Is 8GB RAM sufficient for everyday tasks on a 2021 M1 iMac?

I'd suggest getting a minimum of 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal SSD space. (You might want 1 TB or more depending on what your storage use looks like now, and how willing you are to offload data to external drives.)

8 GB of RAM is enough for basic things like word processing and browsing the Web, but you can't expand either RAM or internal SSD space after purchase.

Be very careful buying a used 2021 M1 iMac from an unreliable source like E-Bay, Amazon and others.

1) It will be a nightmare if the original owner and/or reseller hasnot properly prepared for resale.

see > What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

2) Some of those early 2021 M1 iMac are having screen issues that are expensive to fix.

see > https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255220596?sortBy=oldest_first

What I recommend is buying a Refurbished 2023 M3 iMac directly from Apple.

see > https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/imac

Or even better a Refurbished Mac Mini and a decent 27" or 32" aftermarket external display.

see > https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/mac-mini

Ronasara wrote:

Yes, you can use Ethernet instead if Wi-Fi. Just connect the computer to the Modem's Ethernet port with an Ethernet cable and select Ethernet in System Settings.

The OP's question wasn't whether you could connect a computer equipped with Ethernet to a router equipped with Ethernet LAN ports.

It was whether you could buy a 24" M1 iMac that did not have an Ethernet port, and add one by replacing the power adapter. With the 24" M1 iMacs, some came with Ethernet; others didn't; and for those that did, Apple located the Ethernet port on the power adapter, not on the chassis of the iMac itself.

If you’re planning on keeping this Mac for a decade, you'll want more memory. Apple went to 16 GB for most (all?) recent models.

AFAIK, the gigabit wall wart is not easily interchangeable to the low-spec iMac.

Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E (6 Ghz), and Wi-Fi 7 can all be faster than gigabit wired. iMac M1 2021 has Wi-Fi 6.

Some of the iMac M1 2021-era models seem slightly more prone to horizontal lines or related display issues, based on reports around here, and elsewhere. (Info) Lots apparently do work fine, but some don’t.

[in my opinion] 8 GB Ram is not enough to run Ventura and later in an appropriately responsive way. I am not even talking about running any real Apps -- it's not enough for MacOS ALONE.

if you have only 8 GB RAM in Ventura and later, you will need to run ONE app at a time. QUIT your Browser before you open anything else, even a word processor. Also, Restart your machine often, as it will end up paging its little heart out otherwise.

It is not an accident that Apple no longer sells ANY New Macs with only 8 GB RAM. More than 8 GB is required.

There is more than enough compute power in ANY Apple-silicon Mac. But if you starve it for RAM memory, you will never get to use that capability for anything.

I can't comment directly on performance on an M1 based iMac, but I can say that my M3 based iMac with 8 GB of RAM does just fine with mix of web browsing, email, Office 365 apps, news, photo management, etc.

Performance testing with etrecheck puts it only slightly behind my M4 based MBA with 16GB of RAM.

In the long run, more RAM is better and will extend the usefulness of just about any computer. If you're looking at an M1 based iMac, though, I'm guessing your funds are relatively limited to be looking at the used market...

I will caution that from what I've seen here, the M1 based iMacs are prone to display problems. I'd avoid them. The M2 and later models don't seem to have that issue.

You might be better off looking at a Mac mini and supplying your own monitor instead.

Based on reports here, M1 iMacs seem to have a higher than normal rate of display issiues. I cannot recommend one.

Frankly, I see more issues caused by too little storage that by too little RAM. The base storage of 256MB is causing a lot of problem reports here. I now consider 512GB the absolute MINIMUM storage size for any Mac. As 512GB was an option with the M1 iMacs (still is with M4s), you are unlikely to find a used one with enough storage.

Files on your current iMac Fusion drive will likely not fit on a 256GB drive. The smallest Fusion option in 2013 was 1TB, 4x the capacity of an entry-level iMac today,

I agree with the others. Sad stories here from people having serious issue with "pre-owned' Macs are all too common. I am comfortable with a refurbished Mac ONLY F you web-order directly from Apple. Theyr are not in stores.

Refurbished Mac Deals - Apple

By sure to check the listing for each one to see its storage size. You can use the store's filter function to hide the offerings with smaller storage sizes:

I'm not aware of what you're considering paying for the new, used iMac but consider the following: a 10 Core Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD ($999 + tax) with a 27" LG 4k monitor ($250 + tax from Amazon.com)  is $1249 + tax which is $560 less than a similarly configured new 24" iMac ($1799 + tax)  re 07/2025.   

You can save even more by picking a lower cost monitor.

Personally I wouldn't get a Mac with less than 16 GB of RAM and less than 1 TB of storage. Storage can always be added via external SSDs but RAM is what you buy is what you got - forever.

NOTE:

Consider the following: a 10 Core Mac Mini M4 with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD ($999 + tax) with a 27" LG 4k monitor ($250 + tax from Amazon.com)  is $1249 + tax which is $560 less than a similarly configured new 24" iMac ($1799 + tax)  re 07/2025. Keep your keyboard and mouse from your current Mac for use with the Mini. 

I got the above Mini with a 32" LG 4K monitor w/speakers for only $60 more than the 27" (didn't know the Mini had a speaker). I need the larger screen real estate as I reduce the resolution so text is larger due to failing eyesight. The Mini is an excellent machine.

iHelper_SK wrote:

I use normaĺy my MacBook Air (M2) with 8gb ram and it is very fine…

Not so much freezes.

I recomend 8gb for this uses

Ah, a month-old thread.

Are you planning on using your MacBook Air for a dozen years?

Because Apple increased the minimum memory on newer Macs.

Yes, you can use Ethernet instead if Wi-Fi. Just connect the computer to the Modem's Ethernet port with an Ethernet cable and select Ethernet in System Settings.

I use normaĺy my MacBook Air (M2) with 8gb ram and it is very fine…

Not so much freezes.

I recomend 8gb for this uses