Replace 2019 i9 with new 16” M1 or?

[ghulst]

As soon as the 16” MBP i9 was released back in 2019, I bought a 2.3Ghz with 32Gb and 2Tb. I have really liked it so far, but the fan is noisy and as I run a lot of programs on a big external screen, I have a lot of fan noise. Then the new MBP 16” was released and I really like the look of that. Last week my wife’s computer broke down, so now I have a quick replacement situation that I can play with. The question really is, am I going to get a new 16” M1 pro or max and hand my i9 down to my wife, or should I get her a nice MBA M1 and wait for Apple to launch something new in autumn?

I normally have three browsers on running at least 15-20 tabs each (which the new Safari is crashing on all the time…). I do a lot of video calls with Teams and Zoom. I do some 4K video and photo editing and that also takes most of my storage. And yes, the i9 fan is on for most of the day if I have teams running.

 

[iDron]

Apple won't release something a lot faster in the fall than the current M1s. And they won't release a 16 inch.

I guess it depends on what you want:
- You can get a M1 for your wife, however if you want something at 16 inch for yourself, you'd probably wait 18months or so for something new from Apple.
- You can get a 16 inch M1 Pro/Max and it will be a lot better than your current setup.

However, your tasks don't sound crazy in terms of computational demands. A MBA might be good for yourself in terms of power, it's a smaller screen though.

 

[Rashy]

The Max will be more than overkill for your tasks. The Pro already runs circles around your i9 while staying much cooler. You will never hear the fans and rejoice about the great battery life.

M1 Pro + 16“ = best combo

 

[sb in ak]

What are her uses? The 2019 MBP may or may not be an ideal machine for her. The M1 MBA is a wonderful little machine and will be for the foreseeable future.

 

[Conutz]

I agree with @sb in ak – will that Intel i9 serve her needs? If it will, and you go ahead with an M1 MBP, I agree that the M1 Pro rather than Max recommendation above, but I would say that you could consider a 14”. I bought a 14” 10-Core Pro with 32GB and 1TB to replace a 15” 2018 and here’s why: you’re getting the same power in a smaller (and cheaper) package…and you already use a big external monitor.

Although you already have a 16” and are used to the size, looking at the new 14” and 16” next to one another in store, I felt that the 16” was enormous, almost “ridiculous”. I’m really happy with my 14”, whether working on-device or with an external monitor and keyboard. Feels like the right choice for me.

 

[ghulst]

Well, there you are touching on something @Conutz as I have always had 13" MacBook Pro's. When Apple released the revamped MBP in 2019, I really wanted to upgrade to a 13" version of that MBP, but it wasn't offered. Now, there is that 14" versus 16" choice again and now I have gotten used to that 16" size. For both machines, the advantages are when on the road. The 14" is easier to place anywhere and much better when on a train or plane. However, if you want to get more work done, that 16" screen is great for being able to see just that bit more of an Excel sheet, just opening three windows, and so on. Then again, I do also have an iPad Pro, so I could use that as a second screen on the 14" when I arrive somewhere. As I do use that in the same way for my 16" at the moment. On the other hand, the 16" does have a bigger battery, which again is an advantage on the road.

Processor-wise, you would say that, though I do my instructional videos on FCP, I would be alright with the 'basic' M1 Pro with the 10 core GPU and 16Gb? In my head that seems a bit light. But then, I have always bought top-of-the-line stuff because I have often felt that having more capacity was a good thing to make it future-proof. Though I am becoming aware of the fact that I do replace my MPB quick enough now, that it probably won't make a difference. My first MBP served me for seven years (that was before my video editing days) and after that, I have started replacing my Mac's around every three to four years.

 

[Conutz]

Sounds like the 16 will work for you. I don’t do any graphics/video work, so I have no idea as to whether the Pro or Max chip would be best. In terms of RAM, how do your current 32GB suit you?

 

[macrumorsuser123]

While I have not personally done any video work, most reviewers seem to suggest that the M1 Pro is enough for most people, even those doing GPU intensive tasks. It's already as powerful/more powerful than your i9 and it should be able to do everything you mention (a few dozen browser tabs, see this thread https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-many-chrome-tabs-can-you-have-on-32gb-m1-pro.2331122/, teams and zoom) at a fraction of the power usage and fan noise. If you really wanted to future proof, you could splurge some on the 32gb of RAM or the version of M1 Pro with extra GPU cores. Since you edit on FCP, M1 Pro is extremely optimized with the software, video codecs, etc, and it should be fine.

 

[ghulst]

@Conutz The 32Gb is alright. On average, I am still using around 24Gb at any given moment. That is not when I am editing videos, but just with the browsers and during a teams call. Just to give a good idea.

@macrumorsuser123 I would like to have at least the 1Tb SSD in the MacBook. I currently have a 2Tb, but because I have set up my network storage in a different way, 1Tb should work. That would still put me on the pro at € 2979 to start with. Adding memory to 32Gb, would put the Mac at € 3439. There is no version of the M1 Pro with extra CPU cores available as an option, which means that I would end up with an M1 Max with 24 GPU cores at € 3669. But a standard M1 Max has an extra 8 GPU cores and comes in at € 3849. So, if I would get an M1 Pro and add GPU cores and 16Gb extra memory, the step to the 'basic' Max is very small...

 

[adamjackson]

Base M1 Pro 16" will be fine for your standard 1080P Screencast YouTube videos and anything else you'll need. 32GB of RAM is fine and adjust SSD to your storage needs.

I overbought with a 16" Max + 64GB of RAM. way over spent. No remorse, it's great but it's overkill for almost everyone. Us Tech Bros and Fanboys want the best and we really don't need the best.

 

[ghulst]

Thanks @adamjackson. I am well aware of the fact that I definitely am a tech bro, so I always want to have more. I do do 4K screencast and YouTube work, so I guess that still falls under de 32Gb RAM. Which means I should be alright with a €3439 16" with 32Gb and 1Tb?

 

[adamjackson]

Thanks @adamjackson. I am well aware of the fact that I definitely am a tech bro, so I always want to have more. I do do 4K screencast and YouTube work, so I guess that still falls under de 32Gb RAM. Which means I should be alright with a €3439 16" with 32Gb and 1Tb?

Sounds like a winner. I was using about 1.1 terabytes full time on my iMac with another 500-850 used when I was working on a video project so I went 2TB. Enjoy the new machine!

 

[Christopher Kim]

Some good advice on this thread already. I would add a couple additional points for your computer (hopefully your 2019 16" works for your wife).

- Prior to these M1 Pro/Max MBPs, the 16" was always the better performing laptop. So you'd have to give on performance to get the extra portability of the smaller 13". That is no more, as you can get the same configuration in either model (US$200 difference between 14" and 16" for same config). And they're identical, other than some slightly better thermals / battery life on the 16". Given the 14" already has incredible battery life (and thermals not really an issue unless you're really stressing the machine), it's much more of a size-preference question now. That only you can really answer, but if most of your work is done at home / work with an external monitor, then I personally think the 14" would be the better option given same performance at home, and easier portability factor when traveling / taking on-the-go.

- Agree with others, getting the "Max" doesn't seem necessary for you. Even though it's a modest (US$200, assume a bit more in Euros) price increase to go from Pro > Max for similar configurations (Eg. Pro 16-core GPU / 32GB Memory to Max 24-core GPU / 32GB Memory), you do lose a bit of a battery life in the Max. If you don't need the GPU power, a lot of people think the 16" Pro 10/16 is the best value. And then you can decide on memory / storage as per your needs.

Boiling it all down, I would recommend the 14" 10/16 32GB / 1TB (or 2TB) for your use case. Not coincidentally, it's the same model I got