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M4 pro or max

E

eagleawed

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 5, 2024
9
5
I am purchasing my first apple MacBook. I am trying to decide which combination would be future proof: I use LR, Photoshop, and Topaz with large files. I will get the 16”. The 64GB does not leave room for the external I have read about. I purchase from B&H but I did not know about an Apple. Thank you for your advice.
  • M4 Max 14-Core Chip, 36GB Ram/ 2TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
  • M4 Pro 14-core Chip, 48GB ram/ 2TB SSD, 20-Core GPU
  • M4 Max 16-Core Chip, 48GB ram/1TB SSD, 40-Core GPU
 
Kelly Jones said:
"The 64GB does not leave room for the external I have read about."
What do you mean by this?
Click to expand...
People using encased SSD for externals which cost around $500. I do not know how to ask my question, but if I got 64GB I would have to get the 1TB SSD
 
eagleawed said:
I am purchasing my first apple MacBook. I am trying to decide which combination would be future proof: I use LR, Photoshop, and Topaz with large files. I will get the 16”. The 64GB does not leave room for the external I have read about. I purchase from B&H but I did not know about an Apple. Thank you for your advice.
  • M4 Max 14-Core Chip, 36GB Ram/ 2TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
  • M4 Pro 14-core Chip, 48GB ram/ 2TB SSD, 20-Core GPU
  • M4 Max 16-Core Chip, 48GB ram/1TB SSD, 40-Core GPU
Click to expand...
You don't need the top-of-the-range chip for photo editing, so I'd recommend increasing memory and SSD, which is Option 2 in your list.

However, for $400 extra you can get the 2TB SSD in your option 3. So I don't see why you need to have such a hard budget for a computer that you will use for the next 7 to 10 years.

Or you could get option 3 with an external SSD.
 
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Andrey84 said:
You don't need the top-of-the-range chip for photo editing, so I'd recommend increasing memory and SSD, which is Option 2 in your list.

However, for $400 extra you can get the 2TB SSD in your option 3. So I don't see why you need to have such a hard budget for a computer that you will use for the next 7 to 10 years.

Or you could get option 3 with an external SSD.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
 
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Andrey84 said:
You don't need the top-of-the-range chip for photo editing, so I'd recommend increasing memory and SSD, which is Option 2 in your list.

However, for $400 extra you can get the 2TB SSD in your option 3. So I don't see why you need to have such a hard budget for a computer that you will use for the next 7 to 10 years.

Or you could get option 3 with an external SSD.
Click to expand...
I think I will go with option 2 and add the nano screen
 
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eagleawed said:
I am purchasing my first apple MacBook. I am trying to decide which combination would be future proof: I use LR, Photoshop, and Topaz with large files. I will get the 16”. The 64GB does not leave room for the external I have read about. I purchase from B&H but I did not know about an Apple. Thank you for your advice.
  • M4 Max 14-Core Chip, 36GB Ram/ 2TB SSD, 32-Core GPU
  • M4 Pro 14-core Chip, 48GB ram/ 2TB SSD, 20-Core GPU
  • M4 Max 16-Core Chip, 48GB ram/1TB SSD, 40-Core GPU
Click to expand...
Best return on your dollar is the Pro 48 GB. Its probably almost as fast as the Max for Topaz work. The advantage of the Max for Topaz is that you can run Topaz in the background a little more easily.

I am unsure about 2TB though - and I ordered that spec of Pro 48 2TB. I thought thunderbolt externals made more sense. I probably am wrong though, as currently they are not as fast as expected.

Topaz is way under-utilised on the Mac platform. They haven't taken advantage of the architecture many users say. It still takes a long time to enhance videos. But if one adds extra filters, it doesn't slow things down much. But if one jumps from 25 frames to 60, then the time to process jumps up quite a bit. I should test it but its less than double the time though. The problem with my comparisons was that I did not record exactly the different settings.

However if you don't mind them churning in the background a Mac will make sense. Users do say that PCs with a 4090 is quite a bit quicker. And 5090 will be quicker again. But they are not notebooks! If you buy from Apple direct, you have an extended return time too. In Australia its up to January 7th. Check out whether you can return a Mac. And talk to sales - go into the web site, look at a macbook pro, and you'll likely get a chat box. But its better to speak to people, although try the chat. Ask about testing and returns. And then copy what they said! They were very willing for me to try on notebook then return and try another, etc etc. Because you cannot do tests in the Apple stores.

With returning a Mac, they hang onto your credit card money for some time in Australia. But if you go to the store, they will issue an apple credit, and if you upgrade, then you'll just pay the difference then and there. The issue with all that is if you pay $x,xxx now, and then return and buy another for $x,xxx, you might end up not having $x,xxx until Apple returns your funds to your credit card.

If you run some tests be disciplined. I wasn't!! Good luck
 
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Work out how much RAM you need (not to "future proof" but how much you're likely to need either now or within 2-3 years) then consider how much the upgrade is to get that amount in the Max vs. Pro (if you even can get that amount in a pro) and balance that against what amount of your workload is GPU heavy.

I needed/wanted 64GB so max was the only option (I could have maybe dropped to 48, but I'm already hitting more than that unless I'm really having to think about closing things and opening other things - so figured I'd upgrade to 64 and justified the cost as being a tax write off over 3 years).
 
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There no such thing as feature proof.
If you don't know specs you need, you will be fine with base M4.
Don't listen to "experts" on YouTube. They don't know what they talking about.

M4 is equals to M2 Pro in terms of compute power. Base model have astonishing 16GB of RAM. Take 1TB of SSD, or go with 512GB if you don't need to much storage.

if I ordering now, I will got with binned version of M4 Pro – they come with small 70Wh charger.
 
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It really just depends how much you want to future proof. In general all of those Macs will get the same amount of new macOS updates as they came out at the same time. You will get the same amount of security updates as well. Possibly, you will get a few more or even one more macOS version with the Max processors. That remains unclear because it's still completely unknown how Apple will treat their Apple silicon in regards to software updates versus how they treated Intel. We can have an idea, of about 6-7 years for new OS, and 5-6 years of security updates but it could even possibly be longer.

If you can afford it, I would go with the 14-core Max simply for "comfortable" future proofing but with the highest end Max, I don't think you will ever be able to tell the difference, between that and the other Max, and that's with 7-9 years+ of use.
 
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mreg376 said:
When you figure out how to make a computer "future proof" let us know.
Click to expand...
Why the sarcasm? Future proofing is meant in a consumer sense of the word, it's not a scientific term.

@awsom82 I think it's very simple concept.

For me it means buying a higher spec Mac compared to what I need now, so that if hardware requirements for whatever I want to do in the future increase, I already have what is needed. It saves the need to upgrade the Mac in 2-3 years.
 
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Thank you for your advice. I am going to an Apple Store and physically look at M4 Pro. The only Apple I have ever used is the iPad and iPhone. My laptop is several yrs old, 16.GB ram, intel HD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M. So any new Apple will be amazing. A good time for me to switch to Apple and definitely want it for 6-7 yrs. I will let you know!
 
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eagleawed said:
Thank you for your advice. I am going to an Apple Store and physically look at M4 Pro. The only Apple I have ever used is the iPad and iPhone. My laptop is several yrs old, 16.GB ram, intel HD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M. So any new Apple will be amazing. A good time for me to switch to Apple and definitely want it for 6-7 yrs. I will let you know!
Click to expand...
In that case you will not need a high end MacBook Pro. As others have said, the lower end is better value.

My 2017 MacBook 15.4" with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, running a 4 core intel i7 and a low power CPU as well, with 16 GB RAM, feels way way way faster than my wife's Windows Elite 11 HP Intel Ultra i7, with 16 cores and 22 threads, 4.8 Hz, 32 GB RAM, and a 1,000 nit screen. But it feels lots slower than my 2017 Macbook. And I mean a lot ... snd it's 1000 nit screen seems much duller than Apple's.

You can also get assistance from Apple in importing your data from the PC. With my wife's change from Win 10 to the new win 11 notebook, I had to move all the files over via USB drives. And I couldn't get an email to work. And the email backup export files from Outlook cannot be imported into the new Outlook. And the old and the new Outlook no longer can install one of my wife's emails, they are now only available via a Web browser. I called HP's three year on site support, and they said "go to Microsoft, its a software issue". And Microsoft do not communicate. I tried countless times. Unless you want to buy a subscription. So I paid for a consultant. Who said my wife should have got a Mac. And that they are more expensive, but way superior, and also, Apple supports its users. The consultant was not a lightweight either, and said you pay a lot more for a Mac, but they are worth the extra cost.

No matter which model you buy, you'll get a lot out of it. If you want it for 6 years, that's still a tall order. IMO 48 GB Ram means the internal drive does much less work. RAM future proofs as well.

Cheap option
MacBook Air 15.4" M3 chip with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 24GB unified memory, 1TB SSD storage $1,899 (would be 2049 if it had a nano option, but then, its screen is no where near as good although its bigger). It's a big seller and saves lots, but performance per $ and screen quality per $ is not as good. It would still outperform my wife's costly HP though when at least I use it ... maybe discounted here and there

Best value:
14 Pro 10/10 - Standard M4 chip with 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine -
with 32 GB RAM, 1 TB drive and a nano screen: $2,349.00
This is a loss leader from Apple IMO. The RAM future proofs and avoids drive wear.

Best value / performance choice with long life:
M4 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine
48GB unified memory 1TB SSD storage & includes the Nano Screen: $2,749.00

You almost get the Pro chip for free because this one has 48 GB RAM. And I think that in a few years time 24 GB RAM will not be as appealing should you want to sell it.

Apple sells via Refurb store a 38 Core M2 Max with 1 TB and 32 GB RAM for $2,619. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G17J7LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m2-max-chip-with-12‑core-cpu-and-38‑core-gpu-space-gray?fnode=bf210755339bb55d696d4f2e05c5f923bc4c6da4eee860805827b586bd0acb0d431009337e626db392a35c2df1085a7bec35a48c82c198c0d421a2ae124d8862413e3296d55c556bf910c8c656485334 But the M4 Pro has been said to get 22,094 multi-core score, while the M2 Max was around 15,000. Although I have not yet seen actually multi-core M4 Pro results - that 22,000 was from https://www.macrumors.com/2024/10/31/m4-pro-chip-benchmark-results/ And the M4 Pro handles Ray tracing (since the M3 processors). Plus you'd get extra RAM and a Nano screen, which is also much brighter. And thunderbolt 5. I've check the refurb USA store and unless a big hard drive is needed, they are not as good value at the moment.

Have an inferiority complex like me? Then:
14" Nano upgrade M4 Max chip with 14‑core CPU, 32‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine 36GB unified memory 1TB
Apple stops you getting more than 36 RAM with this binned Max. I think it's rarely as quick as the Pro from what I have seen. But has lots of GPU cores (that you will not need). $3,349

You'll have to buy some external drives for back up and to increase the internal drive space if you start to do video tasks. Thunderbolt 5 will work fast in a couple of years but Thunderbolt 3 drives and especially external cases are good value already.

Consider - or budget for and get - a case for a while, as its when a notebook is brand new and you are unfamiliar with it that people like me damage their new gear. Cases are not cheap, especially from Apple, they add some bulk, but they are worth it because Apple doesn't use magnesium or carbon, so Macbooks dent and get little bends in their corners where you accidentally dropped them. Also it's tough to return a mac if it's scratched or dented.

*

*Except for the keyboard - the HP's is better, and it's also coffee spill proof. Unlike all of Apple's notebooks.
 
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I went to the Apple Store today. They do not have laptops with the nano texture for sale.They did have an iMac display and a 14” laptop display, so I did get to look at a nano. Compared to a glossy I do like the nano better. More realistic to me. But I have to order online and the return date here is January 8, regardless of when you receive it. The store will transfer my data, etc that I need. They offered to let me go through the iMac in the store and I will go back for that. Nice helpful people. But I will probably order from B&H. I will post an update. I appreciate all of the advice and questions to ask them. Thank you.
 
Melbourne Park said:
Except for the keyboard - the HP's is better, and it's also coffee spill proof. Unlike all of Apple's notebooks.
Click to expand...
apple don’t advertise as such but my 2020 air is still working after taking a black coffee to the centre of the keyboard while powered on in 2020.

i tipped it upside down to get the coffee out, mopped up with paper towel and carried on working. zero issues.
 
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So ... should we blame Apple's lawyers for them not informing customers of a spill proof design? The HP though does have a drain channel ... i think your spill and rapid response had an element of both bad and some especially good fortune! the convention with a spill or water and electronics is to turn the power off. Tough to do quickly in a notebook and even if shut down there would be no guarantees. Then slowly dry it out ... you got away with it! I must check soon on whether to put an AppleCare on this notebook as I do like it.

A benefit of the big 16" is that with a protective case for it, I have even gotten used to that. The case makes it even bulkier! I think such a case on a 14" or an Air would make them feel as bulky as a 16"!

I am not sure though about whether my case would hurt the cooling ... it has vents for the slots, and also 4 long vents on the left hand side down low. I don't know where the air comes out of the 16" when its fans are on ...
 
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