8GB vs 16GB RAM?

[raqball]

Windows reports memory usage differently And it also uses memory differently. Can't really compare.

I understand that and I guess my comment was more along the lines of some of the users here stating the need / requirement of 16GB for a student whos stated usage is light to medium at best...

I ran the tab, program and video encoding test to show what 8GB can do on a Win 10 machine.. Admittedly I have not really used MacOS in any meaningful manner in a while. The 2016 nTB I had was sold after only a few months of usage. The nTB I had was 8GB and I didn't see any real issues during my daily usage, RAM wise. I encode 1080P GoPro video all the time and use web, office, email ect....

My usage is probably more than the OP's will be and I got along just fine with 8GB and had zero concerns over 'future proofing' as the machines these days are disposable and will probably be headed for the trash long before 8GB of RAM is obsolete..

 

[Adamantoise]

I was just replying to another post, and I agreed that for OP's current usage 8GB will be enough. However, I respectfully disagree with people suggesting that upgrading to 16GB would not be worth it. I agree that one's RAM usage does not increase overnight, sure, but in 2-3 years? Very possible.

It's not unlikely for a user, o to one day decide to pick up a new job or hobby that requires working with a slightly more capable hardware. I'm obviously not suggesting that someone needing, say, a base model MBA should pick up a desktop workstation with 64GB "just in case", that would be absurd. But I believe it's a good idea to allow for a certain amount of leeway when purchasing a premium-level machine, especially when you can't change your mind later and the price of the upgrade is, all in all, very reasonable.

Well I still think this is a bad argument either way as it applies to CPU, GPU, RAM, and disk space.

Why not future proof all those other components while you're at it?

I have 16GB of RAM in my machine, but honestly, I have it because I got bored one day, went out to buy RAM and plopped it in.

 

[EugW]

Well I still think this is a bad argument either way as it applies to CPU, GPU, RAM, and disk space.

Why not future proof all those other components while you're at it?

I have 16GB of RAM in my machine, but honestly, I have it because I got bored one day, went out to buy RAM and plopped it in.

In my experience a machine with a slow CPU can last far longer with sufficient RAM than a machine with a fast CPU and insufficient RAM.

As for disk space one can at least use externals. That is not possible with RAM. And the GPU really is for specific use in many cases. I future proofed my laptop by getting the blistering fast (not) Intel HD Graphics 615 GT2 GPU. IMO, this GPU for a lot of non-gamers is a more future-proofed GPU than say a Radeon Pro 455.

 

[Retromac2008]

My Macbook air (broken last month) had 2gb of ram and i used it as main notebook with El Capitan.

You can use max one browser with max 5 tabs and u re fine.

Now it s broken btw, suddenly 3 beeps of mb ram/failure. Was just like new

 

[sudoreboot]

I'm a college student as well, and I can say that having 16 GB of RAM on my MacBook Pro can be very beneficial. Even today, several tabs open on a browser, a word processor, and a photo editor (like Photoshop) open, can pretty easily get to above 10 GB of RAM usage on my laptop.

Of course, if you were willing to be more mindful of what programs were running at the same time, 8 GB could probably be just fine.

 

[jerwin]

It might be possible for someone with a 16 GB machine to simulate a 8 GB machine, by creating a 8 GB RamDisk, filling the ramdisk to capacity, and proceeding to use the machine for the usual tasks.

 

[TechZeke]

I'm a college student as well, and I can say that having 16 GB of RAM on my MacBook Pro can be very beneficial. Even today, several tabs open on a browser, a word processor, and a photo editor (like Photoshop) open, can pretty easily get to above 10 GB of RAM usage on my laptop.

Of course, if you were willing to be more mindful of what programs were running at the same time, 8 GB could probably be just fine.

Completely disagree. I'm pretty sure that's just the way macOS uses RAM. I've done more than that work load on both my Macs and each only have 8GB of RAM. I haven't upgraded my iMac's RAM simply because I haven't had to. In fact, doing the pain staking process to upgrade my iMac to an SSD was far more beneficial.

 

[takeshi74]

I do plan on installing windows to play some Windows only games as well.

Boot Camp or VM (or both)? If using VM at all then definitely get 16GB.

 

[Retromac2008]

as i wrote, i can use a mac with 2gb and el capitan, it s not a huge problem

 

[AustinIllini]

as i wrote, i can use a mac with 2gb and el capitan, it s not a huge problem

Benefit of low intensity usage combined with purpose built software for the hardware you are running. RAM goes a longer way on a Mac.

 

[fathergll]

For your intended used 8GB is more than enough.. Heck you could probably get by with 4...

Future proofing is always thrown out there as a reason to spend more than you need to but these new machines are not repairable so in a few years they will be out of circulation anyways..

How long do you realistically plan on or anticipate keeping the machine?

I'll say this, When I bought my Macbook Air in 2012 I decided to get the 256 GB version with 8 GB RAM instead of 128GB/4GB RAM. I could have easily gotten away with 128GB/4GB RAM then but I can't tell you how glad I am that I paid extra money for the upgraded storage and memory.


To me the simple litmus test is asking people regrets on things when originally buying their computer. It usually comes down to RAM or storage. Personally I think its a long term mistake trying to save some money upfront for something you might be using for 5+ years. While I don't advocate spending money on upgrades as a financial investment there is no doubt that your computer will be in much more of demand down the road if your storage and memory options are decent.

 

[raqball]

I think its a long term mistake trying to save some money upfront for something you might be using for 5+ years. While I don't advocate spending money on upgrades as a financial investment there is no doubt that your computer will be in much more of demand down the road if your storage and memory options are decent.

I'd agree with you IF these new machines were repairable but they are not. I also do not think many of these new machines will still be in use 5 or 6 years from now..

Everything is soldered onto the motherboard so:

-- Headphone jack fail? The only way to repair it is with new motherboard that includes the CPU, GPU, SSD, RAM
-- SSD fail? The only way to get a new SSD is to replace the motherboard that includes the SSD, GPU, CPU, RAM

ect, ect, ect..

You will be paying for a new motherboard that includes the CPU, GPU, SSD and RAM to fix anything that goes wrong with the machine...

What's going to happen is when people see the cost of the repair they will just decide to buy a new machine for a few $$ more...

These machines are disposable....

 

[fathergll]

I'd agree with you IF these new machines were repairable but they are not. I also do not think many of these new machines will still be in use 5 or 6 years from now..

Everything is soldered onto the motherboard so:

-- Headphone jack fail? The only way to repair it is with new motherboard that includes the CPU, GPU, SSD, RAM
-- SSD fail? The only way to get a new SSD is to replace the motherboard that includes the SSD, GPU, CPU, RAM

ect, ect, ect..

You will be paying for a new motherboard that includes the CPU, GPU, SSD and RAM to fix anything that goes wrong with the machine...

What's going to happen is when people see the cost of the repair they will just decide to buy a new machine for a few $$ more...

These machines are disposable....

I'd agree with you IF these new machines were upgradable but they are not. There are numerous examples of people who underspec hardware and then end up being upset at their purchase and then finally giving in and buying something else to make up for it.

Im not disagreeing that computers are pretty much like TVs and that people tend to replace them instead of repairing them. The only issue is if you underspec you are pretty much guaranteed to run into issues earlier down the line whereas overspecing is more of a gamble on squeezing out the life. I just know that I wouldn't drop over a grand on a computer with 8 GB in mid 2017. Thats just me. $200 for doubling the ram over a 3+ year period of something you will use every day is a easy decision for me. I just know time and time again i've kicked myself underspecing hardware. Everyone ultimately needs to make their own decisions but there is nothing worst then cheaping out on something that you had the option on getting during purchase time.

 

[raqball]

There are numerous examples of people who underspec hardware and then end up being upset at their purchase and then finally giving in and buying something else to make up for it.

There are just as many, if not more, who bought into the whole 'future proofing' argument and flushed their $$$ down the drain..

As I said earlier, the $180 (plus tax) upgrade comes out to about 13% of the entire machines $1499 price tag.. If 'future proofing' a disposable item is worth it to some then cool, it's their money not mine..

The only issue is if you underspec you are pretty much guaranteed to run into issues earlier down the line whereas overspecing is more of a gamble on squeezing out the life. I just know that I wouldn't drop over a grand on a computer with 8 GB in mid 2017. Thats just me. $200 for doubling the ram over a 3+ year period of something you will use every day is a easy decision for me. I just know time and time again i've kicked myself underspecing hardware. Everyone ultimately needs to make their own decisions but there is nothing worst then cheaping out on something that you had the option on getting during purchase time.

So you expect 8GB of RAM to be obsolete in 3 years? Ummmm, nope! 8GB of RAM is more than enough for most.. 5 years from now who knows but all these machines will probably be in a landfill by then..

 

[AFEPPL]

8GB is not enough in my book.
I have a few rMBPs and the i7 3.1Ghz 8GB (newest one) really struggles if you want to run a VM at the same time. By contrast the i7 3.0Ghz 16GB is much smoother and nicer to use with a VM running.

So IF you can afford 16GB go for it.

 

[raqball]

8GB is not enough in my book.
I have a few rMBPs and the i7 3.1Ghz 8GB (newest one) really struggles if you want to run a VM at the same time. By contrast the i7 3.0Ghz 16GB is much smoother and nicer to use with a VM running.

So IF you can afford 16GB go for it.

If VM is the goal, I agree get 16... If someone is going to dual boot then 8 is still plenty. Especially for a student like the OP with his / her stated usage in the 1st post of this thread.

 

[falcon511]

In my opinion I think 16 might be a bit too much for you. I had the 8gig non touch bar for a while and it was a really good machine. But as a pro user I wanted the faster CPU, better GPU, and more RAM. I was also connecting a 2k monitor to the 13 inch mbp and it worked well. Its just that I am a heavy web user and need to use Dreamweaver and Photoshop a lot so the more power the better. 16 gig is more than enough for me and I wanted to make sure i would be set for a few years. Its also nice having the Radeon GPU that has its own memory and not taking up my main ram when I need it to.

 

[fathergll]

There are just as many, if not more, who bought into the whole 'future proofing' argument and flushed their $$$ down the drain..

As I said earlier, the $180 (plus tax) upgrade comes out to about 13% of the entire machines $1499 price tag.. If 'future proofing' a disposable item is worth it to some then cool, it's their money not mine..

So you expect 8GB of RAM to be obsolete in 3 years? Ummmm, nope! 8GB of RAM is more than enough for most.. 5 years from now who know but all these machines will probably be in a landfill by then..

Chupa Chupa said it best in this thread "8GB is doable but 16GB is more comfortable."

Bottom line is that I personally wouldn't go below 8GB right now in 2017 if I was buying new. I wouldn't spend over grand on a laptop or desktop in mid 2017 with less than 16GB of memory. If the money was that big of a deal to me and I had to worry over the possibility of flushing down $180 for something I am planning on using every day for at least 3 years then I'd probably wouldn't be dropping that much money on an Apple laptop as a college student to begin with.

You're asking if I think in the year 2020 will 8GB be obsolete? I think obsolete is a strong word but you might run into issues depending on what you are doing and if your usage changes at all. Thats just 3 years. The OP might want to use this computer in 2022(5 years) or beyond. 5 years isn't some ridiculous age for a laptop. I have a 5 year old Macbook Air right now and I'm sure as heck glad I opted for 8 GB over 4 GB.

I just know I've seen a lot more people complain about not upgrading ram than the other way around. skaertus and throAU already confirm this on page 1. I'm sure I can find a lot more personal andoctes like that over someone complaining that they got too much ram.



ZapNZs had a very good post on this subject as well

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/do-i-need-more-ram-a-few-days-to-decide.2030300/#post-24266029

"I look at non-upgradable hard drives & RAM on a computer one may keep for 5-10 years the same way I look at gun safes (I used to sell safes): with no way to predict the future needs/preferences, the premium for going slightly bigger is usually preferable over the regret of going smaller. In 2007, the standard RAM on a MacBook Pro was 2GB; in 2011 it was 4GB; as of 2016 it is 8GB. Even today, with the current version of OS X, the difference between 4GB and 8GB for moderate use is often pretty significant. Maybe 8GB will work great in 2021, aided by such a fast SSD, but I feel 16GB is a safer bet for a large investment. And unlike the days when people were saying 4GB of RAM is all one could ever need, we can't upgrade the RAM very easily (as doing so carries significant risks and will obviously void the warranty.) That's just my personal opinion."

 

[raqball]

Chupa Chupa said it best in this thread "8GB is doable but 16GB is more comfortable."

Bottom line is that I personally wouldn't go below 8GB right now in 2017 if I was buying new. I wouldn't spend over grand on a laptop or desktop in mid 2017 with less than 16GB of memory. If the money was that big of a deal to me and I had to worry over the possibility of flushing down $180 for something I am planning on using every day for at least 3 years then I'd probably wouldn't be dropping that much money on an Apple laptop as a college student to begin with.

You're asking if I think in the year 2020 will 8GB be obsolete? I think obsolete is a strong word but you might run into issues depending on what you are doing and if your usage changes at all. Thats just 3 years. The OP might want to use this computer in 2022(5 years) or beyond. 5 years isn't some ridiculous age for a laptop. I have a 5 year old Macbook Air right now and I'm sure as heck glad I opted for 8 GB over 4 GB.

I just know I've seen a lot more people complain about not upgrading ram than the other way around. skaertus and throAU already confirm this on page 1. I'm sure I can find a lot more personal andoctes like that over someone complaining that they got too much ram.



ZapNZs had a very good post on this subject as well

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/do-i-need-more-ram-a-few-days-to-decide.2030300/#post-24266029

"I look at non-upgradable hard drives & RAM on a computer one may keep for 5-10 years the same way I look at gun safes (I used to sell safes): with no way to predict the future needs/preferences, the premium for going slightly bigger is usually preferable over the regret of going smaller. In 2007, the standard RAM on a MacBook Pro was 2GB; in 2011 it was 4GB; as of 2016 it is 8GB. Even today, with the current version of OS X, the difference between 4GB and 8GB for moderate use is often pretty significant. Maybe 8GB will work great in 2021, aided by such a fast SSD, but I feel 16GB is a safer bet for a large investment. And unlike the days when people were saying 4GB of RAM is all one could ever need, we can't upgrade the RAM very easily (as doing so carries significant risks and will obviously void the warranty.) That's just my personal opinion."

People always self justify their purchasing decisions and this discussion to 'future proof' is no different..

If the machines were not disposable then maybe I would agree more than what I am.. With these machines being disposable then it is indeed a complete waste of money if you do not need the upgrade now or think you'll need it in a few years..

The whole conversation is really pointless as the OP has not came back to expound on what his / her needs are now and or will be in the immediate future..

Telling a student with light usage to future proof a disposable item is really a bit on the odd side but to each their own..

I have a X1 Carbon with 16GB of RAM and a Surface Laptop with 8GB. Here is a screen shot of my Surface Laptops RAM usage at the moment... Yeah, I need 16GB of RAM for what I use it for! LOLOLOL

16GB is more comfortable to whom? The people who need it? Yup.. The people who don't? Nope!

 

[fathergll]

I have a X1 Carbon with 16GB of RAM and a Surface Laptop with 8GB. Here is a screen shot of my Surface Laptops RAM usage at the moment... Yeah, I need 16GB of RAM for what I use it for! LOLOLOL

16GB is more comfortable to whom? The people who need it? Yup.. The people who don't? Nope!

View attachment 707638

I'm sorry that you have a computer with too much RAM. You'll get over one day. Maybe.....

 

[raqball]

I'm sorry that you have a computer with too much RAM. You'll get over one day. Maybe.....

Now you are just being silly and making unfounded comments... Did I say that I personally didn't need 16GB in my X1 Carbon? Nope.. My usage of that machine dictates that I do.. My usage of the Surface Laptop is entirely different and putting 16GB on it would have been a complete waste of $$$...

It's about usage of the machine.... I went with 16GB on the X1C because even though most of the machine is user upgradable, the only portion of it that's not is the RAM. Plus my usage on it says 8 would be a stretch..

On the Surface Laptop nothing is repairable just like the new MacBook Pro's.. It's a disposable item and my usage of it does not dictate the need for a RAM upgrade..

I've already recapped the OP's stated usage more than once but people are failing to read what the OP wrote and continue to project their own usage onto the OP..

 

[AFEPPL]

People always self justify their purchasing decisions and this discussion to 'future proof' is no different..

Just for the record and it's not meant as a dig towards you or to start an argument about usage or which machine is the better, but I'm not trying to justify my personal purchases to anyone. I have both and I'm not selling or returning either (not that i could now anyway), but i will say based on only my workflows, the on paper older but slower 3.0Ghz i7 rMBP with 16GB of RAM is out performing the newer 3.1Ghz i7 rMBP with 8GB of RAM.

Do i regret getting the 3.1? No, but i regret the way i spec'd it.
Given my time over, i would have taken the 16GB RAM, kept the 1TB SSD just the same but stepped down the CPU.

I accept people have budgets (as did i) and you make your own compromises..

 

[raqball]

Just for the record and it's not meant as a dig towards you or to start an argument about usage or which machine is the better, but I'm not trying to justify my personal purchases to anyone. I have both and I'm not selling or returning either (not that i could now anyway), but i will say based on only my workflows, the on paper older but slower 3.0Ghz i7 rMBP with 16GB of RAM is out performing the newer 3.1Ghz i7 rMBP with 8GB of RAM.

Do i regret getting the 3.1? No, but i regret the way i spec'd it.
Given my time over, i would have taken the 16GB RAM, kept the 1TB SSD just the same but stepped down the CPU.

I accept people have budgets (as did i) and you make your own compromises..

For your workflow and usage, you know what's best for you...

This thread is not about your (or my) workflow and usage though, it's about the OP's who is a college student. The OP posted his/her usage in the 1st post which by all accounts, is light to medium at best..

I am not saying and I have not said that nobody needs 16GB.. Heck some need 32 and I need 16 on my X1C whereas I do not on my other machine.. If the OP wants to VM then I agree he/she needs it but that was not included in the OP's usage post..

Some are projecting their own usage onto the OP or are adding things (like VM) as a reason he/she needs 16GB even though the OP never stated any of them... The other argument is to 'future proof' a disposable machine..

 

[Miltz]

Hello all,

I'm currently a college student and I plan on getting the 2017 nTB MacBook Pro this summer. I am choosing between 8GB and 16GB RAM. Here are my general uses: web browsing, video streaming, occasional light picture or video editing, light gaming such as League of Legends, and I do plan on installing windows to play some Windows only games as well.
Any input would be appreciated. Thank you!

Look everyone will have an opinion, and it's just that. The bottom line is if you have to ask if you need 16GB vs 8GB, then you don't NEED it. Someone who needs 16GB of RAM knows it, doesn't have to ask anyone. That being said, based on what you use it for 4GB is enough and 8GB is plenty. By the time 8GB is no longer enough, your laptop will be outdated and need replacement anyway.

 

[FineFuturity]

This was a question I grappled with when deciding which MBP to purchase. I had the 8GB model ordered at first, since my desktop at home has 8GB. But then I got to thinking: my desktop has replaceable parts, which means I can always change out or upgrade whatever I want, when I want. The MacBook Pro.... we already know about that.

Because this laptop is one I intend to use for the next few years, and because of how not cheap it is, I felt it was better to up the RAM. I felt it was better to have it and not need it, than to need it and then not have it, you know?

Just my two cents.