M4 MAX 48GB vs 128GB: Worth the $1000 Upgrade??

Tech/Product Focus: M4 Max RAM Upgrade (48GB vs 128GB)

• The video tests two M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro configurations:
  • One with 48GB RAM (the only 48GB option)
  • One with 128GB “maxed out” RAM
• Central question: Is the $1,000 RAM upgrade worth it?
• The creator argues that benchmarks don’t tell the whole story—usefulness depends on workflow type, including:
  • how much RAM each app uses
  • multitasking behavior
  • how macOS handles memory pressure and swapping

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Key Findings by Application / Workflow

1) Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve (Benchmarks + Real-World Observations)

Overall

• Photoshop: performance is within margin of error between 48GB and 128GB.
• Lightroom Classic: generally no big difference for typical editing, but multi-photo/panorama exports and large panoramic assembly may push RAM usage higher.
• Premiere Pro:
  • The creator reports timeline/export differences in a specific live timeline test and an export test (e.g., Media Encoder/codecs).
  • Result: 128GB exports faster by a few seconds, attributed to being able to use more RAM.
  • Takeaway:
    • 48GB is enough for most editors
    • 128GB helps with more complex timelines (effects, layers, large resolutions, heavier codecs)

DaVinci Resolve

• Claimed to be more efficient with memory and heavily reliant on VRAM/unified memory.
• The creator’s view: most people won’t reach 48GB limits, so 128GB is generally not worth it for Resolve alone.

3D Apps / Apple Silicon Compatibility Caveat

• The video mentions Apple-supported 3D workflows such as Redshift, Cinema 4D, and Blender.
• Advice: ensure your 3D software is supported and optimized on Apple silicon, because many 3D workflows still perform best on NVIDIA/Windows setups.

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2) After Effects (Where 128GB Is Recommended)

• The creator explicitly recommends 128GB for heavy After Effects work.
• Reason: After Effects caches previews in RAM, so more memory enables:
  • smoother playback
  • better preview/render behavior
  • faster rendering when caching can remain in memory

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3) Multi-Tasking Benefit (Beyond Benchmarks)

A major reason for upgrading is system-level behavior under load:

• With many apps/tabs open, macOS uses RAM pressure to decide what stays in memory vs what gets swapped to SSD.
• The creator claims 128GB reduces SSD swapping, improving responsiveness during workflows such as:
  • Lightroom + Photoshop + Premiere + Media Encoder
  • lots of Chrome tabs
  • file transfers to a server

If you’re a heavy multitasker, the $1,000 upgrade can be worth it—even if raw app benchmarks are flat.

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4) SSD Health / Lifespan Impact (RAM Affects Wear)

Another non-benchmark argument:

• When RAM fills up (on 48GB), macOS swaps memory to the SSD.
• SSDs have finite write endurance (the video cites typical SSD endurance targets, e.g., ~600TBW per 1TB on some drives).
• Using more RAM (128GB) should reduce swapping, which may:
  • extend SSD lifespan
  • reduce risk of eventual SSD wear, especially if you don’t plan to upgrade the SSD soon

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Future-Proofing Argument

• The creator claims M4 Max CPU/GPU performance is strong enough that RAM capacity will be the main future limiter.
• As software becomes more RAM-hungry, 128GB is positioned as a way to future-proof photo/video/3D workflows.

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Limitations / Purchasing Considerations

Discounts Availability

• Base 48GB models may have discounts (e.g., Amazon, Black Friday, holidays).
• After upgrading to 128GB, the creator says upgrades are Apple-only, implying:
  • fewer discounts
  • more “built to order” constraints

Practical Advice

If you can’t tell whether you need it yet, the creator suggests evaluating:

• workload type (especially After Effects and complex Premiere timelines)
• multitasking habits
• whether you commonly experience RAM pressure

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Key Sponsorship Mentioned

• Sponsor: ASUS ProArt (ASUS ProArt P16), featuring:
  • 16-inch 4K OLED
  • AMD Ryzen 9 AI CPU
  • NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU

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Main Speakers / Sources

• Main speaker: the YouTube creator running the RAM upgrade comparison (no named individual provided in subtitles).
• Sources referenced: the video relies on:
  • own benchmarks/tests (Photoshop/Lightroom/Premiere/After Effects/Resolve/3D workflows)
  • comparisons to PC benchmarks (Intel CPUs and NVIDIA RTX-class GPUs mentioned)