If you gonna keep it for 5 years or more, just get an M3 on black Friday deal. M1 will likely wont get upgrades after 4-5 years. M2 could be an option, but if you gonna keep it, buy the one which is supported longer.
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8 GB Ram -Will I regret It?
- Thread starter dotzero123
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Thanks for all the great responses. I am having the same thoughts. I was considering only getting the 8GB machine. I am a light user,( surfing the web, light photo editing in Photos, simple spreadsheets and lots of youtube). I currently have a 2017 mac with 8GB ram and a 1 TB hard drive. Im only using 240GB of the storage. Should i also upgrade the hard drive to 512GB? Thanks all!!
You should get the 512 GB drive. You probably won't need 1 TB if you're only using 240 GB right now. The 512 GB drive is also twice as fast as the 256 GB drive, even though you probably won't notice the speed difference in everyday use. 8 GB is probably okay for your light usage, but if you're going to be keeping your computer for another 6 years or so, I would get 16 GB for future proofing.
However much memory your Mac has it will do its best to use as much as it can! So, looking at Activity Monitor really isn't an accurate indication of what you actually need...
After a reboot my 16GB iMac will be using far more memory than my 8GB Air (both M1 machines) even with no apps loaded.
If I bought a 192GB Studio, and looked at Activity Monitor, I could wonder how on earth anyone manages with less then 100GB memory..!!
For me a truer test (with admittedly the luxury of owning both 8GB & 16GB Macs), is running exactly the same things on both machines side by side, and even with lots and lots of apps open I just can't get my 8GB Air to stutter, beachball, or noticeably slow down.
Only by looking at Activity Monitor can I see that my plucky little 8GB Air is working harder. But my user experience is the same on both.
I don't however use any particularly memory hungry apps to edit photos or video, or run parallels, virtual machines, etc., etc... That'd be different - and then yes, well worth getting extra memory to keep things running smoothly.
I'm not sorry I bought my 16GB iMac, and it'll probably stand the test of time better. But if something happened to it and I needed to replace it in a hurry then an 8GB machine bought "off the shelf" would serve me just as well - at least with what I'm running on it today.
Not sure what Apple has up its sleeve this year, but for last Black Friday they were giving $150 gift cards for the 24" iMac last year - which means you would be able to spec more RAM and order from Apple. With the M3 just having been released, I am not sure if they will exclude it from any promotions.
It is frustrating that Apple does not make a version that is carried in stores that has more than 8GB RAM. Very hard to find a discount on a BTO iMac...
Apple's Black Friday Event Begins in U.S. With Free Gift Card on Select Purchases
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event has started in the United States and Canada, with customers able to...
www.macrumors.com
And could use the discount more than a gift card… no 16gb in refurb mini available either. Saw a used one on Amazon but don’t like their return policy on electronics- might get an m2 mini if Best Buy has a decent discount - no m1s with 16 there either
I also got a m2 macbook pro with 8gb ram and 512gb.. After much debate I stand firm that 8GB is more then enough for me, as I dont multi task nearly as much today then I did years ago, if Im watching a video while surfing web or working on documents I usually offload that to an Ipad, so i rarely do multiple demanding tasks on 1 device anymore, Im sure you will find this also.
Enjoy your new imac!
Do you have Costco membership? Micro center also has good deals.
My 2012 iMac is still perfectly usable for web browsing, basic Photos & Music + small spreadsheets & documents ’many people’ do at home.
Like the OP I’d be more comfortable over the longer run with 16GB RAM - it could help offset an expensive replacement by a year or two - but agree it’s not vital.
Watch Smalldog Electronics and B&H Photo (I have used both for decades) for their refurb deals because occasionally they have boxes with adequate RAM. E.g. right now Smalldog Electronics has an M1 Ultra Studio at ~$1k savings, which is exactly how I bought my (still working but RAM-challenged) 2016 MBP in 2017.
Note that deals tend to be buried on websites, which first drive users to the newest boxes. One has to dig for the refurb deals.
Given the memory swapping, does it make sense to get a 512ssd so that it will last longer given that writing to the disk seems to be the weak link.
Step one is to install sufficient RAM to avoid future disk swapping, which is relatively very very slow and limiting to the computing capability of the box. For SSDs a rule of thumb for buying new is that SSD size should be about 2x your expected needs.
Yes, go refurbished M1 based machine with at least 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. And don´t go iMac because it looks so fancy. It is a dud the moment something breaks and the display is stuck there wasted.
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I truly believe the 8GB will be just fine for your "today's" intended purposes. But, you may like the "sleep at night" factor and if the additional $200 isn't back breaking, return during the return period...don't even open the box...and get the 16GB. As for Storage, there are numerous solutions that are very cost effective. Even though I ordered the 16/1TB version myself, (hobbyist....), My, and presumably your usage pattern is probably well served by a minimal built in SSD. I ordered a Base/Hub that is perfectly color matched and allows the computer to sit on top of it. It looks like it is part of the computer, honest. It contains USB A ports, a C port and Card slots. It's nifty feature is it contains a slot for an NVME SSD. I bought a 2TB NVME drive for about $100... (Black Friday will probably bring some deals on these...). The Hub plus 2TB SSD cost ~$190 total. Much better than Apples' (faster, but...not especially cost effective) SSD upgrade. Plus, there is an argument to keep your routine files separate from the SSD that houses your MACOS System components.
Get the 16GB RAM. Pass on the SSD upgrade and get the hub/external storage solution. I got the Yellow one and am VERY happy with it.
USB C Hub for iMac 24 inch 2021/2023, Minisopuru USB Hub Adapter Support M.2 NVMe SSD, iMac USB Hub for iMac M1/M3, iMac Accessories with USB C 10Gbps, USB A 3.2, SD/TF, M.2 SSD(Not Included), Yellow.
Get the 16GB RAM. Pass on the SSD upgrade and get the hub/external storage solution. I got the Yellow one and am VERY happy with it.
USB C Hub for iMac 24 inch 2021/2023, Minisopuru USB Hub Adapter Support M.2 NVMe SSD, iMac USB Hub for iMac M1/M3, iMac Accessories with USB C 10Gbps, USB A 3.2, SD/TF, M.2 SSD(Not Included), Yellow.
I absolutely loove apple products but am getting a bit turned off on the mac. Right now I’m wondering if it “just working” is a priority, or if I should do the unthinkable - purchase a machine that allows you to add storage and/or memory when you need it. Noone wants to spend 1500+ and have a computer that could reach obsolescence in a few cycles. Just my rant for today. (I have UW2, new IPhone Pro and IPad Air 5 so am a bit of a fan girl) but enough is enough with the 200 incremental upgrades. Sorry if I offended any true Apple aficionados 
. I guess this was my reacton to having my eyes opened on the true cost of entry for a new mac.
. I guess this was my reacton to having my eyes opened on the true cost of entry for a new mac.I see you tagged my message before yours. In my opinion, you will be fine with 8. I think there would be far less complaining about Apple if they bypassed their really entry system and opened with the 8/550/4 port/ethernet system as entry level. Even at $1499. With the exception of RAM, i will shill for the hub/storage arrangement in my earlier post.
Depends on what you value. I don’t make emotional purchases. The last Apple desktop/workstation I bought was a 2009 Mac Mini and a 2012 Mac Pro. I like the upgradability of my work stations. I currently use a AMD Thread ripper/NVidia 4090(upgraded from original 3090) Linux/windows workstation.I like the ability to upgrade my GPU, but it’s a love hate relationship. The cost of ownership of windows workstation is much higher than what I spent initially. I tried so many windows laptops, they don’t come close to my M1 Max 16 MBP. I personally value Apple notebooks more than iMac/mini/Mac Pro.I absolutely loove apple products but am getting a bit turned off on the mac. Right now I’m wondering if it “just working” is a priority, or if I should do the unthinkable - purchase a machine that allows you to add storage and/or memory when you need it. Noone wants to spend 1500+ and have a computer that could reach obsolescence in a few cycles. Just my rant for today. (I have UW2, new IPhone Pro and IPad Air 5 so am a bit of a fan girl) but enough is enough with the 200 incremental upgrades. Sorry if I offended any true Apple aficionados
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You've hit it on the head.. for some reason I get hopped up when new Macs come out. It is definitely an emotional purchase. I really did learn a lot from the post, and all of the viewpoints are excellent. I would most likely be ok w/ 8 - but - I'm hesitant to buy something for that large a sum that isn't quite future proof. Great to have options - I just had a little tantrum bc I can't justify my want for a 2500 Mac that I don't need. Thank you all for getting me through it. Learned about ram and had a little therapy along the way.
I know exactly where you're coming from when it comes to the agonising decision of such a big purchase, and Apple don't make it easy with their expensive machines which can't be upgraded at a later date if you choose wrong!
Personally I think that your original choice of 1499 iMac would be a fabulous computer which would likely give you years of pleasure...
I have a couple of M1 Macs, and I've used quite a few Apple silicon machines owned by family and friends. I honestly think that they're all great computers, and most of the owners have no more idea of the specs like RAM* etc., than I do if you asked me about my iPhone!!! (Seriously - without looking it up I've no idea how much RAM or what chip my phone has... It just works!)
Without reading through the thread again I can't remember where you're at - but why not just buy the 1499 iMac from Apple, try it out and if you don't like it then return it... 🤷♀️
Don't get too bogged down worrying about "future proofing" or what spec you might need in 5 years time!
Right, I'm going to have to buy a new car soon... So - electric or petrol?? 🤯 😂
Edit: * They all have 8GB in regular shop bought mostly base spec machines and it works just fine for them.
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I'm not going to try to change your mind on anything. But I've felt the way you do (and own other machines that are upgradeable), and here's my take.
You have to first decide if you really like using Macs and then realize that Apple just doesn't make upgradeable machines. That's just the way it is, even if we don't like it. Getting an upgradeable Windows machine won't do anything for you if that is not what you are looking for.
One of the problems with buying a base iMac is that you do have to worry a little more because the expensive screen is built in - so obviously you are going to be tempted to spend more than you should. If you think 8GB RAM is good enough for you for now, but are worried about spending the "$1500+ and having a computer that could reach obsolescence in a few cycles", I would seriously consider buying a Mac Mini instead.
Here's why: For $599 you get basically what you would get in the $1499 iMac - minus the screen, keyboard and mouse. If you qualify for education discount - then it becomes $499. Last year during Black Friday they were giving $100 gift cards on these - so with education discount that would come down to $399 (assuming you were going to buy something else from Apple). Even without any additional discounts, it would be pretty low cost. Plus you benefit from them being relatively easy to sell and at the low cost of purchase - you wouldn't be losing much when you do sell it or trade it in. You could upgrade on every cycle for a very low price. Who knows, maybe the M4 machines will come with 16GB RAM - or maybe they will have some great upgrade that you would really like to get - it would be nice to be able to just upgrade to it without a second thought.
Sure, maybe a Mac Mini wasn't what you were first looking at. But instead of piling money on top of the purchasing dilemma, you could instead get your self into a very low cost Mac that will give you the same performance as an iMac, and have the ability to upgrade at any time you want, which I consider even better future proofing.
Again the Mac Mini might have not been in your sights - but I have to say having a new Mac, any time you want, without guilt is fantastic. With Apple's upgrade prices - it really doesn't pay to try to future proof.
Now I know the M3 Minis have not been released yet - but I am sure they are around the corner, and I would give this idea some food for thought. If you really enjoy using Macs, a lower cost Mini will be much more enjoyable than an upgradeable Windows machine (and believe it or not - I actually like my Windows machines) unless you have a specific need for one.
The new iMacs are very appealing - but if you are concerned at all about obsolescence and the cost to avoid this - I would seriously consider getting something that offers the same performance, is easy to resell and will offer you the least depreciation during your ownership. It might not be glamorous - but it is effective in being able to stay in an always current Mac without feeling the need to future proof 💸....
Sorry for the long post...
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He has a point. After one week, I see 8GB + 256GB and 8 GB + 512GB models from retailers not Apple itself, but nowhere 16GB RAM. Looks like for the M3 model, RAM is the BTO differentiator (makes somewhat sense as it is a different CPU model for Apple Silicon), but for M1 iMacs you could buy 16GB models outside of Apple.
To be honest I think any tech purchase will be obsolete after a number of years however you spec it. But it's not as bad as it once was...
I remember back in 1993 I bought what was at the time best PC I could afford for college - a 486DX 33mhz with 8MB of RAM and a 170MB HDD running Windows 3.1... It cost about £2,000 (in 1993 Pounds 😬) and I thought it was amazing.
Two years later when Windows 95 came out the poor old thing was just about on its knees!!!! 😆 Completely obsolete - what a waste of money!
I find it amazing that the MacBook Air M1 released three years ago at just £999 can in base spec still effortlessly run macOS and just about any "everyday" task most casual users are likely to ask of it, and is likely to for a good few more years. You can still buy them new - mine's been amazing value.
Is there any reason to suspect that M3 machines will have a shorter shelf life?
A 16GB machine will become obsolete the same day as an 8GB machine - it'll just be a slightly better equipped obsolete computer!!! 😂