It refers to all of the different types of computing engines sharing the same RAM. No, it's not a description of how RAM and SSD storage work together. When there isn’t enough main memory the OS can use the SSD for swap space but this is much slower than using RAM and has nothing to do with Unified Memory.īoth! 😬 I was under the assumption that Unified Memory was a description of how RAM and SSD memory work together So the RAM spec is still important regardless of the SSD size. It has the advantage that passing data between these various components is extremely fast.

Yes it’s kind of confusing but as others have pointed out the Unified Memory has nothing to do with the SSD storage but describes the way memory is shared between CPU, GPU and neural engine. I guess my main question is does RAM spec really matter in Apple Silicon? There have been a whole load of posts recently on choosing the best memory and storage size for M2 devices.īoth! 😬 I was under the assumption that Unified Memory was a description of how RAM and SSD memory work together, so I was basically wondering why does the RAM spec really matter now if the SSD is big enough? For my usage (as a hobbyist), I can't imagine getting anywhere near the write limit of the ssd. Can't change it now.Īre you really trying to understand unified memory or trying to figure out which configuration to buy? *edit: I meant this to be posted as a question, not necessarily a new discussion thread. If swap memory is used in the 16/1TB config, is there any real concern, since at best it would be happening occasionally only? In either of my two preferred configs above, will I see any noticeable difference in image or video processing performance? I honestly don't see how the two configs would perform differently for my intended use. ON1 can process and render 4k timelapse videos, but again it's quite slow. Currently I use a Samsung T7 shield as my working drive, and I find with my 2018 16/512 MBP the images are a often slow to render while doing simple photo edits, and any type of batch editing etc takes a while and makes the fan go. I like the idea of a larger drive inside the mini instead of an external ssd for my 'working', or editing, drive. I will not have many programs running at once, probably ON1 or Exposure 7 for Photos, Accessing my Apple Photos Library on a separate drive, and a video editing program like iMovie or Filmora. I will be using it for photo and video editing as a hobbyist. Ok, I'm close to ordering an M2 Mini, choosing between the 16/1TB or 24/512.

Gimp for m1 mac