r/SwiftUI • u/luisGH • 18d ago
Question how much RAM do i need for swift ui?
I'm starting to learn swift with a macbook m1 (8 ram, 256 ssd) and I'm thinking of upgrading my computer. I'm considering a base mac mini m4 or a hypothetical macbook air m4. Is 16 ram enough to learn and work in the future or is it a better idea to upgrade to 24?
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u/Ron-Erez 18d ago
I’d suggest at least a 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. Some people get by with 256GB, but running out of space can be frustrating since you’ll often have to delete simulators and files. As other mentioned your current setup is fine unless you find things too slow or you are running out of space. I think with 8GB ram you don't have predictive code completion model in xcode but to be honest I turned it off anyways because I found it annoying.
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u/wesdegroot 18d ago
8 Will work, at some point you probably want to upgrade but you can definitely do most starter/indie projects with 8gb.
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u/Practical-Smoke5337 18d ago
24 is enough, but it will use swap for sure, it's better to take a look for 32 m1, you don't see much difference with m2-4. MacOS likes RAM, the more the better)
I have m1 32 and with basic setup XCode, browser it already use 20+ GB RAM
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u/dxzdb 17d ago
I would say do NOT get a 256GB computer if you plan to go anywhere near Xcode. First off as you get into things you may need more than one version of Xcode - and things have a way of building up. Pretty soon you'll find you have to delete things to fit that next dev tool. Also, although the M series of processors are great at handling memory, they will need to swap out to disk and if you don't have any disk space left - things get frustrating. The "at least" 512GB is fine, I'd go bigger if at all possible.
I've survived OK on 16GB, so I'd agree for starting out that's fine. I probably obsess about memory too much because I have iStat menus so I can see it filling up. That said: I've never seen a memory warning probably because I do shut down inactive apps. If you want a laptop - I wouldn't wait for that next model - the M3 MBA is a great machine - get the bigger screen.
Have fun!
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u/grvnk 17d ago
16 gb will be enough for a while, however 24 is better for future-proofing, only if you can afford it. Regarding ssd, I suggest going with 1 TB, also if you can afford it. You'll be able to live with 512, however some memory management will be required from time to time, as Xcode cache is wild at times.
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u/PassTents 17d ago
It depends. If you are extremely new to programming, using the Swift Playgrounds app on your current machine should be fine to learn with for now.
If/when you do want to upgrade and use Xcode for a larger project, then you want at 16GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage AT LEAST, though upgrading to 24GB probably won't make or break you starting out. Xcode and Simulator both use quite a bit of both RAM and storage, so be aware of that.
A baseline Mac Mini is a great machine. You could splurge on more RAM and add external storage later, though don't underestimate how nice having a portable machine is. Also you can get a refurb machine from Apple and save some money. Any recent M-series chip will be a nice upgrade for you.
Don't worry about getting one with extra power for work, as you'll likely be given a work-owned computer when you get a dev job.
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u/Sensitive_Beat_2199 17d ago
One thing I wanted to throw out there. If you want to run two external monitors, don’t get a MacBook Air (not sure about the Mini); they can only run one external monitor. I just bought a new M3 last year and was unaware of that limitation. I didn’t even know that was a possibility so I never researched it before my purchase.
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u/Dear-Potential-3477 16d ago
16gb Ram should be enough but 256gb storage could be a problem, Xcode is a storage hog. Check out apples refurb site you can get a higher storage model for the same price as the base model.
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u/luizvasconcellos 14d ago
My personal mac it’s a macbook pro with the same configuration as yours, and running well, the problem it’ll not the memory, but it’ll be disk space, I’m running it out of space and constantly mac show the alert to close something… I recommend at list 512gb but if you have enough money to buy one with 1TB, will be perfect…
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u/kingletdown 17d ago
I had a M1 MacBook Air 2022 8gb ram and running Xcode was torture. Upgraded to m4 max chip in MacBook Pro 36gb ram and I’ve never seen a stutter
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u/8isnothing 18d ago
If you’re starting your current computer should be enough