Interesting how memory pressure reveals itself most in the transitions; between compiling, launching apps, or switching VMs. It’s not just about benchmarks, it’s about friction in the flow.
I am finally upgrading from my 2017 MacBook Air to the M4 15 inch with 16GB memory today… man it will be a monumental difference. 😅
I followed your advice about as much memory as you can, and got used M1 Max 64 RAM. This is a beast and I can finally stop abusing my SSD with a swap!
You are the voice of a lot of Devs who needed comparisons like that, your reviews are fire, man! 🔥
As a final year Comp Sci student with an m4 MacBook Air 24GB 512GB the workflows represented are pretty realistic. 16GB is not enough for my usage, I don’t accept swap as being acceptable due to rapid wear to the unreplaceable SSD. I’ve never really hit more than 21ish GB of RAM usage with zero swap even when I’m really trying to hit the ram, but I consistently use about 16GB.
Got myself a m4 air 13" 24GB/512GB based on your videos thanks Alex
You're becoming ambidextrous, it's impressive ✋🤚 😂
16GB RAM / M2 Pro. Full-stack web developer. Running simultaneously: min 50 Chrome tabs, Photoshop, Affinity Designer, Docker, Slack, 7 VS Code workspaces, 10 terminals, Figma. As a result, swap is constantly loaded with 30+ GB, but nothing lags — only sometimes switching between desktops isn’t smooth. After a year of this kind of workflow, SSD wear is 2%. Ready to buy m4pro/48Gb, but don't understand do i really need it.
Now, this is called proper developer reviews!
Thank you so much for the dev tests!
I think the word you're looking for is "control" (not "constant") when you changed to run your experiments with lighter workflows. BTW, I use a 24 GB M3 MBA as my primary dev machine and love it.
As a 3D modeler who makes models for 3D printing, I am between the M4 Macbook Air with 32GB of ram and the M4 Pro Macbook Pro with 48GB of ram. The M4 Pro Macbook pro is a better machine but since I can't find any reviews online, I don't know if it is an overkill for what I want to do. Not to mention that is is around 600€ more expensive. I haven't seen any reviews on how many polygons can these laptops "reach" in Zbrush and or Blender. My PC can (Ryzen 5600X with 32GB of ram) can handle up to 30 million polygons. If the Macbook Air can go even beyond that then it is more than enough. If not, the M4 Pro will be my only choice...
I enjoyed your video! I upgraded from the M1 Air (256GB/16GB) to the M4 Air (512GB/16GB) to get more memory, and it's lightweight for taking to work. I'm happy with the performance of the new Air. I don't typically use my Mac for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing, graphic design, software development, or scientific computing.
TRUTH about M4 MacBook Air RAM UPGRADES is that they are too expensive but Apple has us over a barrel
Buying 32GB of ram on a macbook air seems a bit excessive for this kind of device. This kind of use with a lot of ram requires more effort, and will come with a consequent heating that a macbook air can't withstand. In that case, you'll have to reconsider the model you're looking for - a macbook pro would be a better choice. Knowing that a macbook air with 32GB ram will cost about the same as a macbook pro with more advantages. A 16GB macbook air is still usable, 24GB ram is excellent and up to 1TB of storage, so you won't have to worry about the amount of swap you'll generate, no difference with 32GB ram.
I am waiting for this, thanks for dropping that banger!....
Been waiting for this one. Appreciated
The more RAM there is, the more it uses. A 16 RAM uses about 11-12, a 32 RAM uses about 20.
external ssd swap is just as fast as onboard memory was just a few years ago
@Kareem-cx4fi