Purchasing Advice: New MBP 14"

[PO2345]

Quick Questions:

I'm on a 2012 MBP (CD) & I plan on upgrading to today's model, but I have some questions.

Can anyone tell me how much better each upgrade is? Meaning is M2Pro fine or is M2Max THAT much better? Same question for the memory.
Just trying to gauge whether I should upgrade these or not as I do not know how to evaluate how much better they are.

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

Thanks to anyone who is kind enough to respond.

 

[parlem]

I'm on the same boat (mine is a mid-20212, too) and equally conflicted...

 

[ScholarsInk]

I don't think the difference between M Pro and Max will make any difference for what you mention. The chief difference is GPU grunt. It's still the same architecture and will be supported by Apple for a long time given how many M2 products they've launched.

Like you, I'll be upgrading from an Intel Mac (although where yours is one of the best years; my 2018 is one of the worst). However I do use an Apple Silicon iPad Pro and (at work) MacBook Pro so I have a decent basis for comparing performance.

I think even a baseline M2 Pro will do you just fine–even a regular M2 MBA for that matter will.

 

[maflynn]

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

I don't think the Max offers you anything that you'll be able to take advantage of.

 

[beach bum]

I don't think the Max offers you anything that you'll be able to take advantage of.

I do agree with your statement, but I'm surprised that the Pro still only supports two monitors according to the specs. The Max allows up to four... but I'm not sure the price would be worth it for additional monitors.

 

[james2538]

Quick Questions:

I'm on a 2012 MBP (CD) & I plan on upgrading to today's model, but I have some questions.

Can anyone tell me how much better each upgrade is? Meaning is M2Pro fine or is M2Max THAT much better? Same question for the memory.
Just trying to gauge whether I should upgrade these or not as I do not know how to evaluate how much better they are.

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

Thanks to anyone who is kind enough to respond.

The big difference between the M2 Pro and Max comes from the GPU. Are you editing multiple 8K videos or some other professional type workload? Then you'll be fine with the M2 Pro. Also keep in mind that for the M1 generation the Max model sucked up more battery life and there were some reports of throttling issues on the 14".

What is most likely to affect the longevity of the computer is when Apple decides to artificially cutoff macOS support for that generation laptop (which doesn't always have to do with it lacking any technical feature)

It sounds like you have a light workload and would be fine with the base model. Bump up the storage to 1 TB and call it day. The prices that Apple charges to upgrade components are bonkers. You'd be better off getting a standard model to satisfy your current needs and upgrading in the future if ever needed.

(Any laptop you purchase today is going to absolutely blow your 2012 out of the water)

 

[maflynn]

I do agree with your statement, but I'm surprised that the Pro still only supports two monitors according to the specs. The Max allows up to four... but I'm not sure the price would be worth it for additional monitors.

I'm not sure why its limited on the Pro like it is, but the use case of needing/wanting 3 or more monitors is probably a bit more niche.

 

[PO2345]

The big difference between the M2 Pro and Max comes from the GPU. Are you editing multiple 8K videos or some other professional type workload? Then you'll be fine with the M2 Pro. Also keep in mind that for the M1 generation the Max model sucked up more battery life and there were some reports of throttling issues on the 14".

What is most likely to affect the longevity of the computer is when Apple decides to artificially cutoff macOS support for that generation laptop (which doesn't always have to do with it lacking any technical feature)

It sounds like you have a light workload and would be fine with the base model. Bump up the storage to 1 TB and call it day. The prices that Apple charges to upgrade components are bonkers. You'd be better off getting a standard model to satisfy your current needs and upgrading in the future if ever needed.

(Any laptop you purchase today is going to absolutely blow your 2012 out of the water)

Thank you James.

Not doing professional workload to that extent currently, so will do what you suggested.

In regards to upgrading later though, I thought with these new models you cant swap out anything after due to the way its constructed? Meaning I can only do it online before buying.

 

[JPack]

Unless you can specifically name the professional applications you're using, stick with the standard $1,999 config with 16/512. Spending $1,000 more for CPU/RAM isn't likely to give you 50% greater longevity. You're better off using the money to buy a new computer more frequently.

 

[james2538]

Thank you James.

Not doing professional workload to that extent currently, so will do what you suggested.

In regards to upgrading later though, I thought with these new models you cant swap out anything after due to the way its constructed? Meaning I can only do it online before buying.

Yes, unfortunately everything is soldered on now days so you can't change any components. By upgrade I meant selling the laptop and purchasing a new model. Even old Apple laptops hold their value quite well though. I sold my 2015 15" MacBook Pro over FB marketplace last year for about $400.

I generally put myself on a 4-5 year lifecycle because that's the sweet spot for resale. Long enough that the jump in technology is significant but not so long that my old laptop isn't worth much anymore. Plus it always keeps me within the requirements to get the latest macOS updates.

You might actually be able to get by with the 512GB model if you don't keep a lot of pictures/videos on your laptop. Storage is the one thing that is still somewhat "upgradable" since 1TB USB flash drives are fairly cheap and easy to carry around.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc."

For a workload that is "minimal", I reckon the MBP 14" in the base configuration of 16/512 will do fine for you.

Although, depending on how much drive space you use, you might consider "bumping up" the SSD size to 1tb from 512gb (but like you, my requirements for a laptop are "light", and I find that 512gb is just fine for my needs).

 

[jerryk]

Quick Questions:

I'm on a 2012 MBP (CD) & I plan on upgrading to today's model, but I have some questions.

Can anyone tell me how much better each upgrade is? Meaning is M2Pro fine or is M2Max THAT much better? Same question for the memory.
Just trying to gauge whether I should upgrade these or not as I do not know how to evaluate how much better they are.

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

Thanks to anyone who is kind enough to respond.

Maxing it out might extend the lifespan a bit. But the Mxx family is such a big step from your 2012 I suspect the base unit will tide you over for a long while unless your usage is going to radically change. I don't have the specs handly, but would not be surprised for you to see the new system 2 to 3 times faster than your current system at many tasks.

 

[jerryk]

Another option is to look at an M2 Air. They are quite powerful, considerably lighter, and easier to transport. Plus, they look cooler, if that matters: :->

 

[TinyMito]

Quick Questions:

I'm on a 2012 MBP (CD) & I plan on upgrading to today's model, but I have some questions.

Can anyone tell me how much better each upgrade is? Meaning is M2Pro fine or is M2Max THAT much better? Same question for the memory.
Just trying to gauge whether I should upgrade these or not as I do not know how to evaluate how much better they are.

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

Thanks to anyone who is kind enough to respond.

Simple, you have been using and fine with 2012. M2 Pro will absolutely blow your socks off. Let alone the M1 series and already.

My work laptop was a MacBook Pro with i5 and compare to my personal M1 Pro... It's day and night in term of performance and all day power on battery.

M2 Max is really for video content creators and heavy heavy heavy compiling codes. Are you any of those? If not then it would be waste. Pro is suitable for photographer, Non Pro or Max those are light travel notebook.

Having the most powerful chip does not determine the longevity. I can drive a Honda Civic for 15 years, meanwhile the luxury car can last similar.

 

[ilikewhey]

Quick Questions:

I'm on a 2012 MBP (CD) & I plan on upgrading to today's model, but I have some questions.

Can anyone tell me how much better each upgrade is? Meaning is M2Pro fine or is M2Max THAT much better? Same question for the memory.
Just trying to gauge whether I should upgrade these or not as I do not know how to evaluate how much better they are.

My workload these days are very minimal & I don't get as aggressive with programs as I used too, but I will when needed & I want this computer to last me 10 years like my current one did, so just curious if maxing out the processor & memory will help with that or if the standard config will just be fine etc.

Thanks to anyone who is kind enough to respond.

having more ram def helps with future proofing, programs and apps just keeps getting bigger and bigger overtime, back in 2012 4gb was the avg use case, fast forward 10 years 4gb you can barely keep couple tabs in safari open with one or two other programs.

 

[xraydoc]

M2 Max is really for video content creators and heavy heavy heavy compiling codes. Are you any of those? If not then it would be waste. Pro is suitable for photographer, Non Pro or Max those are light travel notebook.

This is it right here. For OP, unless you're doing 4K video editing, 3D modeling or other heavy duty GPU-accelerated tasks, or working with massive RAM-intensive databases and calculations (where the 400GB/sec bandwidth will help), then the Max version of the processor isn't going to help you much, and will likely just diminish your battery life needlessly.

For most people, the standard M2 (in the MBA) or the M2 Pro (in the MBP) is all you'll really need. If you can swing the price difference and you really want a processor boost, go for the 12-core version of the M2 Pro instead of the base 10-core version of the M2 Pro.

If you really needed the M2 Max (or M1 Ultra), you'd already know it. The M2 Max will be hotter and use more battery power than the M2 Pro due to the sheer number of GPU cores. This has been shown to be the case for the M1 Pro and M1 Max, particularly when stuffed into the 14" model.

All that said, it's reasonable to upgrade the RAM and SSD at the time of purchase since you cannot do it after the fact.