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Is a 2020 quad core Pro still a good buy today? Or should I go M1?

gdourado

gdourado

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 22, 2010
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Hello, hope everyone is doing well.
I need a new laptop for some work. Nothing too demanding, but the laptop would still se some use.

I can get a good deal on a 2020 13 Inch.
It has the quad core i5, 16g of ram and 512gv of storage.
It also has 4 thunderbolt ports and the Touch Bar.

I think it is a good machine and the price is really tempting.
But I also know that apple ditched Intel and now it’s all about apple silicone.
So I fear his laptop, despite being a 2020, might be left behind soon on OS updates.

With this in mind, should I get this one or spend another 300 euros to get an m1?
Is the m1 that much better in pure performance?

Thanks
Regards!
 
The M1 laptops will definitely be much better in terms of general performance and longevity, but if you're going to get an Intel MacBook, the 4-port versions are definitely the ones to get (especially for the upgraded RAM and storage, which can be expensive if you're buying new). I'd just make sure you're getting a good price on it.

Keep in mind that the Intel ones are likely to be cut off from full software support within a few years. That's probably going to be the biggest concern buying an Intel today, so you'll want to make sure that's priced into your decision.
 
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I would spend the extra money to get an M1. I had that exact model and dumped it as soon as the M1 Pro's came out. Battery life was absolutely terrible on the 2020 Intel. Could get maybe 4 hours, if I was lucky.
 
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The M1 is much better in performance and battery life. U can find plenty of youtube comparisons.
Its even faster than the 16“ intel.

How much $300 is worth to you only u can say.

But i would probably get the M2 Air
 
I'd go with M1 - Apple won't continue to support Intel Macs for much longer

everybody above did a great job explaining the other benefits
 
While the performance may be fine for what you are using it for I'd be worried about how long Apple will continue to offer software updates for Intel systems so if you are planning to hang onto it for a long time it would probably be worth investing a little extra in an M1 system.
 
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I would also go with the M1. Performance is really good, even with apps that use Rosetta.

My 2019 Intel MBP's fans were always on and couldn't take the noise anymore. I don't regret my 14" MBP M1 Extreme purchase at all and well worth the cost for my use.
 
€300 more you say? If heat, battery, performance and future OS updates are a consideration...definitely Apple silicon.
 
If I was on a tight budget, I think I'd buy an M1 Air over any Intel Mac laptop. If the M1 Air wouldn't cut it for some reason, I'd figure out how to get in to the M1P MBP which is a tremendous machine.
 
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Thank you all for the replies!
With such a unanimous position towards the apple silicone machines, i decided to skip the intel MacBook Pro and concentrate on finding a good deal on a M1 Mac. Either an Air or a Pro.

Cheers!
 
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gdourado said:
Thank you all for the replies!
With such a unanimous position towards the apple silicone machines, i decided to skip the intel MacBook Pro and concentrate on finding a good deal on a M1 Mac. Either an Air or a Pro.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

The best machine you can get on somewhat of a budget is the 14" MacBook Pro base model with the M1 Pro. There's often really good discounts on it. But I'd recommend any M1/M2 model over an intel, even if you came here asking about a loaded 16" Core i9 model.
 
gdourado said:
Hello, hope everyone is doing well.
I need a new laptop for some work. Nothing too demanding, but the laptop would still se some use.

I can get a good deal on a 2020 13 Inch.
It has the quad core i5, 16g of ram and 512gv of storage.
It also has 4 thunderbolt ports and the Touch Bar.

I think it is a good machine and the price is really tempting.
But I also know that apple ditched Intel and now it’s all about apple silicone.
So I fear his laptop, despite being a 2020, might be left behind soon on OS updates.

With this in mind, should I get this one or spend another 300 euros to get an m1?
Is the m1 that much better in pure performance?

Thanks
Regards!
Click to expand...
Get an M1 if you can afford it. The performance jump is insane versus the prior year Intel models.
 
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