News Apple may switch to 16GB of memory as default for new M4 series — test machines hint at a transition even on the base model

[Admin]

An Apple insider has noted that a quartet of new base-level Mac computers are being tested, all with at least 16GB of RAM. Upcoming M4 machines are likely to adhere to this minimum.

Apple may switch to 16GB of memory as default for new M4 series — test machines hint at a transition even on the base model : Read more

 

[Heat_Fan89]

The one factor no one considers is that Apple tends to raise prices as they bump the specs. They do that a lot with the iPhone, iPad's etc. The end result is that Apple will bump the specs and charge $100 more so the end result is you are getting a $100 discount for the extra 8GB because normally it would cost $200 for the 8GB upgrade.

If they decide to bump the memory specs from 8GB to 16GB and the disk storage from 256GB to 512GB, don't be surprised if you are looking at a $200 increase in price.

Look, I own Mac's, I like them but i'm wise to Apple's pricing shenanigans. That's why always buy the base model Mac Mini. I expect the M4 Mini to have a price increase between $100-200 depending on what specs they plan to increase.

 

[BTM18]

We walked out of an apple store laughing at the 8GB starting point. My Dad uses apple crap. This and the tiny SSD's
Were enough to get him to wake up about apple not being a good value.
How stupid does apple think folks are?
Oh, wait. Stupid folks are their bread and butter.

 

[svan71]

It’s amazing Apple has gotten away with this crap and the inability to upgrade your storage or memory on your own should be illegal .

 

[Heat_Fan89]

It’s amazing Apple has gotten away with this crap and the inability to upgrade your storage or memory on your own should be illegal .

The last time they allowed for both was on their 2012 Mac's. I own a 2012 Mini and upgrading the memory was super easy and upgrading the HDD was somewhat easy but it was doable.

The 2014 Mac's began the trend of making it more difficult to upgrade. I own a 2018 Mac Mini which is Intel based and I did upgrade the RAM, and it was a challenge, not to break something during the process.

In 2020 Apple did away with memory you could upgrade yourself when they used integrated RAM and disk storage with their Apple silicon Mac's.

 

[Amdlova]

Good 16gb ram and ssd will die fast than the lighting cables

 

[magbarn]

Don't worry AAPL shareholders, Tim will make sure to continue charging 2010 prices for SSD upgrades.

 

[brandonjclark]

As they say in slang, "*Bed Be"!

*They had better be doing that.

 

[SkyBill40]

But I thought Apple's 8GB of memory was equal to 16GB of PC memory? Wonder what managed to get ol' Tim to change his tune? Guess that superior Apple design was just a smokeshow after all, eh?

 

[brandonjclark]

But I thought Apple's 8GB of memory was equal to 16GB of PC memory? Wonder what managed to get ol' Tim to change his tune? Guess that superior Apple design was just a smokeshow after all, eh?

Local AI seems like a pretty good reason to bump it up.

 

[Sippincider]

Wonder what managed to get ol' Tim to change his tune?

AI. Esp. after he squandered years of opportunity (Siri) and allowed Apple to get caught completely unprepared.

Also 16GB base should be everyone's cue to BTO to at least 32.

(Someone's gonna argue "But the base specs are enough for basic needs!", and the answer is "If those are your needs then consider an iPad").

 

[Notton]

There is a good reason M-series doesn't have user serviceable RAM, and it's because of the memory bandwidth.
384-bit, and 768-bit bus would be impossible to fit inside a 16" laptop if you used SODIMM. You would need 6 or 12 modules, and they'd be slower because DDR5-SODIMM is limited to 5600MT/s. Assuming it's even possible to wire the slots up at 5600MT/s due to trace lengths.
192-bit would only need 3, so it's workable, but you'd still get the speed penalty of not using LPDDR5.

 

[joeer77]

Good. They should. I just updated Fort Nite on my PC. It now consumes 15.5GB of RAM just to play Fort Nite on Windows 11.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

Moreover, its assertions that “8GB on an M3 MacBook Pro is probably analogous to 16GB on other systems” were primarily ridiculed by PC enthusiasts last year.

It was more than ridiculed. The problem with M-series Macs is the RAM doubles as VRAM for the integrated GPU, which means the 8GB on a Mac is worse than 8GB on a Windows machine that has a dedicated video card with its own VRAM. Apple somehow said the exact opposite of what is true.

 

[Kondamin]

There is a good reason M-series doesn't have user serviceable RAM, and it's because of the memory bandwidth.
384-bit, and 768-bit bus would be impossible to fit inside a 16" laptop if you used SODIMM. You would need 6 or 12 modules, and they'd be slower because DDR5-SODIMM is limited to 5600MT/s. Assuming it's even possible to wire the slots up at 5600MT/s due to trace lengths.
192-bit would only need 3, so it's workable, but you'd still get the speed penalty of not using LPDDR5.

And that’s why they made camm
Putting 3 of those in an arm board should be that much of an issue as everything is on die anyway.
Loads of space on the pcb

 

[abufrejoval]

It’s amazing Apple has gotten away with this crap and the inability to upgrade your storage or memory on your own should be illegal .

As a PC user I feel truly privileged to view this topic from afar.

While PCs genesis might be regarded as a thinly veilled Apple ][ knock-off, both were open platforms with well documented hardware interfaces and zero software restrictions.

The current breed of Apple compute, however, started as iPods, software based appliances who critically depended on a walled garden for its original business model of DRM for content.

The fruity cult would argue that anyone entering an Apple indenture does voluntarily give up basic human rights, dignity and any chance of ever liberating themselves or their offspring perennially.

As an engineer I can't really argue the legality of that.

As a human being I am duly enraged, most likely to no avail on their bottom line, the only nerve many corporations have.

I'd just like to mention that my Orange PI 5+ may lack significantly in the computational power department with its modest 8 ARM CPUs, but sports 32GB of soldered RAM at €250 for the entire board and thus a €50 premium over the 8GB models.

And 64GB of DDR4 SO-DIMM are around €110, €150 for DDR5. It's also less than €100/TB for PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD these days, so clearly IMHO the term to apply to the fruity cult is usory.

But I'm just an engineer.

As a consumer I chose clones even for the Apple ][. And then went with the PC because Apple was obviously bent on doing an Apple ][ MAX called the Apple /// on a top seller, just like Boeing these days (alternatively a dreamlining Lisa).

However, Microsoft again seems bent on copying whatever [extortion] innovation someone else comes up with and that's where I am converned and thus affected.

Perhaps they should see PS/2 [too] on what happened when IBM attempted to reign in what they believed something they somehow "owned".