Hi. Coming from a 2013 MacBook Pro that lasted ~10 yrs. Buying first Apple Silicon MacBook Pro since then, so ANYTHING will seem impressive to me at first. I have no meaningful point of reference to tell the nuance apart from current machines. Seeking advice, opinions, real world usage.
Typical Workload:
- Large audio production 100+ tracks, 200+ plug-ins, VIs, external Thunderbolt peripherals (Running Pro Tools + Logic, etc)
- Light FCP video editing 4K max. No 3D, no gaming.
- 100+ browser tabs, multiple productivity apps in bkrnd.
- Large dynamic data sets w Excel, some Python dev stuff.
Option A:
- MBP 14" M3 Pro
- 12-Core (6P 6E),
- 18-Core GPU
- 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD
- 150 GB/s Memory Bandwidth.
- Final Cost = $2,200
Option B:
- MBP 14" M2 Max (Apple Refurbished)
- 12-Core (8P 4E)
- 30 Core GPU
- 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
- 400 GB/s Memory Bandwidth
- Final Cost = $2,270
(Prices reflect various discounts and savings unique to my situation. Consider both options about equal. These do not reflect MSRP)
Questions:
1. At first glance it seems like a wash. But will the 8P/4E cores in the M2 Max be a significant diff vs 6P/6E M3 Pro?
2. No heavy video, gaming, or complex 3D rendering. Is the 30 GPU vs 18 GPU unnecessary?
3. 400 GB/s vs 150 GB/s memory bandwidth. That's quite large. Where would this become a real advantage? Video stuff only or also for heavy track count, DSP, etc with Music Production DAW?
4. Maybe new and improved overall architecture of M3 Pro outweighs the few higher specs of M2 Max?
If I'm not doing heavy GPU stuff, any reason to go backwards to M2 MAX vs forward with M3 PRO?
The narrative seems to be "Apple nerfed the M3 relative to the M2". I have no way to judge this myself.
What would y'all say is the better future proof value here? I need speculative conjecture and heresy from you guys!
Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Edited Dec 1st 2023: Updated due to new information, yet further uncertainty. Cost/Value is important in this scenario. Looking to maximize the components I will work most and minimize those that may be beyond my needs.
Typical Workload:
- Large audio production 100+ tracks, 200+ plug-ins, VIs, external Thunderbolt peripherals (Running Pro Tools + Logic, etc)
- Light FCP video editing 4K max. No 3D, no gaming.
- 100+ browser tabs, multiple productivity apps in bkrnd.
- Large dynamic data sets w Excel, some Python dev stuff.
Option A:
- MBP 14" M3 Pro
- 12-Core (6P 6E),
- 18-Core GPU
- 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD
- 150 GB/s Memory Bandwidth.
- Final Cost = $2,200
Option B:
- MBP 14" M2 Max (Apple Refurbished)
- 12-Core (8P 4E)
- 30 Core GPU
- 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
- 400 GB/s Memory Bandwidth
- Final Cost = $2,270
(Prices reflect various discounts and savings unique to my situation. Consider both options about equal. These do not reflect MSRP)
Questions:
1. At first glance it seems like a wash. But will the 8P/4E cores in the M2 Max be a significant diff vs 6P/6E M3 Pro?
2. No heavy video, gaming, or complex 3D rendering. Is the 30 GPU vs 18 GPU unnecessary?
3. 400 GB/s vs 150 GB/s memory bandwidth. That's quite large. Where would this become a real advantage? Video stuff only or also for heavy track count, DSP, etc with Music Production DAW?
4. Maybe new and improved overall architecture of M3 Pro outweighs the few higher specs of M2 Max?
If I'm not doing heavy GPU stuff, any reason to go backwards to M2 MAX vs forward with M3 PRO?
The narrative seems to be "Apple nerfed the M3 relative to the M2". I have no way to judge this myself.
What would y'all say is the better future proof value here? I need speculative conjecture and heresy from you guys!
Thanks in advance!
Cheers
Edited Dec 1st 2023: Updated due to new information, yet further uncertainty. Cost/Value is important in this scenario. Looking to maximize the components I will work most and minimize those that may be beyond my needs.
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