Hi everyone. I currently own a 2018 15" MacBook Pro (2.2 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7-16GB RAM, 1TB HD) and would like to upgrade to one of the new M1 MacBook Pros. However, I find myself in the dark about what configuration to buy. I've never felt this way before with buying new Apple products, as I've always known what I wanted and what fit my needs and budget. However, having never used an M1 computer, I don't know how to compare it to my current model. Watching the Apple keynote the other day, I was very impressed with the power of the MacBook Pros, but at the same time felt like they were speaking a different language. I know that whatever configuration I buy should run circles around my current computer. This I know-I want a 16" (I don't want to go to a smaller screen) and I need a 2TB HD to meet my space needs (video, music, photos, etc.). Besides ordinary uses like email, word processing, spreadsheets, internet, etc I do a lot of graphics work where I have Photoshop and Illustrator running at the same time. I also do some video editing using Premiere Pro and a lot of website design using Dreamweaver. I use some music programs like Garage Band and Amplitube and run my guitars and bass through my computer. I do a fair amount of online meetings using Zoom and Google Meets. (Google products suck the life out of my battery.) Finally, I play a few games that can challenge my current processor and battery. Overall, what I find with my current MacBook Pro is that I push my processor somewhat hard at times where my fan is working and can suck through battery life so I'm hoping one of the new M1 models will help with this. What I need help with is which chip to choose (I'm leaning toward the M1 Pro), how much RAM to get, and I have no idea how many cores I need. I just have no basis for comparison to the new chips and configuration. Thanks for your help.
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Confused About Which New MacBook Pro Configuration to Buy
- Thread starter Coachcasa
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I own both a 15” 2016 and a 16” 2019. I think you need too look at what is causing your old computer to run hot, CPU or GPU. If it is the CPU there is no difference between the 16” Max or Pro.
On my MBP the fact that you are using the discrete GPU is enough for the fans to spin up. I would assume that only if you load you current GPU to max, a M1Max might make sense.
I find iStat menus is a good app to better understand power consumption.
On my MBP the fact that you are using the discrete GPU is enough for the fans to spin up. I would assume that only if you load you current GPU to max, a M1Max might make sense.
I find iStat menus is a good app to better understand power consumption.
My recommendation would be to take inventory of all the software, including any plugins you need, and ensure it can be used with the new system.
Next I would recommend you use Activity Monitor to see what impact your workflow has on your current system. With this information you can then make an educated decision about what to get.
Next I would recommend you use Activity Monitor to see what impact your workflow has on your current system. With this information you can then make an educated decision about what to get.
For your needs, I recommend selecting the base model 16” and then upgrading the RAM to 32GB and the SSD to 2TB.
The extra $200 or $400 for the more powerful GPU will primarily reduce rendering time for your Premier projects. It’s hard to say how much improvement you will see, but based on your description, my guess would be a few minutes saved here and there. It’s going to depend a lot on Adobe optimizations. If time on that scale is money for you, than either of these upgrades may be worth it. My gut feeling is that it won’t be a huge difference; so I would think about your budget.
I don’t believe the very expensive 64GB RAM upgrade will make much difference for you if you were surviving with 16GB RAM. That amount of RAM is mostly needed for extremely large photoshop files and 3D rendering work. The incredible speed of the new SSD makes RAM less critical (when say Photoshop runs low on RAM, the OS will “swap” less used parts of memory to the SSD; and this happens so fast that 32GB will be fine for the vast majority of users).
When you upgrade to the M1 you are going to feel a massive change from your current setup. Everything will feel far more instant. That’s going to be the really big change; everything on top of that will be fractional improvements. I wish I could see your expression the first day you work on your new machine. I’ve been a tech consultant for over 30 years, and I’ve never seen the expressions creatives give the first time they use M1 after Intel. It’s truly the biggest leap forward Apple has ever made.
The extra $200 or $400 for the more powerful GPU will primarily reduce rendering time for your Premier projects. It’s hard to say how much improvement you will see, but based on your description, my guess would be a few minutes saved here and there. It’s going to depend a lot on Adobe optimizations. If time on that scale is money for you, than either of these upgrades may be worth it. My gut feeling is that it won’t be a huge difference; so I would think about your budget.
I don’t believe the very expensive 64GB RAM upgrade will make much difference for you if you were surviving with 16GB RAM. That amount of RAM is mostly needed for extremely large photoshop files and 3D rendering work. The incredible speed of the new SSD makes RAM less critical (when say Photoshop runs low on RAM, the OS will “swap” less used parts of memory to the SSD; and this happens so fast that 32GB will be fine for the vast majority of users).
When you upgrade to the M1 you are going to feel a massive change from your current setup. Everything will feel far more instant. That’s going to be the really big change; everything on top of that will be fractional improvements. I wish I could see your expression the first day you work on your new machine. I’ve been a tech consultant for over 30 years, and I’ve never seen the expressions creatives give the first time they use M1 after Intel. It’s truly the biggest leap forward Apple has ever made.
I'd wait until the comparison reviews come out next week, that will help. Also, if you need 16gb of RAM, you're probably fine with the Pro. If you need 32gb, then the Max is probably a worthwhile upgrade for only $200. It's deviously brilliant of Apple to price most of the individual upgrades at $200. You're all "Hey! I've configured the perfect machine and I don't need anything else. But...well, that additional RAM is only $200. And that additional storage is only $200 and upgrade to the Max is only $200. Hmm...that 16" has better thermals and 'Ludicrous Speed," and it's only another $200" Wait...why is my laptop so expensive now???
I’m not sure how much the trade in or selling of your old system is part of your budget, but you may consider keeping it for a while for games. And also it can be handy to have one Intel machine around the house for things that might require windows (bootcamp) or just general compatibility with old software.
Many games are designed specifically for Intel and may not run on the M1 even with Rosetta (because games are much more picky than most apps). If the developer of your game does support M1 in any basic sense (maybe just Metal support but running through Rosetta, for example) the game will be WAY faster than your current machine. So for a while it’s going to be feast or famine.
Let me know what games you care about working, and I may have some further thoughts.
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Thank you for all of your replies. This is my first post here and I'm impressed with the thoughtful replies. At this point, I'm leaning towards the M1 Pro chip. My guess is that the Max chip may be a bit overkill for my needs and more of a luxury. Although if I add enough to the pro model I may end up spending more. I'm thinking I may wait a few months and see how the reviews are before doing anything. This may also give developers a chance to do software upgrades for the new chips.
I did find this site to track software compatibility with the M1 chips:
I did find this site to track software compatibility with the M1 chips:
Is Apple Silicon ready?
The Complete Guide to MacOS Apps Optimized for Apple Silicon Macs and the M1/M2 Processors
isapplesiliconready.com
MK500, I'm not playing anything too heavy-duty and action-oriented. The two main games I play right now are Football Manager and WGT Golf. I just find with both that I need to play plugged in or suck through battery life. However, if these new displays are that good, it might inspire me to play more on my MacBook. I tend to use my iPad Pro for entertainment.