Apple Macbook Pro 16GB RAM Limit - The Truth
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Response to LPDDR3 comments: linustechtips.com Sponsor message: First 100 people will get three free meals on their first Blue Apron order using this link! cook.ba Apple claims that they MUST limit their Macbooks to 16GB of RAM to limit concerns about battery life... Is there any legitimacy to that claim? Cooler Master Store link: bit.ly Buy SODIMM memory on Amazon: geni.us Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com Our Affiliates, Referral Programs, and Sponsors: linustechtips.com twitter.com @LinusTech Intro Screen Music Credit: Title: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro Screen Music Credit: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High youtube.com Sound effects provided by freesfx.co.uk
The video opens by framing the 16GB RAM limit on the Apple MacBook Pro as a controversial design choice that could affect professionals, noting criticisms about limited IO and hardware. The host recounts Apple’s official defense, attributed to Phil Schiller, that including more than 16GB of RAM would require a memory system that consumes too much power and would be inefficient for a laptop. The discussion moves into a hands-on examination of RAM power draw, with the host describing a memory stress test on desktop configurations to tease apart whether higher RAM amounts actually increase power consumption significantly. The analysis then shifts to a direct comparison using different RAM configurations, including 8GB and 32GB setups, and explores voltage impacts and XMP profiles to determine real-world battery effects. While acknowledging that these tests are not apples-to-apples with the MacBook, the host demonstrates that, in their measurements, upgrading RAM does not produce drastic battery penalties in comparable systems and questions whether Apple’s rationale is fully justified. The video concludes by weighing competing theories about Apple’s design decisions, including hardware space allocation and the possibility of planned obsolescence, while inviting viewers to share their own opinions in the comments. Overall, the host arrives at a nuanced conclusion that the true impact of RAM on battery life may be smaller than Apple suggested, and emphasizes that users should decide based on their own workload and needs.
Topics · technology · hardware · computer-science
Questions answered
- Does upgrading MacBook Pro RAM beyond 16GB improve performance for professional workloads?
- The video argues that the power and efficiency concerns Apple cites may not fully justify the 16GB limit; the tests show RAM upgrades can have measurable but not catastrophic power differences in comparable hardware, suggesting the decision should be workload dependent.
- Is 32GB RAM on a MacBook Pro practical for most users according to the video?
- The video suggests that for some professionals and memory-heavy tasks 32GB could be beneficial, but it also notes the memory is soldered and not user-upgradable, meaning such configurations would need to be chosen at purchase rather than later.