M1 Pro/Max owners: Are you upgrading to M3 or staying put?

[VisceralRealist]

I might be, but it's not because I want extra processing power.

The M1 Max 16" MBP I have now is overkill. I've been thinking about going for a Pro chip next time, but I was very disappointed that the M3 Pro is nerfed compared to the M1/M2. So now I'm not sure.

That Space Black color sure is tempting, though...

 

[Elviss116]

i'm happy with m1 pro 14"

 

[wgr73]

I have a maxed M1 Max 14in. Think I'm going to upgrade; as I already ordered.

Not sure if I will keep this. I guess I have 2 weeks to decide

 

[GoodGuy313]

16” M1 Max, got this one used but practically new last holiday decently spec’d with 10C CPU/32C GPU/32GB RAM and 2TB. I totally agree with MKBHD’s video on how these laptops have already made a significant jump with M1 Pro/Max with the redesign as well and now they’re just on this phase of performance bumps. My 16” M1 Max amazes me every day and it is such a joy everytime I open it up to edit photos or work on a video project.

I think this M3 upgrade is worth it if you find yourself needing that extra performance boost for your type of work or even more if you’re jumping from an Intel-based Mac but at this point, the deals for a used decently spec’d M1 Max must be crazy and it is a computer that’s gonna hold well still for a few years.

That base M3 Macbook Pro looks like it might be a popular choice this generation, not a fan of just 8GB of RAM on this day and age but imo, that option seems like a good computer for someone starting to do more pro work.

 

[n3sh]

I logged in to place an order and decided to stop after reading this.

1. reduced memory bandwidth
2. possibly reduced disk speed with 512gb

So why should I spend 2k again and take a big loss trading/selling M1 Pro?

 

[TinyMito]

14" M1 Pro, no reason to upgrade. Unlike Gaming computer, where games actually push the hardware year by year.

macOS, I'm a coder. Most stuff runs on cloud servers S3/B2 etc. Got the Pro because I do occasional work in Capture One, Illustration works as hobby.

 

[cateye]

Staying put. I waited until the M2 family was announced to buy my 16" M1 Pro at a huge closeout discount. I hammer this machine all day long for work (mostly PS/ID/IL) and it doesn't break a sweat (I design large print pieces, often hundreds of full color pages with lots of artwork and photographs). I don't see a need to pay Apple list prices to upgrade for improvements that won't appreciably improve my workflow.

The GPU improvements have some tangential effect on what I do, but only at the periphery. The GPU I have is already plenty fast for the situations that I need it. I do not, nor would I ever, game on any Apple device. That's what my Series X is for.

Assuming I follow my usual upgrade cadence, M5 should be the generation I'd jump.

 

[CWallace]

While the Space Black looks nice, my 14" M1 PRO is still so overly powerful for what I need I just cannot see a reason to get the M3 PRO. And while the P-core and RAM bandwidth reductions would be unnoticeable in my use cases, they are convenient excuses to convince me to stay with what I have and save the money.

 

[lclev]

I came close. Actually ordered an M3max then sanity slipped in and I cancelled. I have an M1max 10/32/64GB/1TB now. It does all that I need without breaking a sweat. I work with mainly with HD video and some 4K plus a ton of Photoshop work.
When I bought my M1, I purchased the renewable AppleCare+ for $99/yr that supposedly never expires so I can take my time. They don't seem to offer that option anymore.
If I get an M3 it will be when they hit the refurbished area in a couple of years or maybe by then the M5's will tempt me.

 

[xDeadTechx]

M1 Pro 14' MBP here, not upgrading. The M1 Pro has enough overhead to do anything I ask it to do with no problems. I will note that the Ray Tracing ability of the M3 is interesting but until game developers start porting their games over to the Mac platform I will leverage my OMEN for gaming.

The 14' MBP M1 Pro is a fantastic machine and will continue to do its job until it's either not supported anymore by apple or I just get tired of it.

 

[CPmav]

Well…I pulled the trigger! Main reason was to go from 14 to 16.

 

[chfilm]

I wish i could go from the 14" m1max to the same but with m3max, but it's just unaffordable in the current economic landscape in the advertisement industry in my country

 

[venom600]

The M1 Max is already faster than I know what to do with, literally. I wish it had ray tracing and the extra 8 graphics cores, but my ideal configuration is $4000 and the M1 Max isn't trading for as much as I'd hoped, so I'm good.

 

[Beau10]

I'd imagine the battery life would probably be better for real world stuff on the M3 Pro. We really just don't know what the benchmarks will suggest yet, but the M2 Pro already improved that somewhat by adding efficiency cores.

(Unfortunately, the M2 Pro also increased maximum power consumption under heavy loads, so it probably worsened battery life under very heavy conditions. It waits to be seen whether the same will be true for the M3 lineup.)

Had a change of heart after seeing an estimated trade-in of over $900 for my base M1 14" which is nearly twice what I was expecting Apple to offer... put in an order for the $2400 14" pro.

 

[fel10]

As someone who only does browsing, checks email, use pages mostly for school, and sometimes edit pics, I’m keeping my 16 in M1 Pro for probably another 2-3 years. It’s already too much computer for my usage now. I think I’ll wait for the m5 to upgrade

 

[CalMin]

I got my M1 14 inch pro at launch and so I've had it a solid 3 years with AppleCare set to expire next week. This computer is still awesome. When I got it I thought the 14 inch would be the best for portability--but the 14 inch screen is limiting with the type of work I do. I have to choose between a computer that's easier to travel with and one more unwieldy but with more usable screen real estate. My vision has declined a bit over the last few years.

Your calendar math is a little off. These machines came out in October 2021 and are 2-years old. I got mine at launch and still have a year left on my AppleCare+, and so should you.

That 16" MBP is a real heifer, so make sure you can handle it before pulling the trigger. I had the 16" Intel from 2019 and it was a little cumbersome on the road. The MxPro's are beefier still. If you're not using the power of the M1Pro, you might want to consider a 15" Air as a travel machine. It's incredible even in base spec. The screen is noticeably larger than the 14" too.

 

[Piplodocus]

Nope! This M1 Max runs all the audio plugins & tracks I need and have no desire to remortgage my house for another 4TB drive upgrade!

If anything I'd be most interested in the new M3 Max for any additional gaming/GPU/ray-tracing benefits, but it'd be easier to buy a PS5 or something for far less if I was that serious about gaming, and the amount of time I have for gaming my M1 Max does it pretty damn good for my casual needs. And that's if the software support was there in the first place to really be taking any advantage of AAA ray-traced FPS's anyway - no matter which one I buy I couldn't go play Counterstrike 2 (boo Valve, boo, finish that Mac port), whatever CoD is the current top one (Modern Warfare 3?), Hell Let Loose, Battlefield, or most of the shooters my PC mates on Steam are playing).

 

[CalMin]

As someone who only does browsing, checks email, use pages mostly for school, and sometimes edit pics, I’m keeping my 16 in M1 Pro for probably another 2-3 years. It’s already too much computer for my usage now. I think I’ll wait for the m5 to upgrade

I kind of feel the same way.

I spend my life in email, MS Office, and web with a gazillion things open. I use Logic Pro for fun and do some Final Cut with 10-15 mins projects. Occasionally, I have to run a Windows VM for some legacy software work. The M1Pro crushes these tasks. In fact, a base M2 makes light of these things too.

Apple silicon is amazing. I don't see myself needing to upgrade for performance reasons for years (except may be when I fill up my 1TB SSD, but I've got 300GB free and lots of junk I can delete if needed). Now the Space Black chassis... that's tempting

My guess is that the next version of MacOS will start flexing some of this power. The hardware has outpaced software quite rapidly. If they're going to make us want new Macs, they are going to have to scale up the software needs to sell the hardware.

 

[NeonNights]

I won't be giving Apple more money just yet. I got my 16" M1 Max 64GB/4TB over the Summer so I'm keeping it for many, many more years.

I like the anodized Space Black but not enough to upgrade so soon. The M1 Max is already way more performance than I need right now so it's going to take some time before an upgrade is truly "needed" versus a want. That upgrade money is staying in my pocket, thank you very much!

 

[barkomatic]

Your calendar math is a little off. These machines came out in October 2021 and are 2-years old. I got mine at launch and still have a year left on my AppleCare+, and so should you.

That 16" MBP is a real heifer, so make sure you can handle it before pulling the trigger. I had the 16" Intel from 2019 and it was a little cumbersome on the road. The MxPro's are beefier still. If you're not using the power of the M1Pro, you might want to consider a 15" Air as a travel machine. It's incredible even in base spec. The screen is noticeably larger than the 14" too.

You are correct, I meant to write 2 not 3--sorry about that.

Yeah, I'm still undecided about the 16 and I take your point about it being heavier. I don't travel a lot with my MBP so maybe carrying it around on those limited occasions wouldn't be a huge deal in comparison to the extra screen real estate gained. My eyesight has declined a bit in the past few years making bigger screens more attractive sooner than I had planned.

 

[vanc]

Happy to stay with my 16" M1 Max/32GB/1TB. Maybe M6.

Count me in. Same config here.

 

[erikkfi]

Going from an M1 Pro to a fully decked out M3 Max here

As an Apple shareholder I just want to say thank you and don't forget to buy AppleCare.

 

[anshuvorty]

I am staying put with my M1 Pro base model 14-inch MacBook Pro. The selling point was the Space Black color and standard 18 GB RAM, but after hearing that the Space Black isn't actually black but a darker grey and that it still leaves fingerprints, the extra 2GB of RAM isn't worth it.

 

[TDMusashi]

Highly unlikely. I didn’t really need all the power of the 16-inch 2021 MacBook Pro with M1 Pro chip when I got it. But yesterday morning I considered doing a swap to a 14-inch M3 Pro because I don’t need the larger screen when away from my desktop monitor. Seeing today’s reports about the memory bandwidth, and general lack of major performance improvements, I feel like I can’t justify a switch just yet. (Plus, now I might be able to justify an iPad Pro upgrade next year to replace my 2018 model…)

 

[jpallarest]

14 inch M1 Pro here, not upgrading until maybe M5 (I think) or a substantial boost in the coming years. This thing is still a beast.