New MBP 14 : Very confused, need advice

[Ludologue]

Hi,

First of all, sorry for any spelling errors, english is not my first language.

First time on this forum because I really neew help to choose my new work-gaming-social life-everything companion.

Right now, I have a mid-2011 iMac. When I bought it, my plan was to keep it for 10 years... But since last year and a half, I feel that I'm demanding too much from him. I also had a 2011 MB Air (when out of home for work or travel) but some water spilled on it during the pandemic and he hasn't been the same since then and will never recover...

My plan was to replace those two with one portable computer and a big screen with a docking station for my desk.

I was about to move to a MBP M1 but changed my mind because of the Touch Bar (tried it on a fried laptop, did not like it) and no MagSafe (sorry, but I don't want to risk it).

And I waited and I waited... But now the waiting is over...

But the question is : Which options?

First of all, I will take a 14'' because 16'' will be too big to travel.

But, now there are like a lot of different choices and I'm not sure which is best :
PROCESSOR
CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16
CPU 10 - GPU 14 - Neural 16
and so on...
What does it mean exactly?

MEMORY
16 or 32?
What is the real difference?

STORAGE
I plan on 1 To since right now I have a 500 Go and I need to do some space every 3 months
Do you have an advice otherwise?

CABLE
67W or 96W
If I take the entry-level MPB14, does it change something to take the 96?

For what I do with my computer :
-> Basic office things : word/excel, lots of browser tabs, doing videoconference, etc
-> Basic leisure things : watch streaming video, listen to music, etc
-> Streaming shows with OBS
-> Video editing with DaVince Resolve
-> Graphic editing : Photoshop, Illustrator
-> Gaming : I want to game again! My dream is to run Baldur's Gate 3 the most smoothly possible
and I plan to install Windows on Parallel (or else) for gaming purposes

One last important thing : My objective would be to keep this computer for the next 10 years (as the previous ones) for financial and ecological reasons.

Well, with all that being said, I would really appreciate all the help and infos you can give me because I want to order now (I will be travelling for work in less than 2 months and I need a new computer).

AND THANKS A LOT IN ADVANCE!

 

[Cape Dave]

All I know is that the 1TB SSD is a good idea. It will be faster than the 512GB

 

[Ludologue]

Thanks for your answer

 

[skaertus]

Hi,

First of all, sorry for any spelling errors, english is not my first language.

First time on this forum because I really neew help to choose my new work-gaming-social life-everything companion.

Right now, I have a mid-2011 iMac. When I bought it, my plan was to keep it for 10 years... But since last year and a half, I feel that I'm demanding too much from him. I also had a 2011 MB Air (when out of home for work or travel) but some water spilled on it during the pandemic and he hasn't been the same since then and will never recover...

My plan was to replace those two with one portable computer and a big screen with a docking station for my desk.

I was about to move to a MBP M1 but changed my mind because of the Touch Bar (tried it on a fried laptop, did not like it) and no MagSafe (sorry, but I don't want to risk it).

And I waited and I waited... But now the waiting is over...

But the question is : Which options?

First of all, I will take a 14'' because 16'' will be too big to travel.

But, now there are like a lot of different choices and I'm not sure which is best :
PROCESSOR
CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16
CPU 10 - GPU 14 - Neural 16
and so on...
What does it mean exactly?

MEMORY
16 or 32?
What is the real difference?

STORAGE
I plan on 1 To since right now I have a 500 Go and I need to do some space every 3 months
Do you have an advice otherwise?

CABLE
67W or 96W
If I take the entry-level MPB14, does it change something to take the 96?

For what I do with my computer :
-> Basic office things : word/excel, lots of browser tabs, doing videoconference, etc
-> Basic leisure things : watch streaming video, listen to music, etc
-> Streaming shows with OBS
-> Video editing with DaVince Resolve
-> Graphic editing : Photoshop, Illustrator
-> Gaming : I want to game again! My dream is to run Baldur's Gate 3 the most smoothly possible
and I plan to install Windows on Parallel (or else) for gaming purposes

One last important thing : My objective would be to keep this computer for the next 10 years (as the previous ones) for financial and ecological reasons.

Well, with all that being said, I would really appreciate all the help and infos you can give me because I want to order now (I will be travelling for work in less than 2 months and I need a new computer).

AND THANKS A LOT IN ADVANCE!

I will try to answer this the best as I can. It will also depend on how long you plan to keep the new laptop.

PROCESSOR

This is the "heart" of the computer. The M1 MacBook Pro already has a very fast processor. I could not yet find benchmarks for the M1 Pro/M1 Max, but I suppose they will be significantly faster in multi-core tasks and at least the same speed in single-core tasks.

The 8-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) should be more than enough, at least for the time being. A 10-core CPU would be faster for multi-tasking. However, for general tasks like web browsing, perhaps it will never become really noticeable or it may take some time.

The 14-core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) should be enough for now, as it is double the count of the base M1 MacBook Air (not sure about benchmarks which I could not find yet). The new MacBook Pro has a higher resolution than the previous one, so it should be more taxing on the video card. Still, it may take years until you notice some difference if you stick to basic tasks.

MEMORY

Memory is soldered on the MacBook Pro, so you cannot upgrade it later. For most people, 16 GB should be enough for now. Remember that all M1 Macs (non-Pro/Max) have 8 GB as standard, so 16 GB should suffice. However, if you plan to keep it for another 10 years, 32 GB may be a good idea. Note that this is a unified memory, so both CPU and GPU use it, which means that you may end up regretting not going for the high-end option in some 5 or 6 years from now.

STORAGE

The more, the better, of course, and you cannot upgrade it later. Apple claims the SSD storage is capable of 7.4 GB/s, which is even faster than the super-fast SSD inside the Playstation 5 (5.5 GB/s). This is ultra-fast! I would get 1 TB minimum, especially if you intend to keep this as your only computer. If you plan to have it for a long time, you may choose to upgrade.

CABLE

Not really sure, but the 96W cable probably charges faster (however, it may also be heavier; you should check).

MY TAKE

I would buy the 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU M1 Pro, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD, 67W USB-C, $2199. My target would be to keep it for up to 3-5 years. If I could spend a little more, I would go for the high-end standard configuration at $2499. If money were no object, I would even upgrade it with 32 GB memory and a 2 TB SSD (for a grand total of $3299), but no further. This one will last comfortably for years.

However, I would not buy a laptop expecting it to last for the next 10 years. In 5 years from now, the money you would use to upgrade will buy you a better laptop. For it to last 10 years, I would think of spending north of $4000, which I do not think would be necessary at this point.

 

[Ludologue]

I will try to answer this the best as I can. It will also depend on how long you plan to keep the new laptop.

Thanks for whole analysis! That will surely help me a lot to decide!

 

[gigapocket1]

First, I would double check about running windows with parallels. I think it’s not the arm version of windows u would install and could potentially have compatibility issues. Just a heads up

 

[Ludologue]

First, I would double check about running windows with parallels. I think it’s not the arm version of windows u would install and could potentially have compatibility issues. Just a heads up

Thanks for the info! I'm looking also at BootCamp, but I will see what is my best option when I'll have my new MBP

 

[cpnotebook80]

Thanks for the info! I'm looking also at BootCamp, but I will see what is my best option when I'll have my new MBP

I have the base m1 macbook pro from last year and have parallels running windows 10 arm and works fine and smooth on my 8gb and 512gb config. I was more shocked on how smooth it runs as i use some software on windows for work use. I think having more ram and storage is key for down the road. I'm close to maxing my 512gb and 8gb and memory swaps are often when doing multi jobs.

 

[iluvbeer99]

All I know is that the 1TB SSD is a good idea. It will be faster than the 512GB

Why would more storage make the computer faster?

 

[Take Flight]

I will try to answer this the best as I can. It will also depend on how long you plan to keep the new laptop.

PROCESSOR

This is the "heart" of the computer. The M1 MacBook Pro already has a very fast processor. I could not yet find benchmarks for the M1 Pro/M1 Max, but I suppose they will be significantly faster in multi-core tasks and at least the same speed in single-core tasks.

The 8-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) should be more than enough, at least for the time being. A 10-core CPU would be faster for multi-tasking. However, for general tasks like web browsing, perhaps it will never become really noticeable or it may take some time.

The 14-core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) should be enough for now, as it is double the count of the base M1 MacBook Air (not sure about benchmarks which I could not find yet). The new MacBook Pro has a higher resolution than the previous one, so it should be more taxing on the video card. Still, it may take years until you notice some difference if you stick to basic tasks.

MEMORY

Memory is soldered on the MacBook Pro, so you cannot upgrade it later. For most people, 16 GB should be enough for now. Remember that all M1 Macs (non-Pro/Max) have 8 GB as standard, so 16 GB should suffice. However, if you plan to keep it for another 10 years, 32 GB may be a good idea. Note that this is a unified memory, so both CPU and GPU use it, which means that you may end up regretting not going for the high-end option in some 5 or 6 years from now.

STORAGE

The more, the better, of course, and you cannot upgrade it later. Apple claims the SSD storage is capable of 7.4 GB/s, which is even faster than the super-fast SSD inside the Playstation 5 (5.5 GB/s). This is ultra-fast! I would get 1 TB minimum, especially if you intend to keep this as your only computer. If you plan to have it for a long time, you may choose to upgrade.

CABLE

Not really sure, but the 96W cable probably charges faster (however, it may also be heavier; you should check).

MY TAKE

I would buy the 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU M1 Pro, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD, 67W USB-C, $2199. My target would be to keep it for up to 3-5 years. If I could spend a little more, I would go for the high-end standard configuration at $2499. If money were no object, I would even upgrade it with 32 GB memory and a 2 TB SSD (for a grand total of $3299), but no further. This one will last comfortably for years.

However, I would not buy a laptop expecting it to last for the next 10 years. In 5 years from now, the money you would use to upgrade will buy you a better laptop. For it to last 10 years, I would think of spending north of $4000, which I do not think would be necessary at this point.

With so many things stored in the cloud....is there really a performance benefit to 1tb vs. 512? I think most could get by with 512 local storage.

As a Macbook Pro M1 user with 16gb of RAM....I would highly recommend opting for 32 GB.

Unless you are just super good at house-keeping all of your open applications and browser tabs...I get plenty of "out of memory" warnings even with all the supposed efficiencies of how M1 uses RAM. I don't buy it. More RAM is always better.

 

[SpotOnT]

I think the big decision is how long you want to keep your laptop. The base configuration is fine for today, but may not be great 6 years from now.

If you want to keep your laptop for 6-8 years, I would definitely get 32 GB of memory and maybe get the CPU 10 - GPU 14 processor.

If you want to keep your laptop for 4-6 years, I would get the base 16 GB of memory and the base CPU 8 processor.

Thought #1: Normally I prefer to do lots of upgrades and keep my laptop for 8 years. My last two Apple Laptops lasted 8-10 years each. That being said, this is a first generation computer. It is a brand new chip and a brand new design. We don't really know yet how long Apple will provide software support for Apple Silicon chips. We don't really know yet how much the chips will improve every generation.

Given how new everything is, I would tend to advise getting the base 16 GB memory and base 8 core CPU. Then save your money to get a new computer in 4-6 years. If your computer is still working well for you after 4-6 years, you can always keep it longer, but given how new everything is, it seems a bit risky to try and plan for 10 year before another upgrade.

Thought #2: I would upgrade the storage to 1TB no matter what else you choose. For the $200 upgrade cost, it is worth having more internal storage. Unless you tend to keep everything in the cloud, but as you said, you are already tight on space.

 

[Cape Dave]

Why would more storage make the computer faster?

It's just a fact of the way SSD's are designed and built. 256<512<1024<2048. Up to a point. BUt there is the biggest difference in speed between the smaller sizes. It has to do with more "lanes" or something like that.

 

[Ludologue]

Thanks all for your help.

I will keep it simple and see in 4-6 years what are my options : new computer or keep the one I have for a more few years.

The only last question I have is : since I'm getting the CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16, I have to choose between the 67W and the 96W cable. I understand that 96W will charge faster, but will be heavier... But, by how much? And I even red on this forum that it might not speed the charging for CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16...
Do you have any idea about that?

 

[davidg4781]

All I know is that the 1TB SSD is a good idea. It will be faster than the 512GB

Why do you say it’ll be faster? Is there some spec I missed?

 

[iluvbeer99]

It's just a fact of the way SSD's are designed and built. 256<512<1024<2048. Up to a point. BUt there is the biggest difference in speed between the smaller sizes. It has to do with more "lanes" or something like that.

From what I understand it would only be relevant if you’re using 80-90% of the storage space.

for example if you’re using 300gb’s there would be zero difference in performance between a 512 and anything larger.

 

[skaertus]

With so many things stored in the cloud....is there really a performance benefit to 1tb vs. 512? I think most could get by with 512 local storage.

As a Macbook Pro M1 user with 16gb of RAM....I would highly recommend opting for 32 GB.

Unless you are just super good at house-keeping all of your open applications and browser tabs...I get plenty of "out of memory" warnings even with all the supposed efficiencies of how M1 uses RAM. I don't buy it. More RAM is always better.

Well, I think it depends. As for performance, the 1 TB SSD may be faster than the 512 GB one, but I found no specific information on this.

As for the size of storage, it also depends. The OP mentioned he already has 500 storage and he frequently runs out of it. If he plans to keep this laptop for some time (he mentions 10 years), then it is probably a good idea to get more storage. In a few years, software will take even more space and files tend to accumulate.

Plus, there is so much you can store on the cloud without paying a lot. I have a Microsoft 365 account and it allows me 1 TB on OneDrive. I may have a larger account or another service, but I do not think it is necessary to store more files on the cloud. But additional local storage is always a plus as you need both free space and space to allocate the OS and installed software.

As for RAM, do you really use that much? What kind of apps? I have 16 GB on a 2016 Intel MacBook Pro and, while its performance is far from ideal, I am not sure if the memory is the problem.

 

[MrGunny94]

I'd opt for the full M1 Pro die.. that means 10 Core CPU + 16 GPU core + 16 GPU Neural engine.

You get the 96W charger as well with it.

Honestly I'm worried about the 14 core GPU performance with dual monitors + external display

 

[skaertus]

Thanks all for your help.

I will keep it simple and see in 4-6 years what are my options : new computer or keep the one I have for a more few years.

The only last question I have is : since I'm getting the CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16, I have to choose between the 67W and the 96W cable. I understand that 96W will charge faster, but will be heavier... But, by how much? And I even red on this forum that it might not speed the charging for CPU 8 - GPU 14 - Neural 16...
Do you have any idea about that?

Well, I could not find information about the weight at Apple's website. I am not sure about the fast charging for the 8 CPU model.

This specific information cannot be found at Apple's website. You would have to wait for the first reviews or for it to be available elsewhere.

 

[Metzgermeister]

I had the same considerations, get a MBP for long time use. The one I have now is 6 years old and runs great. It will move on within the family.
with this in mind I decided to go for the 10 core with 32GB.
as the OP states he wants to use it with VMware/Parallels. My experience with VMware is that its comfortable to give the VM a good range of memory to work with. Especially if used for gaming.

 

[Cape Dave]

Well, I think it depends. As for performance, the 1 TB SSD may be faster than the 512 GB one, but I found no specific information on this.

As for the size of storage, it also depends. The OP mentioned he already has 500 storage and he frequently runs out of it. If he plans to keep this laptop for some time (he mentions 10 years), then it is probably a good idea to get more storage. In a few years, software will take even more space and files tend to accumulate.

Plus, there is so much you can store on the cloud without paying a lot. I have a Microsoft 365 account and it allows me 1 TB on OneDrive. I may have a larger account or another service, but I do not think it is necessary to store more files on the cloud. But additional local storage is always a plus as you need both free space and space to allocate the OS and installed software.

As for RAM, do you really use that much? What kind of apps? I have 16 GB on a 2016 Intel MacBook Pro and, while its performance is far from ideal, I am not sure if the memory is the problem.

I get all my info from here: https://www.thessdreview.com/ Been following them since their inception.

 

[skaertus]

I get all my info from here: https://www.thessdreview.com/ Been following them since their inception.

Well, I could not find any information about the SSDs inside the new MacBook Pro. I suppose only Apple has this information and chose not to fully reveal it yet. I suppose the smaller SSDs would be slower, but how much slower, if any, is yet to be confirmed.

 

[DHagan4755]

I will try to answer this the best as I can. It will also depend on how long you plan to keep the new laptop.

PROCESSOR

This is the "heart" of the computer. The M1 MacBook Pro already has a very fast processor. I could not yet find benchmarks for the M1 Pro/M1 Max, but I suppose they will be significantly faster in multi-core tasks and at least the same speed in single-core tasks.

The 8-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) should be more than enough, at least for the time being. A 10-core CPU would be faster for multi-tasking. However, for general tasks like web browsing, perhaps it will never become really noticeable or it may take some time.

The 14-core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) should be enough for now, as it is double the count of the base M1 MacBook Air (not sure about benchmarks which I could not find yet). The new MacBook Pro has a higher resolution than the previous one, so it should be more taxing on the video card. Still, it may take years until you notice some difference if you stick to basic tasks.

MEMORY

Memory is soldered on the MacBook Pro, so you cannot upgrade it later. For most people, 16 GB should be enough for now. Remember that all M1 Macs (non-Pro/Max) have 8 GB as standard, so 16 GB should suffice. However, if you plan to keep it for another 10 years, 32 GB may be a good idea. Note that this is a unified memory, so both CPU and GPU use it, which means that you may end up regretting not going for the high-end option in some 5 or 6 years from now.

STORAGE

The more, the better, of course, and you cannot upgrade it later. Apple claims the SSD storage is capable of 7.4 GB/s, which is even faster than the super-fast SSD inside the Playstation 5 (5.5 GB/s). This is ultra-fast! I would get 1 TB minimum, especially if you intend to keep this as your only computer. If you plan to have it for a long time, you may choose to upgrade.

CABLE

Not really sure, but the 96W cable probably charges faster (however, it may also be heavier; you should check).

MY TAKE

I would buy the 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU M1 Pro, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD, 67W USB-C, $2199. My target would be to keep it for up to 3-5 years. If I could spend a little more, I would go for the high-end standard configuration at $2499. If money were no object, I would even upgrade it with 32 GB memory and a 2 TB SSD (for a grand total of $3299), but no further. This one will last comfortably for years.

However, I would not buy a laptop expecting it to last for the next 10 years. In 5 years from now, the money you would use to upgrade will buy you a better laptop. For it to last 10 years, I would think of spending north of $4000, which I do not think would be necessary at this point.

^^ This is a really good response! Props to you.

 

[jerryk]

Thanks for the info! I'm looking also at BootCamp, but I will see what is my best option when I'll have my new MBP

Does Bootcamp work on Mxx SOCs? I thought Bootcamp required an Intel processor.

 

[jerryk]

I think the big decision is how long you want to keep your laptop. The base configuration is fine for today, but may not be great 6 years from now.

If you want to keep your laptop for 6-8 years, I would definitely get 32 GB of memory and maybe get the CPU 10 - GPU 14 processor.

If you want to keep your laptop for 4-6 years, I would get the base 16 GB of memory and the base CPU 8 processor.

Thought #1: Normally I prefer to do lots of upgrades and keep my laptop for 8 years. My last two Apple Laptops lasted 8-10 years each. That being said, this is a first generation computer. It is a brand new chip and a brand new design. We don't really know yet how long Apple will provide software support for Apple Silicon chips. We don't really know yet how much the chips will improve every generation.

Given how new everything is, I would tend to advise getting the base 16 GB memory and base 8 core CPU. Then save your money to get a new computer in 4-6 years. If your computer is still working well for you after 4-6 years, you can always keep it longer, but given how new everything is, it seems a bit risky to try and plan for 10 year before another upgrade.

Thought #2: I would upgrade the storage to 1TB no matter what else you choose. For the $200 upgrade cost, it is worth having more internal storage. Unless you tend to keep everything in the cloud, but as you said, you are already tight on space.

We are just at the start of the Mxxx series. The capability curve will likely be steeper than with the Intel processors and thus increase faster. It makes me question the whole idea of holding onto a Macbook for more than a couple of years.

 

[Koni17]

I will try to answer this the best as I can. It will also depend on how long you plan to keep the new laptop.

PROCESSOR

This is the "heart" of the computer. The M1 MacBook Pro already has a very fast processor. I could not yet find benchmarks for the M1 Pro/M1 Max, but I suppose they will be significantly faster in multi-core tasks and at least the same speed in single-core tasks.

The 8-core CPU (Central Processing Unit) should be more than enough, at least for the time being. A 10-core CPU would be faster for multi-tasking. However, for general tasks like web browsing, perhaps it will never become really noticeable or it may take some time.

The 14-core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) should be enough for now, as it is double the count of the base M1 MacBook Air (not sure about benchmarks which I could not find yet). The new MacBook Pro has a higher resolution than the previous one, so it should be more taxing on the video card. Still, it may take years until you notice some difference if you stick to basic tasks.

MEMORY

Memory is soldered on the MacBook Pro, so you cannot upgrade it later. For most people, 16 GB should be enough for now. Remember that all M1 Macs (non-Pro/Max) have 8 GB as standard, so 16 GB should suffice. However, if you plan to keep it for another 10 years, 32 GB may be a good idea. Note that this is a unified memory, so both CPU and GPU use it, which means that you may end up regretting not going for the high-end option in some 5 or 6 years from now.

STORAGE

The more, the better, of course, and you cannot upgrade it later. Apple claims the SSD storage is capable of 7.4 GB/s, which is even faster than the super-fast SSD inside the Playstation 5 (5.5 GB/s). This is ultra-fast! I would get 1 TB minimum, especially if you intend to keep this as your only computer. If you plan to have it for a long time, you may choose to upgrade.

CABLE

Not really sure, but the 96W cable probably charges faster (however, it may also be heavier; you should check).

MY TAKE

I would buy the 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU M1 Pro, 16 GB memory, 1 TB SSD, 67W USB-C, $2199. My target would be to keep it for up to 3-5 years. If I could spend a little more, I would go for the high-end standard configuration at $2499. If money were no object, I would even upgrade it with 32 GB memory and a 2 TB SSD (for a grand total of $3299), but no further. This one will last comfortably for years.

However, I would not buy a laptop expecting it to last for the next 10 years. In 5 years from now, the money you would use to upgrade will buy you a better laptop. For it to last 10 years, I would think of spending north of $4000, which I do not think would be necessary at this point.

Great response, one thing really makes me wonder if it's worth the upgrade: 16 to 32GB RAM. It costs quite a bit, however since it is unified memory shared with the GPU, this could make a huge difference in how much RAM I would normally need.

Right now I am using around 12GB with normal use, so 16GB would have been enough. With the new architecture sharing memory between CPU and GPU, does anyone have an idea of approximately how much memory the GPU will require with normal use?