Which is better - upgrading Macbook air to 8GB RAM or 256GB SSD?

[iMore Question]

Apple MacBook air model MJvg2ll
Which one should I get - both similar price?

MJVG2ll - 4GB RAM, 256 SSD or

MJVG2ll - 8GB RAM, 128SSD

Thanks

 

[Just_Me_D]

If it were "me", I'd update the RAM over the storage space. Which option is more important to "you"?

 

[ndirishfan1975]

They are both important. 4GB of ram is nota lot especially looking forward. 128GB. Storage may be sufficient especially if you will be the only user of the machine. I would probably lean toward RAM but if it were me I'd upgrade both.

 

[Rob Phillips]

I'd get the 8 GB of RAM.

 

[Bazza1]

I've got a 4 / 128 / 11" Air currently. I have a whack of stuff on it (including vids, music and pics) that I don't necessarily access daily, plus docs, etc, I do and I still have close to 40GB free. Bigger, even less regularly accessed stuff I have on an portable external drive, so storage really isn't an issue for me.

While I don't use any apps that require a lot of horsepower, I can definitely see where more RAM would certainly help things along from time to time.

 

[AustinIllini]

Apple MacBook air model MJvg2ll
Which one should I get - both similar price?

MJVG2ll - 4GB RAM, 256 SSD or

MJVG2ll - 8GB RAM, 128SSD

Thanks

I would go ahead and do the RAM. The storage space is nice, but since you have an SSD already, the RAM is a much better investment.

 

[Ariel Babalao]

It really depend on your computing habit. What do you use your MBA for?
1-Photo editing with a lot of similar apps opened in the background where you move back and forth between them.
2-video editing most of the time with several other alike apps opened at the same time
3-audio registration edition with other apps opened in the background.
4-you can't work on your computer with 1 space desktop and for the sake of organization, you need 3 to 5 minimum of spaces opened at the same time, including major split-viewing.
5-you do design, 2D, 3D, even rendering images and walk trough videos (video games programming, playing) generally require some dual booting to test designed/apps/games in other platforms/application

6- simple internet consumption with some YouTube online videos here and there
7- text editing/reading most of the time with iWork tools, or MS office etc...
8-just a computer to store your capture pictures, videos, and music purchase etc...
9-mostly for helping you in your business organization where you need mails, maps, calendar, notes, reminder, you name it
10-a family computer that everyone use as please for various rapid tasks.

If you fall into 1 to 5, then go with the ram.
If you fall into 6 to 10, then go with the more storage.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Wait a second...I've always understood that the RAM on the MacBook Air isn't upgradeable because it's soldered onto the logic board. Is there a way around this?

 

[Bazza1]

Wait a second...I've always understood that the RAM on the MacBook Air isn't upgradeable because it's soldered onto the logic board. Is there a way around this?

Not post-purchase upgradeable Rob, as far as I know - but it is "configurable to 8GB RAM" from Apple - https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs/#mn_p
The 13" already has 8GB RAM as standard.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Not post-purchase upgradeable Rob, as far as I know - but it is "configurable to 8GB RAM" from Apple - https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs/#mn_p
The 13" already has 8GB RAM as standard.

I thought that was the case. Thanks for the clarification! Hopefully OP sees this and doesn't waste time/money trying to upgrade something that can't be upgraded.

 

[Ariel Babalao]

I thought that was the case. Thanks for the clarification! Hopefully OP sees this and doesn't waste time/money trying to upgrade something that can't be upgraded.

MJVG2LL models of MBA come with 4G of ram and 128 to plus and can be expanded at Apple Store, both the RAM and the storage.
And that's the model the OP own. He's certainly not waiting time/money trying to upgrade as he can achieve an upgrade if he wants and have the necessary money for it.

 

[Rob Phillips]

MJVG2LL models of MBA come with 4G of ram and 128 to plus and can be expanded at Apple Store, both the RAM and the storage.
And that's the model the OP own. He's certainly not waiting time/money trying to upgrade as he can achieve an upgrade if he wants and have the necessary money for it.
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I understand that you can have Apple upgrade the RAM on a MacBook Air but every source I've read states that this needs to be done prior to purchase. The RAM is physically soldered onto the logic board. There is no way around that. There are zero slots to simply add more RAM.

 

[P_Devil]

I understand that you can have Apple upgrade the RAM on a MacBook Air but every source I've read states that this needs to be done prior to purchase. The RAM is physically soldered onto the logic board. There is no way around that. There are zero slots to simply add more RAM.

That's my understanding as well, unless you're buying a new logic board with new CPU and everything but that would be outrageous in terms of cost. I had a 2011 MacBook Air and upgraded the SSD myself but I couldn't do anything with the RAM. I physically observed that it was soldered directly onto the logic board and there was nothing I could do about it. I believe earlier models of the MacBook Air (the ones with the port cover that were thicker and came with an HDD as the base option) had RAM that could be upgraded. Then again, I could be wrong as OWC doesn't even list RAM upgrade options for any MacBook Air model and they have RAM upgrade options for everything [that can be upgraded] including Macs from the mid-90's.

 

[Tech198]

Depends n what your doing... 4 Gig is still fine,

I wanna know weather Apple will make a totally soldered stuff, so no components could be upgraded at all. Till now, they've always got away with user upgrade-able RAM at the bare minimum or SSD's, and since their pushing to thinnest, only time will tell how long that will even last on Mac's