and editing for my own business.

So, I'm looking into getting a Studio and planning on 64 because I don't want to be "inconvenienced". I like having all my apps open so I can bounce around (call it multi-tasking or short attention span) but a lot of the time I am using all the apps at once for certain projects. Could I use my current computer without much issue?? Sure, but no way I'm buying a "brand new" computer that bumps up against my current limits.

OP: I think you might get better responses if you listed what you are using, not just what you are doing. For all we know you have been getting by just fine with 8 GB.

 

[eddie_ducking]

my other half tells me I can offer sometimes profound but also useless advice.... with that in mind, get the base Studio Ultra, remove the question of 32 vs 64GB, settle for the minimum of 64GB 😜. I have one, absolutely no regrets.

But seriously, if you've an Intel Mac with 32GB and you're running yellow memory pressure presently, get the 64GB. If you've got 16GB and running green, 32GB will be fine.

I am a firm believer of sh*t expands to fill the space available, and computing capabilities is the same. A generational change in computing (which AS is over Intel) opens up either enhanced methods of accomplishing the same task or new tasks unthinkable before, both will require additional memory. So if you're questioning whether 32GB will be sufficient, my thinking is that you're concerned whether 32GB is enough for your present requirements and while it might be it is at present, it sure won't be once you explore and exploit the capabilities the Studio has to offer. I"m not talking about "future proofing" here per-se, just that (inevitably in my experience) new, un-thought-off paths/tasks become feasible/possible and realised/demanded ... usually within the first 3-6 months.

@darngooddesign & @darngooddesign et al are right .. without knowing about your present hardware, nobody really can give a reasoned, thought-out opinion that can help you.

 

[Maccotto]

I have same doubt

I want go from mini 2018 intl i7 to mac studio 32gb gpu and 32 ram .
I use huge LR catalog and photoshop for pano, hdr and little fix

I have 33 and 46 mpx raw files

Can go good 32gb gpu and ram ?

 

[darngooddesign]

I have same doubt

I want go from mini 2018 intl i7 to mac studio 32gb gpu and 32 ram .
I use huge LR catalog and photoshop for pano, hdr and little fix

I have 33 and 46 mpx raw files

Can go good 32gb gpu and ram ?

I'm a photographer and here is my take.

If you are only editing in LR you would be fine with 16GB; however, if you are in PS with layered compositions or doing things like panoramic stitching then 32GB. If you are using PS and LR at the same time get 32GB. If you don't now, but would like to do more PS work in the future get 32GB.

The base M1-Max Studio should be fine for your needs.

 

[southerndoc]

I'm a photographer and here is my take.

If you are only editing in LR you would be fine with 16GB; however, if you are in PS with layered compositions or doing things like panoramic stitching then 32GB. If you are using PS and LR at the same time get 32GB. If you don't now, but would like to do more PS work in the future get 32GB.

The base M1-Max Studio should be fine for your needs.

You're probably correct with that. 64GB may offer better performance, but it's not an absolute must. We're not talking about saving 5 minutes of time waiting for a Photoshop task or Lightroom task.