MacBook Pro M4 Max: 48GB & 1T OR 128GB & 4T ?

[MalagLagoon]

As of November 25, 2025 I plan to buy a MacBook Pro with a 16 inch screen.

Option 1: The M4 Max with 48GB of RAM and a 1T SSD comes in at just under $4k

Option 2: The M4 Max with 128GB of RAM and a 4T SSD is (a smidgeon under) $6k


General Use Case

Running Parallels with Windows 11 and Ubuntu. Typically two VMs. I might have as many as four VMs (but that isn’t very likely). I use Logic Pro a lot and Final Cut Pro - in each of these cases I do not run complicated/large projects.


Other Comments

I’m currently using my ten year old 2015 MacBook Pro Retina. I’m overdue to the Nth degree.

This is kind of silly of me - but I noticed that Option 1 can be purchased today whereas Option 2 will be a two to three weeks later (delivery date: Dec. 11 through Dec. 18 ).

I’m a little tempted to go for Option 1 for the cheaper price and purchasing just before Turkey Day (I’ll be traveling).

But, should I wait and go for Option 2?

 

[brerlappin]

Why not split the difference and do 64GB with 4TB for $5200?

 

[MalagLagoon]

Why not split the difference and do 64GB with 4TB for $5200?

Because you can't purchase 64GB today - need to wait a few weeks - so might as well just get 128GB.

 

[brerlappin]

Got it... I have 4TB with my M1 Max and love it, so I'd say option 2, then. You'll be happier in the long run, especially with the extra RAM.

 

[MalagLagoon]

Got it... I have 4TB with my M1 Max and love it, so I'd say option 2, then. You'll be happier in the long run, especially with the extra RAM.

Yeah, 4T will be quite a lot better.

 

[Bigwaff]

General Use Case

Running Parallels with Windows 11 and Ubuntu. Typically two VMs. I might have as many as four VMs (but that isn’t very likely). I use Logic Pro a lot and Final Cut Pro - in each of these cases I do not run complicated/large projects.

In case you are not aware, your current Parallels VMs will not run on Apple Silicon version of Parallels (well, technically they might run in emulation mode, but the performance of x86 emulation on AS is unusable for practical purposes). You'll have to create new virtual machines which run the ARM version of Windows and Ubuntu and migrate data from your x86 Parallels virtual machines.

If it were me, I'd sit tight until the M5 Pro/Max MBP are announced in mid-2026, especially if I were considering spending $4K-6K. Hey, but if you need it now, you need it now.

 

[MalagLagoon]

In case you are not aware, your current Parallels VMs will not run on Apple Silicon version of Parallels (well, technically they might run in emulation mode, but the performance of x86 emulation on AS is unusable for practical purposes). You'll have to create new virtual machines which run the ARM version of Windows and Ubuntu and migrate data from your x86 Parallels virtual machines.

If it were me, I'd sit tight until the M5 Pro/Max MBP are announced in mid-2026, especially if I were considering spending $4K-6K. Hey, but if you need it now, you need it now.

Yeah, I'm aware of the VM situation - this isn't an issue for me. Considering I'm using a 2015 MBP I bet an M1 would blow my hair back. Initially, I was going to go for an older Apple Silicon laptop - I think the Certified Refurbished still has M2 MacBooks. Maybe I'll reconsider that route.

 

[raythompsontn]

If you can afford, go for option 2. You should be good for years. As a point of reference I run two VMs in 16 GB, one of them W11 Pro, the other Linux, with no issues. 128 GB could handle 10 VMs.

 

[MalagLagoon]

If you can afford, go for option 2. You should be good for years. As a point of reference I run two VMs in 16 GB, one of them W11 Pro, the other Linux, with no issues. 128 GB could handle 10 VMs.

I was curious to find out if 128GB is overkill or not. Given the Apple sales model it just seems easier to suck it up and bend over.

 

[splifingate]

You only need it when you don't have it

If you are choosing between the upgrade to 128GB, or replacing the soffits/gutters on your house . . . I would counsel channeling your £€$ into the soffits/gutters.

If you've already satisfied your Inner Maslow, purchase as much as you can afford.

 

[Malus120]

Honestly speaking that’s a gigantic difference in both price and capability, and only you can really answer which is going to be the better choice for you.

That said, here are some things I would be considering if it were my money:

1. The M4 Max is a year old at this point, with the base M5 having already been released. Do you really want to drop up to 6 grand on a maxed out M4 Max when it’s replacement will probably be out in the next few months?

2. While it’d be a bit longer of a wait, OLED MBPs are said to be in the pipeline for Q4 2026 or early 2027. After waiting more than ten years, what’s another 12 months?

3. Have you considered whether AV1 support might end up being important for your workflow at some point (M4 Max only supports AV1 decode)

4. Do you have a defined use case for more than 48GB of RAM? If not, that’s a lot of money to spend on an upgrade that will, for the most part likely just be a “nice to have” for the life of the machine.

5. Considering you can get fast, external SSD storage for less than half of what Apple charges, 1TB vs 4TB of internal storage ultimately comes down to convenience. Can you do what you need to do while on the go with 1TB of internal storage without relying on an external drive? How large are the video files you plan to work with? Do you care about having everything with you all the time?

6. As others have suggested, the 64GB/2TB is arguably the BTO sweet spot and would be a good way to split the difference. You have enough extra RAM to accommodate both future bloat and new features, as well as more than enough internal storage.

7. Do you really need the Max chip? While the second media encode/decode engine is certainly nice, you’re coming from a 10-year-old Intel Mac so even the jump to Apple Silicon + even just one encode/decode engine is going to feel extremely fast. Do you do anything that can leverage the doubled GPU compute and memory bandwidth or two extra CPU cores? If you can get by with the Pro you can save yourself a lot of money while also getting significantly better battery life.

8. Are you absolutely sure you want to go with the latest and greatest when you might be able to score a holiday deal on a refurbished or even brand new M2 or M3 Max (might even be able to find a 64GB/2TB M1 Max for dirt cheap relatively speaking)



Anyway, just my 2 cents.

 

[jchap]

In case you are not aware, your current Parallels VMs will not run on Apple Silicon version of Parallels (well, technically they might run in emulation mode, but the performance of x86 emulation on AS is unusable for practical purposes). You'll have to create new virtual machines which run the ARM version of Windows and Ubuntu and migrate data from your x86 Parallels virtual machines.

Well spotted.

Also, the OP might have to pay for a Parallels Pro subscription if they want to use more than 8 GB RAM per VM.

As a user of both Logic Pro (on a MacBook Air M2 with 24 GB RAM) and a Windows 11 Parallels VM (on a MacBook Pro M1 Pro with 16 GB RAM), I would have to say that 128 GB RAM for this use case is overkill. As another user has pointed out, you can run VMs on Apple silicon without the need of great deal of RAM. It depends on what you are doing with the VMs, but 48 GB RAM when running two VMs concurrently, as well as when running typical Logic Pro projects is likely quite fine.

 

[rb2112]

As of November 25, 2025 I plan to buy a MacBook Pro with a 16 inch screen.

Option 1: The M4 Max with 48GB of RAM and a 1T SSD comes in at just under $4k

Option 2: The M4 Max with 128GB of RAM and a 4T SSD is (a smidgeon under) $6k

Don't forget to check Apple Refurbished Mac store. Changes daily. Right now there is:
1. 128GB / 4 TB. $5,229 ($ 4,706 if another discount like mil or student, maybe)
2. 128GB / 2 TB. $4,589 ($ 4,130 add'l discount)
3. 48GB / 4 TB. $4,249 ($ 3,824 add'l discount)
Might be the right answer for you. Good luck!

 

[leifp]

Are you planning on running those potentially four VMs simultaneously? Do you have a Parallels Pro licence (allowing for more than 8GB RAM per VM)? Just to reiterate what others have mentioned: Windows 11 on Arm is not Windows 11. New Macs cannot run the non-Arm version. Only you know what you’ll be doing with it, how tough your use case scenario is, and so on. Feel free to correct/update my assumptions…

4 VMs @ 8GB RAM = 32GB RAM, leaving 16GB for macOS and whatever you use while also running four VMs simultaneously. That will also be a sizeable hit on the CPU: 12+4 core in that MBPro… at two performance cores per VM you leave macOS with the equivalent of a base M4. I just realized that I have no idea how VMs parcel out the GPU. Anyone?

Is this computer on tap for holding you over for a decade like your present setup? I would seriously consider waiting on the M5 variants unless your present machine has died. The M4Max is now already a year old… that said, computing pricing is entering a clusterf* period.

 

[raythompsontn]

Windows 11 on Arm is not Windows 11

If not, it is really close.

The only applications that I have found that will not run are those applications that require low level access to services. Anti-virus stuff, backup stuff. MSOffice, Photoshop et. al., Quicken, photo processing applications. Everything I can do on my desktop, works on W11 ARM.

In some ways W11 is better on a VM. I can change things and something gets borked, I just copy over a backup copy of the VM before the change.

 

[leifp]

If not, it is really close.

The only applications that I have found that will not run are those applications that require low level access to services. Anti-virus stuff, backup stuff. MSOffice, Photoshop et. al., Quicken, photo processing applications. Everything I can do on my desktop, works on W11 ARM.

In some ways W11 is better on a VM. I can change things and something gets borked, I just copy over a backup copy of the VM before the change.

True! However, I game on Windows and that’s what I VM it for. If you’re not familiar with how the gaming experience translates to Win11 Arm, the word is “poor”

 

[neo_cs193p]

Don't forget to check Apple Refurbished Mac store. Changes daily. Right now there is:
1. 128GB / 4 TB. $5,229 ($ 4,706 if another discount like mil or student, maybe)
2. 128GB / 2 TB. $4,589 ($ 4,130 add'l discount)
3. 48GB / 4 TB. $4,249 ($ 3,824 add'l discount)
Might be the right answer for you. Good luck!

Military or education discounts do not apply to Apple Refurbished products.

 

[raythompsontn]

If you’re not familiar with how the gaming experience translates to Win11 Arm

I am not. And I most certainly would never use a VM for gaming, ever. The requirements for gaming, even in native mode, really stress all components to the maximum capability. A VM, but it's very nature, is never going to really qualify.

For my needs, taking one machine on the road, where I can run my Apple products, and switch to my Windows applications is really a nice benefit.

 

[rb2112]

Military or education discounts do not apply to Apple Refurbished products.

When I shop Refurbished Mac without logging in, it shows one price (price A), and for some items, a discounted final price (A').

When I log in with ID.me and shop Refurbished Macs, it shows one price (price B), and for some items, a discounted final price (B').

For all prices listed B < A and B' < A'.

It seems to me that at least my discount applies to Refurbished Macs. I did not go through every product/model or multiple pages, but see attached photo for just one item. All prices while id.me verified are less than the Refurbished prices while not logged in.

 

[Black_Mage]

128 GB of RAM in a laptop! That's crazy. I remember when 128 GB was the max size for a SSD.