Hi, I see there are comments from May 2021 about the possible performance of the iMac 24" with the new M1 chip 8-core CPU 8-core GPU, being compatible with SketchUp Pro. It seems one can get 8GB RAM in this country. I was wondering if anybody has any experience with this type of machine using SketchUp and Layout.
I have run SketchUp on an iMac and it seemed to run well, but I would try to up the ram. 8 is the minimum. My everyday machine has 32.
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I agree with Aaron. I suspect that you would really come to regret having only 8GB of memory. My 27" Intel iMac from a number of years ago has 32GB (the maximum it accepted) and sometimes I wish it had more. I usually run Photoshop with a number of files open (sometimes more than a dozen) for reference material to my SketchUp modeling activity. Even web browser tabs these days can readily consume half a GB.
Thank you Tom and Aaron for replying.
I am only too aware of Apple’s tendency to market ‘closed’ Macs, instead of allowing RAM upgrades, the issue is really about the new M1 chip which Apple say have an integrated memory function. Hence my query if this new concept is living up to Apple’s assertions. The 8GB RAM is way to little for my purposes, and even 16Gigs sometimes seems to be too little, but perhaps we have gotten too used to how the CPU together with the traditional RAM functions, that we, ahem, I, don’t quite understand. I have looked up the function of this new chip, but it is not clear to me if graphic intense software can function acceptably with this new architecture.
Normally you have 2 pools of memory , one for the system (apps will use this for very general purpose stuff ) which is generally higher in capacity, but slower and one pool for that graphics card - usually this is more expensive and much faster.
The operating system will use about 5GB of this and every program you have open will use more.
Likewise, every tab you have open in a web browser will use a little, playing some music? A little more will be used . Have iMessage open? A little more again, etc etc.
Now open a SketchUp model and that will be another 1GB+ of that memory being used. It’s not uncommon for SketchUp and enscape on my machine to approach 12gb of memory in use.
The Mac now shares a type of very fast memory between both the CPU and the GPU.
This means that if one device isn’t using it, then the other can use it.
This isn’t a new ring, prior Macs with integrated intel GPUs did the same thing.
If you take a look at the recommended specs for SketchUp you’ll see they ask for 8GB of System Memory and a further 512Mb for the graphics.
In order to meet this recommended spec (JUST to run SketchUp by itself , with no other programs running) you need 8.5GB of memory on an M1 Mac.
Hi Adam, that now makes sense. I found a reseller that does upgrades, so am looking to get at least 16gb. Thanks for the detailed response.