8GB vs 16GB M1 MacBook Pro - How much RAM do you NEED?!
Is 16GB of RAM actually a limitation on the M1 MacBook Pro? Is it worth the extra $200 compared to the base 8GB model? We go in-depth with real-world tests to answer those questions!
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In this video, we compare the $1299 M1 MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM to the $1599 model with 16GB of RAM to see if 8gigs limits the performance in a variety of tasks.
We test everything from Benchmarks, Logic Pro Music Production, Light Classic photo editing, Final Cut Pro video editing and more!
We also discovered the TRUTH about 16GB of RAM not being enough for the M1 Macs. You’ll be SURPRISED by the answer!
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Timestamps ⬇️
8GB vs 16GB M1 MacBook Pro ➡ 00:00
Geekbench 5 CPU Test - 0:58
Cinebench R23 CPU Stress Test - 2:19
Logic Pro Music Production - 4:01
Max Tech Xcode Benchmark - 5:45
Lightroom Classic Photo Editing - 7:39
Final Cut Pro Video Editing - 11:47
4K H.264 Video Editing - 12:19
10bit HEVC Video Editing - 13:12
8K R3D RAW Video Editing - 13:32
Is 16GB RAM Worth $200? - 17:14
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Come on guys I'm serious about buying your laptop and you can buy a newer one I'm sure you would want to a bigger ssd 😉
hi there I asim shaiban from saudi arabia and i have been watching you guys for so long thank you for helping explaining every concerns we have on apple products even though you still haven't shown us the difference between 8gb and 16gb in gaming :) anyway as you all know the 16gb ram macbook pro is not available pretty much soon so I offer you guys from this NLworld channel to sell me your macbook pro 16 gb ram for its new price including shipping if you guys are interested please contact me at my phone number +966537403020 or my email asimshaiban@rocketmail.com I just can't wait to try it ;)
@Victor Tan спасибо
Gigs in RAM are the same.. what you have to check is RAM SPEED. 4 gig 2400MHz is the same as 16 gig 2400MHz But a 4 gig 3200MHz is.. well better than 16 gig 2400MHz in terms of speed. Does not mean you have higher RAM gig you got higher speed lmao! duh..
multi-tasting? Yum.
You should try Logic with Plugins that use cpu & ram. Normal Audio file are less intensive for cpu
I think, at least in my experience, the difference of RAM is more noticeable when multitasking as opposed to single tasks. When I have multiple apps and browsers open I noticed the difference in speed and lag when I upgraded my old laptop from 8GB to 16GB. Maybe you can test this in the next video
Is there a difference with the MacBook Air?
Hey there! Is 8gb unified memory enough for Adobe Illustrator, photoshop, and running around 15 safari tabs in background? Please let me know, I am considering whether I should upgrade to 16gb or not. Thanks in advance!
RIP ears when he whistled. Even spooked my dogs......
run Gigapixel on a image in Lightroom classic. That's a test I would love to see. AI is were all photography is going.
Honestly I'm never going to edit 8k even if I do i'd be happy that my laptop can DO it so 8gb is the fo to for me
I got 16gb ram and 512gb memory storage
Ahhh thanks. Always come back here before purchase.
were did you buy your Macs you got ripped off bro lol
Returning my 16 MBP for this 13 MBP.... why didn’t I do some research first
is it right that when you want to buy 16gb there is a intel processer in the new mac instead of the m1? it is written like that on the apple site
I strongly recommend you to *SPYLAMBA* on IG that's guy is really good... I can't thank him less.. He's just the best💖
I suppose the question comes down to multi tasking. Granted, it may be comparable when both machines are running only one program each, be it video editing or otherwise. However, when editing our videos, we also have chrome tabs open and are creating thumbnails etc. Thats where the extra ram is invaluable
ARM M1 - Cost less than an intel Processeur, but apple will charge the final customer, 100$ more than the previous model !! Don't be stupid, don't buy apple shit ;)
I don't speak the 200$ you will pay more with 16GB than the 8GB, when 8GB or cost less than 20$ for apple ;)
but lets be honest, who edits 8k videos in daily usage hahah
Mindblowing to think we went to the moon on like 4kb of memory lmao
But do I need the pro? Air surely the way to go for this level go work? Pro about to get a design overhaul with no touchbar etc
What is the program that you use to monitoring CPU, GPU, MEMORY and Temp?
Hey @MaxTech thanks for the reviews! What app do you use to monitor the cpu and gpu on the menubar?
Do i buy a macbook 13 inch m1 or an hp omen i7 10750h with rtx 2060 for photography and filmmaking 😅
ALL the RAM memory is stored on and drawn from the chip...the 8 GB is SWAPPING between the chip and hard drive...the 16 GB much less so...the difference in performance is found in RAM intensive apps as the 16 GB model does NOT have to "swap"...if you do not use RAM intensive apps 8 GB is enough...otherwise get the 16 GB...in the long-run your (upgradable) hard drive will thank you.
8GB Ram and 1TB SSD or 16GB Ram and 512GB SSD? I am wavering between the two options. Mainly normal office applications but also in the hobby area image editing with Lightroom and cutting a little holiday videos (HD or 4K). I still have a NAS with 4TB
Indeed, very informative. But... why focus on a savings of $200 due to 16 GB of RAM when RAM can always be useful? Apple inventory stock is mostly based on the 8 GB of RAM. So profits are clearly better on these vs the 16 GB. As a User, there is better value on the 16 GB. Notice that non of the offers have a 16 GB version.
Brilliant 👍👌
Is it 2.43 minutes or 2:43?
Wow this Amazon discount made my day! I got $100 off when I was just about to buy on Apple haha. Thank you
Im a graphic design student and atm im using a gaming laptop which has 16gb ram and gtx1070. But its not really my thing so im planning to buy a MacBook Pro or 2020 Air maybe? My question is, would 8gb be enough for adobe programs, rendering and 3D modeling programs like Maya?
I just ordered a new M1 MacBook pro with 16GB ram. I could probably get away with the base configuration but the iMac I also use regularly has 32GB of ram so I just did not feel comfortable getting the base ram configuration.
There is someone use your video nlworld.info/key/video/omxnq7TTZKCmd54
Looks like processing is the bottleneck and 8GB is almost always sufficient to keep up with it, regardless of whether it’s running in Rosetta. Awesome!
A bit cringe. Free memory doesn’t tell you how much is actually being used (this is why that value plus the used value doesn’t equal the total). You have a “used” metric, why aren’t you using that?
Okay guys, so I know absolutely nothing about all this technical stuff, but after watching the video, I have come to the following conclusion: For a regular university student like myself, who will not do any heavy editing, rendering, or whatever, the 8GB RAM version would be more than enough. I will only be making regular assignments and writing reports which requires heavy Google search action ;) But I think that the 8GB version would do the job, and I'm wondering if you agree. So yeah, just wondering if that is a correct assumption haha. Great video, I love how detailed it is!
Is the 16GB RAM got 256 SSD or 512 SSD?
The only reason I’m gonna get the 16gb is to future proof my MBP as much as possible.
That's some nice background images you've got there. Source?
Thanks~Now i had my decision 🌟
finally after many ppl used M1 for themselves figured it out 8GB is not enough and swifted to 16Gb.. I think that's true, I felt often laggy in 8GB.. its kinda of,, not very noticeable lag... until you use 16GB. you can feel it when you changed it.
thank you for your test reviews.
Is 8 GB of RAM enough for the MacBook Pro? Mostly watching Word applications and videos and surfing, but sometimes playing 6h Command & Conquer, I think it would make more sense to spend more on 512 GB SSD. How long does the SSD last (service life)? I'm just afraid that gaming will stress the SSD.
I’ll wait for the m2 maybe till then I’ll be able to afford m1
Does 16 GB RAM drain battery faster than 8GB one . While keeping other specifications same .
AWESOME! I wasnt even expecting my 8gb ram m1 laptop to be able to edit 4k footage, much less 8k and I am only a graphic designer so I rarely edit video. Best purchase I have ever made.
What about running a programming IDE and compiling the source code that uses let’s say the docker preview for M1 and opening microsoft teams plus a web browser at the same time. Will the 8 gig model handle that ?
The 10% difference seems small, but people need to remember that the M1 chip is only going to get better. What happens when Applications start actually being written for the M1 natively? Rather than being emulated off older software? I reckon the 16GB will start pulling away. As it sits today, no it’s probably not worth it - but anyone buying a MacBook is likely hoping to keep it for the next 5-10 years....
Very high quality video and series.
hey boss i care about you opion what do you think about the asus laptops? haven't seen anything on your page about them.
Hi. What about programming? I am still a beginner but intend to get better.. would it make a huge difference for running large files of code? Maybe with a few imports, libraries etc..?
This is very helpful to me
I want to render large file from Blender , which one would be good you think.
great video
This video is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m planning to buy a 13 inch MacBook Pro. I use my computer a lot, but I just use it to use Office programs, to watch videos, to listen to music, to do the shopping, to play Facebook games 🙈 or to surf on the Internet. Based on your video, 8gb would be enough, right?
Very good video!!!!!
It's not about current performance. It's about future performance. There will come a time when the OS can't even run on 8 GB. Upgrading to 16 GB might add three to four years to its life.
Having owned the M1 Macbook Air 8gb, I can say whole heartedly that you need 16gb if you're planning on running multiple apps like Premier/After Effects
Did you sell it and upgrade? I am considering buying it, but just for regular use, multimedia and work, nothing fancy. I have a beefy PC for 3d CAD and such, so do you think the 8gb base model is plenty for me?
8 GB is far too little for databases and virtual machines. I need 64 gb for this. It wasn't a constructive test, however, as nothing was proven.
I *need 64gb of ram for vmware fusion...
My question is, if I pay the extra for the 16GB and more Games/Apps start to utilize the M1 Chip.. would the difference be a lot bigger?
You are not gonna find the results you expect, because you are doing GPU test, not RAM test. So, the results finally are the same or proximity the same.
Awesome, thanks! I was looking for this exact comparison :)
I guess the difference in video editing is more obvious, because the Memory is shared between CPU and GPU. It is not your traditional RAM as in a desktop machine
Would've liked to see rendering demands in premier or even after effects, but great video nonetheless!
what about in the longrun?
Is 512 GB worth it?
Which would be better MBA 16GB or MBP 8GB
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are you playing logic track that are empy ?
U should have loaded shit load of plugins and see which on can handle it better its all about the plugins for logic my 2009 imac can run logic smoothly so the real test is plugins
Wait. What?? What most of these benchmarks and respective memory usage seem to show is, that the swap memory (on the ssd) that the chip uses to compensate for the lack of memory on the 8gb model, is nearly identical in speed to the dedicated ram. WHAT. If thats true and apple can improve on that, it means maybe sometime in the future, there will be no need for big (or at all) ram anymore. Ah yeah and of course you can safe your 200 bucks. Thanks so much for this comprehensive test. I still can not believe the implications here...
Thank you 🙏 I subbed
I have 8GB ram is 8Gb good for minecraft?
Have you ever tried running 2 benchmarks at the same time? I bet the 16gb would perform a lot better
What if for programmer multi tasking
I've had my 13" MBP 8gb 512SSD for one day now with the M1 and I am still at 36 percent battery after over 11 hours of video streaming on NLworld watching 1080p+ videos, all while my photos and everything else from the cloud is downloading and zero heat, zero fan even with multiple pages open its incredible. I have a 2020 MBP 13" 16gb ram and I5 chip that only lasts 4:21 minutes with just a 8 hour video I pressed play and left (that was without sound unlike my m1 which had sound on entire time). I honestly will now use the junk I5 for a fixed desktop setup with my 4k monitor usb-c charges it and connects it. Sad that it cannot be used with Big Sur without MAJOR hiccups but the new M1 works FLAWLESSLY.. apple wallet, safari 4k etc.. even Safari on NLworld is not shown as using significant power which my older 2020 i5 shows and the fan goes on immediately with more than one page open, or with NLworld and safari. Save up and go with an M1 chip, you definitely don't need the extra ram unless rendering 8k like the video shows. Love the new M1, never going back to intel! Happy New Years.-Cheers
You saved me $200!💪🏻 thanks for the detail and the direct suggestions...
this is awesome and scary at the same time, is apple going to charge tons more $$ on their products now?
I have been waiting for a comparison like this. I only need to edit 4K. Thanks for saving me a bit of money. Much appreciated.
What would you choose for some work with DaVinci Resolve? 8 or 16? And do you think the 8 core gpu is worth it? Thank you
Judging by this and most such videos, MacBooks are good for just video editing and nothing else.
Since 90% of what I do involves word processing, email, and watching NLworld videos I think I can safely assume that a base configuration is actually massive overkill for my needs. I wouldn't know how to use a video editing program if my life depended on it.
So is the point of this to point out that extra RAM is meaningless?
is there any performance difference if the storage filled over 90% or 99%?
Thank you! This video helped me make a decision. 😊
Just got the 8GB Mac mini today to replace my old 2013 MacBook Pro with 4GB lol. immediate difference!
So, here's my anecdotal experience. I bought a MacBook Air with 16 gb. I had it for three weeks when it turned into a brick. I had to return it. I still needed a computer though, but I couldn't get another 16 gb MBA for weeks. So I bought a Mac Mini 8 gb at BestBuy to tide me over. The difference in playback of my DCI BMPCC4k Prores 422 is fairly pronounced. Dropping a lot of frames in "better quality." The MBA played through it like butter. And if I remember correctly, the Mac Mini has that extra GPU core. Yes? No? So, at least in my experience, the 16 gb made a big difference. I'll be returning this Mac Mini.
Thanks, excellent comparison! However, where I’m guessing you *would* see a big difference, would be if you fired up Final Cut, Logic, and Lightroom all at the same time, and one or two others, then tried to rapidly switch off between them!
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Hey Max, thanks for the insights. Does MacBook "Air" 8GB RAM support Logic Pro ?
What a nonsensical test, this guy does not have any sense and knowledge .. just blabbering some random computer words. LOL. This is not a true test at all. 16GB will trump 8G model depending on the memory load at a given time. Yes it is worth 200$, RAMs don't come free with chick fil A burgers.
double RAM and not faster at all? maybe an update relases the full power?
£999 for a base MBA or 1499 for 512GB 16GB RAM MBA. I personally think for the near 50% price difference, you're better off buying the base model, and then buying the base model again next year when they refresh MBP unless you know you need the RAM and space. Just doesn't seem worth it for the casual user.
For those who are short on time, if you do heavy tasks and have 8gb of ram, the computer is gonna take a part of the ssd as additionnal ram to help, which will decrease greatly the lifespan of your ssd (at least a section of it). Keep your ssd healthier, go for 16gb, and it's more future proof.
"The fans aren't even running" Yeah 'cause they don't have any LOL
Yes it does. It’s the Air that doesn’t have a fan.
I think the mac uses SWAP storage for memory whenever you exceed available RAM. This will have an effect on your SSD storage lifetime performance over time.
Stuck between Macbook air 16gb and Macbook pro 8gb
The biggest difference is longevity. With the m1 macs, they use the ssd as RAM whenever the actual RAM is busy. This deteriorates the SSD, making it slow down faster than it should. So if you want an extra 1-2 years out of your MacBook, go for 16gb.
Honestly, 16 gb is way too expensive. I feel like a 50$ price increase would be reasonable. 200$ is way too much.
do i get the high end 13” intel or the m1 with upgraded ram and storage
@yeoldmedic no problem my man have a good one
@Finlay Morrison right on brotha thanks
@yeoldmedic i got the 8gb btw
@yeoldmedic well man that’s what i’m doing with it and so far so good
@Finlay Morrison enjoy brotha
You just saved me £200 🙏😊