2019 16” Intel MacBook Pro is one of the best value laptops currently available.

[memento mori]

Especially if you need Windows for certain tasks, the value proposition is pretty great:

- Beautiful 16-inch screen with small bezels and no ugly notch
- Amazing speakers
- Good enough keyboard (touch bar is meh, but at least there is Esc key and the ketboard doesn’t break like the Butterfly KB)
- Performance is underwhelming compared to M-series SoC’s, but is still pretty good compared to anything in it’s price in Windows-land
-RAM and storage options are actually decent
- You can still play Windows games on it, while in the M-series, you are stuck with whatever games are available.

The obvious Mac alternative is M1 base MBP or Air, however, there is nothing if you need larger screen, and more storage/memory.
While the support for these machines indeed could be their biggest failing (as Intel is being phased out in MacOS), I’m wondering which will become obsolete first - intel 9th gen processors or 8GB of RAM in a computer - either way, I don’t think longevity is a good argument when choosing a M-series MacBook vs. Intel if the M-series is base configuration.

 

[AlixSPQR]

Except, 16" MBP’s have suicidal SSD’s. This is the time they fry themselves and the logic board = death. Beware.

 

[Bigwaff]

Except, 16" MBP’s have suicidal SSD’s. This is the time they fry themselves and the logic board = death. Beware.

I have one of these... although I don't use it w/ an external monitor and it doesn't get hot (at least from what I can tell). Obviously I can Google and search this forum but do you happen to recall where you read about this propensity for failure? It will help me narrow down my research.

 

[ArkSingularity]

I mean, if you're okay with not having the latest Mac OS, security updates for each release usually still last about three years. These machines aren't obsolete just yet, although personally I wouldn't buy one unless I got a very good deal.

 

[AlixSPQR]

I have one of these... although I don't use it w/ an external monitor and it doesn't get hot (at least from what I can tell). Obviously I can Google and search this forum but do you happen to recall where you read about this propensity for failure? It will help me narrow down my research.

Link. (A lot of people hate him, but what he says is true).

Crash course: The T2 chip replaces EFI and its firmware is stored on the SSD (NAND). A huge design flaw. So when the NAND gets corrupt or fries (shortens to ground) there is no way to boot again. Ever. What to do? Don't write to the NAND, if possible, which it isn't, but don't shuffle large files all day long to and from it. Check the SMART status, beware of TBW's, and, of course, always have a backup. Because this model's SSD can die for whatever reason, unfortunately.

 

[chrfr]

I mean, if you're okay with not having the latest Mac OS, security updates for each release usually still last about three years. These machines aren't obsolete just yet, although personally I wouldn't buy one unless I got a very good deal.

The 2019 16" still runs Sonoma, and I would guess it'd still run macOS 15 whenever that gets released too. Nonetheless, I do agree with you that I wouldn't buy one at this point.

 

[BeatCrazy]

At what price? After living with Apple Silicon (after owning Intel for many years), going back to Intel would be a drag.

$400? Sure. At even $$700 you can get a used M1 Air with more storage/RAM that will last longer than the 16" Intel.

 

[6916494]

Apple still sells refurbished Intel MBP 16". And you can buy AppleCare+ for it, which means 3 years, which means at least fall 2026, which means a lifespan of the model of 7 years, which is the usual for Macs. Plus you might get probably an additional 2 years of security updates. Not bad IMHO.

 

[Beau10]

Link. (A lot of people hate him, but what he says is true).

Crash course: The T2 chip replaces EFI and its firmware is stored on the SSD (NAND). A huge design flaw. So when the NAND gets corrupt or fries (shortens to ground) there is no way to boot again. Ever. What to do? Don't write to the NAND, if possible, which it isn't, but don't shuffle large files all day long to and from it. Check the SMART status, beware of TBW's, and, of course, always have a backup. Because this model's SSD can die for whatever reason, unfortunately.

I never got a diagnosis for my work 16" i9 but it died a horrible death while I was working in a fairly remote part of Costa Rica. Fortunately I had my old 14" M1 Pro as a backup and the IT department allowed me to do work on it with some items they installed remotely until I got back to the US a couple months later.

 

[AlixSPQR]

I never got a diagnosis for my work 16" i9 but it died a horrible death while I was working in a fairly remote part of Costa Rica. Fortunately I had my old 14" M1 Pro as a backup and the IT department allowed me to do work on it with some items they installed remotely until I got back to the US a couple months later.

If it boot looped or didn't react at all, then the SSD had failed. Good thing to have a backup!

 

[okkibs]

Definitely advise against buying one of these. Relatively cheap and the display is fantastic but if the logic board dies (whether it's the SSD or something else) it's a very expensive brick.

Apple still sells refurbished Intel MBP 16". And you can buy AppleCare+ for it, which means 3 years, which means at least fall 2026, which means a lifespan of the model of 7 years, which is the usual for Macs. Plus you might get probably an additional 2 years of security updates. Not bad IMHO.

That is unfortunately incorrect because AC+ does not cover software updates whatsoever. Sonoma could be the very last MacOS version supported by the 16" Intel and you can be out of software support entirely despite being in possession of an active AC+ plan which you can still use to the fullest since the hardware support is separate.

Not to mention that the prices for these refurbished 16" Intels are criminal even if we ignore that MacOS updates for Intel might end in 1-2 years altogether. Just looking at the hardware who wants to pay nearly 2 grand for this old Intel chip? Keep in mind it's likely paired with a 500GB SSD and 16GiB of RAM. Oh and that graphics card is entirely obsolete now. It was already mid-range (for a laptop) at best in 2019.

In a world where 16" M1 and M2 machines exist that old 2019 MBP is a bad deal.

 

[Elusi]

One glaring mistake is that the VRM needs additional cooling if you're going to use this like a workstation.

You can see this while monitoring thermals when gaming or rendering, both GPU and CPU temperatures are in check but all of a sudden it starts to hard-throttle anyway. The community has figured out that this is due to VRM and you can apply thermal pads connecting it to the aluminium chassis to largely mitigate the issue.

But.. what a miss by Apple?! Between this and the fan on the Intel MBA that is off in its own corner doing nothing, it's baffling to me that they didn't have people working on good thermal design over at one of the richest companies in the world.

Edit: To be clear I'm not saying apple should've connected the VRM to the chassis (selling such a device is disallowed as the bottom gets too hot for comfort), but they should have figured something out when designing the original heatsink.

I have one of these and I like it post VRM-mod but the fact that I had to do that for it to work kind of excluded it from the recommendation list by default back in the day of purchase. Granted, second hand for a low price and perhaps no warranty to worry about, sure. Buy it together with a thermal pad (or stick to office-tasks). Congrats, you will have a machine that roughly matches the M2 Air (bar single-core performance).

 

[richinaus]

If you need windows get a PC, and not he I9 2019 intel MBP, which is by far the worst Apple product I ever owned [especially given the cost]. Heat and fans is all I need to say.

I also had one that failed.

 

[VeganExplorer]

Apple still sells refurbished Intel MBP 16". And you can buy AppleCare+ for it, which means 3 years, which means at least fall 2026, which means a lifespan of the model of 7 years, which is the usual for Macs. Plus you might get probably an additional 2 years of security updates. Not bad IMHO.

Looking at the Apple Refurbished site currently, I’m only seeing Intel-based Mac Pros available for purchase. Everything else is Apple Silicon.

Apple will kill software updates for Intel-based Macs in either 2024 or 2025 based upon precedent. It’s not if, it’s when. Snow Leopard delivered the blow to PowerPC chips 3.5 years after the launch of Intel Macs. macOS 15 or 16 will do the same to those Intel machines.

 

[JPack]

Too many reports of SSDs self destructing on the 16-inch model.

If you need Windows, buy a ThinkPad. You’re better off getting a PC and a MBA separately.

 

[Beau10]

If it boot looped or didn't react at all, then the SSD had failed. Good thing to have a backup!

It didn't react at all. Tried all sorts of plugging/unplugging, key sequences, etc, no sign of life. Just a cold, inert block of aluminum from that moment forward.

 

[Beau10]

Looking at the Apple Refurbished site currently, I’m only seeing Intel-based Mac Pros available for purchase. Everything else is Apple Silicon.

Apple will kill software updates for Intel-based Macs in either 2024 or 2025 based upon precedent. It’s not if, it’s when. Snow Leopard delivered the blow to PowerPC chips 3.5 years after the launch of Intel Macs. macOS 15 or 16 will do the same to those Intel machines.

Technically Apple says they only declare items vintage with at least 5 years since last offered for sale, so that puts the intel 16" at fall of '26.

 

[conmee]

I prefer and own the 2019 15” MBP. Came with Mojave so I still have the option to run 32-bit legacy Mac apps. Also Bootcamp. Will likely use it until the last security update which is either 2026 (if Sonoma is the last Intel supported macOS) or 2027 (I believe macOS 15 is highly likely to be the last macOS with Intel support). Once the time comes, I’ll reinstall Mojave and a handful of 32-bit apps and games, Windows 10 in Bootcamp, and Parallels 16.0 for all my WinXP and Win7 and Linux VMs/games, and keep it off to the side of my desk for sentimental/nostalgic reasons. And then I’ll embrace the future with a fully loaded M5/M6 Max baby!

I use it in clamshell mode (Henge/Brydge vertical dock and Brydge TB3 Stone hub) with an LG 4K monitor. Fan rarely comes on except when I first fire up VMs (usually running 2 Win10/11 VMs at a time) or occasional game. But my workflow doesn’t require using as a high-end workstation, so hoping with the lighter use it lasts longer. After 4+ years DriveDX shows zero errors/faults and 99% drive life (lifetime data read:write as of yesterday is 48TB), so baring a catastrophe should easily last until I upgrade in a few more years.

Having said all that, I wouldn’t even consider buying another Intel Mac unless it was for collector or sentimental reasons (or maybe spare parts - screen mainly) in a pinch. Apple Silicon is the present and future, and if you require x86 compatibility, your time with Apple computers is nearing the end unless ARM Windows is a workable alternative.

 

[VeganExplorer]

Technically Apple says they only declare items vintage with at least 5 years since last offered for sale, so that puts the intel 16" at fall of '26.

Vintage means no more hardware support (repairs or replacements, depending on device type).

Software support can end (and has) sooner than a device becoming vintage.

 

[6916494]

Looking at the Apple Refurbished site currently, I’m only seeing Intel-based Mac Pros available for purchase. Everything else is Apple Silicon.

Apple will kill software updates for Intel-based Macs in either 2024 or 2025 based upon precedent. It’s not if, it’s when. Snow Leopard delivered the blow to PowerPC chips 3.5 years after the launch of Intel Macs. macOS 15 or 16 will do the same to those Intel machines.

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"Snow Leopard delivered the blow to PowerPC chips 3.5 years after the launch of Intel Macs." While that was technically true, it did not mean that Leopard was dead and unusable and insecure from that day on. There were security updates for the PowerPC Leopard version up to almost three years later.

 

[Beau10]

Vintage means no more hardware support (repairs or replacements, depending on device type).

Software support can end (and has) sooner than a device becoming vintage.

You're thinking of obsolete, not vintage.

"Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago... Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products."

EDIT: @EmotionalSnow & @BeatCrazy - you upvoted something that incorrectly refuted information I provided, so now you know and hopefully provide correct information moving forward.

Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty - Apple Support

Learn about your options for getting service and parts for Apple devices that are past their warranty period.

support.apple.com

 

[Hopscotcher]

No, it really isn't. It's a terrible machine with a high failure rate and will lose support from Apple in a few years. And no, it isn't faster than Windows laptops at that price range. Any modern Windows laptop in the price range of one of these would absolutely decimate it.

 

[mecloud]

Only if it was very very inexpensive, and not depended on as a primary computer…for many of the reasons already mentioned.

 

[mecloud]

Except, 16" MBP’s have suicidal SSD’s. This is the time they fry themselves and the logic board = death. Beware.

Is that issue actually fixed on the M1/M2/M3 MBP‘s?

 

[Schnitzel1979]

Is that issue actually fixed on the M1/M2/M3 MBP‘s?

that would interest me too, since i am planning to get a 16" M3