Is 16GB RAM really enough on new 24" iMac?

rkaufmann87 wrote:

I think you are mistaken, no 2012-2021 21.5" iMacs supported 32 GB of RAM.

I don't mean to quibble but plenty of 21.5" iMacs support 32GB or more. The RAM is non user-accessible but that doesn't mean a user or an Authorized Apple Service Provider can't add it.

I think you are mistaken, no 2012-2021 21.5" iMacs supported 32 GB of RAM. The max your 2017 21.5" could have had was 16 GB of RAM. To answer your question, millions are using their 2021 24" iMacs with 16GB of RAM successfully.

Before I bought my Mac M1 I reviewed the users on YouTube that worked these units hard. There was no issue for most with 8GB and none with 16GB using the most processor intense photo editing apps. The M1 units cannot be compared directly to old Intel Macs. You should have any issues.

I stand corrected, I did a bit more research and it looks like 2017 and later 21.5" can support up to 64 GB of RAM, however as you mentioned it must be done by an Apple Authorized Service Provider or the user. Thanks for letting me know.

As has been pointed out by @Keith Barkley the M1 Macs are a completely different animal when it comes to RAM. You have to forget what you think you know about RAM and applications. You will have no issues with 16GB of it.

Apple did not think it that much of a degradation since they put that chip in the MacBookPro.

It is much like replacing a 500GB mechanical HD with a 256GB SSD, while a downgrade in some respects, it is a positive boon in others.

Understandable.

A definitive answer to your question is not possible, but I agree 16 GB should certainly be sufficient. The day will come when that will no longer be the case, but it's likely to be years from now, when you find yourself wanting to do things with that Mac that no one can even envision yet.

The new M1 Macs are faster, but is there something you can't do with the iMac you have now?

The new M1's use memory much more efficiently. But it sounds like your applications will not tax it too hard.

"Plenty" might be overstating things. The 2017 and 2019 21.5" iMacs have 2 memory slots.

You're welcome.

murrayE wrote:

... the Apple's otherwise deplorable degradation of available memory?

This requires additional explanation.