Apple insists 8GB of unified memory on Macs is equivalent to 16GB of regular RAM – Apple

Company States The new memory architecture allows it to use RAM more efficiently compared to Intel-based Macs. So, even though the amount of RAM seems small, Apple claims that it performs larger amounts on other computers.

Bob Borchers, Apple’s chief marketing officer, defended the company’s approach It is useful The 8GB of RAM in the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro is “likely comparable to 16GB in other systems.” The increase in efficiency allows for less RAM to perform well according to the company.

When Apple switched from Intel to its own chips in 2020, one of the big changes was memory design. Apple Silicon uses what’s called Unified Memory Architecture (UMA), where RAM is integrated directly into the main processor chip, but is not upgradable.

Traditional computers have random access memory (RAM) on a separate memory chip, connected to the processor via a bus. This bus can sometimes throttle the speed at which the processor can access RAM.

With UMA on Apple Silicon, the memory is located exactly on the same chip as the processor. This allows very quick access without crowding the bus. So, even though the amount of RAM seems small, Apple says the access speed makes up for it.

However, some business users are skeptical of Apple’s claims. They point out that modern applications and artificial intelligence programs increasingly use memory. Apple’s entry-level models, like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, start with just 8GB of RAM, which can’t be increased.

Upgrading to 16GB of RAM adds $200 to the price of a new MacBook or iMac. And doubling up to 32GB costs an upgrade of at least $400. Because of how tightly integrated RAM is, Apple doesn’t allow users to upgrade it themselves later.

But power users counter that there are real-world use cases like video editing, 3D modeling, and programming that benefit greatly from more RAM, but Apple’s pricing makes upgrading expensive. Considering that the base model starts at just 8GB, the cost of more memory goes up significantly.