Apple Continues to Use 8GB of RAM on MacBooks, but We’re Still Not Convinced

Although many experts believe that 8 GB of RAM is no longer enough for today’s needs, Apple still considers it acceptable.

In 2024, Apple will continue to sell laptops with just 8GB of RAM. This decision received a lot of criticism, especially during the presentation of Apple’s latest M3 products.

In an interview with Chinese media outlet Ithome, Evan Buys, Apple’s product marketing manager, confirmed that Apple believes 8GB of RAM is enough for a variety of tasks. This is the second time he has made such a statement.

However, many experts do not share this opinion. And the tests confirm… Vadim Yuriev from the Max Tech YouTube channel, who has already compared the MacBook in a configuration with 8 and 16 GB of RAM. He also ran tests on a laptop with 16GB of RAM, which was compared with an Apple machine, and the result is again clear.

Why is 8 GB of RAM no longer enough in 2024?

RAM is an important component of any computer. It allows you to temporarily store data used by the processor. The more RAM, the more data the computer can process at once, resulting in faster and smoother operation.

With the development of software and applications, RAM requirements have increased significantly. For example, modern web browsers consume much more RAM than their predecessors. Likewise, photo and video editing applications, games, and productivity tools require a significant amount of RAM to function properly.

In this context, 8GB of RAM, even if combined, can quickly become a bottleneck, especially for users running multiple applications at the same time. This can lead to slowdowns, lags, and an overall poor user experience. Not to mention AI.

Impact of AI on RAM requirements

Because the development of artificial intelligence has further exacerbated the need for a significant amount of RAM. AI applications, especially those that run on the terminal side, directly on the device, have high memory requirements. This is especially true for generative artificial intelligence, which requires a significant amount of RAM to function properly.

It’s true that Apple has equipped its M series chips with a unified memory architecture, which should theoretically make it easier to run generative AI. However, the issue of RAM remains unresolved. Apple has confirmed that its Apple Silicon chips are AI-ready and have a dedicated NPU, but the company has not addressed the RAM issue.

Moreover, in the interview, Apple mentioned that it will share more news about artificial intelligence later this year. Of course, during the Worldwide Developers Conference WWDC 2024, which will take place from June 10 to 14.