Help to purchase one of the 2020 Macbook Pro models...

[Duarte Silvestre]

Hello,

need to replace my Macbook Pro...

Now, I need to decide between the new 2020 Macbook Pros with these 3 options:
- MBP 10th Gen i5 quad-core 2,0Ghz; 16Gb RAM LPDDR4X 3733 MHz, 521Gb - 2.229,40€
- MBP 8th Gen i7 quad-core 1,7Ghz; 16Gb Ram LPDDR3 2133 MHz; 512Gb - 2.279,40€
- MBP 8th Gen i5 quad-core 1,4Ghz; 16Gb RAM LPDDR3 2133 MHz, 512Gb - 1.904,00€

I know that the new 10th Gen MBP, aside new gen processors, have 2 fans instead of one, better graphics, but I want to spend the least amount possible that garanties a fast machine to my kinf od work:
- Use of external monitor with size 34'' that do 3440 x 1440;
- Generally I have lots of windows open at the same time (Firefox with many tabs open, Excel, Powerpoint, Zoom,Skype....).
- Some of the files, essentially the Powerpoint ones, are heavy with more than 400 Mb....and Excel ones with more than 15Mb;
-So essentially office productivity applications. Time to time I need to do some video, but nothing to much (shorting a video...). And to edit picture I rarely use Photoshop. Also time to time I need to use Indesign to deal with file with more than 100 pages.

To do all this till now I'm using a late 2013 MBP, i5 2,6Ghz dual core, with 8Gb 1600 Mhz DDR3....but is start struggling or is not fast enough....and even if I close all the applications, time to time, need to be rebooted to be quick again...

So, what you think, what is your suggestion?

Thanks!
Duarte S.

 

[mpConroe]

10th generation, definitely! There is a rule in buying new computer: get the most powerful and more newer you can afford! Besides, 10th generation will last longer.

 

[Falhófnir]

If you really want the 16GB RAM the the 10th gen is automatically better value as it comes as standard, and it's faster RAM, and you get the newer chips to boot (also I really wouldn't bother with an i7 on either of these machines, it's absolutely not worth it for a slightly higher clock speed, and you don't get extra cores like with the 16" Pro).

Really only consider the base model with 8th gen CPUs if you absolutely cannot spend more than the $1,299 base model. As soon as you start adding options it very quickly starts making more sense jump to the $1,799 model.