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My current laptop runs an i7 with 16GB RAM. However, I'm looking to upgrade for compatibility with macOS Ventura in the fall. New M1 Macs being expensive, I'm looking to slim down the cost while still having necessary performance. Would 8GB + M1/M2 work better or at least the same as / comparable to i7 + 16GB?
EDIT: My computer's processor is "MF843LL/A 3.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor", early 2015. Does that give more information?
Yes, you can. Please take a look at this link from Crucial, which states that the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) can run:
Memory Type: DDR3 PC3-10600, DDR3 (non-ECC)
Maximum Memory: 16GB
Slots: 2
The website even provides you with the recommended RAM for your computer. Look at the picture below.
MacBooks with replaceable RAM use typical DDR3 like any other PC laptop.
From http://support.apple.com/kb/SP644:
1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
The RAM you linked to:
- DDR3 SDRAM
- Memory Speed 1333 MHz ( PC3-10600 )
I cannot guarantee that your MacBook will be able to address all 16GB, since the technical specifications claim the maximum supported amount is 8GB. However, I've seen several cases in which the upper bound Apple lists as "supported" is incorrect, so it's worth a shot. Make sure the RAM you buy has a decent return policy, in case your MacBook can't use more than 8GB as per the technical specifications.
Best Answer
Just upgraded my intel based systems to M1 too, so did quite a lot of benchmarking over the weekend. Tested quite a few old macbooks and even old top spec trashcan MacPro.
It is subjective and I am sticking my neck out there, yes, M1 based MacBook Air or Pro, even at the lowest spec of 8GB RAM can easily outperform the top of class 2015 MacBook. (Geekbench on CPU is clear, I have attached the results below too.)
Your concern about RAM usage efficiency, it depends on your use case. If you handle lots of large videos or photos, you probably would be struggling on the 16GB intel a bit anyway, talking about opening many files of hundreds of MB or a few GB loaded in RAM like photos/videos/Database/etc.
Try not to just focus on CPU/RAM. The overall system is much faster with latest architecture. SSD read/write is much faster than the 2015 system. T2 features embedded are often overlooked too, it is much faster for some "niche" sec to encode/decode videos/images or just for better FaceTime quality with it.
(Consider spending the extra 200 bucks to get to 16GB RAM and your new upgrade will be every bit/byte better, it will help your new mac to last for another 5-7 years. And with better resell value at the end.) :)
To share a couple more things from my recent upgrade:
https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/compare/15420735?baseline=14662136