It’s hard to believe that two numbers kickstarted my career as a tech content creator.
The 8GB vs 16GB Mac buying decision became harder than it ever had been with the introduction of Apple silicon in 2020. Suddenly, everything we knew about RAM (it’s not even called that anymore, according to Apple) had changed. What was once a measly 8GB of memory was suddenly capable of far greater feats.
Despite this, the arrogance surrounding base model memory configurations remained. In some ways, it intensified.
How dare Apple sell such expensive laptops with only 8GB of memory? You’re a fool if you don’t get at least 16GB. Don’t you realise that all of that swapping is going to destroy the SSD?
I’ve even seen some people suggest that supplying a computer with 8GB of memory in 2024 is a criminal offence.
No, really.
It definitely isn’t, by the way.
I’ve been using an 8GB MacBook Air (in various forms) to run this business since 2020, and it has been a flawless decision. And, no, I’ve never run out of memory, and my SSDs are absolutely fine, thank you very much.
It’s been a while since I’ve covered this topic, though, so let’s dive in and ask that all-important question, once again: should you buy an 8GB or 16GB M3 MacBook Air this year?
8GB vs 16GB M3 MacBook Air: why does it matter?
We do live in a different era when it comes to Mac memory, despite what some people might tell you. This is both a good and a bad thing.
People hold onto their Macs for a long time. This has always been the case, but it means that the buying process is dominated by the thought that one could make the wrong decision and end up with something that won’t last very long at all.
Mac buyers also think about resale value – possibly more so than those who opt for Windows machines. Macs have, by and large, always retained a lot of their value, which makes trading them in or selling them privately a key consideration for a lot of owners. The amount of memory in your Mac can have a considerable impact on that resale value – it is, after all, one of the main elements that dictates future proofing.
However, there’s also such a thing as too much headroom. Why opt for 16GB or 24GB in your M3 MacBook Air if you have absolutely no need for it? That’s wasted money, right? Although, on the flip side of the coin is the fact that choosing insufficient unified memory can result in a frustrating user experience, depending on your use case.
Oh, and let’s not beat around the bush – £200 (the price Apple charges for a memory upgrade) is a lot of money.
See? It’s tricky, isn’t it?
Until today. Hopefully.
My experience switching to the 16GB M3 MacBook Air
A few weeks ago, Apple sent me a 16GB 15-inch M3 MacBook Air for review. I decided to switch to it for a few days from my 8GB M2 version to see if there was any noticeable improvement in performance, based on my use case.
I’ve never used the 16GB MacBook Air in anger, beyond some rudimentary testing for my reviews, so this is about as close to a Mark Ellis Reviews benchmark as you’re ever going to get.
My use case for the MacBook Air is really straightforward. I use it to write (these days, while connected to Vision Pro for complete immersion and focus), send emails, undertake Zoom calls, keep in touch with the team on Slack, and for web browsing.
That’s it, and I haven’t modified or added to those tasks since switching to this 16GB version. I performed a like-for-like swap, too, by using the macOS Migration Assistant.
The fact that Apple sent me the exact same colour M3 MacBook Air as my M2 version (Starlight) is rather fortuitous, because I have a feeling a Midnight version would have ‘felt’ faster.
Is there a difference? Not really. It possibly feels a little bit snappier, but that might just be a placebo effect. The only area in which I have noticed an upgrade is when viewing ad-heavy webpages – this 16GB M3 MacBook Air doesn’t crawl to a halt if I fire up one of those sites in Safari. That’s rather nice for someone who references a lot of websites like that, and, well, who has one of his own.
I’m acutely aware that the version of the M3 MacBook Air on which I’m currently bashing out this post is also probably far more capable of video editing than my base model M2 version. That’s a nice thought, should my MacBook Pro suffer a catastrophic failure.
Neither of those things is tempting me to upgrade, though.
Who is the 8GB M3 MacBook Air for?
Remember my use case for the MacBook Air – I consider this to be ’normal’ use. It’s about as regular as it comes, and doesn’t call on the considerable reserves of Apple silicon power. I have a sneaking suspicion that most MacBook Air users fall into that camp.
If your use case is similar to mine and your budget cannot stretch any further than the base model 8GB MacBook Air (or if you just don’t want to spend any more money on a laptop), then you’re making the right buying decision. Similarly, if you’re not too fussed about resale value (that’s fine, by the way) and accept that if you keep your MacBook Air for a long time it’ll eventually slow down a bit, once again, you’re making the right buying decision. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
I think the 8GB M3 MacBook Air is also a great shout for bulk buyers. If you’ve got a team of people whose laptop duties match the normal use case I’ve illustrated today, and you want to invest your budget wisely – go for the base model.
Who is the 16GB M3 MacBook Air for?
While I stand firm by my belief that the 8GB M3 MacBook Air is right for a significant portion of the user base, I think the majority of people who are buying a MacBook Air can stretch their budget a little.
As noted, £200 is a lot of money, but it isn’t a lot of money when you consider what it delivers in return: peace of mind.
The fact you’re reading this blog post suggests that you’re batting back and forth between 8GB vs 16GB. And if you’re doing that, I strongly suggest you go for the latter, whether you’re a ‘normal’ user or not.
Adding more unified memory remains the most sensible upgrade option if you can add some more money into your MacBook Air pot. Beyond the peace of mind it delivers, you’ll also have more headroom if you one day decide to get really creative with your laptop, and it ensures you’ll gain even more life out of it as the capabilities of macOS and the app universe expands.
For me, the sweet spot spec for the M3 MacBook Air is the 16GB version with 1TB of storage. That comes in at £1,699 for the 13-inch version, and £1,899 for the 15-inch version. No, these aren’t cheap laptops, but they’re not supposed to be – and the value they deliver proves that’s the case.
M2 or M3 MacBook Air?
A quick note on the other buying decision I suspect a lot of you are currently navigating: should you go for the M2 or M3 MacBook Air?
The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is now the entry-level option. You can upgrade the memory and storage, but once you start doing that, you begin creeping into M3 territory, which makes that a highly questionable buying decision.
More importantly, the base model M3 MacBook Air has been confirmed to have two NAND storage chips. If you weren’t aware, the base model M2 MacBook Air only has one, which was a departure from the setup in the M1 version and consequently resulted in a performance deficit.
Apple has, thankfully, seen the light, and listened to the market. We’re back in dual-NAND chip territory, and that means the base model M2 MacBook Air (despite the savings) isn’t a good buy. Equally, the M3 version also includes better Wi-Fi and the ability to drive two external monitors in clamshell mode.
Trust me, folks – M3 is the way to go.
Wrapping up
When you break this down, the decision between 8GB or 16GB of unified memory for your M3 MacBook Air is actually pretty straightforward.
In summary:
- Go for an 8GB M3 MacBook Air if your budget won’t stretch any further and you have no interest in resale value (there’s nothing wrong with that and it will still last you a long time).
- Go for a 16GB M3 MacBook Air if your budget can stretch a bit and you want as much longevity and resale value as possible.
Oh, and if you think you need a 24GB M3 MacBook Air, well, you’re probably not even reading this.
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