We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.
We’ve covered Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air and why we think it’s worth the upgrade, (or not in some cases!). But there’s certainly one thing that makes it hard to justify the $1,099 price tag…the M3 MacBook Air’s 8GB unified memory. Yep, it has the exact same base level Apple’s given us since 2016.
As we discussed in our previous posts, Apple states that 8GB of unified memory on the M3 chip is roughly equal to 16GB on other systems. Whether that’s true or not, for a tech company that prides itself on keeping up to date, 8 years of 8GB is certainly a ballsy call.
Of course, Apple gives you the option to purchase an M3 MacBook Air with the base-level 8GB or upgrade to 16GB or 24GB, but it does feel like a bit of a sales tactic. Selling a product with low memory and dangling expensive upgrades in front of our faces that we’ll grab ‘just in case’.
So, before you buy, take a look at our findings to decipher how much unified memory for an M3 MacBook Air is right for you.
Understanding unified memory
When deciding how much unified memory you want, it’s probably a good idea to know a bit about what it actually is.
Unified memory is a memory framework enabling various system components like the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine to access and utilize a shared memory pool. In essence, it consolidates memory storage into a single, easily accessible location.
This is different to devices with RAM. Laptops with Random Access Memory (RAM) store memory in various places, making it harder for system parts to quickly find and use the needed data for tasks.
So, the unified memory in the M3 Apple laptops means their devices are faster and significantly more efficient compared to those with RAM.
Is buying an 8GB M3 MacBook Air a mistake?
For most people, the answer is simple. No, it’s not a mistake to purchase an M3 MacBook Air with only 8GB of unified memory. That’s if you’re looking to use it for simpler tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption.
There are, however, a lot of people who pay for Apple products to complete more complex tasks. Say you’re a video editor, music producer or perform graphically demanding work, you will want to consider if an 8GB MacBook Air has enough unified memory. Even when it comes to an M3 MacBook Pro, which is more suited to this kind of software use, you’d probably be better off with more memory than the base-level has to offer.
As proof of this, multiple benchmarks, including Cinebench, saw the 8GB M3 MacBooks encounter significant drops in performance compared to the 16GB versions. They also experienced longer processing times in editing applications such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. Moreover, the restricted memory capacity of the 8GB model may necessitate reliance on the SSD swap file, leading to reduced overall responsiveness.
If you’re a gamer, then 8GB unified memory is even more of a worry. Gaming is high-intensity and some users have complained that 8GB simply isn’t enough for modern games like ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’.
Overall then, 8GB unified memory will do just fine if you won’t be doing heavy multitasking and pushing your MacBook Air to it’s extremes.
Don’t want to take the risk? 16GB might be for you.
Should you get the 16GB M3 MacBook Air?
The 16GB M3 MacBook Air costs an extra $200/£200.
If you choose this option, then it’ll give you some extra headroom for things like more intensive graphics editing, especially when working with RAW images.
You’d potential encounter some problems with 8GB unified memory when performing such tasks, but 16GB gives that extra bit of leeway to make sure. The M3 chip is powerful and you can edit just fine on a MacBook Air if you don’t have a Pro.
16GB should also have you covered if you often have multiple applications open at the same time, but it depends which ones. If you have Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro and YouTube on the go, for example, there could be potential for slowdowns, even with 16GB unified memory.
As such, if you have the money, you may want to go all the way and buy 24GB of unified memory. 16GB is a happy medium that future-proofs your laptop more than anything. The more memory you have, the longer your laptop will perform at a high level. This becomes even more relevant since software and applications get more memory-hungry over time! More GBs means a longer-lasting device!
With that in mind, is there a case to be made for 24GB unified memory?
Should you buy a 24GB M3 MacBook Air?
Do you want to do some 3D graphics rendering or multitask whilst editing videos? If yes, then a 24GB M3 MacBook Air makes sense over an 8GB or 16GB model.
Whilst the extra unified memory won’t make the M3 MacBook Air into the M3 MacBook Pro, it will help prevent slowdowns and crashes. If you are someone who uses a lot of data and has a large content library, upgrading to the 24GB M3 MacBook Air will come in handy. It will also set you back £400/ $400 more than the baseline model.
On top of that, if you are the person I’ve been describing above, you’ll probably want to upgrade the SSD as well as the 8-core GPU processor to the 10-core GPU. In that case, you are looking at well over £2,000/$2,000, and that’s just for the 13-inch display model. At that point, you should seriously consider whether something like the M2 MacBook Pro would be more appropriate.
How much unified memory should you buy when it comes to the M3 MacBook Air?
When it comes to the lifespan of your MacBook, more unified memory will only improve your device’s longevity. However, upgrading your model can cost a lot of money and, for the average user, an 8GB M3 MacBook Air will serve you well!
If you are an editor or a gamer you will want to update to 16GB or 24GB, depending on your usage. But as we have discovered above, a MacBook Pro, maybe even with an M3 Max chip, may be more suited to your needs if this is you.
When it comes to giving a definitive answer in the M3 MacBook Air 8GB vs 16GB vs 24GB debate, I think the sweet spot is the 16 GB M3 MacBook Air. This gives you enough headroom to perform more intensive tasks whilst also giving you a good degree of future-proofing.
Whilst the 8GB base level is a somewhat frustrating entry point, the good thing is you have options. You can pay for more memory or even opt for a refurbished M3 MacBook Pro.
How much memory do you think is good for an M3 MacBook Air? Let me know below!
