My first Macbook - which one I should choose?

[martyna6277]

Hi,
I was planning on buying new (and my first) MacBook Pro 16" M1 Max 10-core CPU + 24-core GPU / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD. Unfortunately, it's still unavailable to be picked up at the store or even to order with delivery less than in a 2-3 months... I'm losing my patience now and starting to consider other options.

I'm thinking about 3 models that are available now:
‌ - MacBook Pro 16" M1 Pro 10-core CPU + 16-core GPU / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD
‌ - MacBook Pro 14" M1 Max 10-core CPU + 24-core GPU / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD
-‌ MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro 10-core CPU + 16-core GPU / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD

I have Lenovo Y50-70 15,6" with i7 and 16GB RAM since almost 6 years now and I wish my MacBook lasted as long or more. I'm graphic designer so I'm using Photoshop and Illustrator on daily basis. I also edit photos in Lightroom and want to start creating videos in Premiere Pro (my Lenovo doesn't even open 4k files). And my Chrome browser has always a lot of open tabs. Like really, a lot. I have external monitor but I often using only my laptop. I'm taking it to work almost every day and I travel a little bit (with is not a big problem since I usually using my iPad Pro 11" then).

That's a lot of money so I really don't want to regret buying less powerful laptop I won't be happy with. I'm afraid when I choose 14 with M1 Max I'll be regretting not taking a bigger screen... Is M1 Max in this configuration even a good idea? Is M1 Pro will be more than enough for me? What is with battery life in these models?

What should I really look for when choosing a configuration for my needs?

 

[Technerd108]

Get the 16". You won't be disappointed. The Pro is very capable and probably good enough for your use case even years down the line. The 16" Max with 24 core gpu would be ideal if you can find it. Seems the 24 core gpu M1 Max is hard to find. I would definitely get the 16" over the 14" unless you really need the portability.

The 16" has a few advantages besides the screen which is a lot bigger IMHO. You get a better charger, better speakers and better thermals. If you want to keep your MBP a long time then the 16" I feel would age better.

To be honest I think you would be fine with the base model 16" with what you are doing but I understand wanting a little extra Ram.

If I were you I would buy a base model unit 16" and test it out. If you don't like it you have a couple weeks to return it and order a higher configuration. These MBP are very different from their Intel counterparts. It is hard to advise what you need until you actually use it.

No matter what you get, these are the best Mac's Apple has made in a long time and I don't think you can go wrong!

 

[Six0Four]

There are lots of people on the forums using 6 year old Macbooks so I don't see why a modern Macbook wouldnt last at least that if taken care of.

 

[StoneJack]

Get MBA M1 with 16GB of RAM

 

[martyna6277]

I would definitely get the 16" over the 14" unless you really need the portability.

I would be nice to go to coffee shop with 14" ;P I've been in the store and compared the 16" and 14" inch models to my 15'6 and I don't think I'd feel that much of a difference choosing 14". I have to think about it some more.

The 16" has a few advantages besides the screen which is a lot bigger IMHO. You get a better charger, better speakers and better thermals. If you want to keep your MBP a long time then the 16" I feel would age better.

Better thermals sounds great, my Lenovo during some harder work is getting very hot and I want to avoid that in my next laptop.

To be honest I think you would be fine with the base model 16" with what you are doing but I understand wanting a little extra Ram.

I for the ram I think 32GB is standard for now and I dont want to downgrade it to 16. That's a one thing I know for sure!

No matter what you get, these are the best Mac's Apple has made in a long time and I don't think you can go wrong!

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[martyna6277]

There are lots of people on the forums using 6 year old Macbooks so I don't see why a modern Macbook wouldnt last at least that if taken care of.

I have never had a macbook so that's a new thing for me and I want to be sure of my choice I already watched yt videos about how to keep macbooks in great condition but maybe you have some more tips how to do this?

 

[martyna6277]

Get MBA M1 with 16GB of RAM

As much as I want to save some money and don't spend more than needed - I don't downgrade to 16GB RAM.

Thanks for your help!

 

[StoneJack]

As much as I want to save some money and don't spend more than needed - I don't downgrade to 16GB RAM.

Thanks for your help!

On Mac side, 16GB of ram has same functionality as 32GB of RAM on PC side

 

[jenelemond]

Get the 16". You won't be disappointed. The Pro is very capable and probably good enough for your use case even years down the line. The 16" Max with 24 core gpu would be ideal if you can find it. Seems the 24 core gpu M1 Max is hard to find. I would definitely get the 16" over the 14" unless you really need the portability.

The 16" has a few advantages besides the screen which is a lot bigger IMHO. You get a better charger, better speakers and better thermals. If you want to keep your MBP a long time then the 16" I feel would age better.

To be honest I think you would be fine with the base model 16" with what you are doing but I understand wanting a little extra Ram.

If I were you I would buy a base model unit 16" and test it out. If you don't like it you have a couple weeks to return it and order a higher configuration. These MBP are very different from their Intel counterparts. It is hard to advise what you need until you actually use it.

No matter what you get, these are the best Mac's Apple has made in a long time and I don't think you can go wrong!

Explained nicely you may go for it! Same opinion!

 

[Fishrrman]

I think you'd be more than happy with either:
- base model MBP 14"
or
- base model MBP 16"...

 

[Technerd108]

As much as I want to save some money and don't spend more than needed - I don't downgrade to 16GB RAM.

Thanks for your help!

I completely understand. Sounds like you are leaning toward the 14". I originally pre-ordered the 14" with 16gb ram, M1 Pro 10 core with 16 core gpu and 512gb ssd. I really liked the size and weight.

For me though after a little time it became clear the screen seemed too small. This is coming from a 13" MBP M1 2020 that I had sold in advance to get the newer model. The screen on the 14" was clearly a decent amount bigger than the 13" but for some reason I still felt it was too small and the notch was more bothersome. The sound was good but the volume was not loud enough for me and then there was the battery life which was good but not as stellar as my previous MBP (obviously) so I decided to try the 16".

The 16" is a decent amount heavier than the 14" which I did not like but I loved the larger screen, the larger battery and longer battery life, the speakers were louder, the charger was faster as well so I decided that despite the weight the 16" was a compromise I could live with to have all the benefits.

I just wanted to include my experience with the 14" because looking at it in the store is one thing but owning it for a period of time you really get a feel of what the advantages and disadvantages are.

The 14" is an excellent machine and if I was getting the 14" I would get the M1 Pro and not the max just for battery life. The 32gb ram is a solid choice and I ended up doing the same thing and don't regret it one bit.

Good Luck OP and let us know what you end up keeping!!