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When I’m in the market for a new Mac, I always focus on a few key hardware upgrades that deliver the best balance between performance and value. These choices make all the difference, both in terms of your Mac’s longevity and your overall experience right now.
1 More Unified Memory
Instead of using traditional RAM, modern Macs feature unified memory, which is integrated directly into the chip. This design results in significantly faster and more efficient performance. However, it also means that you can’t upgrade the memory later on, meaning it’s essential to decide how much you’ll need before purchasing a Mac.
Entry-level Macs start with 8GB of unified memory, but I would definitely recommend going for 16GB or more. While you can manage with 8GB of unified memory—if you’re only doing light tasks like editing documents—upgrading to more memory is better for future-proofing your Mac.
8GB might be sufficient now, but it may not be enough in a few years as software and apps evolve and need more memory. Spending an extra $200 now could save you from needing to buy a new Mac later when performance issues arise.
I mostly work with dozens of browser tabs open and occasionally play light games. While 8GB of unified memory provides a decent experience, I have noticed occasional slowdowns and often wish I had opted for the 16GB configuration instead.
2 A Better Chip With More Cores
Depending on your workflow, you should also carefully decide which chip would be ideal for you. Apple silicon chips are available in four tiers: the standard chip, Pro, Max, and Ultra, ranked by increasing performance.
For most people, the base M2 and M3 chips are more than sufficient. However, since I spend a lot of time developing apps using Xcode and playing Windows games using CrossOver, having a Pro series chip makes a big difference.
I find the Pro series chips to be the perfect balance between cost and performance, especially on MacBooks. But if you wish to edit large amounts of 8K footage or work on complex machine learning models, you should consider a Max or even an Ultra chip.
While configuring a Mac on Apple’s website, you may also see the same chip available with a higher CPU and GPU core count. I wouldn’t recommend opting for that unless you’re certain you’ll benefit from the slightly improved multi-core performance. Upgrading to a higher tier will always have a more noticeable impact on performance.
3 A Better Display
While the MacBook Air’s display is impressive, the Liquid Retina XDR display on the MacBook Pro takes it to another level. It delivers deeper blacks, a significantly higher contrast ratio, and can reach an incredible 1600 nits of peak brightness when watching HDR content. The result is a truly stunning viewing experience.
While Macs aren’t the best machines for gaming, the MacBook Pro’s display also supports a 120Hz refresh rate. Therefore, you’ll definitely notice a smoother experience while playing games at higher frame rates. For most people, including me, the 14-inch screen feels like the perfect size, but if you prefer more screen space, you can get the 15-inch MacBook Air if you’re on a budget or the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
If you plan to consume a lot of content or do any kind of color grading or color correction work, I strongly recommend the MacBook Pro, especially if your budget allows it. The display is one of the first things you’ll notice, and it really makes a big difference.
While these are the main upgrades I tend to focus on, you may also be tempted to opt for more storage. If you’re okay with sacrificing a bit of portability, I recommend getting an external SSD for the best value. I use a Samsung T7 Shield, which performs almost as fast as my Mac’s internal drive. I often run various games and emulators directly from it without issues, so it’s an excellent alternative to paying Apple’s outrageous prices for storage upgrades.
