Macbook Air M2 - 8gb Memory enough?
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Macbook Air M2 - 8gb Memory enough?
It will be used for office stuff and photoshop, no video editing or anything like that, so assume the base model will handle this.
Would I be fine with 8gb or is is worth upgrading to 16gb?
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Dovahkiing
macrumors 6502
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Do you mean, 8gb is hard for multitasking?I think 16gb is right for you. While 8gb is fine, you mentioned using office stuff, which means you would probably need to multitask. Photoshop is also somewhat RAM-intensive. It may seem pretty expensive to increase the RAM, but then you won't need to worry in the future :)
Gut Emblem
macrumors newbie
8GB is fine usually. But, I'm thinking of some moments where they might want to do photoshop and multiple windows of office work, which may run into swap.Do you mean, 8gb is hard for multitasking?
Plus, if their workflow ever changes, like if they get into a more intense job, 16GB would be roomy and up to just about anything.
I am not sure whether you have tried by yourself in person. Mine, running 2 users simultaneously, each user opened Word, Excel and ppt plus Safari with YouTube and Netflix plus some other apps (pdf expert, Ulysses etc). I haven’t notice any memory issue (memory stress still green, not even yellow).8GB is fine usually. But, I'm thinking of some moments where they might want to do photoshop and multiple windows of office work, which may run into swap.
Plus, if their workflow ever changes, like if they get into a more intense job, 16GB would be roomy and up to just about anything.
When I start docker with 4gb and run Oracle XE database instance, the memory stress become yellow (plus become warm near the screen).
My conclusion so far, 8gb in Mac is different than in windows. macOS is very efficient in managing ram.
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Dovahkiing
macrumors 6502
Agreed - I have the 13" M2 Air w/ 8GB and for normal everyday use (including now and then Photoshop) the performance is perceptibly identical to the M1Pro Macbook Pro w/ 16GB I used to have before this.I am not sure whether you have tried by yourself in person. Mine, running 2 users simultaneously, each user opened Word, Excel and ppt plus Safari with YouTube and Netflix plus some other apps (pdf expert, Ulysses etc). I haven’t notice any memory issue (memory stress still green, not even yellow).
When I start docker with 4gb and run Oracle XE database instance, the memory stress become yellow (plus become warm near the screen).
My conclusion so far, 8gb in Mac is different than in windows. macOS is very efficient in managing ram.
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...Oh, my mistakeI am not sure whether you have tried by yourself in person. Mine, running 2 users simultaneously, each user opened Word, Excel and ppt plus Safari with YouTube and Netflix plus some other apps (pdf expert, Ulysses etc). I haven’t notice any memory issue (memory stress still green, not even yellow).
When I start docker with 4gb and run Oracle XE database instance, the memory stress become yellow (plus become warm near the screen).
My conclusion so far, 8gb in Mac is different than in windows. macOS is very efficient in managing ram.
I am a Windows user, and thought Mac and Windows RAM were identical. My laptop has 4GB ram, and it can barely handle anything without stealing from the SSD, so I thought Mac with 8GB ram would be pretty troublesome. But I'm guessing the advanced technology in Macs would mean you really get about 2x the ram for using.
In that case, use 8GB ram. My stance has changed o~o
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Gut Emblem
macrumors newbie
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Sheepish-Lord
macrumors 68000
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maerz001
macrumors 68020
There is no mystical Mac RAM technology....Oh, my mistake
I am a Windows user, and thought Mac and Windows RAM were identical. My laptop has 4GB ram, and it can barely handle anything without stealing from the SSD, so I thought Mac with 8GB ram would be pretty troublesome. But I'm guessing the advanced technology in Macs would mean you really get about 2x the ram for using.
In that case, use 8GB ram. My stance has changed o~o
Any Mac today with 4GB you also wouldn’t want to touch.
I am lazy and seldom close programs and webpages.
If you want to multitask and not restart every day also 8GB get in the red zone.
Would 8 years time be the future? We have an early 2015 8/128 13” MBP still works like new.I think 16gb is right for you. While 8gb is fine, you mentioned using office stuff, which means you would probably need to multitask. Photoshop is also somewhat RAM-intensive. It may seem pretty expensive to increase the RAM, but then you won't need to worry in the future :)
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macbookguy
macrumors 6502
You're following my line of thought and making me feel better, lol.I would say if you wish to get the Air, which means you'll use your computer for basic and lightweight stuff, 8 is also fine. I got mine in 16 and I am sure I'd have been good if I'd got the 8 one. But I regret getting the 256 gigs model. It is not not upgradable so I had to get an SSD which consequently got me to spend that money I'd have spent if I had got the 512 gig model. So I'd go for 8/512 if it were now.
I also had same temptation when considering upgrade ram or SSD. Finally I got 8/512 as I don’t want to bring external SSD everywhere (which defeated the Air “philosophy”).I would say if you wish to get the Air, which means you'll use your computer for basic and lightweight stuff, 8 is also fine. I got mine in 16 and I am sure I'd have been good if I'd got the 8 one. But I regret getting the 256 gigs model. It is not not upgradable so I had to get an SSD which consequently got me to spend that money I'd have spent if I had got the 512 gig model. So I'd go for 8/512 if it were now.
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ISignedUpToAskThis
macrumors member
Also when it comes to selling in say 2-3 years time, most people will prefer a 16GB machine.
If you can afford 16 GB of RAM - of course get that. Get the most you can afford, especially if you are planning on keeping it for awhile.For me I don't think about now I think 2-3 years down the line - will 8GB be enough?
Also when it comes to selling in say 2-3 years time, most people will prefer a 16GB machine.
I have an 8 GB/512 SSD MBA M1 myself and am very happy with my purchase. It runs beautifully! I'm sure I will have my eye on something with more oomph in 5 years - and I will be happy that I didn't pay too much for my initial MBA.
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Also re sale will be better, people have storage issues way before more ram would/if even worry them.
I bought a M2 8/256gb air off a lady for half price only few weeks old as she bought the wrong size and couldn't fit her stuff on it, she got another 1Tb and wanted it gone.
Costly mistake.
Gut Emblem
macrumors newbie
512GB is approximately 2GB/s
However, very few scenarios will utilise that extra speed, for the vast majority of users the speed is irrelevant. Also apps aren’t optimised to take advantage of this speed.
Search out Art is Right on YouTube for actual 256/512 & 8/16 real world uses/tests.
For resale, buyers prefer clean, dent free machines with a good battery life, preferably boxed with accessories. The used market is much like the new market, the pool of 8/256 buyers is far greater, all the extra frills just won’t appeal to the majority of purchasers.
From my experience careful owners keep boxes.
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