4GB of Ram (iPad Pro 3rd Gen), Still Enough?

I’ve been looking at used iPad Pros and have found 3rd gen devices in the $400-500 range. This seems like a great value compared to buying a brand new M1 iPad with power that I won’t fully utilize. But I’m concerned 4GB may quickly becomes a limitation as software evolves. What are your personal opinions on this? I’d like to get a few years out of the device.

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Hey Digidem,

I use an IPad Pro 1st gen from 2015. I had the latest Ipad Pro M1 for a few weeks. But I returned it. The reason is that the palm rejection has worsened to a degree that it was taking a lot of fun from working with Nomad. In my opinion, 4GB of ram is enough for sculpting. Sure you might be able to subdivide a model one time more on a newer Ipad but that’s it. Creativity and a fluent workflow are so much more important than ultra-fine wrinkles. And that palm detection thing is really maddening.
My two Cents.

Cheers
CYTE

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I have an iPad Pro 10,5” with 4GB Ram. I was super happy with it till IPadOS 15.
These are some pieces I’ve done with it to see what’s possible with 4GB RAM

But with IpadOS15 and the availability of extra Ram for apps, I’ve started to look around for a new iPad as well.

RAM is the only reason for this. If possible, I would fill my old iPad just with RAM.
Not that the whole system has become faster, but RAM is the only real argument buying something new for me. But the prize is no fun.
I can’t tell if the 6GB a worth it, you would get with 1TB models of 2018?? ( please check carefully, I am not sure)

New decimation feature in Nomad is an option to lightweight geometry. On my System fun goes rapidly down on single models higher than 2 million vertices and scenes over 6 million vertices.

In Procreate I can go up to 7000px x 7000px and 6 layers left.
Infinite Painter is stable around anything smaller than 4000px x 4000px.

So it’s okay, but for next years……? Depends if you are working for yourself or professional. For personal use, you should have some years of fun ahead, I hope. But we also have to hope that developers will still code carefully and efficient for slow systems and not gonna waist resources like on PC.

Out of curiosity, does it manifest by triggering unwanted undos in Nomad?

From what I’ve heard, the ram available is 5.5GB for the 8GB version, and 12GB for the 16GB.
But I don’t think you can use all of the 12GB available in practice.
I don’t have the iPad 16GB to test, so i can’t tell for real.
On my MacBook Air I can push 70M (of course it’s slow), so if there’s another limit it’s not coming from Nomad.

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What’s the secret!? I have MBA 2020 lol, man I’d dribble at being able to push 70M :rofl:

4GB of system RAM won’t leave much use for Nomad for intense work - the Air 4 has 4GB, and Nomad can utilise 2.7 of it. Take into account the older processors in the older iPads, they’re good for iPad-centred tasks and 2D work, but pushing it into the realms of 3D - especially when you begin adding lights, turning on heavy post processing, high textures, etc - and using features like dyntopo will clunk it down. Considering Apple are refreshing their iPad line up this year, the new Air 5 is set to be announced during their Spring Event (April/June time) - with a refresh to their pro line up supposedly toward the 3/4th quarter of the year. For future proofing, it might be better to wait and pick up last years line up when they become the ‘older’ generation this year - and thus, cheaper. (Apple move quick).

Save your money buy a Samsung (android) instead :stuck_out_tongue:

I don’t recommend Android, Apple tablet are superior at the moment.
Also Android OS do takes mores memory, so it needs to be taken into account when comparing.


As for the original post, it depends on what current device @Digidem currently owns.
If you go from 3GB to 4GB, it’s not the same thing as if you evolve from 1GB to 4GB.

Thanks for your replies everyone. This will be my first tablet ever, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. But based on your feedback, it seems like I’d be fine starting off with a 3rd gen iPad Pro and it’s 4GB of ram. I think I’m going to pick up a mint condition 12.9" 256GB 3rd gen that is available near me for $500. I’ll just resell it and get a 5th gen when the new iPad Pro comes out and used M1s drop in price. That’s if I even feel limited by the ram at that point…

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About your question about the unwanted undos:
I have 2 Ipad Pro, an older 10.5 and a new 12.9 inch - both have the latest updates. Only the 12.9 inch produces such unwanted UNDOS. Yes, the 12.9 definitely has a different behavior when recognizing the palm.

Just to chime in, doing some research recently into iPad + Apple Pencil palm rejection, there’s a small repeating pattern & trend across the web from various complaints on forums & Apple’s own community about a general, seemingly underlying problem with how palm rejection is being registered on the new generations of apple hardware utilising the Pencil 2 - spanning from drawing to note taking. iOS itself + the Apple Pencil could be culprits.

I also use Notability and other apps a lot, on the new Ipad 12.9 / Pencil 2 there are definitely more problems with the stroke behavior and Palm Recognition. But only since IOS 15 I think the problems have been slow to emerge.

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This might attribute to the reason why ProCreate has 3 different levels of Palm Support also to use when the app is open (on/off/fine), these complaints have been circulating for a couple years now.

Sounds like a decent plan! Specially when money counts. Remember that the pencil is not included and cause some extra costs if not with the package you are targeting.

@Holger_Schoenischka no probs on my 10,5” with palm rejection as well. So maybe I stuck on my old till this is solved. If so.

Yes, exactly, and unwanted camera rotations or zoom outs. which is especially annoying as you have to zoom in the area again you have been working on as this command is not undoable.

Cheers
CYTE

The palm recognition problems you guys are discussing… Is that only with 5th gen or all 12.9 iPad pros when using ios15?

iPads that support the Apple Pencil 2 (for my input at least)

In General I’m more an Android guy. But after research especially for Nomad I tried my first iPad… And I’m absolutely amazed. Just for supporting Stephane I bought iOS and Android license of Nomad but I only really use it on iPad. It’s so smooth working with Pencil 2.
I bought a second hand iPadPro 11” 2020 (2nd gen). This model has 6GB RAM and Nomad makes use of around 4,7GB and until now I’m very happy with it.

Bro I’m from Android, I’m moving from Samsung to xiaomi

Oh right.

Not really familiar with that one.

I had the opportunity to get the Samsung s7 cheap so wasnt going to let it go :wink: