Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
PSA: you probably don’t need 32 or 64Gb RAM unless you know you need it.
- Thread starter aevan
- Start date
-
- Tags
- macbook pro ram
- Sort by reaction score
Yep, 64GB is clearly for the users who have use case for it, but those definitely know it
I seriously doubt these machines, including base ones, will feel slow 4 years from now.
Hi,
Not read the whole thread as it's 20 pages long right now but did read at least the first page and especially the first post.
My use cases on a potential new machine (which i was intending to get 32gb on) are:
- Adobe Lightroom Classic (mainly in the library tab) but also a couple of edits here and there.
- I use Docker for my web development.
- General day to day computing.
- Web browser with lots of tabs typically.
- Lots of small utility apps open at once.
What are some peoples opinions on here of getting 32gb over 16gb?
Thankyou.
Neil
Not read the whole thread as it's 20 pages long right now but did read at least the first page and especially the first post.
My use cases on a potential new machine (which i was intending to get 32gb on) are:
- Adobe Lightroom Classic (mainly in the library tab) but also a couple of edits here and there.
- I use Docker for my web development.
- General day to day computing.
- Web browser with lots of tabs typically.
- Lots of small utility apps open at once.
What are some peoples opinions on here of getting 32gb over 16gb?
Thankyou.
Neil
Sadly, I have no experience with Docker or web development, for everything else 16 is quite enough. If you use a lot of VMs to test websites, you might need more.
A lot vms? If the host system reserves after boot ~5 gb ram? 1 windows vm alone woulde cause a massive slow down.
For a lot vms i wouldn't go below 64 gb ram and 32 (performance) core/ 64 thread cpu.
This M1 has no hyper threading and only 8 performance cores. I doubt it can handle many virtual machines fast.
For a lot vms i wouldn't go below 64 gb ram and 32 (performance) core/ 64 thread cpu.
This M1 has no hyper threading and only 8 performance cores. I doubt it can handle many virtual machines fast.
Last edited:
Typically, I would only use Docker on one project at a time and I would like to use Docker more as I learn more about it and how I can put it to use. My personal website when running it locally for development has a Rails app that runs locally on the machine but uses ElasticSearch, Redis and PostgreSQL in separate Docker containers for the app to hook into.
Currently I run this on a 13" MacBook Pro i7 16Gb and it runs ok but can slow down whilst Docker is running.
as a performance engineer....your so wrong....haha
i can run 50+ vm's in production on 64gb ram and 32 cores. do some research bud. 1 windows vm can run easily on 4gb ram with ssd backed storage.
It could be slow due to the cpu. What is your Memory Pressure during these slowdowns?
When I jump on that machine later this evening i'll take a look.
My main train of thought about the new machine is that 16gb may be fine for right now but how will I find it in a year or 1.5 years?
I'm just so unsure as to which way to go.
That‘s a real problem with these non-upgradeable machines and the reason this discussion here seems to never end.
If you think you reach the limits of 16GB with your current machine already and you can afford 32GB, then go for it! If you don‘t want to spend the money, then don‘t. The M1 machines are quite capable of dealing with little ram. If you want to be 100% sure buy the 16GB machine at a place where you can return it and test for yourself.
This right here is my dilemma: "If you want to be 100% sure buy the 16GB machine at a place where you can return it and test for yourself."
The place I will be buying from do not allow me to cancel or return the item if it's a Configure to Order model.
Ah well I'll just have to decide soon!
Alright. So if that‘s not an option, check your current machine for memory pressure. If you still think 32GB would be better after that, go for it if you can afford it. You won‘t regret the 400 more in a year or two. But you‘ll definitely regret having a slower machine then (if ram is to blame).
Also: 32GB most likely will have a better resale value. So it‘s not like all of that money is lost instantly.
If you don’t need more RAM now, you will be fine for 4+ years, and certainly in a year and half.
Topaz Gigapixel AI v2.6 supports Apple Silicon, the version in the video doesn't. Blender WILL support native Metal rendering soon so it was pointless to test GPU rendereing against CPU rendering like the amateur guy did in the video.
M1 Max would be the first in Premiere but it would run circles around the best Windows laptop if Premiere (Windows) would be tested again FCPX (Mac).
Just read AnandTech's in depth review of what these chips are capable of and at what power consumption.
M1 Max would be the first in Premiere but it would run circles around the best Windows laptop if Premiere (Windows) would be tested again FCPX (Mac).
Just read AnandTech's in depth review of what these chips are capable of and at what power consumption.
Do you actually think you can predict the computer needs of someone you don't know 4 years into the future?
If they don’t change their workflow and they claim a certain amount is enough for them today, then I think it’s a fair assessment. Of course, no one can really predict anything or be sure of anything - but still, we can give advice. It is up to people to decide.
Everyone who is saying “you will need more in 3 years” is also making a prediction for someone they don’t know. And that’s ok.
That's why I miss the old times when you had to predict less and could upgrade later. Ordering a new MBP can really cause you quite a headache!
True, however, we're at a point where almost every configuration is good enough. I remember when laptops came with 5400rpm drives and almost every configuration felt slow - no matter how much money you spent. These days, sure, you can make a mistake and maybe get less then you need or more then you need, but I think the majority of experience will still be there and you'll still be able to get the job done. We've seen this with M1 MacBooks and Mac Minis - a lot of professionals and serious hobbyists actually switched to them full time and got nice results. That doesn't mean you should only buy MacBook Airs or anything - but it means that even the lowest configurations are still great computers. And you can still do a lot of work on them.
I know it's not the same, but I think it's becoming similar to iPhones and iPads. Whether you buy an iPhone SE, a regular iPhone or an iPhone Pro - you will still get a solid experience, for years to come. And yes, I know MacBook Pros are often used by professionals, not just consumers - but I still think the claim is true to an extent.
Last edited:
I think this is a good point - the core capability of smartphones has pretty much plateaued, and the advancements are in peripheral features and form - like their cameras and folding devices. No amount of RAM or storage upgrades are going to future-proof for extra camera lenses or foldability.
I can see computers evolving similarly with new peripheral features and forms. Say faceID that detects and responds to visual hand gestures? 3D hand manipulations of graphics? Just making stuff up here. Extra RAM is not going to do anything to enable such features, which may require additional built-in hardware.
The term "future-proofing" is, I think, very misleading and unachievable. At best, it is "future-compensating."