Geekbench and Cinebench benchmarks didn't demonstrate a difference in performance between the 8GB and 16GB models, but other tests designed to maximize RAM usage did show some differences.Ī Max Tech Xcode benchmark that mimics compiling code saw the 16GB model score 122 compared to the 136 scored by the 8GB model, with the lower score being better. We might not see these other capabilities until Apple silicon is more mature.The video includes a series of benchmark tests, ranging from Geekbench and Cinebench to RAW exporting tests. Those models may not be as efficient or performant, but they allow for more memory, more versatility, and in some cases contain more ports. Apple also says the RAM on M1 models is not upgradable - it’s integrated into the system-on-a-chip, so you can’t upgrade an 8GB model with another stick of RAM.Īll of this suggests there are good reasons why Apple is, right now at least, keeping older Intel-based MacBook Pros and the Mac mini for sale (the MacBook Air is the only model now Arm-only). That’s a particularly tricky constraint for the new Mac mini, which is already hamstrung by its memory ceiling and furthermore can’t be used with a more powerful graphics chip and enclosure combo, as some of have done in the past with Apple laptops and the 2018 and earlier Mac minis. Macs with the new chip will not work with external GPUs, Apple says. There are some other key limitations with the M1 worth mentioning. (We already know, thanks to a report ahead of the event from Bloomberg, that Apple is targeting a full Mac refresh using its new Arm-based chip, including a new iMac and a potential downsized version of the Mac Pro.) It would be silly for Apple to sell a new iMac, 16-inch MacBook Pro, or Mac Pro with the M1 chip if it meant constricting configurations to 16GB of RAM, something that simply would not fly for the professional community those machines are geared toward. M1 Macs don’t come in configurations above 16GB for nowĪnother insight to be gleaned from this memory restriction is that future Macs may need a newer Arm-based processor.

16gb ram macbook pro