16GB vs 32GB RAM M1 Pro MacBook - Multitasking RAM TEST!

Do you REALLY need 32GB of RAM on the new M1 Pro MacBook Pro? We literally threw EVERY test we possibly could at these MacBook Pros to find out if it's actually worth the $400 Upgrade!

Links to the new MacBook Pros on Amazon ⬇️

In this video, we run various benchmarks like video editing, photo editing, programming, and much more between the 16GB RAM M1 Pro MacBook Pro and the 32GB RAM M1 Pro MacBook Pro!

We run all of these tests to find out if it's actually worth spending the extra $400 on the 32GB of RAM or NOT!

If you enjoyed this video, Tap Like & Subscribe for more videos like this one! Be sure to comment as well to enter the giveaway!

Timestamps ⬇️
16GB vs 32GB - 00:00
Baseline Performance - 0:58
Lightroom Photo Editing - 01:10
Adobe Photoshop - 3:30
Photo Editing with 15 Tabs - 04:53
FCX with maxed out RAM - 05:50
Lightroom with RAM Full - 08:32
Multitasking with RAM Full - 09:12
Logic Pro with RAM Full - 10:25
X Code with Full RAM - 10:46
Can you avoid SWAP? - 11:39
8K Video Editing - 13:46
EXTREME STRESS TEST - 14:39
16GB vs 32GB Final Verdict! - 16:54
SSD Longevity with RAM Swap - 18:34

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[MaxTechOfficial]

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Links to the new MacBook Pros on Amazon ⬇

[hussamaladdin]

I love that he wanted to test out the ram by having 5 tabs open in safari, calling it "typical usage". Meanwhile i am watching this while having 70 tabs open in chrome.

[tonymickle]

Just for clarity here. Working in 1 application at a time is not memory intensive. You can definitely use 16GB and it would be fine. Modern OSs are very good at swapping memory as needed and modern SSDs are super fast. Even switching applications is not a huge pressure on memory. it is more intensive but not huge. As an application goes out of focus the system will compress the memory it was holding. If it stays out of focus long enough, it will dump memory to the SSD clearing the space for in focus apps. You won't lose anything, the place where the memory is stored just changed, that is all.

If you run multiple applications side by side (in focus) or with external monitors, that is where memory pressure will come in. So you can wrap things up like this:

1) If you will be working on 1 application at a time (in focus) on your Macbook then 16GB is good.

2) If you plan on real multitasking (multiple apps open and in focus) either on the Macbook screen or with external monitors, 32GBs is the way to go.

It is very important to understand CPU and Memory with the M1 SOC arch. You can't just swap in more memory you have to trade up for a whole new system. Know your work patterns and invest in the right size for now and the future. This was a good video but it was just showing 1 work pattern that is NOT memory intensive. You could triple the number of background things and the results would have been the same. The system will compress and dump any application not in focus.

You want to really test it. Get two external monitors with each running 1-2 applications in focus. Play some music, have a video rolling and play a small game on another while doing some work related activities. That work pattern will definitely need a 32GB model.

[ellengross]

When you've reached the point of grasping for tasks to overburden the machines and the performance differences are so incremental, it's time to get excited for the smaller RAM but larger SSD option. Very entertaining and saves me $ !

[pesantesc]

I would love to see more thrown at it from a programmer perspective. These laptops are clearly for pro multimedia editors but programmers is another “pro” sector that is largely ignored by YouTube reviewers (understandable since you’re all editors). Please look into this - and stick out from your competition :p

[nikifallen]

This was the proof I needed that the 16GB model is good enough for me! I’ve been waffling so long that everything is sold out, but I’m so used to the Windows mindset. Thanks, again, for the thorough and creative vids. And thanks for getting help in creating benchmarks that aren’t your forte. It’s much appreciated!

[jesseandersen]

I'd love to see a ram stress test between the M1 and the M1 Pro, both 16 GBs to see if the bandwidth makes a clear difference in performance.

[stenerikbjorling]

Some thoughts… OK, memory and storage are expensive - but securing good function over time is also valuable… More memory - less load on SSD (longer functional lifetime), more disk - one singular storage unit to make backups on and the performance is high over time… The cost of the computer is sunk costs - just as well to safeguard long, functional lifespan and use...

[bibasik]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between a 32GB M1 Pro and a 32GB M1 Max, to see how much of a difference the memory bandwidth and extra GPU cores make.

[itsmealex]

I have ordered the 16GB RAM version. Now I’m more confident on my decision. Thank you for this interesting test👍 Greetings from Germany 🇩🇪 Alex

[layomi.]

Was a bit worried about my 16gb order, but after watching this I’m fully satisfied with it. This was a fantastic video

[FilthyGreen]

Thank you for doing these comparison tests, they are invaluable to anyone trying to decide between 16GB vs 32GB of RAM.

[danielnum]

Very impressive! I still wish to see a more developer-oriented test, though — Docker in the background with 2 or 3 containers (nothing crazy), plus two IDEs open at a time and an iPhone simulator or Android emulator. This is a very plausible setup for a full-stack developer doing cross-platform work.

[ViniciusSichieri]

Take the 16" entry level one and push the SSD to 2Tb. That 's the sweet spot!

[malaytripathi]

When I decided to upgrade from a MacBook Air 2017 to a MacBook Pro, I was a lot confused. The first confusion was whether to get the 14" or the 16". Finally settled for the 14" because I needed it to be portable and handy and the 16" is seriously heavy. For productivity improvement, a monitor is always a better choice. I knew that I won't need the M1 MAX Chip at all. Now the main question was if I needed to max out the M1 Pro. Thank you guys at Max Tech for answering a lot of my questions and that too with proof. As per my workload, I just need the M1 Pro with 16 GB RAM. I think this is a very powerful combination for most people.

[cameralabs]

Another really useful test, thanks Max! It confirms what I suspected, that the 16 would obviously hit the swap more than the 32 BUT that the SSD is now so fast, it's barely noticeable if at all in real-life situations. You've pretty much covered all the apps I used, so saved me from investing in the 32GB model. I agree, I think the more important thing is to get a decent-sized SSD from day-one, so 1TB / 16GB for me. PS - I think there might be some more significant differences between 16 and 32 for the 3D / VFX / modelling / AE folks out there, but that doesn't affect me!

[Warlock_UK]

"I'm going to open 10 tabs"
Me: "Wait, people have less than 30 tabs open at any one time? I've got 16 right now just for JIRA!"

[bll]

Watched this one and some others because as Windows user I didn’t feel comfortable with 16GB. Was going back and forth, but finally decided to go with 32. Just took a couple of days to find out that 16GB is to less when using external monitor (something nobody on YT making these comparisons is testing). Because MacOS windows manager is eating up RAM even more when using a 4K display - you’ll end up with 18 or 20 GB easily. And when I noticed that I didn’t had any ‚creative software‘ opened. Bottom line: eat that frog and spend the money.

[panic]

Really impressed how fast the SSD cache swaps are. I’m still glad I ordered the 32GB. As a software engineer even small increases in compile time add up when you do it dozens of times a day every day.

[vision]

This is the comparison I was looking for, you’ve just saved me the upgrade; I really don’t need it at all. Great work.