While I appreciate the review and opinions here, another RUclipsr did a very good comparison comparing a 16gb model with 256 and a 8gb with 512gb. In that video, almost every test he ran, it was the higher ram model that made the biggest difference in performance. While I think 256gb storage is too small do you plan to keep the laptop awhile, from a performance perspective, the ram makes a big difference.
Yes, I know who you're talking about. Keep in mind though that he was running specific programs, all of them, for example, I personally don't use. So, it really matters what you do on your computer and how you do it. There is no one size fits all recommendation here.
@@evacody1249 well outside of benchmarks, real world usage reviews remain very positive for the base model. I don’t know about you, but my real world usage isn’t just running benchmarks and staring at it.
i'm exactly buying the base model, it's enough if you're just a using it for what it's designed for, watching vids, emails, docs, etc. that's it. aso, as i'm writing this the midnight color is going for $1099 on amazon and BH photo
If you plan to upgrade the M2 Air, and can live with a slightly heavier and thicker machine, the base 14 maybe a better value. Its on sale for around 1,800 if you look around.
@@fdsaffff 1200 + 400 of upgrades is 1600. At that point, you should probably just get the m1 pro for $100-150 more. It’s gonna have some more performance a much better screen and more ports. Most people aren’t gonna mod their MBA.That just my opinion tho.
My suggestion: Refurbished M1 Air 8GB/256 for $849 or M2 Air 8GB/512 for $1349 if that's not enough, go with refurbished base M1 pro 16GB/512 for $1749. (all with online offers.)
I wonder if you get the base M2 air BUT custom apple upgrade to 512 SSD (but not the full upgrade to $1499 version with 10-Core GPU) if that one is one 512 SSD chip or they use 2 chips as well like the 10-core ?
Not really comparable. Average wages are higher in Germany, sales tax is not included on American prices, import taxes are a thing etc. Comparing American prices to other countries is very misleading.
@@HeyMarkL do u think its unessesary ? Tbh i only use my computer for light use/browsing & i want it to last at least 8 years, im upgrading from a 2009 macbook pro
@@Richard_Barnes Thanks. Just watched the video, like he said, I only have budget for just one upgrade. So I choose the RAM. I have a friend who choose 512GB ssd for his M1 Macbook and how he wishes he take the RAM instead. I was going from his advice.
@@kab9729 I have a 1TB external ssd. and Also, most of my work is in either github or google drive. This is my first Mac. My gaming pc is where all my games are. The mac is my work only laptop. I dont do video editing.
1200 base + 400 for upgrades minus 100. you have to choose model with 256gb storage and upgrade ram and storage. model with 512gb base have 10gpu cores wich increasing price by 100. so upgraded ram to 16gb ram is 1700 minus 120 for edu
How big of a difference of a day to day performance would be between the 256ssd and 512ssd? Knowing that I’m just an average user for zoom, sheets and multiples tabs and videos, instead of rendering photos or videos.
Seems to me if you are on the budget and have $1,000 or less, get M1 MBA base model. If you have $1,500, go for M2 MBA with upgraded 16GB Ram & 512GB SSD. If you can afford $2,000, then go for M1 Max MBP 14”.
This is not a great video to go buy, the base models will be too much for 99% of customers. Our test concluded this by alot. nothing is slow as this video claims.
I'm working from home and have multiple windows and tabs open at once,which one would be better? MacBook Air m2 or pro m2. I'm not using any programs ,just the internet most of the time
I bought the base model of 256g and 8g but I don't do any video editing or any sort of 4k related stuff I used it for my college work like making notes / storing them and browsing around and listening to music and all i was actually concern so do you think I made a bad purchase by getting the very base model
Youre good with that workload. Mine is 16/256, its much better to upgrade ram rather than ssd like the dude said ( poor advice). The ssd is not a real issue with our workload, i think the base model is more than enough with your use case so dont be worry and enjoy our delicate laptop :v. Btw whats the color of your bugatti ... sorry mba air m2 :)))
@@Thanatos_me good choice, space grey is classic and timeless. Initially, i was going with starlight, but i chose midnight on impulse due to its window laptops lookalike. Now i prefer starlight or space grey over this midnight color because the grass is always greener :v
The sweet spot is 512GB/16GB and that would be my recommendation. If you can only afford one upgrade, then get the 16GB of RAM as you can always use an external drive. I have a Samsung rugged drive for the bigger storage option. The RAM is future-proofing and means any semi-pro or hobby pro workflow can perform fantastic even if you multitask. I would only get 512Gb instead if you are constantly downloading massive files, and if that is the case you are probably doing pro work and need a MB Pro instead.
8gb can handle workload like 4k video editing easily as long as you don't open multiple pro apps at the same time. Some swapping will occur during exporting but that's fine. 512gb will be handy if you wish to edit your current 4k project from the internal drive and not needing to depend on an external drive like a urinal bag. Once that's done then you can move the clips externally. My point is, the sweet spot for most people, like it's been said in the video, is 8gb/512gb, if you need to choose between RAM or SSD upgrade.
@@gigihanmandarin My M1 MacBook Air is 8/512 and after a year it still handles everything I need it to do. I do some photo and 4K video editing every once in a while and so far I’ve had no issues. When I first got it, I was a bit concerned about the 8GB RAM, coming from an older MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM. For now I think I’ll skip the M2 and keep my M1.
I pre-ordered the 8GB/512GB model. After see so many people all saying you will need 16GB, I then ordered the 16GB/512GB as well which wouldn't come until mid August. I planned on returning the 8GB model. When the 8GB model arrived it was fast and handled everything I threw at it. I opened as many programs as I could and had them all running at the same time. Apps such as Chrome, Final Cut Pro, Logic X, etc. The machine never slowed down. I continued to stress the machine. I feel as though it would slow down due to heat and throttling, before it slowed down due to lack of physical RAM and swap RAM. After that test I decided to cancel my order for the 16GB, kept the 8GB and saved my money
If you happen to watch the latest video from 'ARTisRIGHT' channel then he (again) proves that 16Gb is more beneficial than just 512Gb and ergo 16Gb and 512Gb would be little more better (my opinion). Thanks Mark for tormenting me with a way to save money I can never get 😉🙂👍🏻
exactly more ram less swap if any. even video editing is not affected by slower ssd as many edit from slower external drives. but swap during process will make it longer
Hi Mark, im a college student who does basic college task, no photo editing or very intensive task. hearing about the slow SSD and how 8 gb is too little. do you think its worth it to get the 16 gb and 512 gb? i was thinking of upgrading so It last longer. but not too sure. leaning toward it though.
@@HeyMarkL ok i will definitely use the apple edu discount . do you know if the space gray color also makes seeing fingerprints easy? or is it just the midnight color?
Hey Mark good to see you.....In India we need to spend 1441 Dollars (115000 Rupees) for our base model...its difficult for an average Indian like me...
I don't understand why you NEED to upgrade. Base model can handle heavy work load like 4k video editing just fine as long as you don't open multiple pro apps at the same time.
While I appreciate the review and opinions here, another RUclipsr did a very good comparison comparing a 16gb model with 256 and a 8gb with 512gb. In that video, almost every test he ran, it was the higher ram model that made the biggest difference in performance.
While I think 256gb storage is too small do you plan to keep the laptop awhile, from a performance perspective, the ram makes a big difference.
Yes, I know who you're talking about. Keep in mind though that he was running specific programs, all of them, for example, I personally don't use. So, it really matters what you do on your computer and how you do it. There is no one size fits all recommendation here.
That does not make it better. That just shows how bad the base model is and how over priced it is.
@@evacody1249 well outside of benchmarks, real world usage reviews remain very positive for the base model. I don’t know about you, but my real world usage isn’t just running benchmarks and staring at it.
I got the 16gb ram 512gb for about $1500 and a free airpods 2 with the student deal. I believe this is the best configuration.
Where did you get the student deal? I’m a uni student
@@davidmallinson apple store online for education.
i'm exactly buying the base model, it's enough if you're just a using it for what it's designed for, watching vids, emails, docs, etc. that's it. aso, as i'm writing this the midnight color is going for $1099 on amazon and BH photo
If you plan to upgrade the M2 Air, and can live with a slightly heavier and thicker machine, the base 14 maybe a better value. Its on sale for around 1,800 if you look around.
Yep, got it for 1700 on best buy yesterday
@@INFO59 lesser battery tho and too heavy thick
@@INFO59 should get m2 air 16g 512g add thermal pad, probly just as fast as base 14
depend on country, for my country, the price range is huge between air and 14 inch pro.
@@fdsaffff 1200 + 400 of upgrades is 1600. At that point, you should probably just get the m1 pro for $100-150 more. It’s gonna have some more performance a much better screen and more ports. Most people aren’t gonna mod their MBA.That just my opinion tho.
I got the exact configuration you recommended on pre-order day so glad I made the right choice!
Thanks for tuning in!
Finally! A genuine review!!! Thank you so much
Glad you enjoyed :)
I instantly subscribed to this channel after hearing what he said at minutes 06:10-06:25 , this is all we need. Thanks
well done, simple and practical, no bs and to the point, I agree with your advice
My suggestion: Refurbished M1 Air 8GB/256 for $849 or M2 Air 8GB/512 for $1349 if that's not enough, go with refurbished base M1 pro 16GB/512 for $1749. (all with online offers.)
Yup shouldnt go for any in-betweens of these you mentioned.
The first RUclipsr who doesn’t only talk about video editing for the 1% of the world lol. Good vid
I wonder if you get the base M2 air BUT custom apple upgrade to 512 SSD (but not the full upgrade to $1499 version with 10-Core GPU) if that one is one 512 SSD chip or they use 2 chips as well like the 10-core ?
The base modell is 1500€ in Germany. Pricing seems very unfair.
Ouch. Yeah that’s definitely unfair
Prices in USD are excluding VAT.
Not really comparable. Average wages are higher in Germany, sales tax is not included on American prices, import taxes are a thing etc.
Comparing American prices to other countries is very misleading.
1.6 in greece😐
Good advice for those with more time to save to get the best core-memory-storage combo.
OMG THE VIDEO I WAS LOOKING FOR!! Nobody has done THIS particular topic… i maxed out all my settings sorta contemplating it!
Make sure you watch the entire thing cause you can get super crazy deal for the 512GB/16GB SSD through Apple.
@@HeyMarkL i maxed out the memory and ssd , basically making it future proof
@@HeyMarkL do u think its unessesary ? Tbh i only use my computer for light use/browsing & i want it to last at least 8 years, im upgrading from a 2009 macbook pro
Ok i decided to switch the color because of how the magsafe port looks on some peoples already
Ordered my M2 Macbook Air, with only 16gb upgrade. I already have a 1tb external ssd, so i dont need the ssd upgrade.
Watch 'ARTisRIGHT' latest video. You have chosen very well 👍🏻
@@Richard_Barnes Thanks. Just watched the video, like he said, I only have budget for just one upgrade. So I choose the RAM. I have a friend who choose 512GB ssd for his M1 Macbook and how he wishes he take the RAM instead. I was going from his advice.
@@akizer0 what if you don’t have enough space for apps you download ?
@@kab9729 I have a 1TB external ssd. and Also, most of my work is in either github or google drive. This is my first Mac. My gaming pc is where all my games are. The mac is my work only laptop. I dont do video editing.
@@akizer0 I’m saying as a student but sound like you could’ve just got away with the base model lol
For same price which one..
M1 16gb or base M2
And why?
Heavy MS office user but confused!!
Please share a link to the wallpapers!
Thank you so much. Simple, clear review.
Glad it was helpful, Michael! Thank you for watching.
Where is this pricing coming from? In the US student store the M2 16GB/512/GB is $1579.00, not $1499.00.
1200 base + 400 for upgrades minus 100. you have to choose model with 256gb storage and upgrade ram and storage. model with 512gb base have 10gpu cores wich increasing price by 100. so upgraded ram to 16gb ram is 1700 minus 120 for edu
How big of a difference of a day to day performance would be between the 256ssd and 512ssd? Knowing that I’m just an average user for zoom, sheets and multiples tabs and videos, instead of rendering photos or videos.
Seems to me if you are on the budget and have $1,000 or less, get M1 MBA base model. If you have $1,500, go for M2 MBA with upgraded 16GB Ram & 512GB SSD. If you can afford $2,000, then go for M1 Max MBP 14”.
Thanks for the work you put in. Good info here.
This is not a great video to go buy, the base models will be too much for 99% of customers. Our test concluded this by alot. nothing is slow as this video claims.
Thank you so much. Simple, the comparisson i was looking for. amazing job
Thanks for tuning in! Glad you enjoyed the video 😃
I dissagree. if you can afford only one upgrade go for RAM not storage.
If you have to upgrade the m2 air why not get the base MacBook Pro? with a couple hundreds more you get a much better bang for your bucks..
Nobody talks M2 MacBook Air vs Dell XPS 13 PLUS.( Mac-24 and 1TB , XPS 13 - 32 and 1TB)???
Im gonna got with the M2 16gb ram and 256 ssd
That hoodie though... 👀
Great video, man! Definitely thinking about picking one of these up for my wife.
🤫 🤫 🤫
Definitely! Look into that special pricing though.
Anyone know how much RAM the system occupies out of the box?
Between 4GB to 6GB, give or take a few hundred MB.
@@superme63 wow. That’s leaves barely any headroom for the 8gb model, considering that even the gpu will share from the same.
@@PerpetualPreponderer yeah, it uses swap memory for anything over the 8GB. But that degrades the SSD health over time.
my workflow is like 2 excel plan and like 10 simutaneusly safari tabs.......do you think the air m2 base model can handle it well??
Oh yeah absolutely. Just did that recently but with Google docs and had another safari window with 10+ tabs and other apps opened.
@@HeyMarkL does doing all these while connected to a 4k monitor consume more ram?
Upgrade ram over ssd any day of the week!
Wallpaper at 0:50 ?
I'm working from home and have multiple windows and tabs open at once,which one would be better? MacBook Air m2 or pro m2. I'm not using any programs ,just the internet most of the time
A fkin chrome book. Or if you MUST have Apple just get m1 or refurbished from Apple for even cheaper
@@Dee0426 my company is buying me a new MacBook m2 and I was just wondering if they should get me an air or a pro
air m2, it’s lighter, looks better, and will meet all your needs just as well as the pro would
@@sara_mmitic3674 in that case you might as well get the pro
I bought the base model of 256g and 8g but I don't do any video editing or any sort of 4k related stuff I used it for my college work like making notes / storing them and browsing around and listening to music and all i was actually concern so do you think I made a bad purchase by getting the very base model
Youre good with that workload. Mine is 16/256, its much better to upgrade ram rather than ssd like the dude said ( poor advice). The ssd is not a real issue with our workload, i think the base model is more than enough with your use case so dont be worry and enjoy our delicate laptop :v. Btw whats the color of your bugatti ... sorry mba air m2 :)))
@@ThangNguyen-zi2nt The colour of my Bugatti oh sorry the MBA M2 is space grey what's your ?
@@Thanatos_me good choice, space grey is classic and timeless. Initially, i was going with starlight, but i chose midnight on impulse due to its window laptops lookalike. Now i prefer starlight or space grey over this midnight color because the grass is always greener :v
@@ThangNguyen-zi2ntHow’re liking it so far?
@@sunitjoshi3573 its been good, form factor is the ultimate reason if u were to carry it around
I got macbook pro 16 m1 16gb 1tb.. is that bad or slow?? for file transferring and everything
thats fast
The sweet spot is 512GB/16GB and that would be my recommendation. If you can only afford one upgrade, then get the 16GB of RAM as you can always use an external drive. I have a Samsung rugged drive for the bigger storage option. The RAM is future-proofing and means any semi-pro or hobby pro workflow can perform fantastic even if you multitask. I would only get 512Gb instead if you are constantly downloading massive files, and if that is the case you are probably doing pro work and need a MB Pro instead.
8gb can handle workload like 4k video editing easily as long as you don't open multiple pro apps at the same time. Some swapping will occur during exporting but that's fine. 512gb will be handy if you wish to edit your current 4k project from the internal drive and not needing to depend on an external drive like a urinal bag. Once that's done then you can move the clips externally. My point is, the sweet spot for most people, like it's been said in the video, is 8gb/512gb, if you need to choose between RAM or SSD upgrade.
@@gigihanmandarin I disagree, but you have to do what you want to do!
@@gigihanmandarin My M1 MacBook Air is 8/512 and after a year it still handles everything I need it to do. I do some photo and 4K video editing every once in a while and so far I’ve had no issues. When I first got it, I was a bit concerned about the 8GB RAM, coming from an older MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM. For now I think I’ll skip the M2 and keep my M1.
I pre-ordered the 8GB/512GB model. After see so many people all saying you will need 16GB, I then ordered the 16GB/512GB as well which wouldn't come until mid August. I planned on returning the 8GB model. When the 8GB model arrived it was fast and handled everything I threw at it. I opened as many programs as I could and had them all running at the same time. Apps such as Chrome, Final Cut Pro, Logic X, etc. The machine never slowed down. I continued to stress the machine. I feel as though it would slow down due to heat and throttling, before it slowed down due to lack of physical RAM and swap RAM. After that test I decided to cancel my order for the 16GB, kept the 8GB and saved my money
@@fowlercarlos That's great!
If you happen to watch the latest video from 'ARTisRIGHT' channel then he (again) proves that 16Gb is more beneficial than just 512Gb and ergo 16Gb and 512Gb would be little more better (my opinion). Thanks Mark for tormenting me with a way to save money I can never get 😉🙂👍🏻
exactly more ram less swap if any. even video editing is not affected by slower ssd as many edit from slower external drives. but swap during process will make it longer
Hi mark! Are you part of 100 thieves now? Thanks
Great review and comparison.
hmmm… just wondering why a lot of reviewers are Content creators and just a few Software Engrs/IT?
Hi Mark, im a college student who does basic college task, no photo editing or very intensive task. hearing about the slow SSD and how 8 gb is too little. do you think its worth it to get the 16 gb and 512 gb? i was thinking of upgrading so It last longer. but not too sure. leaning toward it though.
If you can afford it. Highly recommend you get the 16/512 config. Do the apple edu discount if you can! Save some money.
@@HeyMarkL ok i will definitely use the apple edu discount . do you know if the space gray color also makes seeing fingerprints easy? or is it just the midnight color?
@@johnnyguin1136Have you bought it air m2 16/512 or base one
I am too student and i can only afford base varient ,should I buy it or go for windows
wow only $14.99 just for the upgraded m2?
lol jk ik its 1499$
omg ty mark 🎈🥳🥳🥳
I’m like defs don’t go for that 13 inch lolllll, regardless that new Air is a good daily driver especially with how light it is. Dope video brother.
thank you, you just saved me some money
Glad you found the video helpful :)
Hey Mark good to see you.....In India we need to spend 1441 Dollars (115000 Rupees) for our base model...its difficult for an average Indian like me...
If you want it. Just save up and by m3 next year. And don’t sweat it take your time and save up.
the price is just annoying to look at.
that base model is a casual websurfing laptop for $1200
i need at least $1600 to get a decent long term laptop.
I don't understand why you NEED to upgrade. Base model can handle heavy work load like 4k video editing just fine as long as you don't open multiple pro apps at the same time.