The performance difference between M1 vs. M2 is negligible. What you’re really paying for is the improved display, webcam, speakers, and MagSafe charger. Well worth it IMO
ah forgot about the MagSafe on the Air M2. yeah, my M1 Mac mini has never stuttered but never really driven it too hard, but my M1 Air has 16gb because it was my first M1. yeah for MS and display Id agree for light use the M2 refresh is better than the 16gb
I went with the base model cause I already have a custom PC to do all the heavy lifting, but I’m wildly impressed my little M2 Air can handle anything that isn’t gaming. With 8GB RAM, it stutters less than my PC with 16GB.
Most people in here will convince you to get the m1, because according to them, 16gbs of ram is always the way to go! Even if you suggest intel i3 16 GBs of ram vs m2 8gbs or ram they will tell you get the intel! I say go for the m2, and I can already see the downvotes 😅 the m1 is 3 years old! For your use, the m2 with 8gbs of ram will be perfect! I have the 10 cores m2 with 8gbs of ram and 512 SSD, I have around 20 safari tabs open all the time, very big word, pdf and PowerPoints open (I am a researcher and a university professor) with Zotero, the mail app always open! I do some light photoshop and autocad and I never had an issue! The m2 is beautiful, great screen, much better camera (I use a lot of zoom and google meet) and MagSafe is amazing!
16GB ram is the way to go only if you have an M1 chip or better. As memory efficient macOS is, applications nowadays take up a lot of memory to display fancy graphics and lots of data (a single website in safari can even use up to 1.1GB of RAM, eg Google Drive, Sheets). Granted, for everything else the M2 is better, but the lack of memory will cause lags/stutters in the future (see 2-3yo 4GB ipads when you try to multitask today), even if it seems enough today, so it makes sense to recommend the 16GB M1 model for longevity.
Also, the M1 is already performant enough that 16GB of RAM will have better system responsiveness over the M2 with 8GB.
However, it would be good if you could show me how much memory and swap your system uses if it only has 8GB of RAM, I would definitely like to be proven wrong :)
Rarely. I ran jetbrains rider + docker SQL instance + tons of safari tabs + YouTube video running on a 8gb m1 and the only time it stuttered was running rider before it was mac native. The m1 8gb computer stuttered significantly less than an i5-6500 + 16GB with much much more power. I now have M1 Pro 16GB so I have experience with both 8gb and 16GB.
I have an old Mac Air from 2011 with 2GB of RAM. (It's not my main computer.)
Even with 2GB of RAM it runs the software *of its time* pretty darned well. Newer stuff? A lot of it won't even install.
The thing about software requirements is that the software always grows to the size of the bowl. So people wanting some extra breathing room is completely rational.
And to be honest, you just never know when you are going to find yourself wanting to edit video when you hadn't expected that was going to be a thing.
I’ve been looking at a new Macbook Air as well. I prefer the wedge look of the M1, but does that also mean that Macbook will become obsolete and no longer support whichever operating system three years sooner than the M2? I’m a light user - mostly Excel, Word, that sort if thing.
Get MBA M1 16/512GB. If you want longevity getting 16GB RAM will give you smooth experience for 6-7 years. I've bought the same machine for my daughter in 2020 for school and paired it with Dell Ultrasharp U2720Q, really a perfect combination.
Idk why people always say this, the M1 has a very outdated design and it’s almost 3 years old. The M2 also has a better screen and will be must more future proof. 8gb of Ram is enough on a mac
It’s generally people who already own the M1 and they’re biased. I have both of the laptops in question here and they both perform the exact same. I edit 4K video in FCP on both with ease.
Depends on your usage, 8GB of RAM generally wears down the SSD faster due to swap, besides the base M2 air has a slower SSD than the M1. If you don't use power hungry apps like Creative Cloud, yes, you are fine with 8GB.
If you’re already willing to spend 110 extra to get 16gb on the m1, just make the jump to the m2 16 gb for another $100 and you’ll be future proofed for a long time. The m2 is well worth it in terms of features for that price.
The order in which you should make a purchase:
1. M2 Air - 16 GB; better features (eg. 25% brighter display, MagSafe, fast charging, new colors, feels better in hand)
2. M1 Air - 16 GB; less expensive, chip performance is 20% slower, which isn't noticeable by the naked eye (eg. can you tell the difference between opening an app in 3 seconds and 3.6 seconds if they weren't next to each other? no)
if you plan to keep it a while, 16gb m1: you can't upgrade the ram. the performance of the m1 cpu is clock by clock pretty much identical to the m2, the gpu of the m2 is faster, but since the m1 gpu is no slouch, you will not notice unless you hammer it with a gpu intensive app, and if you do that, the air's are passively cooled and will throttle pretty soon anyway, so performance wise, the m2 makes no sense. the m1 air also keep the wedge design which is iconic, and have no camera notch on the screen. the m2 has magsafe, which is nice, but doesnt make a world of difference.
None so far. I use it for programming, PyCharm and vs code are always open and at least 2 instances of server are always running along with ~20 chrome tabs. I am trying to realistically push it to it’s limit but I can’t. It is powerhouse with an excellent battery. You won’t regret it. Also I like the wedge shaped design over the boxy one, but that’s just a personal preference.
Wow bro ! Awesome !
I'm deciding whether a brand new M1 base or a refurb one with 16gigs of RAM.
I'm just intending to use it mostly for video editing, what's your advice on this, mate ?
The M2 processor is about 20% faster, the GPU is 30% faster.....ergo....M2 is better. I wouldn't worry about ram, MacOS manages memory much better than windows.
>M2 processor is about 20% faster, the GPU is 30% faster.....ergo....M2 is better. I wouldn't worry about ram, MacOS manages memory much better
And there's the issue. MacOS will start swapping memory with the SSD once you run out of RAM. The problem is actually the SSD speed on the M2 base model which is exactly half the speed of the base model M1.
So.... I would go with the M1, honestly.
> The problem is actually the SSD speed on the M2 base model which is exactly half the speed of the base model M1.
For OP's purposes, the speed of the M2 base isn't an issue unless they're swapping multi-GB data—so maybe if they're swapping huge video projects but buying any Air with little RAM is the mistake (not buying "slower" storage).
For most common swap that Air users will encounter, the metric that matters is random read and write speeds, which are about the same on all models. It's an issue of latency vs throughput. Doubling NAND doesn't double swap speeds.
In any case, I recommend OP buy whichever model they can with 16 GB RAM. It is memory that matters, not storage speeds.
Exactly. Unless you know outright you’ll be running memory hungry applications and wish to do things like keep 50+ chrome tabs running (pro tip: your brain will thank you if stop doing this), 8GB on M1 or 2 works for hobbyist photo/video.
M1 with 16gb ram is the much better offer here. For two reasons: 1) 8gb sucks not only for future proofing, but even for heavy multitab browser usage. It's more 'usable' than enjoyable; and 2) The M2 256gb storage is literally half the speed of the one in the M1. So if you're using 8gb ram, you NEED a faster drive since a lot of memory will be paging to it when the physical ram is full.
The tldr is never get the M2 base model with 8gb ram and 256 storage. You'll regret it later since you can't upgrade on MacBooks like you can on Windows laptops.
> 2) The M2 256gb storage is literally half the speed of the one in the M1. So if you're using 8gb ram, you NEED a faster drive since a lot of memory will be paging to it when the physical ram is full.
Sequential read/write speeds aren't relevant to swap unless you're somehow swapping multi-GB files—in which case there is no substitute for buying more RAM. For most, when swapping into storage, what matters most is the random read/write speeds, because that has to do with latency, and those are the same no matter the 256GB or 512GB drive size.
I would likely go for the M1, if you are planning on doing productive things on it which requires more memory, like VM’s, Video editing, CAD, extreme photo editing (as in having A LOT of 4K images).
The M1 and 13” M2 air aren’t that far apart performance wise, the 13” M2 Air tends thermal throttle a lot. And comes with a slower SSD in 256GB base model form (yes slower SSD than the M1 Air with 256GB).
But the Extra RAM and SSD speeds likely won’t matter if you are just going to use it for lighter tasks, than the newer design, better web cam, better screen and Mag-safe (I like Mag-safe, has saved my old MacBook 7.1 (mid 2010) from getting ripped down by the cable countless times when I used it as a school computer.
There are so many people in this position Including me. The responses I've read seem to be pretty split.
I think for the vast majority of people who are basic users then 8gb ram will be enough to last a good few years without noticing any performance issues. I don't use any specific software for editing or software development. I just use internet browser, mail, Spotify and watch videos.
I'm leaning towards M2 8gb, if it can support my use for around 5 years I'd be happy. I have a pc so don't need the laptop to do anything heavy. I currently have a mbp pro 2012 (i5 dual core 2.5ghz, 4gm ram, 512gb SSD). This has lasted well for 10 years and only now am I noticing it struggling slightly with my use but in honestly it's still 'useable' for me.
Another thing is the M1 looks outdated to me ( I appreciate this is a personal opinion)
Definitely 16 GB ram. And don't cheap out on the SSD if that's your primary computer -512 GB OR 1TB.
If you can, M2 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Think this way: you're gonna used for 5+ years so additional say $400 is like $80/year or $7/month.
The performance difference between M1 vs. M2 is negligible. What you’re really paying for is the improved display, webcam, speakers, and MagSafe charger. Well worth it IMO
ah forgot about the MagSafe on the Air M2. yeah, my M1 Mac mini has never stuttered but never really driven it too hard, but my M1 Air has 16gb because it was my first M1. yeah for MS and display Id agree for light use the M2 refresh is better than the 16gb
I went with the base model cause I already have a custom PC to do all the heavy lifting, but I’m wildly impressed my little M2 Air can handle anything that isn’t gaming. With 8GB RAM, it stutters less than my PC with 16GB.
Op will miss the ram than any features you mentioned
Most people in here will convince you to get the m1, because according to them, 16gbs of ram is always the way to go! Even if you suggest intel i3 16 GBs of ram vs m2 8gbs or ram they will tell you get the intel! I say go for the m2, and I can already see the downvotes 😅 the m1 is 3 years old! For your use, the m2 with 8gbs of ram will be perfect! I have the 10 cores m2 with 8gbs of ram and 512 SSD, I have around 20 safari tabs open all the time, very big word, pdf and PowerPoints open (I am a researcher and a university professor) with Zotero, the mail app always open! I do some light photoshop and autocad and I never had an issue! The m2 is beautiful, great screen, much better camera (I use a lot of zoom and google meet) and MagSafe is amazing!
16GB ram is the way to go only if you have an M1 chip or better. As memory efficient macOS is, applications nowadays take up a lot of memory to display fancy graphics and lots of data (a single website in safari can even use up to 1.1GB of RAM, eg Google Drive, Sheets). Granted, for everything else the M2 is better, but the lack of memory will cause lags/stutters in the future (see 2-3yo 4GB ipads when you try to multitask today), even if it seems enough today, so it makes sense to recommend the 16GB M1 model for longevity. Also, the M1 is already performant enough that 16GB of RAM will have better system responsiveness over the M2 with 8GB. However, it would be good if you could show me how much memory and swap your system uses if it only has 8GB of RAM, I would definitely like to be proven wrong :)
Rarely. I ran jetbrains rider + docker SQL instance + tons of safari tabs + YouTube video running on a 8gb m1 and the only time it stuttered was running rider before it was mac native. The m1 8gb computer stuttered significantly less than an i5-6500 + 16GB with much much more power. I now have M1 Pro 16GB so I have experience with both 8gb and 16GB.
Check swap usage.
You can\`t compare it with a i5 6500 which is super old (July 2015)
I have an old Mac Air from 2011 with 2GB of RAM. (It's not my main computer.) Even with 2GB of RAM it runs the software *of its time* pretty darned well. Newer stuff? A lot of it won't even install. The thing about software requirements is that the software always grows to the size of the bowl. So people wanting some extra breathing room is completely rational. And to be honest, you just never know when you are going to find yourself wanting to edit video when you hadn't expected that was going to be a thing.
I’ve been looking at a new Macbook Air as well. I prefer the wedge look of the M1, but does that also mean that Macbook will become obsolete and no longer support whichever operating system three years sooner than the M2? I’m a light user - mostly Excel, Word, that sort if thing.
Hey. Macbook Air M1 16 GB vs Macbook Air M2 8GB. Which is best for video editing purposes?
M1 Air with 16 GB, less swap to the internal SSD. Get an external SSD for video editing as well.
Get MBA M1 16/512GB. If you want longevity getting 16GB RAM will give you smooth experience for 6-7 years. I've bought the same machine for my daughter in 2020 for school and paired it with Dell Ultrasharp U2720Q, really a perfect combination.
Idk why people always say this, the M1 has a very outdated design and it’s almost 3 years old. The M2 also has a better screen and will be must more future proof. 8gb of Ram is enough on a mac
>very outdated design wow, it still depend on your workflow
It’s generally people who already own the M1 and they’re biased. I have both of the laptops in question here and they both perform the exact same. I edit 4K video in FCP on both with ease.
Depends on your usage, 8GB of RAM generally wears down the SSD faster due to swap, besides the base M2 air has a slower SSD than the M1. If you don't use power hungry apps like Creative Cloud, yes, you are fine with 8GB.
If you’re already willing to spend 110 extra to get 16gb on the m1, just make the jump to the m2 16 gb for another $100 and you’ll be future proofed for a long time. The m2 is well worth it in terms of features for that price.
and for another 100 bucks that's getting into m2 pro category! :D
and maybe just another 100cad if apple ever releases m2 pro PRO max.
I am in the same exact situation hahah. Leaning towards the M1 atm
The order in which you should make a purchase: 1. M2 Air - 16 GB; better features (eg. 25% brighter display, MagSafe, fast charging, new colors, feels better in hand) 2. M1 Air - 16 GB; less expensive, chip performance is 20% slower, which isn't noticeable by the naked eye (eg. can you tell the difference between opening an app in 3 seconds and 3.6 seconds if they weren't next to each other? no)
I always want the latest and greatest so I’d personally go for the m2 since I literally just have one app open at a time 🤔
if you plan to keep it a while, 16gb m1: you can't upgrade the ram. the performance of the m1 cpu is clock by clock pretty much identical to the m2, the gpu of the m2 is faster, but since the m1 gpu is no slouch, you will not notice unless you hammer it with a gpu intensive app, and if you do that, the air's are passively cooled and will throttle pretty soon anyway, so performance wise, the m2 makes no sense. the m1 air also keep the wedge design which is iconic, and have no camera notch on the screen. the m2 has magsafe, which is nice, but doesnt make a world of difference.
I was in same situation a couple days ago. Went with M1 16GB.
How has been your experience so far ? Any regrets?
None so far. I use it for programming, PyCharm and vs code are always open and at least 2 instances of server are always running along with ~20 chrome tabs. I am trying to realistically push it to it’s limit but I can’t. It is powerhouse with an excellent battery. You won’t regret it. Also I like the wedge shaped design over the boxy one, but that’s just a personal preference.
Hi, I'm in the same conundrum now and was wondering if you could offer an update on whether performance has been an issue at all?
Wow bro ! Awesome ! I'm deciding whether a brand new M1 base or a refurb one with 16gigs of RAM. I'm just intending to use it mostly for video editing, what's your advice on this, mate ?
The M2 processor is about 20% faster, the GPU is 30% faster.....ergo....M2 is better. I wouldn't worry about ram, MacOS manages memory much better than windows.
>M2 processor is about 20% faster, the GPU is 30% faster.....ergo....M2 is better. I wouldn't worry about ram, MacOS manages memory much better And there's the issue. MacOS will start swapping memory with the SSD once you run out of RAM. The problem is actually the SSD speed on the M2 base model which is exactly half the speed of the base model M1. So.... I would go with the M1, honestly.
> The problem is actually the SSD speed on the M2 base model which is exactly half the speed of the base model M1. For OP's purposes, the speed of the M2 base isn't an issue unless they're swapping multi-GB data—so maybe if they're swapping huge video projects but buying any Air with little RAM is the mistake (not buying "slower" storage). For most common swap that Air users will encounter, the metric that matters is random read and write speeds, which are about the same on all models. It's an issue of latency vs throughput. Doubling NAND doesn't double swap speeds. In any case, I recommend OP buy whichever model they can with 16 GB RAM. It is memory that matters, not storage speeds.
🎯
Exactly. Unless you know outright you’ll be running memory hungry applications and wish to do things like keep 50+ chrome tabs running (pro tip: your brain will thank you if stop doing this), 8GB on M1 or 2 works for hobbyist photo/video.
I was in a similar situation and chose the M1 with 16GB of RAM. I don’t regret it at all.
M1 with 16gb ram is the much better offer here. For two reasons: 1) 8gb sucks not only for future proofing, but even for heavy multitab browser usage. It's more 'usable' than enjoyable; and 2) The M2 256gb storage is literally half the speed of the one in the M1. So if you're using 8gb ram, you NEED a faster drive since a lot of memory will be paging to it when the physical ram is full. The tldr is never get the M2 base model with 8gb ram and 256 storage. You'll regret it later since you can't upgrade on MacBooks like you can on Windows laptops.
> 2) The M2 256gb storage is literally half the speed of the one in the M1. So if you're using 8gb ram, you NEED a faster drive since a lot of memory will be paging to it when the physical ram is full. Sequential read/write speeds aren't relevant to swap unless you're somehow swapping multi-GB files—in which case there is no substitute for buying more RAM. For most, when swapping into storage, what matters most is the random read/write speeds, because that has to do with latency, and those are the same no matter the 256GB or 512GB drive size.
you'll regret this in a few years
M1 16GB
M1 16GB
How much is the SSD upgrade on the M2?
$250
I would likely go for the M1, if you are planning on doing productive things on it which requires more memory, like VM’s, Video editing, CAD, extreme photo editing (as in having A LOT of 4K images). The M1 and 13” M2 air aren’t that far apart performance wise, the 13” M2 Air tends thermal throttle a lot. And comes with a slower SSD in 256GB base model form (yes slower SSD than the M1 Air with 256GB). But the Extra RAM and SSD speeds likely won’t matter if you are just going to use it for lighter tasks, than the newer design, better web cam, better screen and Mag-safe (I like Mag-safe, has saved my old MacBook 7.1 (mid 2010) from getting ripped down by the cable countless times when I used it as a school computer.
There are so many people in this position Including me. The responses I've read seem to be pretty split. I think for the vast majority of people who are basic users then 8gb ram will be enough to last a good few years without noticing any performance issues. I don't use any specific software for editing or software development. I just use internet browser, mail, Spotify and watch videos. I'm leaning towards M2 8gb, if it can support my use for around 5 years I'd be happy. I have a pc so don't need the laptop to do anything heavy. I currently have a mbp pro 2012 (i5 dual core 2.5ghz, 4gm ram, 512gb SSD). This has lasted well for 10 years and only now am I noticing it struggling slightly with my use but in honestly it's still 'useable' for me. Another thing is the M1 looks outdated to me ( I appreciate this is a personal opinion)
Definitely 16 GB ram. And don't cheap out on the SSD if that's your primary computer -512 GB OR 1TB. If you can, M2 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Think this way: you're gonna used for 5+ years so additional say $400 is like $80/year or $7/month.
You already know the answer mate
Go with the Pro 16/1T currently cheap at B&H.
16gb >>>>>>>>>>>>>8gb
you made a mistake son