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13" MBP 2017 (nTB) 16GB w/ 256SSD vs. 8GB w/ 512SSD?

katp97

katp97

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 23, 2018
8
0
Hey everyone!

I'm looking to buy a 13" 2017 MacBook Pro non TouchBar version. As I'm only borrowing my mum's 2014 MBP and she wants to give it to my younger brother who really needs a computer (she has a Dell XPS 13 and didn't like Apple's OS after buying this laptop, so she let me use it for school). I'm getting braces in a month (which are quite expensive) therefore my parents can't afford to buy me a laptop but I've made a lot of money working over summer so I don't mind paying just as long as I'm getting my money's worth.

I was opting for a maxed out 2015 MBP but I barely see them in good condition in Australia anymore and Apple has stopped manufacturing them and putting them on their refurb website (plus, I don't really trust refurbished third party sellers).

I'm a senior in high school and I am planning to keep using it for Uni. So that's like 6+ years? Ideally, I'd want to keep the laptop for as long as possible because MacBooks don't come so cheap

Right now, I use this laptop for basic school stuff (MS Word, OneNote, etc.), browsing internet, and I do a bit of gaming – OpenEmu to run old video games and I also use this to play Sims 4. I also do some video editing (After Effects, FCPX) and photoshop.

What Laptop would be better in my case?
MBP nTB 2017 with:
  • 16GB RAM & 256SSD ($2,519)
  • 8GB RAM & 512 SSD ($2,499)
Or should I just bite the bullet and go with the 16GB RAM & 512 SSD ($2,819) or the 8GB RAM & 256SSD ($2,199 new or $1,859 on their refurb site)
^^^^ They're all w/ the 2.3 GHz i5 btw.

Also if you currently have have this laptop, or have used it in the past tell me your experiences with it! Or if you have better Apple Laptop suggestions or other Laptop brands, let me know (I just really like Apple's interface). Thanks guys :)
 
Last edited:
If you’re going to keep it for that long, might as well get the most memory and storage you can afford.

I did have the non-TB at first but needed to move to a TB version because of the port situation. My set up really benefits with 4 ports. Other than that, my uses are similar to yours and the non-TB was fine. I just need the ports and appreciate the larger screen of the 15 inch I have now.
 
katp97 said:
Hey everyone!

I'm looking to buy a 13" 2017 MacBook Pro non TouchBar version. As I'm only borrowing my mum's 2014 MBP and she wants to give it to my younger brother who really needs a computer (she has a Dell XPS 13 and didn't like Apple's OS after buying this laptop, so she let me use it for school). I'm getting braces in a month (which are quite expensive) therefore my parents can't afford to buy me a laptop but I've made a lot of money working over summer so I don't mind paying just as long as I'm getting my money's worth. Even though I'm a tight-ass with money and anything I spend over $20 is 'pushing it' ;) So you can see this decision to by a new laptop is a punch to the stomach hahah!!!

I was opting for a maxed out 2015 MBP but I barely see them in good condition in Australia anymore and Apple has stopped manufacturing them and putting them on their refurb website (plus, I don't really trust refurbished third party sellers).

I'm a senior in high school and I am planning to keep using it for Uni. So that's like 6+ years? Ideally, I'd want to keep the laptop for as long as possible because MacBooks don't come so cheap

Right now, I use this laptop for basic school stuff (MS Word, OneNote, etc.), browsing internet, and I do a bit of gaming – OpenEmu to run old video games and I also use this to play Sims 4. I also do some video editing (After Effects, FCPX) and photoshop.

What Laptop would be better in my case?
MBP nTB 2017 with:
  • 16GB RAM & 256SSD ($2,519)
  • 8GB RAM & 512 SSD ($2,499)
Or should I just bite the bullet and go with the 16GB RAM & 512 SSD ($2,819) or the 8GB RAM & 256SSD ($2,199 new or $1,859 on their refurb site)
^^^^ They're all w/ the 2.3 GHz i5 btw.

Also if you currently have have this laptop, or have used it in the past tell me your experiences with it!!! Or if you have better Apple Laptop suggestions or other Laptop brands, let me know (I just really like Apple's interface)!!! Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...

I'm on the same boat, currently deciding which configuration to buy. I was initially leaning towards 16gb/256gb, but since it is such a large purchase and I really plan on keeping it for at least five years (I've had my current Air for 6), I'm now strongly leaning towards spending the extra $200 for the 16gb/512gb configuration.
 
javisan said:
I'm on the same boat, currently deciding which configuration to buy. I was initially leaning towards 16gb/256gb, but since it is such a large purchase and I really plan on keeping it for at least five years (I've had my current Air for 6), I'm now strongly leaning towards spending the extra $200 for the 16gb/512gb configuration.
Click to expand...
I’m doing the same thing: I want four ports, I want 16GB RAM, and 512GB storage. I wanna keep this thing for several s years.
 
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Go for more RAM, less storage.

You can always attach an external drive, use NAS, or cloud.
 
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Don't expect it to last 6 years unless you plan to fork over thousands for multiple out-of-warranty keyboard repairs. I would hate to see a young student spend a significant amount of money on something that they're counting on to last them 6 years.

If I were you I would strongly consider trying to buy a used or refurbished 2015 or 2014. Focus on buying something with minimal specs (8GB and 256GB) so you can use it for a few years and then sell it without taking too much of a depreciation hit. At that point perhaps Apple will have released a reliable new model that you can treat yourself to.
 
I have the 2017 13" i5 / 16 / 512 and it's a fine machine. My only real suggestion is that you also buy Apple Care + for it. Not sure about how long that extends the AU warranty but keep in mind an out of warranty keyboard replacement on these machines is $700 plus.. When considering machine prices I'd automatically add in the cost of Apple Care + so that might factor into your buying decision as well.
 
Purchase a keyboard skin for $1.99. The main enemy of the keyboard is debris.
 
In theory you can add the 512GB SSD to the 16GB model a few years down the road, but you can't add 16GB to the 256GB model...

Then again you can always sell it in a couple years and buy the one you really want.

It depends on what you're doing. If your work uses > 8GB you need the 16GB model, simple as that.
 
If size isn’t an issue, you can find a brand new 15” 2016 which will have 16gb and 512ssd and room for ac+ for less than those prices
 
SurfaceBookUser said:
Don't expect it to last 6 years unless you plan to fork over thousands for multiple out-of-warranty keyboard repairs. I would hate to see a young student spend a significant amount of money on something that they're counting on to last them 6 years.

If I were you I would strongly consider trying to buy a used or refurbished 2015 or 2014. Focus on buying something with minimal specs (8GB and 256GB) so you can use it for a few years and then sell it without taking too much of a depreciation hit. At that point perhaps Apple will have released a reliable new model that you can treat yourself to.
Click to expand...

I thought Apple had already fixed this issue w/ the 2017 version of MBPs from their 2016 versions? which I heard had a lot of keys not working and/ or some keys making clicking noises.

I'd buy a refurbished 2015/2014 MBP except I'm just not sure I'd trust non-authorised Apple refurbished sites.
 
Do not get a nTB - I have a 16gb/256gb nTB and I wish I could go back in time and get a TB. This thing is not nearly as powerful as people make it out to be. Working on some photoshop projects for school will get the fan relatively loud and the entire system feeling sluggish/laggy. Opt for the 13" TB, it has much better cooling, albeit a worse battery. The entire 13" line up seems to have issues. But if you ever plan on doing serious multi-tasking, video-calling, streaming, photoshop, using an external monitor - DEFINITELY get a TB. I have a nTB and I'm not happy with it at all.

OR Get an XPS 15 - I believe their 4k model is around the price of an upgraded 13" nTB. It'll be a much better experience if you don't mind windows or the slightly worse build quality.
 
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SurfaceBookUser said:
If I were you I would strongly consider trying to buy a used or refurbished 2015 or 2014. Focus on buying something with minimal specs (8GB and 256GB) so you can use it for a few years and then sell it without taking too much of a depreciation hit. At that point perhaps Apple will have released a reliable new model that you can treat yourself to.
Click to expand...

Although that is a fair point, is it still worth it to buy a 2015/2014 model? I mean it is already 3-4 years old
[doublepost=1520320339][/doublepost]
bhatiak said:
Do not get a nTB - I have a 16gb/256gb nTB and I wish I could go back in time and get a TB. This thing is not nearly as powerful as people make it out to be. Working on some photoshop projects for school will get the fan relatively loud and the entire system feeling sluggish/laggy. Opt for the 13" TB, it has much better cooling, albeit a worse battery. The entire 13" line up seems to have issues. But if you ever plan on doing serious multi-tasking, video-calling, streaming, photoshop, using an external monitor - DEFINITELY get a TB. I have a nTB and I'm not happy with it at all.
Click to expand...

Really? I did know that the nTB models only have 2 ports, and 1 less fan so I considered the TB models, but I'm not sure I could justify paying $3,500+ for a laptop (w/ a 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD), and I find the TB to be merely a gimmick and a little tacky. Also I've read people's experiences of the battery being horrible (only lasting like 3-5 hours) on the TB models, so it's kinda put me off buying them.

bhatiak said:
OR Get an XPS 15 - I believe their 4k model is around the price of an upgraded 13" nTB. It'll be a much better experience if you don't mind windows or the slightly worse build quality.
Click to expand...

And my last resort would be a Dell XPS or a Microsoft Surface. Except I just really love Apple's build quality and OS, but if Apple keep going the way they do with MBPs I might just have to switch to Windows
 
katp97 said:
Really? I did know that the nTB models only have 2 ports, and 1 less fan so I considered the TB models, but I'm not sure I could justify paying $3,500+ for a laptop (w/ a 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD), and I find the TB to be merely a gimmick and a little tacky. Also I've read people's experiences of the battery being horrible (only lasting like 3-5 hours) on the TB models, so it's kinda put me off buying them.
Click to expand...

That was my exact situation. I didnt need the extra 2 TB3 ports, I thought the touchbar was a dumb gimmick that ruined the appearance, and I heard bad things about the battery life. TBH, I dont know where I stand - I'm not too happy with the performance of the nTB and its ability to multi-task on certain things.
 
katp97 said:
Really? I did know that the nTB models only have 2 ports, and 1 less fan so I considered the TB models, but I'm not sure I could justify paying $3,500+ for a laptop (w/ a 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD), and I find the TB to be merely a gimmick and a little tacky. Also I've read people's experiences of the battery being horrible (only lasting like 3-5 hours) on the TB models, so it's kinda put me off buying them.
Click to expand...

The non-Touch Bar models use lower wattage U-series processors running at 15W. This is in comparison to the 28W processors used in TB models.

The low wattage processors simply don't need two cooling fans. I've never understood the complaints about cooling on the MBP. Every other notebook on the market featuring a U-series processor has one fan.
 
bhatiak said:
That was my exact situation. I didnt need the extra 2 TB3 ports, I thought the touchbar was a dumb gimmick that ruined the appearance, and I heard bad things about the battery life. TBH, I dont know where I stand - I'm not too happy with the performance of the nTB and its ability to multi-task on certain things.
Click to expand...
My 2017 TB 13inch has pretty decent battery life, and the TB is not a gimmick either it has its uses. could it do more? sure it could. And I am sure as time goes on it will have more updates to do much more, but it is not by no means a gimmick.
 
01silver4 said:
My 2017 TB 13inch has pretty decent battery life, and the TB is not a gimmick either it has its uses. could it do more? sure it could. And I am sure as time goes on it will have more updates to do much more, but it is not by no means a gimmick.
Click to expand...
its a gimmick
 
Very very happy with my nTB. Went for the i7, 16Gb, 512Gb. Geekbench single core is 4950, performance is great.

It does get a little hot at times, but my use isn't intensive at all.
 
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