Hey everyone! Please, help me decide - should I go for 16" Macbook Pro M1 Pro 10-core CPU 16-core GPU 32gb 1TB or for 16" Macbook Pro M1 Max 10-core CPU 24-core GPU 32gb 1TB? I need a MacBook for graphic design, photo editing, web design, video editing, occasional gaming, personal entertainment and maybe some other things in future. I need my machine to be as future-proof as possible and powerful enough for all those tasks. There is M1 Max (24-core) that costs only 100 eur more than M1 Pro one at my local electronics store. Should I go for M1 Max then, even though it’s 24-core, not 32-core GPU (I don’t consider 32-core version)? Will 24-core version be better for me overall or it will disappoint with its battery life (comparing with M1 Pro)? 🤔
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16 core GPU vs 24 core GPU - which to choose?
- Thread starter LetteIT
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I can't speak to the battery life but, if you search youtube or google, you might be able to find reviews that compare the two models you're interested in for that attribute.
Beyond that, one key difference between the two is that, with the M1 Pro, you can only run two external monitors, while with the M1 Max you can run four:
Since I run three externals, I'd need the Max, but your needs may differ.
One other tip (assuming it's available in your country): Get the 3-year AppleCare warranty. It's saved my butt on numerous occasions with my various MBP's.
Finally, FWIW, here's a review that compares the performance of the M1 Pro 16-core GPU and, M1 Max 24-core GPU, for the kind of programs you might be using. You can try extrapolating the differences to the 16":
Beyond that, one key difference between the two is that, with the M1 Pro, you can only run two external monitors, while with the M1 Max you can run four:
Since I run three externals, I'd need the Max, but your needs may differ.
One other tip (assuming it's available in your country): Get the 3-year AppleCare warranty. It's saved my butt on numerous occasions with my various MBP's.
Finally, FWIW, here's a review that compares the performance of the M1 Pro 16-core GPU and, M1 Max 24-core GPU, for the kind of programs you might be using. You can try extrapolating the differences to the 16":
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I can't answer the question on graphics performance but I can say you will take a hit on battery. The 16" M1 Pro has the best battery life. I tried a base model and had an M1 Max with 24 core gpu and noticed a significant difference in battery life.
Hopefully someone will be able to answer the other side to your question.
Hopefully someone will be able to answer the other side to your question.
Which model did you personally end up with and why? And how big is the battery life difference between the two?
My choice is not popular here. I am used to Intel machines where you need the highest configuration to get decent performance and honestly I overbought with the MBP. I ended up with the custom configuration M1 Max 16” but I barely used the performance of it and felt a little guilty owning such an expensive device I wasn’t actually using. The weight was an issue for me over time and I was using the Mac less and less because I use it on my lap and on the go a lot.
I ended up selling it and getting a MacBook M2 Air with 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. And with the extra money I was able to buy a 5th gen air iPad and put some money in the bank. I am very happy with my choice and honestly don’t miss the 16” at all. I was so afraid I was going to miss the screen and other things but I don’t.
I am not suggesting you get an air. What I would say is the 16” Pro is probably all you will need and has great battery life. If you don’t mind the size and weight it is an amazing laptop and I think the M1 Pro may get under appreciated for how powerful it is on its own.
I regretted getting the custom configuration after about a month realizing the battery life and I wasn’t really pushing it. I could have gotten away with the base model 16” just fine.
So maybe try finding a base model 16” if you can live with 512gb storage and test it out. There are sales at different websites and I think Costco has a sale and you get 90 day return policy with Costco. You can always order a custom configuration later if it doesn’t work out?
I ended up selling it and getting a MacBook M2 Air with 16gb ram and 512gb ssd. And with the extra money I was able to buy a 5th gen air iPad and put some money in the bank. I am very happy with my choice and honestly don’t miss the 16” at all. I was so afraid I was going to miss the screen and other things but I don’t.
I am not suggesting you get an air. What I would say is the 16” Pro is probably all you will need and has great battery life. If you don’t mind the size and weight it is an amazing laptop and I think the M1 Pro may get under appreciated for how powerful it is on its own.
I regretted getting the custom configuration after about a month realizing the battery life and I wasn’t really pushing it. I could have gotten away with the base model 16” just fine.
So maybe try finding a base model 16” if you can live with 512gb storage and test it out. There are sales at different websites and I think Costco has a sale and you get 90 day return policy with Costco. You can always order a custom configuration later if it doesn’t work out?
I don't totally understand the the desire "to be as future-proof as possible." It cuts both ways. You sink a lot of money into a machine, which then locks you into it.
Meanwhile, in several years new features and capabilities come out which pass you by, because you spent so much you can't afford to upgrade again. Or you upgrade anyway, in which case all the future-proofing expenditure was for naught.
Meanwhile, in several years new features and capabilities come out which pass you by, because you spent so much you can't afford to upgrade again. Or you upgrade anyway, in which case all the future-proofing expenditure was for naught.
I think this is a lesson learned through experience of trying to future proof and experiencing exactly what you are saying. I agree and have stopped trying to future proof. Middle of the pack seems to be the best. Don't go too cheap and don't overspend. Right in the middle is the sweet spot!
Yup, 8GB RAM and 64GB RAM are unlikely to hit the sweet spot, for example
I do 4k editing using iMovie and when I go to render, it uses half the GPU resources on my M1 Pro MacBook Pro. The CPU usage is maybe 10-20%. So I could get by with an M1 mini which I sometimes use for editing.
My approach is to try it out to see what I need for my production work and then scale up or down as needed. In real terms, this would mean buying something, doing your production work on it and seeing if it can handle it with room to spare or if it isn't enough computer.
My approach is to try it out to see what I need for my production work and then scale up or down as needed. In real terms, this would mean buying something, doing your production work on it and seeing if it can handle it with room to spare or if it isn't enough computer.
That's a useful alternative perspective. I suppose it depends on how much extra you need to spend to future-proof, what the depreciation rate is, how much you think you'll need to spend to get a new model in the future, and what the interest rates are. Might be fun to game it out by comparing, say, buying a lower-end model and replacing it in two years, vs. buying a higher-end model and keeping it for four.
I like to do cooperative computing mixing older systems with newer systems.
This means that I could put an older iMac on my desk and use it cooperatively with a newer M1 desktop so I'd take advantage of the memory on the old system and the compute on the new system. What helps is to know what programs you use and what class machine is needed to run them along with the ability to easily partition your programs and work among multiple systems.
Interesting. My current mix of equipment and computing needs wouldn't benefit from that (my iMac has both more RAM and compute than my MBP), but I could envision a case in the future, e.g., if I get an AS Mac with 32 or 64 GB RAM, but encounter a set of calculations that require 128 GB, I could install the latter on my iMac and use it for those.