I'm planning on upgrading my MacBook Air M2 (8GB RAM), and I'm stuck deciding between 16GB and 24GB.
My biggest issue with my current M2 has been the 8GB RAM. I've experienced enough slowdowns that I never want to deal with those issues again, especially when I'm spending this much money on a new laptop.
Here's what my typical usage looks like:
- Chrome: I usually have 4 different Chrome profiles open, each with around 20+ tabs. So easily 80–100+ tabs at once.
- Trading: I regularly have trading platforms and charts open in my browser.
- Other tabs: YouTube, ChatGPT, Google Docs, research, and a bunch of other websites.
- Background apps: Spotify, Messages, and several other apps running simultaneously.
- Multitasking: I'm constantly switching between different Chrome profiles, tabs, and applications throughout the day.
I'm definitely the type of person who leaves everything open. My tabs are basically my way of organizing things (or being unorganized lol), and I don't see that changing anytime soon.
My biggest concern is longevity.
I want this next MacBook Air to last me at least 5–7 years, ideally without having to worry about RAM limitations again.
I also wonder whether 16GB will still be enough 5 years from now, considering how much more demanding browsers, websites, apps, and macOS might become.
I'm not doing any crazy video editing, 3D rendering, or programming. It's mostly just extremely heavy browser multitasking.
So my questions are:
- Would 16GB be more than enough for my usage, or could I realistically run into memory issues again?
- Is 24GB worth the extra money purely for multitasking and future-proofing?
- For anyone with a 16GB MacBook Air who keeps 80–100+ Chrome tabs open across multiple profiles, how does it perform?
- If you were buying a MacBook Air today and wanted to keep it for 5–7 years, which would you choose?
I'm happy to spend the extra money on 24GB if there's a genuine benefit, but I also don't want to waste money on RAM I'll never actually need.
Would appreciate hearing from people who have used both configurations!