We may earn compensation from reviewed products. Learn about our editorial policies.
With the release of another round of MacBook Pros and iMacs containing the new M3 chip, many will have to decide how much unified memory and SSD storage they need.
This can feel like a daunting decision, especially when you may not be entirely sure what unified memory is, or what SSD storage is for. When you’re going to be committing a shed load of money to a bit of tech, you want to be sure what you are buying.
Understanding the difference between unified memory and SSD storage will help you make informed decisions. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place! Below we’ll run through what these two terms mean and how they affect your laptop performance, without any jargon.
Need to clean up space in your Mac? Do it with ease using MacPaw’s CleanMyMac with a 10% discount!
What is Unified Memory?
Unified memory is a specialized memory architecture that allows the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to access the same memory resources simultaneously. It combines Random Access Memory (RAM) with the hard drive to create a single pool of memory. This eliminates the need for data to be communicated between different memory locations and therefore saves time.
It’s like an office block having a coffee house in the same building rather than across the street. That way, employees don’t need to waste time leaving the building and walking to the shop to order, they just go across the hall and buy a coffee.
Unified memory gained prominence with the introduction of Apple’s M-series chips on their Mac devices. In normal systems, such as those pre-2020, RAM is not usually integrated into any combined system. Therefore it takes longer for components of your computer to find the information it needs to complete tasks.
Generally, this means Apple’s Silicon MacBooks have significantly improved performance and efficiency over competitors. The CPU and GPU cores can quickly access unified memory when carrying out tasks, enabling seamless multitasking and handling graphically-intensive workloads.
What is SSD Storage?
SSD stands for Solid State Drive. This is a type of storage device where things like files and applications are kept on your laptop (or in an external hard drive). More SSD storage means you can keep more stuff on your device. Bigger box = more space to put things.
Unlike traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) that use literal spinning disks to write and rewrite memory, SSDs utilize flash memory to store data. Flash memory uses an electronic process to store memory making it much faster than the physical use of a disk drive. This results in more efficient data retrieval and access times, leading to improved overall system performance.
SSDs are non-volatile storage devices, meaning they retain data even when the power is turned off. This makes them ideal for use as primary storage in computers, allowing for quick boot times and rapid application launches.
Unified Memory vs SSD Storage: A Brief Comparison
To better understand the difference between unified memory and SSD storage, let’s compare them in various aspects:
Working Procedure
Unified memory is integrated into Apple’s processor systems, such as the latest M3 chip. It is a single pool of memory that is there to be used by a computer’s components at any given moment. Unified memory is what your MacBook or iMac accesses to perform tasks in-the-moment.
Essentially, unified memory dictates how well your computer performs at things like multitasking or executing heavy workloads like rendering. Lots of data is needed as quickly as possible to juggle different tasks effectively, so the more space there is for instant access the better.
In contrast, SSD storage serves as long-term storage for data and files. It functions as a secondary storage device, where data is kept but not accessed regularly by parts of your computer like the GPU. It is basically a place to keep things like applications or movies.
Therefore, unified memory is more important to think about in terms of making a MacBook faster and more efficient, whereas an SSD gives you more leeway in terms of clogging your machine up.
How Much Unified Memory and SSD Storage Do You Need?
The amount of unified memory and SSD storage you need depends largely on your specific workload and usage needs. As a general rule, the more intensive and demanding your work is, the more unified memory (and probably SSD storage) you will need.
Unified Memory
For basic productivity tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and emailing, 8GB of unified memory easily suffices. If you have the extra money to spare, then 16GB of unified memory would be ideal. For the current base-level 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro, that would mean an extra $200 (£200).
If you are a content creator, graphic designer, or work with resource-intensive applications like video editing or 3D rendering, you will need 24GB as a minimum. But realistically, you’ll want 36GB or more if you can afford it. You will never regret getting more unified memory.
The base-level 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro does not come with anything above 24GB unified memory, which costs an extra $400 (£400). For 32GB and up, you’ll have to buy an M3 Pro or M3 Max MacBook Pro.
If you are buying an M3 iMac, then opting for 16GB or 24GB would be a wise move. 8GB is meagre for a machine that most people will be using for things like video editing and designing.
SSD Storage
For everyday usage, a minimum of 256GB of SSD storage is fine for most people, unless you’re going to be keeping large files on your computer. That would include things like video games, movies or bulky applications. Therefore, the safest bet is starting at 512GB which, thankfully, all base-level M3 MacBook Pros start with.
512GB is ample storage space for personal files like word documents or even medium quantities of images.
The M3 iMac comes starts at 256GB SSD. Most iMac users will need more than this due to the nature of their work (video editing for example). Always remember, you cannot upgrade an iMac once you have bought one. What you choose is what you are stuck with.
If you work with large multimedia files, such as high-resolution videos or images, a 1TB SSD is a minimum. This extra storage ensures that you have enough room for your files and allows for smooth data access and retrieval. If I’m being honest, you will probably want upwards of 2TB.
Luckily, you can buy external SSD hard drives. For example, the Samsung 870 8TB SSD external hard drive currently costs £305 in the UK. A 1TB SSD upgrade on the M3 iMac costs $400 (£400) whilst a 2TB SSD on the base-level M3 MacBook Pro costs $600 (£600).
Conclusion
Unified memory and SSD storage are both important components to consider when investing in a new M3 MacBook Pro or M3 iMac. While unified memory optimizes the memory resources available to the CPU and GPU cores, SSD storage ensures fast and reliable data storage and retrieval.
How much of each you’ll need depends entirely on your use case. If you align with low-intensity workloads like word processing or light image editing, then you’ll be fine with lower amounts of unified memory and SSD storage.
If you are someone who needs more memory for tasks like video editing then my advice would be to buy as much as you can afford. You can never have enough. As for SSD, I’d say the same, but you can always add to this later with an external hard drive so it’s not a massive stress.
Ultimately, you know your needs best. Now you know what unified memory and SSD storage are for, you can make a more informed decision.
Buying Guide: M3 Pro or M3 Max MacBook Pro: Which one should you buy?
This post includes affiliate links.
