8GB RAM on M3 MacBook Pro ‘similar to 16GB’ on PCs, Apple claims

After unveiling new MacBook Pro models last week, Apple surprised some by introducing a base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, which replaced the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 in Apple’s Mac lineup.

Starting at $1,599, the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro comes with 8GB of unified memory. That makes it $300 more expensive than the $1,299 starting price of the now-discontinued 13-inch 8GB MacBook Pro ‌M2‌. Users can choose 16GB or 24GB at checkout, but these configuration options cost an additional $200 and $400 at purchase, respectively, and cannot be upgraded later due to Apple’s unified memory architecture.

This has left Apple vulnerable to criticism from users who argue that 8GB is not a sufficient amount of RAM for most creative professional workflows, and that 16GB should be the minimum for a device marketed as “Pro”, rather than an additional kit. Spend a hundred dollars.

In a recent interview with Chinese ML engineer and content creator Lin YilYiApple’s Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, Bob Borchers, responded directly to this criticism. After YilYi described the base M3 MacBook Pro that comes with 8GB of RAM as a “major concern” for potential buyers, Borchers responded:

Comparing our memory to other system’s memory is not actually equivalent, due to the fact that we have efficient memory usage, we use memory compression, and we have a unified memory architecture.

In fact, 8GB on the M3 MacBook Pro will likely be the same as 16GB on other systems. We are just able to use it more efficiently. And so what I would say is I’ll ask people to come in and try out what they want to do on their systems, and I think they’ll see amazing performance. If you look at the raw data and capabilities of these systems, they are truly amazing. And this is where I think people need to see beyond the specifications, and actually go and look beyond the capabilities, and listen to trusted people like you who have actually used the systems.

People need to look beyond the specifications and actually go and understand how to use this technology. This is the real test.

While the 14-inch MacBook Pro with 8GB of unified memory is $300 more expensive than the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 it replaces, there are a number of other advantages worth considering aside from the faster processor, such as a mini- the largest and brightest. LED Liquid Retina XDR display, support for 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates, and better battery life. Other improvements include additional ports, a better 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a six-speaker sound system, Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3.

What do you think of the unified 8GB of memory available in the basic configuration of the M3 MacBook Pro. Does it suit your requirements, or does it make the ‘Pro’ device too weak for your use cases? Let us know in the comments.