Choosing between the baseline M1 MacBook Pro and the 16GB upgrade is a bit like being Jean
Claud Van Damme stretched between two Volvo trucks.
You know it will be one or the other, but you secretly hope that it will be the less
expensive model.
There's a reasonable choice however but I realized that after I made the mistake of
first purchasing a baseline 8GB M1 MacBook Pro.
Let me explain.
Hey, Iskren here, but feel free to call me E, it is now clear to me that I should’ve
opted or in my cases WAITED for the 16GB model instead of rushing and getting the underpowered
one back when all new M1s were released.
That dilemma of mine was completely shattered as soon as I took the plunge and my 16GB order
arrived.
At that point, I was confident that I can finally sell my 16” Intel maxed out MacBook
for good.
So I am here to tell you that when we talk about M1 machines RAM does matter and while
reviewing this second M1 of mine, I’d like to point out later why 8GB of extra memory
might make or break your experience.
So let's take a step back and see what we are dealing with.
This is an 8-core CPU & 8-core GPU, with a 16-core Neural Engine configuration with 16GB
of unified memory and base storage of 512GB costing $1700 US dollars.
The form factor is the same as the MacBooks of yesteryear with the huge downside of having
only two USB-C ports on the left side.
This tiny thing, in those specs, is extremely unique however because for the first since
the 11" iPad Pro, that much power and potential comes in such a small package.
Actually, ever since I completely moved over to this very M1, my iPad Pro had to live up
to my MacBook Pro, because the Mac is a Mac and I can do a whole lot more, but also because
the Mac in my case lasts longer than my iPad's battery, which to this point was one of my
iPad's superpowers.
There was a time when I even completely stopped using my iPad because of the Mac.
Of course, when the honey moon period was over I eventually came back and grabbed the
tabled again because of its unique versatility.
Anyway, I recently released a video showcasing my 10 ways of using my iPad Pro, so if you
are interested click on this LINK right HERE.
So, old form factor with this M1, but compact and powerful, that's all that matters to me.
The 20 hours of claimed battery life is no joke with all M1 battery-powered machines
and not glaring at the battery percentage or in fact not thinking about the battery
at all is something to brag about.
It's a bit like having an electric vehicle and not suffering from range enxiety.
Even when editing or playing games, this laptop lasts for ages.
Sure, if I don't use the laptop as part of my desk setup, the screen might come small
for some projects, but it still does the job OK, despite the old bezels that we have all
come to despise already.
The panel is plenty bright, colour-accurate and I embraced the bezels by rounding the
corners, making everything seem a lot more like an iPad Pro.
The webcam these days is the same as before but paired with the new internals supposedly
delivers better results, although still as embarrassing if you ask me.
The speakers though are great and although not as immersive as my previous 16" laptop,
they deliver satisfying results.
I use this computer to do all my creative work.
From development tasks to graphic design on Affinity Photo and Designer to complex video
edits in Final Cut Pro, to occasional gaming, the M1 MacBook Pro is handling everything
like a champ.
I fit all this power in a small messenger bag and don't have to carry a charger daily.
This is my one and only all-arounder that I can rely on for everything.
That wasn't the case with my previous 8GB model though and I really want to bring this
up to your attention because I know the temptation and desire to save cash.
RAM is important.
I’d go as far as to say that with an extra 8 GB of RAM I am witnessing a totally different
machine, like a PRO and non-Pro laptop.
I did not expect this to be honest.
When I first started to use my baseline 8GB model I was taking things slow.
With Intel-based apps and Rosetta, I wanted to gradually see what’s what and for the
first 4 to 6 weeks, everything seemed perfect.
I could easily work off of it, I could play games, I could never get tired of the endless
battery life.
As I was introducing more and more complicated workflows and as work began to pile up I was
naturally speeding up my multitasking.
Аt that point I began witnessing doggy performance when doing multiple resource-intensive tasks.
For example, I would have to quickly retouch a photo then crop or draw a graphic which
I’d have to export for Final Cut and I would switch back and forth between my tools until
at one point things would either freeze up for a second or I would behold the beach ball
of death.
Force quitting and occasional restarts slowly started to turn into daily habits and CleanMyMac
X would jump up with multiple warnings of exhausted RAM which meant I would have to
stop and think about what I can sacrifice to finish what I initially intended to do.
At one point I wanted to run Parallels and Windows, which I know a lot of people would
want to use for work and having that little memory bandwidth would seriously start to
question my choice of configuration.
I became very obsessed with what I am dealing with at any given moment, doing my best not
to exceed the machine's limitations.
I would either work on a graphic task, quit and then open the next tool that I need, or
I would simply do a restart, knowing that it is mandatory to finalize everything I wanted
to do.
Don’t get me wrong, for 2 months, I was undoubtedly capable of doing all my work,
but at a cost.
As snappy and brisk as the baseline 8GB M1 was in basic tasks, it would become hesitant
and slow when I need it the most, especially after few days of work.
CleanMyMac X by the way has helped me a lot during my initial M1 struggles and I am confident
that anyone who’s running a slower or older Mac should definitely give CleanMyMac X a
try.
With it, I can monitor all my computer components and vitals and swiftly clean and free up not
only my hard disk space but also get rid of anything that is clogging my memory resources.
Every few days, CMMX would remind me to do a simple scan that unequivocally would clear
up at least a few GB of disk space and free up precious RAM.
CMMX is my swiss army knife for my Mac because it is always there, inconspicuously helping
me do all sorts of maintenance, like properly uninstall apps or getting a glimpse and manage
my disk space thanks to the awesome interactive map of my entire drive.
With this tool I can locate massive old files that were swept under the rug so to speak,
protect my laptop from malware and even keep everything up to date.
Think of it as the most user-friendly fixer for your Mac so be sure to head over to the
first link in the description below and install CleanMyMacX today.
So, be honest about your needs.
Think twice of the way you use your Mac, knowing that you'll most likely use it the next few
years.
8GB of RAM is OK for many people, but for some it is not, because that extra 8GB will
make an M1 computer feel like something twice as capable.
If your daily use, however, doesn't require special resource-hungry tools, I'd even recommend
to go for the M1 MacBook Air, because, unlike with memory, the active cooling on the Pro
won’t be as necessary.
The Air is cheaper, sleeker and despite some compromises, like a one less GPU core, a bit
smaller battery and slightly dimmer display, it is just as good for the average consumer.
As for the MacBook Pro, I think it should only exist in a 16GB variant and unless Apple
releases an updated version with hopefully more ports, multi-display support, potentially
an SD Card reader and sleeker design with smaller bezels, this 13” 16GB TRIUMPH is
all I would ask for.
If you enjoyed this video, check out my M1 playlist where I talk about setting up my
new M1 Mac and much more.
If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comment section below or ping
me on Twitter!
As always, it’s been an absolute pleasure, This is E
Over and out