Nov 19, 2019 In 2014 I bought two laptops. First was a MacBook Air with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The second was a Dell XPS 15 (for the price of 15-inch MBP) with 8GB RAM and 512GB HDD. A year later, I upgraded my Dell with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD because I wanted to run a SQL Server on it. Now, after 5 years, I have a chance to check a future proof myth. Jan 10, 2008 I have a 19' matte LCD so the glossy iMac screen doesn't matter. But there's no workaround for the 4GB memory cap. Should I run into any problems with only 4GB of RAM or would it be wise of me to shell out the extra $500 for the Mac Pro, even though I'd be down to just a single monitor and would have to deal with higher priced RAM upgrades.
A RAM Install on a 27-inch iMac through the “back door”
Now that the new iMac Pro is available, you might be thinking about getting one to speed through video editing and rendering…or just to gain bragging rights. There was a bit of controversy once the iMac Pro became available to pre-order, as it was also announced that unlike the “regular” iMac, the Pro model did not have a hatch on the back for performing easy memory upgrades. While more reasonably-priced upgrades than those from Apple will be available from MacSales.com in the near future, OWC CEO Larry O’Connor recently noted that:
As for me, I wrote my result after upgrade in another comment here. Still no problem with Mojave on 4GB RAM MacBook Air. It just took a while since battery usage while sleeping was sorted out. But I do not use Virtualization nor Time machine. And on my current Air (changed from 13' to 11', still 4GB RAM) I have done clean Mojave install. If your Mac has slowed down it's possible that your RAM is being used to the max. Here's how to free up memory on a Mac (or how to free up RAM), including ways to reduce Mac RAM usage without. Mar 06, 2017 How to install MAC OS X (sierra) on any laptop/PC (Hackintosh) - Duration: 5:39. HOW TO MAKE 2GB RAM FASTER THAN 4GB.!! - Duration: 11:32. Pinakapani Creations 557,586 views.
Atvusb-creator for os x. “… with consideration to the relatively limited trade-in value of the lowest base 32GB option, the current cost of a full 64GB or 128GB kit and the labor involved with the upgrade – we currently recommend purchasing an iMac Pro with the amount of memory you believe will be needed.”
How much RAM should you purchase for your iMac Pro, or for any Mac that isn’t easily upgradeable by users?
The amount of RAM that should come pre-installed in your Mac depends on what you’ll be using the Mac for and what model you purchase.
iMac Pro Those who are purchasing the iMac Pro are usually doing so for a reason — they need the incredible power of this computer. At a starting price of $4,999 with 32GB of RAM and the basic processor, it’s quite pricy. Get it with the top of the line processor with 18 cores, 128GB of RAM, and 4TB of SSD storage and you’re looking at a $13,348 price tag — before taxes!
Related:See which upgrades your Mac is compatible with the My Upgrades tool
Our suggestion for those who are considering the purchase of an iMac Pro for a specific use case and application is to ask others who already use that app how much RAM they would suggest. You’ll find that user forums and online groups are a valuable resource for finding the “sweet spot” for required RAM for a particular app.
That being said, if you’re considering the purchase of an iMac Pro — even with the base 8-core processor and storage — a good suggestion would be to get it with 64GB of RAM for future needs. That drops the price tag down to a more reasonable $6,548.
Once OWC’s DIY kit and Turnkey Upgrade options become available, you’ll have another solution for bumping up the RAM in your computer.
iMac The iMac now comes with 8GB of RAM pre-installed, which is sufficient for many users. For those who are purchasing the 27-inch iMac, the good news is that you can easily upgrade your computer buy purchasing RAM from MacSales.com and installing it through the “back door” on the device. The 21.5-inch iMac does not come with that door, so you’ll want to think ahead to possible uses of the computer during its working life.
Will you be creating photo books, doing detailed photo retouching, editing 4K video, or composing music? Consider ordering that computer with 16GB of RAM (the maximum for the 21.5-inch model). That 27-inch iMac can be upgraded to a total of 64GB of RAM from the factory for “just” $1,400… or you can save a lot of money purchasing your upgrade from MacSales.com for $648 (prices in this article are as of this publishing date) — less than half of what Apple charges!
MacBook Apple’s sleek little MacBook now comes with 8GB of RAM standard, which is more than enough for many purposes. For most day-to-day use, that 8GB of RAM is sufficient for web browsing, email, social networking, running your favorite productivity apps, and even doing work with Photos.
Going to be doing work with Adobe’s Creative Cloud or perhaps need more RAM to juggle a pile of apps? Upgrading to the maximum — 16GB — is just $200 more.
MacBook Air The slender MacBook Air has one thing Apple’s other laptops are lacking — “normal” ports and not the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports found on the MacBook and MacBook Pro. Like the MacBook, the MacBook Air is outfitted with a standard load of 8GB of RAM. It does not come in a higher RAM capacity model, so take that into account if your future usage may require a bit more working memory.
MacBook Pro The top of the line MacBook Pro now comes with 8GB of RAM standard in the 13-inch model (upgradeable to 16GB at purchase time for $200) while the 15-inch is preloaded with 16GB and is non-upgradeable. This is one of the primary criticisms of the current MacBook Pro, in that “pro-level” laptops should be upgradeable to at least 32GB.
Our suggestion on the MacBook Pro? Is chrome os good. Get it with 16GB of RAM. Even if your workflow doesn’t require a lot of RAM, the device will have more resale value down the road.
Mac mini Alas, the poor Mac mini — the neglected child of the Mac line. Will 2018 be the year that it is finally given a refresh? The least-expensive model (a bargain at $499) comes with a minuscule 4GB of RAM — the least RAM you’ll find in any Mac. The mini used to be user-upgradeable, but that’s no longer an option… Through Apple, you can bump up the base RAM to 8GB for an additional $100 during a purchase or take it to the max with 16GB for $300.
Our suggestion? Spend that extra $300 and go for 16GB. Most Mac minis are used for specific purposes, as Plex multimedia or small office servers. Both of those use cases can really benefit from the maximum 16GB RAM.
Mac Pro Finally, we come to the Mac Pro, which will be upgraded some time in the future. Will that future be 2018, 2019, or even 2020? We don’t know, but the new computer is likely to be a powerhouse. In the meantime, it’s still a fast, powerful and somewhat expandable Mac.
The Mac Pro is outfitted with a base amount of 16GB of RAM, upgradeable through Apple to 32GB ($400 more) or 64GB ($1,200 more) of memory.
You can do much better by purchasing your Mac Pro upgrade through MacSales.com. Options are available for 32GB ($359), 64GB ($498), 96GB ($819) or a whopping 128GB ($1,079). That’s right — you can double Apple’s available RAM upgrade for less money! Mac Pro users are generally heavy RAM consumers, so buy the base machine with the storage and processor setup you need plus the minimum amount of RAM. Then, use that link you see above to get as much RAM as you think you’ll need for editing your Oscar-contender movie!
Older Macs In this article, we’ve pointed out what you should consider for memory in your soon-to-be-purchased Mac. But what about the older, more easily upgradeable Macs? A memory upgrade can often bring new life to an older Mac, so it’s a good idea to look into upgrading RAM if that Mac is feeling sluggish.
To determine whether or not an older Mac can take more RAM, you’ll need to see how much is currently installed and whether there are available slots into which you can install additional and/or larger RAM modules. The best way to do that is to go to your Apple menu and select About This Mac. For upgradeable Macs running macOS High Sierra or Sierra, there’s a Memory tab that you can click on for details. Here’s an example below, taken from a 27-inch Retina 5K iMac:
Macs with RAM that can be user upgraded will show this Memory tab in About This Mac
Jump back over to the MacSales.com home page, where it’s easy to find out if your older Mac can be upgraded and how easy or hard it will be to perform the upgrade. Just click on Memory (see image below) and you’ll see a menu for all of the different Mac models. Select yours, and follow the instructions on the next page you see. Happy upgrading!
Click on the “Memory” link and select the type of Mac
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One of the most asked questions on all Mac forums is whether it is ok to buy a MacBook Pro with just 8GB or it would be better to upgrade to at least 16GB. Answers obviously vary from person to person, but the common consensus is it depends on which applications you are going to use.
The problem with forums is that the more you read them, the more confusing it gets because people are suggesting solutions, but they do not know your circumstances. I don’t know them either, but I can help you to reach a decision by asking some questions and refuting some common myths.
Is 4gb Memory Enough For Windows 10
Once you get all the required information, you (hopefully) will be able to make an informed decision which works best for you.
TLDR; Is 8GB enough for a MacBook Pro? In most cases, for anyone asking this question, 8GB of RAM would be enough for surfing the internet, checking emails and working with documents. People who do coding or computer design professionally and can actually benefit from additional RAM already know the answer.
And now let me prove my point of view.
Three reasons why you should never buy a MacBook with only 8GB of RAM
1. You change your mind every day
Last year you were an astronaut and were making deals with aliens on the board of Enterprise. Today you are a famous chef in a restaurant with 34 Michelin stars. And you suspect that tomorrow you may abruptly change your career and become a glorious JavaGrape and HDLM developer in a furniture store in Tinytown, AL.
As we all know, furniture store developers suffer from an outsized need for 16GB memory in order to track dozens of sofa purchases per year.
You asked the developer in the furniture store and she suggested to future proof your MacBook because otherwise, you will miserably fail as a glorious developer.
2. Buying a MacBook is like car shopping
You still remember the worst mistake of your life when you bought a 2 door Mini convertible in 2016. As soon as you signed the credit application you found out that the girl you met last week at your friends’ house is planning your wedding in May.
Within three weeks after buying a car you had buyer remorse. What were you thinking? How are going to fit your wife and three children that were born 10 days after the wedding to the Mini convertible?
No, you will not make this mistake again with your laptop. You will future proof and buy a MacBook with 43GB of RAM so you can watch pictures of your triplets in 3D.
3. Buying a MacBook is like buying a new iPhone
I met a lot of people who flip burgers in McDonald’s and they own last generation iPhones which cost a little less than MacBook Air.
“What’s the secret of the financial success of those amazing people?”, you wonder. How they manage to upgrade expensive iPhones every two years? The secret is simple and it’s called 18-month special financing (no interest if paid in full).
Let’s assume that the base MBP model with 8GB will cost $1799.00. With 18-month special financing, you will have to pay $100 per month (let’s ignore taxes). Can you afford payments? Ok, let’s move on.
Now, let’s add $200 and upgrade the memory to 16GB. Now, you have to pay $111 per month. Can you still afford the payments?
You nod. Your face lits up with a smile. You hide a heap of crumpled dollar bills in the back pocket of your Duluth pants and go to Apple site to apply for credit.
Two reasons why even 8GB is too much for you
1. What is RAM?
If you know that a Ram is a pickup truck from Dodge, you know that the right number is 3500, not 8. You frantically scroll the web page and finally ask me for help.
“Al”, you say, “there is no 3500 option. Dashlane for os x el capitan. I would settle on 2500 or 1500, but I can’t find them either!” “Calm, Padawan”, I reply, “8 is not 8. 8GB is 8 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024 which is equal to …err… more than 3500 for sure. So pick 8 and don’t worry!”
2. You reading this article
If you’re reading this article there is a 93% chance that you are either a newbie or not very good with tech. If you were using Apple laptops for many years you would be scaring mortals on forums with unrealistic demands for computing power.
But, let’s get serious. We will use an elimination process to find those fancy people who will benefit from extra memory.
Why?
When solving any problem, it’s best to start with the “Why?” question. In our case, the question is, Why are people asking about choosing between 8GB and 16GB? There are two answers:
Apple allows to upgrade CPU, RAM and storage at the time of purchase and many people seem to start desperately googling to find out if upgrades are required or worthful. By the way, if are wondering if storage upgrade is required as well check my post about 128GB minimum storage for MacBooks.
The buyer knows that RAM in MacBooks is soldered to the motherboard and there is no way to upgrade it later.
If you’re already aware of limited MacBook upgradeability, then you should answer another question: If it was possible to add memory later would it solve your problem?
If you have previously owned a laptop, did you ever upgrade memory on them? Or did you buy another laptop?
In case if you have never upgraded old laptops, then chances that you would care about MacBook upgradeability are virtually zero. So stop worrying and go ahead with the new MacBook Pro with 8GB (or the same amount of RAM you already have on your current laptop).
Myth of future-proofing
When asking about RAM upgrades, most users talk about future-proofing their purchase. What does that mean?
Future-proofing is basically fear. A fear that one day Apple will release a new upgrade and I will not be able to use my MacBook. Or a fear that one day I decide to be a programmer or a designer and I will need more resources and now I am stuck.
Let’s first address the first fear. I always recommend having automatic upgrades on so the OS (operating system) on your laptop is up to date, has all enhancements (including performance improvements) and is secure. But the thing you don’t have to upgrade to the new OS.
In 2018, macOS Mojave introduced using about 2GB of RAM for itself. This figure stayed almost the same since 2013, which means that with 8GB of physical RAM, you have about 6GB for all applications.
If for some reason Apple decides to release a new OS which will demand 8GB then you don’t have to upgrade. If you made a mistake and upgraded you can always go back, especially if you have a Time Machine backup.
I work in the computer industry and I have customers who are still using 30-year old software!
Now, what about a career change? Well, I think I covered this already.
What’s the worst thing is going to happen?
Every time I am faced with a dilemma, this is a question I ask myself.
Let’s assume that I have only 8GB, and I installed an application that needs a lot of memory. In 99% of cases, it means that the application will run slow and only in 1% of cases it will not run at all. If there is not enough memory, the operating system starts swapping data between memory and the disk drive.
Back in the day, when we had HDDs, it would mean that the application will be unusable. Now, with faster SSDs, the performance is simply terrible but still tolerable.
If you have such an application, you may be forced to close all other apps to free as much memory as possible, which is inconvenient but doable.
Do you really need a MacBook?
This is actually a very good question. If you never had a laptop before, why do you think you need a Mac?
If you want to play games then you should know that the MBP is not a gaming laptop. Gaming laptops have specific requirements and the main requirement is a dedicated GPU (graphics processing unit). You can buy a gaming laptop cheaper than an MBP with the possibility of the future upgrade for half the price.
If you are a LAMP developer then maybe you better off with a Linux laptop?
PC laptop vs MacBook Air
Since we started questioning the feasibility of MacBooks as a class laptops, let me share a story about my laptops.
In 2014 I bought two laptops. First was a MacBook Air with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. The second was a Dell XPS 15 (for the price of 15-inch MBP) with 8GB RAM and 512GB HDD. A year later, I upgraded my Dell with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD because I wanted to run a SQL Server on it.
Now, after 5 years, I have a chance to check a future proof myth. I don’t use either laptop for anything serious. On both of them, I only edit Word documents and browse the internet.
MBA runs as well as it used to 5 years ago. When I open the lid, it’s instantly on. When I edit documents, I see no lag. It still has an original battery which holds for hours.
Dell is another story. Did you notice that after 5 years, PCs get …tired. When I open a lid on Dell it takes 8-10 seconds until Windows shows a sign of life. It’s like waking a teenager for school.
When I type on my Dell, I have to periodically stop and see how letters are slowly popping up. One cool thing that Dell has is a TouchScreen Display which is very helpful. Because the touchpad on Dell stopped working three years ago. Did I mention that I had to replace the battery on Dell?
As for internet browsing, I call Google Chrome an equalizer. It’s equally painfully slow on both laptops.
How much memory do you really need on macOS?
According to LaptopMag 8GB will let you do anything except high-end gaming. They even backed up those numbers with some testing. Anyway, I kind of agree with them and you can use the chart below as a reference (at least for the near future).
I would add some exceptions:
If you’re planning to run VMs on a MacBook Pro, then you have two options: run only one VM at a time with low RAM settings or go for 16-32GB.
If you’re planning to work with Photoshop, Illustrator, and other design software, it won’t hurt to have 16GB.
If you’re planning to run Windows on MacBook go for 16GB.
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Conclusion
If you still not sure let me give you very simple tips:
If you can afford additional $200 go for 16GB
If you already have 8GB MBP and you notice a memory pressure go for 16
If you’re buying for credit, go for 16
Otherwise, buy MacBook Pro with 8GB
Is 4gb Ram Enough For High Sierra
It’s very hard to tell how much power you need for a laptop when you not good with tech. But remember you have a 14-day return window. Install all apps during that time, open them all and stress test the system. Use the activity monitor to see if you benefit from memory or CPU upgrade.