- #WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD UPGRADE#
- #WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD PRO#
- #WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD SOFTWARE#
This might sound contradictory, but in reality, 8GB is not enough RAM for your Mac. 8GB Is Probably Not Enough RAM, But You Might Never Notice If you plan on rendering video or compiling code, then you could benefit from 16GB.
#WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD PRO#
So the answer to the question boils down to what you plan on using your MacBook Pro for. In the 8K footage export test, the 16GB MacBook Pro 2020 finished in less than half the time it took the 8GB model to perform the same test (14 minutes vs.
#WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD SOFTWARE#
16GB M1 Macbook Pros found that the 16GB model was about 10% faster performing RAM-intensive tasks in software like Adobe Lightroom and XCode. Max Tech’s side-by-side comparison of 8GB vs. So you know 8GB is not enough for Intel-based MacBook Pros, but what about Apple Silicon Macs? Should You Get 8GB or 16GB of RAM in Your MacBook Pro? Of course, this is only one test, but it does provide some hard data to back up Apple’s UMA performance claim. In the test, the 16GB M1 MacBook Pro finished only 29 seconds slower than an Intel i9 5550M MacBook Pro with twice the RAM. One test involved exporting 8K R3D RAW camera footage to 4K using Final Cut Pro. We’ll review the results below, but it is helpful to know that Max Tech used some benchmarks they also previously applied to Intel Macs. And because the M1 is a system on a chip (SoC), the memory can be accessed in the same place by all components of the system without the latency of passing data back and forth.Īlthough critics say UMA is nothing more than marketing hype, I do have some hard data to back up the claim that M1 Macs make better use of RAM than Intel Macs do.Īpple-focused YouTube channel Max Tech conducted several tests comparing the performance of 8GB and 16GB 13-inch MacBook Pros 2020s. Rather than reserving memory for the GPU, the CPU and GPU share the same memory and the system allocates RAM as needed. Next is what Apple calls Unified Memory Architecture (UMA). Because Apple designed both the chip and the OS, they can ensure the hardware and software work seamlessly together. First, the Macintosh operating system was rebuilt from the ground up for Apple Silicon optimization. Why the disparity between Apple Silicon and Intel processors?Ī variety of factors come into play. Unless you’re working with huge datasets, rendering high resolution video, compiling large amounts of code, or engaging in any other memory-intensive tasks, the 8GB M1 (Apple’s first generation Apple Silicon processor) MacBook Pro should serve you well. But if you’re shopping for a used Intel MacBook Pro–still a perfectly fine option, by the way–don’t settle for 8GB of RAM.įor the majority of users, 8GB of RAM is enough. This isn’t even a question if you’re buying a new MacBook Pro, because Apple’s current lineup only features Apple Silicon-powered laptops. Can you get by? Probably, but I wouldn’t recommend trying. If you’re considering buying a MacBook Pro with an Intel processor, 8GB is not enough RAM. Let’s take a closer look at these considerations. Last, what kind of tasks do you plan on using your MacBook Pro for? Video editors and coders might benefit from a bump in RAM while the majority of users won’t even miss those 8 gigabytes. A MacBook with 8GB is probably enough, but as time marches on 16GB might last you longer or fetch more money on the market if you’re looking to sell.
#WHAT YOU NEED TO UPGRADE MACBOOK PRO HARD DRIVE SSD UPGRADE#
As you’ll see below, the Apple CPU architecture allows for more efficient use of RAM, meaning you can get by with less.Īlso consider your upgrade cycle and resale value. “Enough,” of course, is a relative term, and there are some key factors to consider before deciding if you can live with 8GB.įor one, pay attention to whether the MacBook Pro has an Apple or Intel processor. Will 8GB RAM be Enough for a MacBook Pro?īelieve it or not, 8GB of RAM is actually enough in most cases. Conclusion: 8GB Is Enough, but 16GB Might Still Be Worth the Extra Cost.8GB Is Probably Not Enough RAM, But You Might Never Notice.Should You Get 8GB or 16GB of RAM in Your MacBook Pro?.Will 8GB RAM be Enough for a MacBook Pro?.