Apr 17, 2024 - 13:59
By pcgamer.com

Apple keeps flogging 8GB of RAM for its Mac computers but it's still a dead horse

Last year we reported on Apple's claims that 8GB on a Mac is like 16GB on a PC. It wasn't and still isn't, unsurprisingly. But now Apple is doubling down on the 8GB shizzle, claiming that it's «suitable for many tasks», including browsing, video streaming and even «light» video and image editing.

It remains, of course, the case that many entry-level models of Mac computers are still configured with just 8GB. That includes all MacBook Air laptops, the Mac Mini and most egregiously of all, the MacBook Pro 14.

That might have been OK were it not for the fact that Apple charges a ridiculous $200 to upgrade any of those machines from 8GB to 16GB. And thanks to the unified memory architecture of Apple silicon, you're stuck with whatever factory config you go for. More RAM cannot be added at a later date.

Speaking to IT Home, Apple rep Evan Buyze, Mac product marketing team leader, doubled down on the notion that 8GB is just dandy for many Mac users, explaining that 8GB of memory is suitable for many tasks, such as browsing the internet, doing some streaming, and messaging. To that was added, slightly less plausibly, light editing of photos and videos and casual gaming.

What exactly «light video editing» or «casual gaming» really means is hard to pin down. Does casual gaming mean tolerating 15fps, for instance? Whatever, here's the thing. Even if there is such a thing as light video editing or casual gaming and even if an 8GB Mac does those tasks tolerably well, 8GB still isn't acceptable.

That's because a Mac with 8GB can easily run out of memory just browsing the web. That's particularly true with Chrome, which just so happens to be the most popular browser around.

Regular Chrome users will know what a memory hog Chrome can be. Right now, I have about 15 tabs open, which is actually pretty low for me. Often, my tab count can blow well past 50 in multiple windows.

Handily,