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RAM question: since iMac ram is not upgradable what is enough?

blackxacto

blackxacto

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 15, 2009
1,293
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Middle TN
I'm contemplating the 10 core M4 iMac w 1TB ssd. My question is 16gb RAM enough for Affinity Photo 2? I'm not doing any video work, nor huge image manipulation, I'm retired. I wanted to just buy the Mac mini, but there is no way to connect to my 19,1 iMac. So the M4. Anyone using an M4 iMac and experiencing a need for more RAM?
 
If you wont be doing too complex graphics with many many layers and will not have open a lot of applications all at once and hundreds of tabs in web browser, than it should be fine.
 
I agree with all the current posters that for your stated use 16GB ram is sufficient for your needs.

However, given the advancement of technology, (AI, voice assist, and streaming) and assuming the extra cost is not a major factor I suspect the 32 GB would given you 5 to 10 more years of longevity with your computer (i.e. 10 -15 years if not longer). I did a similar assessment about 13 years ago for my FIL who is now 92 and been using that iMac (obvious very different specs) and it still meets his needs. Prior to that we were getting him a new computer every 5-7 years.
 
blackxacto said:
I wanted to just buy the Mac mini, but there is no way to connect to my 19,1 iMac.
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Hmmm, I think the experience of having to replace my 27" 5K display after 6 years (for a smaller one) would turn me off to iMacs. Have you ruled out the Studio Display ($$) and a base M4 mini?
 
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I'm currently using a little over 12GB out of 16GB installed for casual/light photo/video work on an M1-Pro. 16GB is comfortable enough today, but with AI tools coming 24GB may be nice to have in future years.
 
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CharlesShaw said:
Hmmm, I think the experience of having to replace my 27" 5K display after 6 years (for a smaller one) would turn me off to iMacs. Have you ruled out the Studio Display ($$) and a base M4 mini?
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Yes, agree with. That's the main reason why I decided to not buy a new iMac to replace my 27" screen of my 2019 iMac. The second reason, which is quite important to me is both to not being able to upgrade the amount of RAM with Crucial or another non-Apple RAM, as well as paying the high cost of Apple storage. I am still using my 2019 iMac that I loaded with Crucial RAM, and its Apple 2TB HDD.

I may not have any other choice but to pay the exorbitant price for a Mac M4 studio with 128GB RAM and a 2TB SSD, but the monitor is not going to be an Apple Studio. Instead, it will be a 32" BenQ, or a 27" 5K monitor of the same brand.

Re-edited: Corrected an error I made in the first paragraph above. I should have written 2019 iMac instead of 2029 iMac. But thinking about it, wouldn't it be wonderful having an a 2025 M4 iMac inside the 2019 iMac's case, but with RAM slots instead of soldered ones on the motherboard? :)
 
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AlaskaMoose said:
but the monitor is not going to be an Apple Studio. Instead, it will be a 32" BenQ, or a 27" 5K monitor of the same brand.
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And looking at all those ports on the 27" that would be handy. I have to connect a Windows Laptop for WFH, so I was never in the market back in 2020 for anything except 4K from LG.

1750274011962.png
 
blackxacto said:
I'm contemplating the 10 core M4 iMac w 1TB ssd. My question is 16gb RAM enough for Affinity Photo 2? I'm not doing any video work, nor huge image manipulation, I'm retired. I wanted to just buy the Mac mini, but there is no way to connect to my 19,1 iMac. So the M4. Anyone using an M4 iMac and experiencing a need for more RAM?
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Are you working with 50MP images?
As others have said, are you on a 3 year refresh cycle? If yes, 16GB is plenty. If you hope to keep the computer for 7+ years (pushing into obsolete territory) then 32GB may be a better choice for future proof.
 
CharlesShaw said:
And looking at all those ports on the 27" that would be handy. I have to connect a Windows Laptop for WFH, so I was never in the market back in 2020 for anything except 4K from LG.

View attachment 2521178
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Yes, and those are powered ports. The BenQ monitors I have referred to have powered ports, too :)

Also agree with you about the Pro Art monitors. I just prefer the BenQ monitors for color adjustments and accuracy for photo-editing. The 5K BenQ 27" monitor is not cheap, and the 32" 4k monitor is a little cheaper. The 5k one as shown at the B&H Photo & Video website:
 
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FWIW with my M4 mini 16GB RAM/512 SSD is more than adequate for Affinity Photo and other photo editing apps I have tried. That said if there was any way to get that machine to run in Sonoma I would do it in a heart beat (make that a day or two given how slow my internet connection is). The AI bloat is unforgivable. If I don't want to run AI at least give me the option of not loading it onto my HD. Obviously I won't be downloading any newer systems to get even more bells & whistles I don't want and will never use.

Other than that so far I have been unable to use XtraFinder to generate colored labels, something that I find extremely useful on the old MacPro 4,1.
 
960design said:
I like the Pro Art monitors by Asus. I have an Apple Studio Display and use that for daily work.
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I've gotten a good match between my ProArt and uncorrected photoprints from London Drugs in western Canada. Sadly Walmart which is much closer to home insists on using auto correct, so their prints are guaranteed to fail no matter how much you spend on a monitor.
 
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Old Macs wrote:
"The AI bloat is unforgivable. If I don't want to run AI at least give me the option of not loading it onto my HD. Obviously I won't be downloading any newer systems to get even more bells & whistles I don't want and will never use."

AI (and siri) can be turned off.
A good deal of the "bloat" can be removed from the drive, as well.
It takes a little work, but it CAN be done. At least in Sequoia (don't know about OS26 yet).
I've done it.

But that's not for this thread.
 
I'll cut to the chase - I use Affinity Photo nearly every day. I don't believe anyone is doing you a service by telling you 16 gigs is what you should get. Consider RAM, M chip choice, then storage in that order for making your purchase. I think those suggesting 32 gigs of RAM are doing you a favour.

If you have mail, messages, and say 2-5 web pages open, it may suck up a bit of RAM leaving you with less for Affinity work.

As I said I use Affinity for digital photo restoration mostly. I also use other apps as well and for that reason I did get quite a bit of RAM and I make no bones it was a good investment. MacOS and some apps are miserable at memory management. (The latter being the real reason for needing more* RAM).

I use M4 Studio with 64gig RAM, 1 TB drive, Affinity Photo, Topaz Plugins, DxO Lab 8 with Nik Collection and Luminar Neo as my tools. I keep email, limited browser, messages, VPN, and often another app open when I am using Affinity and have had now no issues unlike with the M1 Mini (such a great lil machine now dedicated to media play mostly).
 
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What is inadequate about your 19,1 iMac? This should be ok for your needs. I have an M4 iMac (with 32GB) and it is somewhat faster but doesn’t exactly blow away the 2020 Intel iMac that I had. You might be disappointed if you are expecting a massive improvement.
 
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blackxacto said:
I wanted to just buy the Mac mini, but there is no way to connect to my 19,1 iMac. So the M4. Anyone using an M4 iMac and experiencing a need for more RAM?
Click to expand...
I can't be fully sure but - but check out the makers "Astropad" (Website) as they used to and still may do exactly as you suggest where a Mac can use an iMac's screen as it it were its own. Likely an email contact would be useful if you check out their site and write directly what you would like to do with your iMac and a possibly Mac Mini.
 
phrehdd said:
I'll cut to the chase - I use Affinity Photo nearly every day. I don't believe anyone is doing you a service by telling you 16 gigs is what you should get. Consider RAM, M chip choice, then storage in that order for making your purchase. I think those suggesting 32 gigs of RAM are doing you a favour.

If you have mail, messages, and say 2-5 web pages open, it may suck up a bit of RAM leaving you with less for Affinity work.

As I said I use Affinity for digital photo restoration mostly. I also use other apps as well and for that reason I did get quite a bit of RAM and I make no bones it was a good investment. MacOS and some apps are miserable at memory management. (The latter being the real reason for needing more* RAM).

I use M4 Studio with 64gig RAM, 1 TB drive, Affinity Photo, Topaz Plugins, DxO Lab 8 with Nik Collection and Luminar Neo as my tools. I keep email, limited browser, messages, VPN, and often another app open when I am using Affinity and have had now no issues unlike with the M1 Mini (such a great lil machine now dedicated to media play mostly).
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Is M4 Studio rated a Mac Pro level? I don't remember. I can only get 24 max in the iMac, I thought, so it aint that be a move from 16. If its a faster Mac its hard to compare iMac and Pro level
 
blackxacto said:
Is M4 Studio rated a Mac Pro level? I don't remember. I can only get 24 max in the iMac, I thought, so it aint that be a move from 16. If its a faster Mac its hard to compare iMac and Pro level
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I believe there is a serious difference between 16 and 24. However, The Studio certainly can go far beyond 24 and is more powerful. If I had to get an iMac and 24 was the greatest amount possible, I would get it over 16 without thinking twice.
 
OP:
Gonna say it again.
If you're getting a new Mini, get 32gb of RAM.
It will serve you well.
 
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