Technology glossary

Unified memory

An arrangement in which the CPU and graphics processor use the same physical memory pool. Memory allocated to the GPU is not extra capacity added to total RAM.

On the 128 GB Z2 Mini G1a, up to 96 GB can be assigned to the GPU. It comes from the 128 GB total and reduces the capacity left for the OS and other applications.

Fitting a large model into memory and running it quickly are different things. Software support, model format, memory transfers and processing power affect the result. The term unified memory alone promises neither a particular speed nor upgradeability.

Devices using this technology

Apple Mac mini (M6) — Mac mini; the M6 and M5 Pro versions share the same enclosure.

Desktop computers · 2026

Apple Mac mini (M6)

A compact desktop computer powered by M6. A display, keyboard and mouse connect separately. Front USB-C ports, rear Thunderbolt connections and Ethernet accommodate desktop peripherals.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) — 11-inch iPad Air, M4.

Tablets · 2026

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4)

The M4 iPad Air has 12 GB of memory and an IPS Liquid Retina display. It supports Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil USB-C, sold separately. Touch ID in the top button provides fingerprint unlocking.

HP Z2 Mini G1a — HP Z2 Mini G1a in Jet Black, angled front view in vertical orientation. Memory and SSD capacities cannot be distinguished from the exterior.

Desktop computers · 2025

HP Z2 Mini G1a

A compact Windows workstation sharing 128 GB of memory between its CPU and integrated graphics. It provides room for large datasets, 3D work and local AI, but fitting a model in memory does not guarantee that it will run quickly. RAM cannot be upgraded later with plug-in modules.

Tablets · 2025

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M5, Wi-Fi)

The iPad Pro 13-inch (M5) is Apple’s top tablet of 2025. It is 5.1 mm thick and the Wi-Fi version weighs 579 g. It offers the Apple M5 chip, a 2752 × 2064 tandem OLED Ultra Retina XDR display with 10–120 Hz ProMotion (1000 nits SDR, 1600 nits HDR peak), a Thunderbolt / USB4 port, and Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 through the Apple N1 wireless chip. Memory and CPU core count depend on storage capacity. Independent testing measured over 15 hours of web battery and 49% charge in 30 minutes and found performance very strong; owners are happy with the speed and display.

Sources

  1. HP: Z2 Mini G1a unified memory architecture