Buying an 8GB Mac Is Okay?

Due to the ever-expanding demands of computing, 8 GB RAM may be too little for the majority of PCs, making 16 GB the minimum requirement for a quality Windows experience. Mac computers, on the other hand, are a different matter. Modern online browsers, web-based desktop programs (like Slack or Discord), and other sandboxed software have all made enormous amounts of RAM necessary for practically anything on your PC. Because of this, 16 GB of RAM has been the standard recommended for Windows PCs for a while, however particular tasks or games may benefit from 32 GB of RAM. You might assume that if you're buying a Mac that you need a model with at least 16 GB of RAM because that's what Windows machines need. On the other hand, you might be tempted to completely write off Apple for charging far over $1,000 for laptops with only 8 GB of RAM. However, the majority of users using Macs don't require more than 8 GB. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Photo Credit: YouTube[/caption]

An Introduction to Memory Management

Let's begin by discussing how computer memory typically functions. Computers employ rapid memory called random access memory, or RAM, to store applications while they are in use. The operating system moves some data to virtual memory on much slower storage (such the computer's SSD or hard disk) until it is required again if you have more running tasks than it can fit in RAM. The delay you experience on PCs with a lot of open programs is typically caused by data being frequently switched between RAM and slower storage. Memory pressure, which Apple describes as being similar to a general health indicator for your computer, "graphically displays how efficiently your memory is supporting your processing demands." It considers the amount of virtual (swapped) memory being used, the amount of actual RAM that is accessible, and other elements. The meter increases and changes color as more resources on your Mac are used. The Mac is utilizing a lot of swap memory when the color is red, amber/orange signifies you're pushing it, and green denotes that you have plenty of memory remaining. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Photo Credit: Macworld[/caption]

What then is different?

Why don't you need as much RAM for the same work if macOS manages memory more or less like other desktop operating systems? Apple Silicon is the solution. In 2020, Apple began transitioning its Mac series away from Intel CPUs and toward specially designed Apple Silicon processors like the M1 and M2. Nearly all of the computer's parts, including the CPU, GPU, storage, and RAM, are contained on a single chip in the System-on-a-Chip (SoC) design of Apple Silicon. It functions more like modern smartphone chips than most other PC CPUs. the fundamental model (Probably) Okay, so in 2021 I purchased an M1 MacBook Air with 8 GB of RAM; the only modification I made was to replace the standard 256 GB SSD with a 512 GB one. Given that I'm used to having 16 GB of RAM on my desktop computer, I was astonished by how smoothly it ran. I use Slack, 5–20 tabs in Google Chrome, Discord, Trello, Apple Mail, and perhaps a few images in Adobe Photoshop for the majority of my working day. Even though the majority of those programs are notorious RAM hogs, I seldom ever notice the MacBook's "memory pressure" indicator turning orange. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Photo Credit: MacStories[/caption]

Conclusion

Even if it no longer makes sense for the majority of Windows PCs, an 8 GB RAM is still perfectly sufficient for a Mac. Although more RAM is usually preferable, if you are unsure of how much memory you require in a computer, save some money and avoid the pricier memory options.