M3 MacBook Air 8GB vs 16GB RAM - Apple FIXED the base model?

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 11 тра 2024
  • Just how BAD is the base 8GB RAM M3 MacBook Air? Let's see how much the $200 upgrade helps!
    iFixit Pro Toolkit ➡ geni.us/8qkP
    THIS is the MacBook you should buy right now ($200 OFF) ➡ geni.us/qk6qhg
    Best deals on new Macs on Amazon ⬇️
    M3 MacBook Air 13" ➡ geni.us/NmOB
    M3 MacBook Air 15" ➡ geni.us/kMpdm
    M3 14" MacBook Pro ➡ geni.us/qk6qhg
    14" M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro ➡ geni.us/GJYD
    16" M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro ➡ geni.us/rHnvP
    M2 MacBook Air ➡ geni.us/Kg6bwJ
    If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to help us reach 2 million subscribers! We would greatly appreciate it!
    Timestamps ⬇️
    8GB vs 16GB RAM - 00:00
    Ram Usage While Idle - 00:17
    Dual NAND SSD - 00:29
    Geekbench 6 CPU & GPU - 01:13
    Web Browser 3.0 Speed Test - 01:19
    5 Safari Tabs Speed Test - 01:31
    Blender 3D Rendering - 02:01
    Lightroom Classic Photo Editing - 03:24
    Google Chrome 15 Tabs - 05:12
    20 Tabs Lightroom Export Results - 06:08
    Using Chrome While Exporting - 07:38
    Speedometer 3.0 Multitasking - 09:02
    Lightroom Export While Multitasking - 09:40
    Final Cut Pro Video Editing - 10:20
    Which MacBook should you buy? - 10:51
    Xcode Benchmark built for Max Tech by Maxim Eremenko ➡ github.com/devMEremenko/Xcode...
    Buy one of our NEW T-Shirts to help support us! ➡ max-tech-store.creator-spring...
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Shop on Amazon ➡ geni.us/wB2mWqd
    Shop on B&H ➡ bhpho.to/2kfoI34
    Shop on Adorama ➡ bit.ly/2R7qezq
    10% off unlimited yearly music licensing on Soundstripe (what I use for all my videos) use coupon code "Max" here: soundstripe.grsm.io/e/6lv
    Shot with (Amazon) ➡ geni.us/XE0r
    Lens (B&H) ➡ bhpho.to/2DZerxL
    Mic (Amazon)➡ geni.us/83CN3V5
    If you enjoy our content please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $2 a month helps us make more and better content for you!
    / maxyuryev
    ~-~~-~~~-~~-~
    PRIVACY POLICY and FULL DISCLOSURE:
    °Max Tech is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
    °Max Tech is a participant in the B&H Photo Video affiliate program that provides an advertising commission if you purchase through our links.
    °If you purchase something from our affiliate links will get a small commission with no extra cost to you. This makes it possible for us to make more videos. Thank you!
    °We DO NOT collect, store, use, or share any data about you.
    ~-~~-~~~-~~-~
  • Наука та технологія

КОМЕНТАРІ • 867

  • @MaxTechOfficial
    @MaxTechOfficial  Місяць тому +6

    THIS is the MacBook you should buy right now ($200 OFF) ➡ geni.us/qk6qhg
    iFixit Pro Toolkit ➡ geni.us/8qkP

    • @MattDeezly
      @MattDeezly Місяць тому +2

      I’m not clicking your referral links mate

    • @amanthakur2376
      @amanthakur2376 29 днів тому

      can u please tell the storage ssd of both the mac's ????

    • @tibo2090
      @tibo2090 16 днів тому

      witch one is better and why ?
      macbook air 16GB Ram (512GB) VS the macbook pro 8GB Ram (512GB)

  • @dragonballjiujitsu
    @dragonballjiujitsu Місяць тому +527

    No modern computer should come with less than 16GB of RAM. Pushing out machines with 8GB in 2024 is like dropping a 5400RPM rotating rust drive in a desktop machine for the boot drive.

    • @bowlingdoughnutsmd3703
      @bowlingdoughnutsmd3703 Місяць тому +3

      You can get 16gb of ram on the MacBooks.

    • @techinrl9869
      @techinrl9869 Місяць тому +15

      Tell that to every PC manufacturer, all of whom sell 8GB machines, whether it be Windows or Mac. If people didn’t buy them, none of them would sell them. If you need 16GB, buy 16GB, but don’t force your needs onto others who don’t need 16GB.

    • @dragonballjiujitsu
      @dragonballjiujitsu Місяць тому +33

      @@bowlingdoughnutsmd3703 I'm well aware of that. Its also a custom order item that will set you back and extra $200.
      Again, 8GB should not even be an option. Especially considering the RAM is not user up-gradable.

    • @dragonballjiujitsu
      @dragonballjiujitsu Місяць тому +21

      @@techinrl9869 I am saying that to EVERY pc maker. Not just apple. The reason people buy those machines is because they are ignorant and the PCs are dirt cheap. Not because they don't "need" more RAM.

    • @craigjohnchronicles2504
      @craigjohnchronicles2504 Місяць тому

      @@techinrl9869 - yes. Forcing people to buying a computer with a default 16GB of ram instead of 8GB is horrible. I've seen some places selling a single 8GB ram module for $28 (also seen them as low as $12), and a single 16GB ram module for $30. 100% certain a company like Apple won't be taking a bath if they sell a base level MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM at the same price as their 8GB version.

  • @JonWatkins
    @JonWatkins Місяць тому +174

    There is no reason in 2024 for apple to be doing 8gb as standard, 16gb should be the new base at NO EXTRA FEE

    • @bengoey
      @bengoey Місяць тому

      Apple is not a 'gentleman' company it does not care about its customers. It only cares to make money as much as possible for its shareholders.

    • @justrandom3949
      @justrandom3949 Місяць тому +4

      Reason: let you spend more money

    • @ewitte12
      @ewitte12 Місяць тому

      Even if you can manage 8GB you'll be in line to upgrade faster. Same thing Nvidia does with VRAM.

    • @dragonballjiujitsu
      @dragonballjiujitsu Місяць тому

      Exactly!

    • @paulsaha2242
      @paulsaha2242 28 днів тому

      Is 16gb unified memory and 256 gb storage fine?

  • @jeffrey3498
    @jeffrey3498 Місяць тому +335

    Moral of the story: more RAM is better 😃👍

    • @mw7967
      @mw7967 Місяць тому +8

      And...If you must have a MacBook...avoid the Air and buy a Pro, because the cost to double your RAM puts you close to that SKU. Nice machine but a hard sell.

    • @HeavenSevenWorld
      @HeavenSevenWorld Місяць тому +6

      Moral of the story: Enough RAM is enough, but 8GB is never enough*

    • @jeffrey3498
      @jeffrey3498 Місяць тому +1

      @@HeavenSevenWorld It was in 1999 🤣

    • @rohitfernandes8637
      @rohitfernandes8637 Місяць тому

      8 core CPU and 8 core gpu is good ?

    • @jeffrey3498
      @jeffrey3498 Місяць тому

      @@rohitfernandes8637 You’re digressing 🤣

  • @user-ld2yq5mf8u
    @user-ld2yq5mf8u Місяць тому +50

    That is exactly the type of review I needed! 16gb on my future M3 Air indeed 🙂
    Thank you

  • @77dris
    @77dris Місяць тому +61

    You have to remember that for the M1/2/3 chips, the ram shown is shared with GPU memory. So 8GB is only really around 4GB-6GB of memory for programs.

    • @OShackHennessy
      @OShackHennessy Місяць тому +8

      I’m waiting for all the fanboys to start yelling about it being magical unified memory which is Apple speak for “shared”

    • @dimakonstanta1868
      @dimakonstanta1868 Місяць тому +1

      On older Intel MacBooks 13 inch GPU memory was also shared

    • @hacob2004
      @hacob2004 Місяць тому +1

      This is true of every thin and light laptop that doesn't have a dedicated GPU

    • @ChromeJob
      @ChromeJob Місяць тому +2

      @@OShackHennessy Unified isn't the same as shared, AFAIK. Unified means it's incorporated with the chip to create a much faster path from CPU to RAM and back again. "Shared" indicates that the video subsystem is utilizing main RAM rather than separate, video-only memory.
      Not a fan boy, though anyone who conflates the two (fan boy or otherwise) doesn't know so much about computer architecture and is perhaps only educated on what Apple dictates.

    • @OShackHennessy
      @OShackHennessy Місяць тому +1

      @@hacob2004 except you can add more or spec it up on the front end without getting robbed, and 8gb is offensive on a Mac

  • @mikey9836
    @mikey9836 Місяць тому +26

    Been waiting for this video

  • @jyotitva
    @jyotitva Місяць тому +7

    How Max Tech reads the viewers demand is amazing. Really makes me stick to one tech channel in the ocean of this niche.

  • @N.K.---
    @N.K.--- Місяць тому +125

    Apple just keeps making money

    • @solidsnakeXY810
      @solidsnakeXY810 Місяць тому

      yes

    • @rohittkrr
      @rohittkrr Місяць тому +2

      we keep losing money

    • @chrispotterfan
      @chrispotterfan Місяць тому

      People should stop buying their laptops until they make base models with 16 gb ram and 500 gb storage. Sadly that probably won't happen.

  • @favour9189
    @favour9189 Місяць тому +465

    12 should be minimum

  • @BarisPalabiyik
    @BarisPalabiyik Місяць тому +112

    External monitors eats from the RAM too, it should be discussed too, I use my M2 Air with a huuge monitor connected, I couldn't do many tasks properly with external monitor on 8 gigs.

    • @clintmiller88
      @clintmiller88 Місяць тому +2

      8gb with 256ssd? Or 512?

    • @BarisPalabiyik
      @BarisPalabiyik Місяць тому

      @@clintmiller88 My m2 is 512 nd 16gb

    • @haselhofler
      @haselhofler Місяць тому +3

      I'm rocking a M1 Air connected to a LG 5k2k without any issues. But yeah I have a 16GB/256GB configuration

    • @69elchupacabra69
      @69elchupacabra69 Місяць тому +1

      Obviously, because the M-chips have unified memory.

    • @iBoyLPs
      @iBoyLPs Місяць тому +8

      m2 with 8gb and two 4k monitors without any flaws. There may be something wrong with your Mac though.

  • @hmhyfg
    @hmhyfg Місяць тому +9

    Wow thank you for the best video !

  • @tipsyjack9440
    @tipsyjack9440 Місяць тому +6

    Can you do the same RAM comparisons between the M1, M2 and M3 base configurations? If someone, like me, is wanting to upgrade from the M1 to M3 is it worth it since the SSD speeds are faster on the M1? Thanks and keep up the good work!

  • @cmoullasnet
    @cmoullasnet Місяць тому +94

    If Apple doubled the RAM in every single one of their machines across the board, on all configurations, their prices would make sense. Think about it.

    • @MrQuay03
      @MrQuay03 Місяць тому +10

      Make sense for customers, no sense for Apple and investors

    • @XInfinity2024
      @XInfinity2024 Місяць тому +2

      You are 100% correct for the customers but if Apple shipped all products with 16GB of RAM then chances are you would be paying $100 to $200 give or take more on a product so the price it is now probably wouldn't be the price if the RAM was doubled.

    • @rocketmunkey1
      @rocketmunkey1 Місяць тому +2

      And doubled the SSD storage, and halved the price of upgrading the RAM and Storage, it costs Apple a tiny fraction of the cost they charge consumers !

    • @roch145
      @roch145 Місяць тому +1

      A big issue is the SSDs are soldered on the motherboard. You have a chip failure and there is for all intents, no way to repair them. Which forces an expensive and unanticipated expense to replace the Mac.

    • @XInfinity2024
      @XInfinity2024 Місяць тому +1

      @@roch145 People have upgraded the storage on an iPhone and possibly a Mac them self but its only due to them knowing how to do it and make it work but also have the equipment for such work

  • @DarayaVahu
    @DarayaVahu Місяць тому +166

    It’s mind-blowing that some people still excuse 8GB ram while it's so ridiculously bad just doing two things at the same time 🤦

    • @leebeeskee
      @leebeeskee Місяць тому +35

      Bit of an exaggeration there lol. 8GB runs fine for general users.

    • @DarayaVahu
      @DarayaVahu Місяць тому +30

      @@leebeeskee no it doesn’t, I had it, just with enought safari tabs and switching becomes laggy which is unacceptable for $1000 laptop, or I guess yes fine for general users on $400 laptop...

    • @miketorre16
      @miketorre16 Місяць тому +6

      @@leebeeskee yes, 8 gigs on the silicon valley chips is not the same as 8 gigs of RAM on PC

    • @bodigames
      @bodigames Місяць тому +15

      @@leebeeskeeno it doesn’t.
      My 8GB MacBook Pro can barely handle a lot of Safari tabs……
      That’s not okay.

    • @rocketmunkey1
      @rocketmunkey1 Місяць тому +2

      @@leebeeskee Apple has entered the chat !

  • @quikesteve
    @quikesteve Місяць тому +4

    Could you do a video comparing battery drain between browsers like Chrome vs Safari or Opera? I notice in my 14" M1 Pro that any browser other than Safari drains the battery twice as fast. Keep up the good work.

  • @danielguzman2029
    @danielguzman2029 Місяць тому +7

    I really liked this comparison, thank you. I wonder How does the base M3 MacBook Pro (8GB - 512GB) perform against the 16GB - 256GB M3 MacBook Air... Maybe the best SSD surpasses the extra RAM in multitasking? or Base macbook air vs base macbook pro with this test.

  • @kevinaraneda6236
    @kevinaraneda6236 Місяць тому +4

    Muchas gracias por el video Max... es JUSTAMENTE LO QUE ESTABA BUSCANDO. Necesito renovar mi Macbook Pro mid 2012 y tenia la duda sobre configurar 16ram/256 o 8ram/512... creo que ya esta mas que claro, que 16 ejecutará mejor en un par de años

  • @erickauffmann_official
    @erickauffmann_official Місяць тому +16

    Super complete test! 🎉

    • @mayankkaushik6868
      @mayankkaushik6868 Місяць тому +2

      Hey erik ....they don't do a test for fl studio ....
      I'm planning to buy m3 MacBook air with 24 GB Ram ....
      I choose air rather than pro for portability reasons ...and the form factor...
      Will it work???? Fir heavy edm production?

    • @erickauffmann_official
      @erickauffmann_official Місяць тому +3

      @@mayankkaushik6868 yes it will! 24gb ram is enough for heavy FL production

    • @ranjitmandal1612
      @ranjitmandal1612 Місяць тому

      👍

  • @simonpoulsen4044
    @simonpoulsen4044 Місяць тому +6

    I don't know if this is a stupid question, but why will the mac use swap if it still has plenty of unused ram?

  • @VideoStoryCreator
    @VideoStoryCreator Місяць тому +1

    This is an interesting result to see the significant difference. Just out of curiosity, how does the M1 Air compare to the M3 Air (at the base 8GB model for each)?

  • @user-gj5wb3gp1b
    @user-gj5wb3gp1b Місяць тому

    Thanks man. Clear explanation. I needed this.

  • @PatrickSteil
    @PatrickSteil Місяць тому +3

    Would love to see similar test between 16 and 24Gb models.
    How much do you have to push the 16gb for it to slow down compared to 24Gb.
    My 16Gb M1 is awesome :)

  • @kevinclws
    @kevinclws Місяць тому +32

    I bought the max 24GB to future-proof it for apps getting more and more bloated. I would keep my M1 if now I could increase the RAM beyond the 8GB it came with

    • @m89hu
      @m89hu Місяць тому

      Have you received it yet? What are your thoughts on it?

    • @davidgrisez
      @davidgrisez 15 днів тому +1

      I also ordered the max 24gb on my MacBook Air order because I know that applications and the Apple Mac OS keeps growing in size.

  • @ZeroDay_tv
    @ZeroDay_tv Місяць тому

    That was really an educating Video
    Thank you far the comparison ❤

  • @gregash6340
    @gregash6340 Місяць тому +2

    Fantastic video as always Max Tech! At 10:37 the 8Gb is faster on the Final Cut export. Is that correct? Were you still running background tasks on the 16Gb?

    • @AK-ro4gm
      @AK-ro4gm Місяць тому

      no, its just their video editor who manages to routinely mess up the names with the results in the charts... such a shame cuz theyre the best channel for tech

    • @jojolaser
      @jojolaser Місяць тому

      I have also noticed that 8Gb is faster in the results at 10:37. Strange. Probably a mistake.

    • @dhanushree-gz6mp
      @dhanushree-gz6mp Місяць тому +1

      😂😂😂

  • @kirkn
    @kirkn 13 днів тому

    great video - would be interesting to see how much heat they were producing during those tests

  • @winnielai7455
    @winnielai7455 Місяць тому

    Thank you for helping me make up my mind for my next MacBook

  • @brachiator1
    @brachiator1 Місяць тому +9

    In a typical work session, I might have 10 Chrome tabs open for research and news, while doing some word processing. I might write or respond to some emails and initiate a Zoom session. I don't do much photo or video editing. A test of this use case would be interesting. I think that 8GB RAM might be acceptable here, although 12 or 16GB RAM might be preferable.

    • @hugopineda4017
      @hugopineda4017 Місяць тому

      My typical work day looks exactly like this. Both my 8gb on mb air and 16gb ram on Mac mini pro still swap memory and I even get low ram warning on Mac mini. I don't get it.

  • @PaulErwinGroeneveld
    @PaulErwinGroeneveld Місяць тому

    Thanks for these reviews! Still awaiting the final verdict on the best choice when going for the air. More internal memory or more SDD; more internal memory with standard ssd vs standard memory vs more ssd test?

  • @HAL.2024
    @HAL.2024 Місяць тому +1

    Hey man! Can you do a test with the M3 chip and Logic Pro or Pro Tools or Ableton Live?

  • @evgeniy_vl7273
    @evgeniy_vl7273 Місяць тому

    great comparison, thanks! I would also like to see the temperature values for these modes. It would also be interesting to make a comparison with mbp14 m1 16 GB. Now I’m choosing between these two MacBooks. I will use it for Photoshop and Lightroom

  • @sidzhottake
    @sidzhottake Місяць тому +1

    Great video thank you!!!

  • @matthewleppan1020
    @matthewleppan1020 6 днів тому

    This was the most helpful video I’ve watched. Been looking at reviews for well over a week and this was the game change video

  • @evandonoso5305
    @evandonoso5305 Місяць тому +3

    Great video! Question where to get those wallpapers you have. Thanks!

  • @LeChuck.x17
    @LeChuck.x17 Місяць тому +14

    8gb in 2024 is a joke.

  • @airtightbox
    @airtightbox Місяць тому +2

    Okay, so what are the storage performance differences between 512GB and 1TB, on a system with 16GB RAM?

  • @rhondacaulder1432
    @rhondacaulder1432 Місяць тому

    How does the M3 MacBook Air with 16 GB compare to the M2 MacBook Air with 16 GB? I currently have the latter with 1T storage and everything I’ve seen says to not upgrade. Is the M3 that much better than the M2?

  • @HigherTech
    @HigherTech Місяць тому +1

    This video highlights exactly this issues I experience on my 8gb M1 Air. And why I placed an order yesterday for a 16gb M3 air. I dont do much more than photo editing and normally 20+ browser tabs. Thanks.

    • @dimakonstanta1868
      @dimakonstanta1868 Місяць тому

      On my M1 i don’t seen this. Swap use - yes, but not laggy at all.

    • @ChromaSup
      @ChromaSup Місяць тому

      @@dimakonstanta1868never with 8gb?

    • @dimakonstanta1868
      @dimakonstanta1868 Місяць тому

      @@ChromaSup yes, but I’m not heavy user

  • @neocs193p
    @neocs193p Місяць тому +2

    Was expecting an SSD speed comparison between the 256GB and the 512GB. Also, Xcode tests.
    Cheers!

  • @ChromeJob
    @ChromeJob Місяць тому +2

    Have to agree here, though for different reasons. I've been test driving M2 MBAs from Costco, both with 8GB/256GB. I much prefer the 15" for the huge trackpad, expansive screen and … on that second, using the 15” in Sidecar mode (extending a desktop display to use the 15” MBA’s screen) is great for flexibility. (And using Handoff, you can pick up the MBA and continue working elsewhere.)
    In these cases, having a pliable and dynamic level of available RAM pays off. 8GB just ain’t enough for macOS Sonoma. Even without doing CPU intensive stuff like photo, video, or rendering work like you illustrated, I’ve seen the 8GB RAM MBAs start to slow down and swap out with 5-6 apps open with work in progress (and not even using MS Office apps, just Safari, Chrome, Notes, Reminders, Messages, Freeform). This is unacceptable to me for a $1300 computer (bought for $1000 at Costco, a killer deal but a still cool grand).
    I’ve noticed that macOS is slow to release swapping and return to an ideal memory management situation after closing apps, even letting some time go by. It’s helped a little by logging out and back in (leveraging the “reopen windows” option), but not as effectively as restarting the laptop. When an OS gets to a point that I have to restart the machine to get the memory allocation sweet spot, no matter how speedily it does this, I’m not a happy user.
    This might be slightly more exacerbated by the 15” screen’s greater resolution, but I don’t sympathize. A laptop should be able to handle itself gracefully, not start limping along after an hour’s work in 6 apps. Apple should be ashamed that they sell entry level MacBooks in 2023, 2024 with only 8GB RAM when you can buy a much more agile Chromebook for half the price.

  • @stevebooth
    @stevebooth Місяць тому +1

    Thanks Max for this video. It confirmed I need to buy the Mac Air M3 16Gb RAM.

  • @ahaimes6320
    @ahaimes6320 Місяць тому +59

    That 5GB used when opening up includes >3GB of pre-fetched cache. The system will release that when needed so that 3GB is effectively available.

    • @isbestlizard
      @isbestlizard Місяць тому +1

      Exactly. Do free -h from a terminal and you should get more details

    • @valdir7426
      @valdir7426 Місяць тому +9

      yeah that number doesn't mean much; the memory pressure; compressed memory and swap size give you all the indication you need. it's a shame because some people assume "oh my mac has nothing running and I'm already out" but macos will use all the ram it can. You get a perf bonus with 16GB but it will take a lot for a 8GB model to grind to a halt.

    • @ranjitmandal1612
      @ranjitmandal1612 Місяць тому

      😮

    • @shoelessone
      @shoelessone 23 дні тому +1

      Yeah so many of these reviews are really frustrating when they talk about this. I honestly can't believe how many popular tech reviewers / news outlets / etc use the amount of memory used at startup "at rest" as their first point to drive home how little memory is available. Why not use the memory if it's available to optimize, if the memory is just sitting empty / unused it's being "wasted."

  • @achim7234
    @achim7234 Місяць тому +38

    I am a user who buys a Mac / Macbook to last for 7+ years so I usually always buy double and triple of what the base configuration might be at the time of purchase. With my MacBook Air mid 2012 seeing a replacement this spring/summer I will go for the 24GB option.

    • @nicolasb.henry294
      @nicolasb.henry294 Місяць тому +11

      If you have enough to do it it´s fine but most people can´t afford it. 16gb Ram 512 SSD should be the base configuration.

    • @valdir7426
      @valdir7426 Місяць тому +7

      with the same amount you could probably get 2 more basic machines every 4 years. plus your machine will not be worth much compared to what you paid it on the resale market.

    • @achim7234
      @achim7234 Місяць тому

      I am most likely non representative of a user for this UA-cam channel. You guys are hardcore techies and you know so much more about tech/Mac than I ever will. I, maybe like many others (????), don't want to think about buying the latest, best, best bang for the buck technology piece, but we buy when we have to (like in my case the 2012 MBA giving me grieve), so then I go and buy something that hopefully covers me for another 10 years. Given my age, I even don´t know if I will ever need to buy a new Macbook again after the new M3 MBA. @@valdir7426

    • @user-mn7hy1hd1w
      @user-mn7hy1hd1w Місяць тому +2

      I’m doing the same thing except 7 years of primary use and 3 years of auxiliary use (giving to my daughter to use for school). I broke down the cost to a monthly basis excluding depreciation and compared it to windows laptops. They usually only last me 2-4 years before breaking or becoming unusable and it turned out to be cheaper by around $8 a month to buy the Mac air compared to a comparable windows laptop (which is 1/3 cheaper)

    • @burtdanams4426
      @burtdanams4426 Місяць тому +6

      No offense man, but your purchasing strategy is kinda foolish depending on whether I"m assessing your usage correctly. Look I'm also a MARATHON user of Macs. My last Macbook was a 2015 MacBook Pro that I begrudgingly replaced because my cats broke it a couple weeks ago. I replaced it with M1 Pro MBP in base config.
      Considering you have been using a 2012 Air for a decade, you seem like a pretty low scale user. Try to slow down and think about what you are actually saying here. You are trying to PREDICT THE FUTURE of computers with YOUR WALLET, and not in a way that would actually make you money, like the stock market or any other investment. You are just mindlessly future proofing your devices instead of actually asking yourself "how much ram and storage do I actually need and what I will need". You would save considerably more money buying a machine with reasonable specs or especially just buying a used machine like an M1 Pro that comes with 16gb and 512gb storage standard. And then even if you upgrade it in like 5-6 years, you'll still save much more money buying external drives or just buying a newer machine with more ram as standard in the future.

  • @snitkjaer
    @snitkjaer Місяць тому

    Great video thanks! I guess it comes down to MacBook Pro M3 14" 16GB/512GB (discounted) vs MacBook Air 13" M3 16GB/512GB.

  • @LL-qm3sl
    @LL-qm3sl Місяць тому

    Are there any significant performance differences between the 13' and 15' models?

  • @kevinasaurus
    @kevinasaurus Місяць тому +4

    I just ordered a new Air and opted for the 24 GB of RAM. Hopefully it’s not overkill but I expect the machine to be quite speedy. 😊

    • @m89hu
      @m89hu Місяць тому

      Have you received it yet? What are your thoughts?

  • @joewest9470
    @joewest9470 Місяць тому +1

    Glad to hear they fixed the SSD problem, which will help with swap speeds. I do my "heavy lifting" and most work with a 16GB Mac Mini, which never leaves the "green" memory pressure, so for occasional portable work, I'm leaning towards the 8GB MBA model with the following justification: the upgrade to 16 GB costs about 20% of the price. In other words, if I replace it after about 5-6 years (roughly), then if I save the 20%, I can replace it about a year earlier. But thank you for your video; I will be sure to test it well (within the 2-week return window) for my use case and make sure there's a margin to allow for 4-5 years of use.

    • @vlkhvan
      @vlkhvan Місяць тому

      Thank you, this is the most sensible take on this question. Others here just scream nonsense about unrealistic use cases and exaggerated "issues". Heavy users buy Pro 14-16 as their main machines (if they want a laptop) or Mac Mini/Studio, and use MBA as a portable complementary device, and don't complain.
      Poor "wannabe professionals" buy base MBA as their only machine and then whine about 8Gb RAM, this is just pathetic

  • @gc2141
    @gc2141 Місяць тому +2

    I would first like to say I very much enjoy your channel! it's very detialed and made with a lot of heart. Honestly, your channel was the reason why I pulled the trigger on the 14in MBP M3 max. Upgrading from windows i7 11th gen, its fantastic. After owning it for a week, I'm thinking of upgrading further into the 16in MBP m3 MAX justify the extra cost to the larger screen and battery but primarily for the extra ram. (48 GB) and the 40 core vs the current 30 core. While I was on my 14inch MBP, I checked the used ram and just with 6-7 google chrome tab open, (no videos) 1 firefox tab open and Microsoft word document, I was already into 22GB out the 36GB ram. I'm nervous of performance with that plus 2-3 hours of Zoom (full-time online student). I was reading that mac IOS is ram hungry, and no matter how much ram is available, It would be the same situation. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.

  • @truthjunkie3
    @truthjunkie3 Місяць тому +1

    Final cut 4k HEVC with effects test, apparently you didn't notice, but your chart says the 8GB Air actually beat the 16GB. That doesn't seem likely. Maybe its mislabeled?

  • @yannjouan9338
    @yannjouan9338 Місяць тому +1

    Really Nice vidéo!! And for Logic Pro x ?

    • @m89hu
      @m89hu Місяць тому

      probably the 24gb

  • @Akshaydesai28
    @Akshaydesai28 Місяць тому

    Hi Max, could you please do a test between base m3 macbook pro vs 16gb m3 macbook Air?
    That would help me a lot in the decision. I'm looking for benchmark comparison like : Cinebench, 3d mark wildlife, geekbench and blackmagic.
    Thanks in advance 🖤

  • @ashiq_r
    @ashiq_r Місяць тому

    I have an old 2018 Air that had 8g 128g config. Just recently I bought a 16g 512g logic board from ebay, swapped the boards, sold the old 8g board for roughly $10 less than the 16g board. It’s running Sonoma with almost NO swap. Sonoma is very heavy and absolutely not optimized for intel macs, yet, the 16g ram is making a huge difference. I’ll buy a new Air when the base gets atleast 12g ram.

  • @johnskap2004
    @johnskap2004 Місяць тому

    great video thanks !!

  • @frivis69
    @frivis69 Місяць тому +13

    Bro seriously I was searching this type of comparison seens "Macbook M3 air's" launcher❤ and i finally got it.
    You gain a subscriber.

    • @burtdanams4426
      @burtdanams4426 Місяць тому +1

      well, I wouldn't recommend subscribing to this guy for very long. He's kind of a normal person with no real formal education about computers and who doesn't actually know basically anything at all about the fundamentals of computers, including chip design, memory management, operating systems, etc. He's just a normal dude that happens to have been able to afford reviewing products at one point and now all he does is make bland comparisons between mass market products without any insight

    • @frivis69
      @frivis69 Місяць тому

      @@burtdanams4426 ooh really, then suggest me some

  • @AdamsjPriah
    @AdamsjPriah 12 днів тому

    Takiego porówna potrzebowałem. Dzięki. :)

  • @1956mercy
    @1956mercy Місяць тому +7

    I can see the difference. However for folks that have the M2 and do regular task or for personal use, and not for pic editing or video editing. I don’t see why to upgrade. Maybe upgrade after 2 years if needed but I wouldn’t. This comparison is good for those heavy workloads that some do.

    • @Bakapooru
      @Bakapooru Місяць тому +2

      Based on your description, you probably wouldn’t need a new computer for eight or ten years. I had the first MBP with SSD drive (2012?) and I just replaced it when the SSD failed.😅

    • @brandonchism6960
      @brandonchism6960 Місяць тому

      @@Bakapooru you have a point there. I had a 2011 MBP that I didn't replace until 2020, just before the M1 chips dropped. I used it for research, school work, Netflix, shopping, and general browsing. When my current one goes out, I'll likely buy an Air to replace it. I don't think I'll get another Pro. I just don't run them nearly hard enough to warrant the expense.

  • @rc2257
    @rc2257 Місяць тому

    So, 16gb RAM is worth the upgrade cost, according to Max and many of your comments.
    Is there a benefit to upgrade further to 24gb RAM? For average users or just power users? What kinds of workflows would really benefit from having 24gb over 16gb RAM?

  • @its_2Slick
    @its_2Slick Місяць тому

    Awesome video was wondering if you could do one with the 24 gb ram to see the difference for the air for all 3.

  • @eticketride
    @eticketride Місяць тому +1

    So it looks like it can be okay for casual single-task use. For some, that’s enough. I never liked the base RAM config since it’s not upgradable and that’s a shame. When I bought my original M1 MB-Air, I bought it with the max 16Gb RAM because I knew I would also be occasionally running Parallels (which is does quite well). My M1 Max MBP with 64Gb runs Mac/Win/and Linux. Three finger swiping between them, like having three computers in one. Thing is a beast. Since Apple’s transition to their own silicon, I don’t feel as complelled to focus on only the latest and greatest anymore, as devices from a generation or even two back are still very capable at an appreciable discount over current gen machines.

  • @Wonder_Wicks
    @Wonder_Wicks Місяць тому

    Didn't they fix the SSD speed issues as well? Could the new M3 be benefitting from speed, by not only the ram, but the ssd speeds?

  • @thomaspaaruppedersen6781
    @thomaspaaruppedersen6781 Місяць тому

    The test with using Chrome while exporting, is to me the most relevant and realistic. The 8GB is much slower, for *much longer!*
    Thank you for this test getting much closer to a realistic scenario. I currently have 20 Chrome tabs open, about 8 of those with UA-cam videos, then Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, OneNote, and a few other business apps. It's always like that. An integral part of how I use a computer.

  • @DieBaertigeUrsula
    @DieBaertigeUrsula Місяць тому

    Would be interesting to see the performance differences in using Xcode and compiling the same project or so, but great job anyways 👌☺️

  • @EnglishinTx
    @EnglishinTx Місяць тому

    Just curious - What is the benefit of using Chrome over Safari? I thought that Safari was more efficient but I also know that Chrome is more of a "standard" and has support for more extensions. Would love to hear the Max take...

  • @SinusPrimus
    @SinusPrimus День тому

    I bought a MacBook Air M3 8/256 and am super happy with it. By the way, this is my first Mac. I mainly use it when I'm on the go and don't multitask with it. My work machine is a Windows11Pro DIY PC with Intel i9 13900 CPU, 64GB RAM. This is super fast and multitasking is never a problem.
    The hardware of the MacBook Air is unbeatably good. The screen, the case, the webcam, the speakers, the keyboard... Everything is top notch. 😎👍
    greetings from Switzerland

  • @keirux
    @keirux Місяць тому +5

    Hey Max, slightly off-topic but could you please do a comparison between the Apple M3 and the intel Ultra 7/9 155h/185h? Intel Ultra is one of the very few architectures that offer HW decoding for 10 bit 4:2:2 HEVC which is very common with video cameras. Would really appreciate if you could put them to test to understand how they compare from a workflow perspective 🙏🏻

  • @geolykos
    @geolykos Місяць тому +2

    just curious, do most people that buy a macbook air use these programs? Most people will run chrome tabs, which make no difference, and maybe play a game or a movie. Unless 8gb is not enough to do these tasks the ram deficiency won't be noticeable. I don't think there's many people that buy a macbook air to do video editing.

    • @ChromeJob
      @ChromeJob Місяць тому

      I've been able to run my 8GB MBA M2 into yellow and red memory pressure just running Chrome, and some Apple apps (Safari, Notes, Freeform). Though I have Google Drive, 1Password, Logitech Options+ running in the background on login. Yes, MaxTech's demo with CPU intensive apps is a quick shortcut to illustrating the deficiencies, but you might repeat this test with just "lite" Apple apps. I've done it.

  • @microzal
    @microzal Місяць тому

    Which MBA should I pick between M2 16/256 $1,400 vs M3 8/256 $1,200 ?
    Mainly for illustration in Ps and light AE stuff

  • @saintkenny9296
    @saintkenny9296 Місяць тому

    I bought the 2021 iMac 24" during the pandemic and unless during the time you wanted to wait up to 3 months to get a iMac with 16gigs you would either wait that long, or just take the 8gig option. I did get 512 and stayed away from the base model for sure!
    I guess in 5 or so years it will be time to upgrade my iMac with I hope a system that can actually play real games and either sell this one off, or use it for something else?
    I think Apple is getting better all the time and after all these years is finally getting into real games for the 1st time ever where the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can do. I hope the bluetooth to a larger screen doesn't kill the performance because playing anything close to real console game the iPhone even the Max is way too dang small.
    Thank you for the video, Max!

  • @mendodsoregonbackroads6632
    @mendodsoregonbackroads6632 Місяць тому +3

    I bought a M2 air last year with only 8GB as a test to see I it was going to be enough. The longer I have it the more comfortable I’m getting with the amount of Ram. I was going to get a separate machine to run a Linux distro on but then I said screw it, I’ll try it on the M2. You know what, it works. Im running Kali using the UTM VM with 4GB of the 8 allocated to the VM. Sure I’m using some swap, but there are no slowdowns or crashes. Everything is working fine. I’m probably not going to get another 8GB machine again, but I can say that it works with no issues if I don’t have everything in the world open on MacOS while the VM is running. So my conclusion is that 8GB will do the job. I would feel better with 12GB but so far no problem having a few things open on Mac while also getting PCACPs in wireshark or using the aircrack suite at the same time.

    • @La_Meth_Witch
      @La_Meth_Witch Місяць тому

      You stuffed up 😅😅

    • @justinavila1320
      @justinavila1320 23 дні тому

      Yeah, I have an air 8gb M1 that my work provides for office tasks (maybe 10-15 Google tabs, slack, VOIP) running all at once switching btw them. 8 hour days no issues for these types of tasks. For creative stuff I have a top spec baseline M3 16 with 48gb ram. For everyday stuff and office stuff - I dont see a difference. I'm not trying to do lightroom + 15 tabs on my air (mainly cause its the jobs comp and not mine) but in real world usage for 40 hours a week its been fine.

    • @justinavila1320
      @justinavila1320 23 дні тому

      I love all the "you need at least blah blah" and yet these same people are NOT having to use the 8gb machines, they've skipped over them.

    • @mendodsoregonbackroads6632
      @mendodsoregonbackroads6632 23 дні тому

      @@justinavila1320 Well, I'm using both. and 8GB will work, but 16GB is better.

  • @sebasguti7708
    @sebasguti7708 Місяць тому

    If the MBA M3 16GB supports full acceleration with Lightroom, then the MBP M3 16GB should support that too, correct?

  • @Gaurang_Khatri
    @Gaurang_Khatri Місяць тому

    Hey i want to buy a laptop for video editing,
    Im planning to get MacBook air m3 (8-256) and 2tb external ssd
    Will this be enough for editing lengthy podcast videos and 4k videos..
    Please suggest

  • @user-pp3dl8id7r
    @user-pp3dl8id7r Місяць тому

    Excellent content

  • @danielguzman2029
    @danielguzman2029 Місяць тому +1

    amazing test

  • @hondo_chen
    @hondo_chen Місяць тому +3

    So where does Apple get 8g ram in 2024? Do they have a time machine?

  • @fidiak
    @fidiak Місяць тому

    Nice viedo, thank you

  • @GurmeetSingh-fr8uo
    @GurmeetSingh-fr8uo Місяць тому

    For M3 Air 13” is it worth going for 24gb ram or 16gb enough ?

  • @whfowle
    @whfowle Місяць тому +10

    I would like to see the difference in performance with 24GB and a 1TB SSD.

    • @reconshaun
      @reconshaun Місяць тому +1

      I agree. This is the configuration that I am considering (mainly for future proofing), but none of the videos really mention it.

    • @davetravels9273
      @davetravels9273 Місяць тому +3

      I just ordered this config but mostly be a use I keep my Mac’s for 5+ years. My wife’s m1 with 16 and 1 tb is already maxing out the ram.

    • @weekendintokyo
      @weekendintokyo Місяць тому

      The difference between 16gb and 24gb Ram is marginal if not inexistent. He made a video comparing a 16gb vs 32gb of ram on his channel go search for it, there's basically no difference for anything beyond 16gb unless you're a super hardcore user that needs to render 3d and have photoshop/lightroom/after efects open all at the same time@@reconshaun

    • @paulsaha2242
      @paulsaha2242 28 днів тому

      Does SSD really matters? I can have an external storage device.

    • @davetravels9273
      @davetravels9273 28 днів тому

      @@paulsaha2242 well you should ensure that you have plenty of space for memory swap in addition to everything else you store on the device. Generally you want to only use 60-80% of your SSD.

  • @reiki2165
    @reiki2165 Місяць тому +26

    Idk why I'm here. Me watching on a Chromebook with 4gb ram.

    • @rocketmunkey1
      @rocketmunkey1 Місяць тому

      And doing nothing else other than browsing the web

  • @subhamcoder
    @subhamcoder Місяць тому +1

    hey can you make a video about m3 air 16 gb vs macbook pro m3 base variant(8 gb)

  • @dsmith5940
    @dsmith5940 Місяць тому

    Could we have a similar comparison with an M3 Air with 24Gb RAM, in gaming, where the shared RAM for the GPU could be rate-limiting, even at 16Gb?

  • @murtazachaudhary3339
    @murtazachaudhary3339 Місяць тому

    Nice video comparison

  • @onuronan8674
    @onuronan8674 Місяць тому

    thanks for video

  • @sallyharris1093
    @sallyharris1093 Місяць тому

    Love the comparison. I love tech, but I’m not that smart about it. You help me understand and make a decision about which to get.

  • @geek-channel
    @geek-channel Місяць тому +8

    It is not "limiting itself". Free RAM = wasted RAM. Ideally, the OS does caching on all of the available memory (unless you really have too much memory for your workloads). As far as it does not start swapping - you have enough memory for your workloads. When it is short on memory, memory pressure will get yellow and red - and you will se swapping.
    Rendering is memory heavy task. So if you need daily do some rendering, better get more RAM - 32 or 64 at least. Depends on your projects. If you need render occasionally, even with small amount of RAM it will do, just need wait a little longer.

    • @valdir7426
      @valdir7426 Місяць тому +1

      yeah exactly. people seem to believe that your computer will stop working if you don't have enough ram. it will just be slightly less performant depending on the task, as these tests show.

  • @Bakapooru
    @Bakapooru Місяць тому +1

    Good video. Now I know that I would never have a problem or slow down on my M3 because I would never do as many stressful tasks at the same time. All this hype of 8gb isn’t enough doesn’t concern me.

  • @Musescore_Brasil
    @Musescore_Brasil Місяць тому

    I edit 4k videos and use a lot of chrome tabs, and I never felt like my M1 Macbook Air was slow. The system and apps are very well optmized.. I have a windows PC with 32gb, 13600k, 4060ti, and barely use it

  • @fanz6410
    @fanz6410 8 днів тому

    How is it with M1 Macs now?
    The videos testing them are all three years ago, with apps unoptimised for Apple silicon.

  • @SA-js5me
    @SA-js5me Місяць тому

    Should I rather buy the new M3 base 8/256 or the old M2 but with 16gb RAM?

  • @vivalasvegas297
    @vivalasvegas297 Місяць тому

    good job :) I wanna buy my 1st MacBook Air 13 M3 512GB. I think about ram 16 gb. I wanna actual model for 5-7 years. I don't like change a laptop often. I would like waching movies and tv series, learn English, play online poker (up 6 tables), youtube ... any recomendations about 16 gb or 8 gb.

  • @epaulgr
    @epaulgr Місяць тому +1

    Tengo una mac mini m1 base model, yo tenia 2 monitores, un ultrawide y otro menor a FullHD, los cambié por dos 4K, desde que los cambié note demasiado que la mac se traba y se pone lenta :C

  • @tri0xin
    @tri0xin Місяць тому

    Excellent video.. do you have a video of an m2 16gb vs a m3 16gb? I could save a few hundred dollars on the M2 buying used/renewed. If it's somewhat significant I wouldn't mind spending the extra money.. if it's 5 percent or so I would definitely go with the M2

  • @JulzzmZnapclipz
    @JulzzmZnapclipz Місяць тому +3

    Apple Macbook Air M3 8GB ram can easily edit 4K video?

  • @md.naimulislam3913
    @md.naimulislam3913 Місяць тому +2

    what about the SSD ? 16 GB 256GB? or 16GB 512GB ?

  • @TheZirodent
    @TheZirodent 14 днів тому

    Wow. The best part of this video is, he covered every DAW there is.

  • @Flothar_
    @Flothar_ Місяць тому +1

    Should I buy macbook air 15 m3 8gb/512gb or air 15 m2 16gb/512gb?

  •  Місяць тому

    I recommend to make a shortcut the previous next tab //alt +1 alt +2

  • @marianmalpica3419
    @marianmalpica3419 Місяць тому

    Could you compare MacBook Pro 8 ram and MacBook Air 16 ram?

  • @platinoir
    @platinoir Місяць тому +2

    That’s why I ordered mine with 24GB
    Reason is my current 2014 MacBook Pro has 16, so just to feel that upgrade.

    • @m89hu
      @m89hu Місяць тому

      Have you received it yet? What are your thoughts on it?

    • @platinoir
      @platinoir Місяць тому +1

      @@m89hu it’s really good & buttery smooth.
      But I would say 24GB is overkill, just like my 16GB I never got close to running out of memory

  • @shubhamchauhan4817
    @shubhamchauhan4817 Місяць тому

    Did it heat up during multitasking ?