System requirements in the future (RAM)

[Sean5C79]

I just purchased a brand new 2019 16" MacBook Pro with 16gb RAM and Photoshop is running super smooth.  I am curious, however, how far into the future I will be able to meet the recommended system requirements.  I didn't think about getting 32gb RAM when I bought the laptop and am hoping I didn't make a mistake getting 16gb of RAM because Photoshop is one of the main reasons I got my MacBook Pro and I want to be able to use it for as long as possible before my system doesn't meet the recommended requirements.  

I guess the bottom line is that I want to know how many years of Photoshop use I should look forward to getting out of my new computer.

Thanks!

[John Waller]

>>>how far into the future I will be able to meet the recommended system requirements. 

Think we'd all like a definitive answer to that so we can futureproof our investments.

What are the full specs of your laptop? RAM is one factor of many.

Check your actual RAM usage over time in the Activity Monitor: https://macpaw.com/how-to/reduce-memory-usage-on-mac

Depending on what work you do with Photoshop, unless you're doing heavy processor intensive work on multi-GB files with hundreds of layers, you should be fine with 16GB RAM. 

However, the operating system can also be an important factor to wring every dollar of value from your purchase.

Worst case scenario: once Adobe stops supporting your operating system and Apple determines you can no longer upgrade your OS then you have no option but to upgrade your hardware.

Nevertheless, given that:

1. The current version of Photoshop supports macOS back to Mojave (10.14) which was released in 2018.
2. Apple supports Mojave on MacBook Pros back to mid-2012.

my crystal ball suggests you should be OK with that MacBook Pro for 5+ years - or until Photoshop's performance becomes slower than you would like.

[Sean5C79]

If I could get 5+ years of Photoshop with my computer I would be ecstatic.

Thanks for the reply!

[John Waller]

Again, depends on what you do with Photoshop.

You may be able to launch Photoshop but will it run all day without frustrating you? If you're a hobbyist, it probably won't matter until you have to get a coffee while you wait for it to finish an operation. Or until a killer new feature arrives and you're forced to upgrade.

If you're using it professionally, that's a different story.

[Sean5C79]

I do digital fine art at high resolutions for printing, painting with the brush and using the pen tool and channels etc to get the desired effect.  I sometimes have many layers but I can always merge some layers if I absolutely am running out of memory.

[Sean5C79]

I don't do photography though, my art is strictly painting and vector drawing at moderate printing sizes (concert poster-size is the largest I work on).

[John Waller]

I suspect your 16GB RAM will be plenty for the life of the laptop given what you're doing with Photoshop.

[Sean5C79]

That's great to hear!  Thanks so much for your reply. ☺️

[Sean5C79]

I bought the base model 2019 MacBook Pro shown on Apple's website, with the Intel i7 9th Gen chip with 2.6ghz processor and up to 4.5ghz Turbo Boost.

[Nancy OShea]

The #1 reason I have not updated to the latest Photoshop is because of new GPU requirements which my equipment doesn't meet.  But 32GB of RAM has not been a problem for me so far.  Of course your mileage may vary depending on what all you do with 3D, filters, layers...

- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/photoshop-cc-gpu-card-faq.html

[Sean5C79]

I don't use filters very often and I never use 3D.  My style is akin to really painting on an actual canvas.  90%+ of the time I am using the brush tool with my Wacom tablet and literally just painting with black and white or color.

[Sean5C79]

Thanks for the reply!