Guidance on 14 MBP M2 specs

[M. Malone]

Hello everyone.

I'm finally upgrading my 2013 retina MBP. It still runs like a champ but 10 years is enough to keep pushing my luck.

Looking at the 14 M2 MBP

Initially I was going for the entry-level one at $2k. But then pretty much all posts I read state that I should definitely go for 32GB of ram. That takes me to $2,400. But then I'm reading that the 512GB SSD is slow compared to the 1TB.

So adding 1TB takes me to $2600. But now I'm only $400 away from the M2 Max that comes with 1TB HD and 32GB ram.

Need some advice if my logic is sane.

Part of the reason my 2013 retina lasted this long is luck and because I just maxed out the specs back then.

My use is fairly basic. Email, chrome, basic spreadsheets, some videogames.

Will the "entry-level" MBP M2 work?

 

[DisraeliGears]

Yes, entry level 14” MPB (M1 or M2) will suit your needs beautifully. From your described uses, I absolutely would not bother with 32GB of RAM unless the “video games” component is running newer, intensive games in a Windows VM via Parallels. 16GB is plenty for present and future unless your uses change drastically. Honestly, I also wouldn’t worry about HD speed, but if you wanted to upgrade something I’d look first at going up to 1TB just for the additional storage space.

 

[jerryk]

With your listed usage, the base 14" should be fine. I do more than you do and have no issue with a base 14" MBP.

 

[MacDevil7334]

Yep agree with others here that the base model will meet the needs you have listed. Keep in mind that the SSD on the base model isn’t slow. It’s just not as blazing fast as the higher capacities due to the single SSD chip. But, for your uses, you will never be able to tell a difference. Also keep in mind that the M2 Pro will consume less power and run cooler compared to the Max, which is beneficial in the slimmer chassis of the 14” model. Save the $1k over the Max model and put it toward a future purchase. Also I think there are some decent sales on the base model from 3rd party resellers right now if you’re in the US.

 

[M. Malone]

Thank you so much for the sound advice and saving me some dough!

 

[JaraCz]

Yeah, you describe the hardness of decision in m1pro/max-m2pro/max line macbook chips. In 2021 I could not decide for months which config to choose. Apple pricing policy of Apple Silicion Macbook Pros is really perfect how to get money out of you.

On the start, I was persuade that I will buy 16” with 32 GB RAM. I bought 16” M1Max but I did not like that the new macbook pros 16´with 32GB are sooo expensive that I returned two of them. I returned like three m1max (one I sold for good price) and last my return was 16” M1Pro.

But after long process of decision making and reading I stayed at config 14” M1Pro with 1 TB SSD. This is the best choice for value/money.

After a lot of reviews and research, I can say for you that you should not fall in “future-proof trap”, because for more RAM you will pay difference like for another new machine and than you can go max version and then you can take 16” and you are on the price roof again.

So only one valuable upgrade is 1TB which keeps you 16GB RAM version for long term of durability with great performance. It prevent your harddrive against SSD swap and degradation of components and the money for 1TB is not so painful like for the RAM.

So, as I was in 2021 sure that I will upgrade Macbook for 16” with 32GB RAM, I ended at 14” variant and keeping money for upgrading sooner.

Now It is two years later and I still have feeling that I bought this 14” Macbook recently because I do not use it as I planned. But it is getting old, now there is M2Pro/Max with improved flaws (better HDMI, Wifi6) and my macbook m1pro is cheap (but I got from friend working in Apple Premium Reseller, so my loss after one year is still very low, heh).

So, do not buy better config - more RAM for future proof because after two years, there can be m4pro/max with new chipset and technologies and your Macbook even with high specs will be cheap or slow in comparison with new architecture.
Technology is aging really fast and there is no future proofing - you should buy what you will use now and not later. Just take the price difference from base config with 1TB SSD and put it in stocks and after 3 years take it, sell your “old” macbook and buy new technology and you will gain more.

When you resell Apple products, the sad truth is that from higher specs, you will never get money back. Base configs keeps value best.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"My use is fairly basic. Email, chrome, basic spreadsheets, some videogame"

You don't need 32gb of RAM.
16gb will do just fine.

You SHOULD consider bumping up the internal drive from 512gb to 1tb.
REASON WHY:
The 1tb drive performs at TWICE THE SPEED as does the 512gb.

This isn't to say that the 512gb is not fast. It is.
But... again... the 1tb drive is faster.

 

[MacDevil7334]

You SHOULD consider bumping up the internal drive from 512gb to 1tb.
REASON WHY:
The 1tb drive performs at TWICE THE SPEED as does the 512gb.

This isn't to say that the 512gb is not fast. It is.
But... again... the 1tb drive is faster.

I don’t agree with this. For the OP’s uses, he simply wont notice a difference. The 512 GB model has a 2,975 MB/s read speed and a 3,155 MB/s write speed. The 2TB model has a 5,372 MB/s read speed and a 6,491 MB/s write speed. The 1 TB should be roughly equivalent to the 2 TB model in speed. I just couldn’t find an actual benchmark for it.

OP stated usage would include “basic spreadsheets” but let’s assume he ends up with a big one unexpectedly (say 100 MB in size). The 512 GB model would open that file in 0.034 seconds. The 2 TB model would open that file in 0.019 seconds. Are you really going to notice that difference in real use?

Buy the 1 TB storage if you need the extra space. Don’t buy it for the speed of the drive. Either config will be plenty fast for the OP’s usage.

 

[DisraeliGears]

Buy the 1 TB storage if you need the extra space. Don’t buy it for the speed of the drive. Either config will be plenty fast for the OP’s usage.

Yep, throughly agree. For all the talk here about future proofing RAM, the actual storage bloat is on the long term side, as video and image files keep getting bigger, same as program sizes (just look at how large AAA games have gotten). While you can add external storage, you do need a good internal base to work off of.