M2 which is a better upgrade 16GB RAM vs 512GB SSD for the most performance?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2022
- M2 which is a better upgrade 16GB RAM vs 512GB SSD for the most performance? If you can only choose to upgrade 1 thing, either the RAM from 8GB to 16GB or SSD from 256GB to 512GB. Which would give you the best bang for the buck with the new M2 13" MacBook Pro and M2 MacBook Air? Find out in this video.
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You have done the best job in clearing the confusion for those who can only afford any one upgrade. Sadly most of the TH-camrs are recommending SSD over RAM
Thank you and every one is entitled to their opinions. This is my independent recommendation :)
it really depends upon your requirement I dont want to use external ssd I selected 512gb over 16 gb Ram also I dont play games
its only for coding.
Art is just missing the fact that background apps eat up the ram and the swap slows it down immensly. I love art but he is missing a critical test here. I've watched Max Tech open just 5 tabs in a browser and test lightroom before and after. It will blow your mind how bad the M2 gets with the 256 base config. The swap can't handle it. He only exports 50 images in his test and the M1 trounces the M2 once those background apps are open. Yes when nothing else is running the M2 beats the M1 but how often do you operate like that? I always have tabs open in a browser as I work on many things.
I feel like I'm being a troll but I truly love Art's videos. He has helped me and responded to my questions. I just don't want to see people buy something they will hate knowing what I know and thinking Art is missing this small but critical test. I only see his test with ram at 70 or 90%.
@@DennisMoncla That's a good point though. I'm just a casual user who's on a very tight budget but also wants the best thing possible for the years to come. Managing an external SSD is a hectic I understand. However looking down the years, I would learn to manage storage rather than having low RAM which cannot be fixed. Also 16GB would mean lesser swaps than 8GB.
Finally found a comparison between 16/256 and 8/512 on TH-cam!
Thank you so much for the video.
Woo Hoo!
but are all these tests just with 1 program open or a more realistic of many chrome tabs open and watching a youtube video while rendering/encoing/decoding?
This test shows the exact comparison that needed to be shown. If you multi task SSD won't make much of a variation and 16GB would still win out.
@@ArtIsRight can you do a test while multitask like 10-15 tabs open insta and watching a youtube video, thats real usage and real benchmark.
@@fdsaffff in that case, 16GB will have an even larger advantage.
Nice comparison! It makes much more sense as Apple said that they improved memory speed on the m2, so your test proves that no matter which ssd swap is always slower than the improved ram /cpu speed, so making sure the computer does not need to use swap is the key to getting the most performance! Thank you for putting the effort in to test this.
👍🏼
Thank you very much for covering this question. I’m in this exact dilemma and struggled to find any relevant reviews that examine this particular issue
You're very welcome!
Thanks! This is the test I was always looking for and none of the big tech channels have done this test.
you're welcome, I got something right ;)
but are all these tests just with 1 program open or a more realistic of many chrome tabs open and watching a youtube video while rendering/encoing/decoding?
This video was absolutely incredible, and it is exactly what I think most of us who only want to upgrade one component were looking for. Add in the fact that the student version of the RAM upgrade costs $180 vs the SSD upgrade at $200, and upgrading the RAM is a no brainer. Thank you for this excellent comparison! :D
Thank you!
THANK YOU!!!! I’ve been waiting on this exact video!!! The comparisons Max Tech does don’t make sense, thank you for doing one that makes sense!!
Glad it was helpful!
Finally the video I've been looking for. I ordered the 16/256 and this really reassured me that I made the right decision, considering how I could only make one upgrade to either the ssd or the ram. The Max Tech videos really got people to go for the SSD lol did people not see it was 8/256 vs 16/512 - not a fair comparison and does not tell you anything.
256GB is very limited... basically 80%+ of my friends android phones have 256GB SSD, some even 512....
Thats why i bought even before the M2 release a M1 Pro 16"... just a superb notebook! Its a super standalone notebook, a laptop, a "mini" iMac on a stand... or just a desktop PC with a "small" screen or on external screen with closed lid. And considering its a huge, brilliant 16" screen and a "high performance" machine... it is VERY PORTABLE!
@Moody Marshmallow thank you!
@@harrison00xXx the m1 pro/max is definitely overkill for my usage, plus they are way out of my budget as a student. Regarding storage, I’ve used up only 80gb out of 128gb on my current 2017 macbook, so 256gb is plenty for me. Most of my files are ms office anyways.
@@moodymarshy ok.
But when budget is a concern, the base M2 is already questionable, but the upgraded ones even more.
But yeah, i guess 16GB Ram is prefferable over 512GB SSD, just for the sake of future proofing where 8GB Ram is so.... 2010 like!
@@harrison00xXx my budget is not a concern, just not suitable for something overkill and wasteful for my usage like the pro/max. I got the m2 air because there are things about it that i value and think are worth the extra cash. Lol i don't think i asked for anyone's opinion or financial advice or spending habit coaching.
The comparison that I was in dire need for as I wanted to get the most VFM upgrade. This is indeed very helpful. Keep up the good work 🙂
Thanks, will do!
Thanks for all your research. You've confirmed my sense that for my purposes a RAM upgrade makes more sense. I'd also add that if someone doesn't mind moving large files around, going with a smaller SSD and using a less expensive third-party external SSD for additional storage may be a good choice.
Absolutely!
Thank you so much!!! Everyone wanted this comparison 👏👏👏
Glad it was helpful!
OmG! I have been searching for this very question and answer since first hearing about the single unit SSD on the base Macbook Air M2. I'm mad you posted this 8 days ago yet YT is finally revealing your video. I've been searching Google and YT daily since I received my M2 last week. Anyway, THANK YOU for your work and info!
Glad I could help!
That’s the video I was waiting for as I pre-ordered the 16-256gb version. Thanks.
Nice!
Great review of RAM vs. drive speed - your analysis is detailed and clear. I especially like your unpretentious presentation style and approach - keep up the great work! Just subscribed.
Much appreciated!
A lot of work went into this video, thank you for sharing it with us.
You bet
Thank you, it's the exact test that I was looking for !
You are welcome!
Thank you for this. No drama, just clear, objective test results and conclusions.
You're welcome!
Truly happy you made this, I’m sold on just upgrading the ram instead of the ssd. great video!
:D
Literally answered my question as many have stated. Thank you and subbed!
Awesome, thank you!
This explaination is what I'm exactly looking for! Thank you for explaining everything
:)
This is really good comparison, been wanting to know about this for a while
:)
This video is what I exactly need. Thank you very much!
You're welcome!
Finally the video I've been looking for. Thank you for the clarity.
You bet!
Incredible video! Exactly what I’ve been looking for and nobody else has provided such quality information delivered in an extremely professional and factual manner. I’ll be recommending this to anybody I can.
Thank you, much appreciated!
Thanks for making this video, mate. Extremely well researched and presented. I think this information will be of great help to a lot of people who are choosing between how best to spend their upgrade money. Cheers.
Glad it was helpful!
Much waited video 🙏🙏.
Thankyou very much .
Most welcome 😊
Thanks so much for such a detailed video! From a reviewer to another, this is top-notch, my friend! Great job 👏
@AlexGTech Thank you so much!
Thank you for the valuable video! right comparison I was searching for.
You are welcome!
So informative, thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video makes me feel much better and excited for my new purchase!
That is the spirit!
Exactly the vid I was looking for. Brilliant.
Thanks!
Damn this is what I was looking for .
Subscribed . Thanks a lot
Thank you!
Always a great informative video without the hype. A photographer who really knows how to use high tech gears and knows what matters in the real world.
I appreciate that!
Thank you so much for this video. I've been struggling with the dilemma of RAM vs SSD upgrade for an MBA M2, but don't want to push the cost to near MBP 14 levels.
I hear you!
@@ArtIsRight I decided to go with 16gb ram with 256GB ssd for the mba m2. I was just waiting for real world testing to confirm what I already knew. Your videos are fantastic
:D
@@waxsta bro how’s it working till now , i am thinking to buy macbook air 15 with 16gb 256gb , will it work great for normal 4k video editing from a 500 dollar sony zve10 camera ?
this is exactly what i’ve been looking for! thank you :)
No problem!!
Incredibly helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
You are the only reviewer i found who explained the difference that me and others are looking for. Thanks for the video.
Thank you!
thanks for the right benchmark. I also looks around for this comparison, but always find people compare the base with 16g/512GB. you earn 1 more subscribe :)
Thanks for watching!
Justamente estuve buscando por varias horas algún video como este… Gracias 🎉🎉🎉
Awesome!
Very thorough comparison and professionally done. Thank you for your hardwork
Very welcome!
Finally someone has addressed my burning question. I made my decision to upgrade RAM over SSD on my limited budget two days ago. Happy that the first video I have seen on that topic supports my decision.
Nice!
Thank you for the video! I’m going with 16gb. I figured even before this whole debate on TH-cam that the more ram you get, the less swapping will occur. I personally balance my storage so I know it won’t be a huge problem not upgrading the ssd, especially when I can always buy external storage. The only thing you can really do is add storage via iCloud or an external hard drive like I said, you can never add additional RAM.
Great point!
thank u bro! bc you’re totally right! even with my student discount, i can only afford one option :/ BUTTTT now i’m looking forward to getting a cool looking external ssd that i’ll rarely use )^o^(
@@fairyboy444 Definitly what I'm going to do too. 256go ssd is 50€, Apple's 512go ssd is +230€ 😂
@@martin-drt yeah, it's robbery. I've found a good and reliable 2TB SSD(Gen 3 but it's enough) for just $107. It's no brainer.
Thank you for this video. This is exactly the information I needed.
You are so welcome!
This is the most legitimate test I have seen so far. Thank you!
Wow, thank you!
Thanks for the thorough, and non-sensationalist comparison. There is so much noise about these new machines on TH-cam, it’s nice to see that some people are still using reason.
That is what I do!
Got so much value from this video, definitely calmed the anxiety from going for RAM over storage 🙏
👍🏼
Thank you so much. Now i can decided which upgrade to do.
Most welcome!
Finally exactly what I wanted to know after watching many pointless videos, thank you! Excellent video! You got a subscriber!
Awesome, thank you!
Thank u so much for this video, I was looking for 16/256 and 8/512 comparison all day. Now I can decide what I should purchase.
What will u go for?? I am still confused between 16/255 and 8/512
@@25sazzadhossain73 16/256 and in 2 or 3 year you can buy a external SSD
Nice!
@@25sazzadhossain73 16/256 is my choice, cost $300 to upgrade from 256 to 512 is nonsense.
Great thank you for this review! I've already ordered the 8+512 model to counter the slow SSD performance, but turns out the RAM should upgrade instead! Wish more people see this review.
We’re exactly the same. But I just leave it. I believe upgrading SSD has more use than upgrading RAM.
Thank you! It is the other way around.
Thanks Art. Exactly what I needed!
Perfect!
Best comparison & analysis i've been waiting❤️
Thank you!
Thank you, this was the review I was waiting for! Although I'm not a photographer (I work with audio and light programming) this shed so much light into the whole RAM/SSD issue. I mean, why care about a slow SSD regarding swap memory, if you can eliminate the use of swap (almost) altogether with enough RAM? I'm quite convinced I should get the 16GB/256GB model.
@itczu sensible, look at your workflow and storage pattern don't let anyone tell you other wise.
exactly true and its also better on the general life of ssd due to less operations
Very refreshing to see someone not over sensationalizing this ssd thing like so many others have.
Thank you for that
My pleasure!
Thank you so much! You made my decision way easier! Very professional video!!!
You are welcome!
Thanks for making this topic easy to understand!
You're very welcome!
Thank God, you do real, informed tests.
:)
THIS is the video we all needed!
Yay!
Big and clear comparations. Thanks for advice 👍
My pleasure!
Excellent review, exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you very much.
You're welcome!
Thank you soooo much man, there are videos for 16 512 vs 8 256. There is no conclusion on what really enhances the performance faster ssd or more ram. I was really confused. Now i can order one for myself. Again thank you and great video btw
Thank you!
RAM is like an office table and SSD/HDD (Storage Media) is like a file cabinet. Files are grabbed from the file cabinet to be worked on your office table. The smaller the office table, the more times you have to go the your file cabinet to get more papers. So just in real life, an office table size is vital, but there comes a point where have the largest table in the world, won't help you.
It's vital for people to try and understand how much "Table" you need or will need in the future.
Great analogy!
Wooow I understand very well because of you.
I live entra analogy
This is the best analogy I've ever seen, and it's true that when you know how big a desk you need, you can make a more accurate choice between upgrading your RAM or SSD, rather than agonizing over an SSD that's only half as fast, or whether the MBA will struggle with multiple programs at once. For most users, the MBA doesn't work at full capacity, and I believe most scenarios are focused on one thing (programming, Word, Excel, powerpoint, photo processing, or video editing). Users who really need to run their computers at full load will go straight to the more powerful MBP, or to Windows. As long as you know your job needs, you can make the right choice for you
diminishing returns
THANK YOU, finally the video I was looking for
No problem!
Very clear and easy to understand the explanation absolutely love your energy and your direct approach, new subscriber fellow TH-camr and I can’t wait to see more content from you👏👏👏👏
👊🏼
Finally! This is a great comparison, this is what I’ve been asking for, THANKS!! This is how one does a true comparison to find which characteristic is responsible for an speed improvement… just a question, these results could be transferable to the M2 MacBook Air? I guess they are right?
Yes, he said in the beginning that the results are interchangeable with the MBA because it also has the SSD issue
Similar the MBA, and SSD speed is not really an issue.
Holy cow....a factual analysis of factors that actually matter for ordinary computer users. This helped me so much. Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you for the recommendation!
Awesome!
This video is awesome and helped me more than any other video out there! Thank you!
You're welcome!
This was the video I was looking for. Other youtubers out there for some reason don't know how to conduct a basic experiment while limiting confounding variables. They would rather get "significant" results than the actual facts that will help people in real world use.
Thank you!
Thanks for making this, a lot of other reviewers were only comparing the 8/256 with 16/512 and then blaming the slow SSD for worse performance.
That is misguided and thank you!
Stumbled upon this video and I must say this is really great content!
Thank you!
FANTASTIC Presentation! With Gratitude and Appreciation for your Time and Work. Thank You!🏆
Thank you kindly!
Thank you for this clarity. I suspected the industry had gone crazy over the ssd issue. This clears things up.
Also I wonder why no one compares M2 SSD’s to the competition rather than other Macs. Maybe as a whole it’s good enough and we are just complaining it’s slower than other macs.
Great video 👍🏾
blown out of proportion without a lot of facts, I agree. 1.4 GB/s is more than enough in today age.
Thank you for this video! While I appreciate MaxTech videos, they have omitted or not gotten yet to testing the 8GB/512GB vs 16GB/256GB options. To my understanding, you can always use external storage when the SSD is not enough but can never add external RAM. The advice to go for more SSD compared to more RAM for the average user seems a bit sketchy. Going with more RAM for smooth multitasking. And 10C GPU because why not
I hear you about the 10C GPU update, why not, I would do the same thing!
Thanks. This is exactly what i was looking for.
Glad I could help!
This is what I've been looking for. Thanks!
Glad I could help!
Thank you so much for this video, MaxTech did a similar video where he compared a base m2 air to a 16/512 model and somehow concluded that the SSD upgrade was more important than the ram upgrade. I don't know how you could possibly come to ANY conclusion involving 2 independent variables lmao.
🤣🤣 yeah he's stupid
MaxTech has lost all credibility with me. The analogy is, flooring a Honda Civic coupe and complaining that it only does 105 miles per hour when the Accord does 145. If I want speed, I'll buy a Tesla. But if I need an EDD that sips gas just to go to the grocery store by myself, then Civic coupe is fine.
@Maxtech is 100% garbage. He's out there creating clickbait videos and providing clearly false consumer advice just to get views. On top of that he's financially motivated to recommend the M1 over the M2 so you buy it off the channel link and he gets a kickback. He knows exactly what he's doing. Oh yea, maxtech's voice is unbearable as well :)
For every video Max Tech did, I asked him to do 16GB/256GB as I was convinced that his whole thesis was based on shifting sands. Fundamentally it was causal, is the slower NAND or the low RAM what was causing the M2 to slow down? I was of the firm opinion that it was configuring the wrong RAM for what Max Tech was doing (pro apps). Of course, they did not make that comparison, as it would have proved the agenda they had created as unfair. In the end, Max Tech blocked me, as I was determined to argue against his suggestion that consumers should upgrade the NAND rather than the RAM.
Thanking the author for making this video to provide a more accurate perspective of the reality of this choice as it will help the many that were asking this question and getting rather bad advice from other videos.
@@andyH_England We're also forgetting that M2 has double the bandwidth. RAM is always going to be faster than SSD. If you want performance, put money into RAM. With that being said, the real question for me is failure of RAID O versus life of a NAND chip. hmmm
Great video Art but are these done with just one program opened or with other tabs in the background?
For this test it is 1 program, tab or multitasking will show that the result is the same as concluded here. video on that coming soon
@@ArtIsRight Could you do a comparison with the base model while multitasking and compare that with a 8GB/512GB and 16GB/256GB?
I’ve order the base and I need it for university but I also occasionally do some video editing.
Video on that coming at some point
@@ArtIsRight that’s great keep up the good work 👍🏼
Thank you so much for this video. Really insightful.
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this video! Like many others, Max Tech had me convinced that upgrading the SSD would be the best option. I didn't want to get a bigger SSD just for performance, so I'm glad that having more RAM compensates.
I ended up buying a 16 gb midnight M2. Very excited for it to come in a few weeks.
I'm upgrading from a mid 2011 MBA that had 4 GB of RAM. I'm sure I'll be in for a surprise by how much quicker everything runs. I'm also looking forward to being able to have OS updates again...
Awesome!
By “having more RAM compensates,” do you mean that the RAM can increase the SSD speed in a way? Or lessen the file transfer duration?
@@oreotwist3607 less usage of swap. It's much slower than RAM.
so tell us... how are you finding it so far?
@@lilybit7716 I love it!!! It's miles ahead of what I had.
Based on this comparison study, 16GB RAM and 256SSD is just the sweet spot for my workload :)
The key is to make sure to choose the higher RAM configuration (+1level based on the kind of workflow you have) to practically prevent the need to swap to SSD.
This proves that its more efficient to give the system more RAM to use for better performance.
👍🏼
just wondering will the storage space be an issue later on? as more updates n macos go larger? still in a dilemma cause 16gb seems to be a must but then the storage too:( why apple so exp haha
Storage should be housed in an external drive as the OS and application drive should occupy the internal drive. This is for safety and flexibility as you can purchase and backup any external drive you want. This also prevents clutter on the OS internal drive which may speed up transfers. Plus, correct me if I'm wrong, some external drives can be faster than the "slow" 256gb internal drive.
@@shawnwsl "why apple so exp haha" - Unfortunately because they can... Since, unlike RAM, people can always add additional storage later, I find it particularly distasteful that Apple intentionally skimps on the RAM in their base models accompanied by the ridiculous upgrade price of $200 for an extra 8GB in 2023. I think many people with a tight budget and a lighter workflow will be tempted into buying these 8GB system, only to be "forced" to buy a new computer in 5 years when a 16GB model would have served them fine for 10+ years!
Super helpful, clear comparison. Thanks!
You're welcome!
I think to do this test in multi task scenarios would give a better perspective of the problem.
not much for this test and I have been spending day doing multi tasking test video on this will come soon.
Very, very informative. I'll go with more RAM!
:)
Great job on the video!! This video has helped me a lot. Thank you!!
You're welcome!
Thank you so much for taking your time clarifying this.. I LOVE YOU
😀
Really glad to finally see someone consider the software limitations, real world use and no need to use page swap when you have more ram in the first place instead of just slating Apple for reducing the number of chips on the base model since the previous generation. Thanks!
Thanks!
Thank you brother, this was what we’ve been looking for. I guess the results are the same for the MBA? More RAM is a better upgrade then SSD, since you can buy cheaper external SSD drives.
Yes the same for MBP just longer bars because of the passive cooling.
Wow… that’s amazing comparison, for me it’s a new learn from your video
Nice job guys 👍🏻
Thanks! 😃
Very nicely you have explained. This one is best review I hv seen so far❤
Thank you so much 🙂
tbh i preordered 16/256 before the M2 SSD drama on youtube. My main reason is to eliminate the need of memory swapping and external ssd availability.
A logical one too!
Great! I was wondering why everyone said SSD. The issue is swap which is prevented with more RAM.
:D
This is a great video. Thanks !
Glad it helped!
This is what I call a GOOD comparison ! Thank you so much for this clear explanation
You're very welcome!
For anyone in computing for years, RAM is the obvious choice when it's a limitation. One the computer starts to use swap too much, the performance is ruined.
I would probably still chose storage as ssd’s slows down when it gets close to being full and can cause shutdowns. Saw a TH-camr recommending leaving about 40% of space on your ssd which would mean you only have about 150 gb of useable space. Also more storage increases speed thus better swap, which will help the 8gb of ram. But it would probably be better to just chose the m1 air or pro with 16 gb ram and 512 gb storage unless editing.
every one workflow is different, there's no one size fit all. Thank you to @Rael G.C.
Just why are all those influencers NOT doing informative videos like this one? Thanks for the numbers, this helps a lot!
You're so welcome!
Wow 🤩 great video! Thank you for running these tests. Would love to have one can’t afford it :(
Thank you!
Very insightful video! You definitely helped to answer my question. Thanks!
Very welcome!
Well. A few minutes ago I ordered the 16gb ram/256ssd. Will let you know how it performs.
👍🏼
Great comparison video. I struggled with these options as I wanted both but the costs were already high with the new M2 price tag. I eventually decided on storage since running apps and the OS would take up 256GB fairly quickly. My Mac Mini does my heavy lifting anyways so the Air is mainly for daily tasks and I won't be doing anything as heavy as your tests.
There you go!