The new MacBooks with M1 chip come with 8 GB or maximum 16 GB memory. The question is whether this is enough (the Intel models come with up to 32 GB RAM) and for which application you should use which equipment.
MAxTech tested and answered exactly this question in the video and let two MacBook Pro with M1 chip compete against each other – one with 8 GB memory and one with 16 GB. The tests are interesting and we would recommend you to watch the video if you are about to buy one.
For those who are impatient, here’s a brief summary: The performance for Lightroom and 4K Video Export is almost equal at 8GB and 16GB. So if that’s your purpose, you can save the extra charge of 16 GB. There is a significant performance difference if you want to export 8K RAW video. Then 16 GB are urgently recommended (see screenshot above). Interesting to note: with 16 GB RAM, the M1 MacBook Pro is on the same performance level as its Intel counterpart with 32 GB.
