Upgrading from M3 chip to M4 Pro or M4 Max

JustNotMe wrote:

It's definitely the ram. (36g) So, I feel like I have to upgrade, but I bought it in 2025. I do big photoshop files while editing 3d files as well. I should have known better.

On what basis do you reach that conclusion?

How large are the images you are editing in Photoshop?

• I regularly work with 150MB+ HDR images in Photoshop on an Intel i9 iMac with 32GB RAM and I have absolutely no difficulty working with them. Your M3 is superpowered compared to the i9.
• If you are having some problem I suspect it's something else, not the RAM.
• There is not that much overall difference between an M3 vs. an M4Pro/Max to justify upgrading per se at the cost it would require.

If you hare having a problem of some kind, please describe what it is. And as has already been suggested, do an Etrecheck report and post it here so we can investigate & advise on what may be going on with your Mac.

JustNotMe wrote:

It's definitely the ram. (36g) So, I feel like I have to upgrade, but I bought it in 2025. I do big photoshop files while editing 3d files as well. I should have known better.

AFAIK, 36 GB was available with M3 Pro and M3 Max, and not M3.

Please post the EtreCheck data, as 36 GB and the silly-fast Apple SSD should do well with Photoshop.

Particularly given it’s more than double the Adobe recommended configuration.

36 GB is a lot of RAM.

If you run Activity Monitor, select the Memory tab, and leave Activity Monitor running while you put your machine through a typical / heavy workload, what does Activity Monitor say about Memory Pressure and Swap Used?

If the Memory Pressure graph is all green (no yellows or reds), and Swap Used is relatively small, that would tell you that your Mac has plenty of RAM for what it is doing.

Note that it is normal for the Mac to put "free" RAM to work holding "Cached Files". RAM that is completely idle does nothing for you. With RAM that is holding "Cached Files", the Mac might be able to use the cache to save some trips to the drive while it is waiting for some process to request the RAM. (Should it turn out that the Mac needs the RAM before it needs the cached data, it can simply dump the latter.)

Apple Support – Activity Monitor User Guide – Check if your Mac needs more RAM in Activity Monitor

JustNotMe wrote:

I do big photoshop files while editing 3d files as well. I should have known better.

With respect to Photoshop, in particular, I would suggest reviewing

Adobe – Optimize Photoshop performance

I believe that Photoshop has its own system of scratch disks, and its own preferences for how much memory to attempt to use, among other things. So there might be things you could do to affect Photoshop's performance short of replacing your whole system and hoping that Photoshop takes better advantage of the new one.

JustNotMe wrote:

is it worth upgrading from the M3 chip to M4pro or M4max

?

That’s entirely your decision, and based on your needs, requirements, and your budget.

You can see the McBook Pro performance differences here: https://browser.geekbench.com/

MacBook Pro M5 is the current generation.

Here’s an M5 review: https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/apple-macbook-pro-14-inch-2025-m5

If (when?) we might see a MacBook Pro with a higher-spec M5 variant?

Are you completely certain? That sounds like plenty of RAM.

Consider downloading and running this little "discovery" utility, Etrecheck. It changes NOTHING. Etrecheck was developed by a senior contributor here, and uses mostly system calls and simple tests to collect often-needed information.

it contains little tests for speeds of devices, CPU utilization, memory usage, energy usage and a digest of recent problems, in one easy to use package. it does not even need to be Installed. Because less can be learned when your Mac is running great, best time to run is when your problems are actually occurring, if possible.

if you follow the directions faithfully, its report (pre-laundered of all personally-identifiable information) can be "Shared" to the System ClipBoard, then Pasted into an ‘Additional Text’ window in a reply on the forums.

Use Etrecheck Pro for free:

http://Etrecheck.com

The amount of data you get can be daunting. If you POST your report, some Readers here are willing to look over those reports, and can provide valuable insights.

Then start a reply on the forums, click the "additional text" Icon in the reply footer, and PASTE

What sort of work do you do with your Mac?

What do you have now, plus how much RAM, how much storage?

In what way(s) does your current system fall short of your needs/expectations?