The MacBook 2016 is a nice machine

[Hat Tric]

Hi everyone, longtime iMac user here,

I got a used MacBook 2016 (m5 with 512GB) for a very good price and I'm quite surprised how nice a machine this is. It's super thin, light and the retina display is superb.

The battery is in okay condition with 600 cycles and the keyboard works without problems. It only runs Monterey but that's fine with me.

And it gives a perspective to all the benchmark comparisons. It has a single core Geekbench score of 576 and it doesn't feel slow at all for light usage.

I just wanted to have a dedicated machine for listening to Apple Music with an external headphone amp.

 

[EugW]

I have a 16 GB 2017 MacBook Core m3, purchased at launch.

The one I didn't like was the 2015 MacBook Core M-5Y31. That one had the worst keyboard, and the CPU felt kinda slow even back in 2015.

The 2016 Core i5 is a significant improvement. The keyboard is improved, and the performance is much better. It also gets hardware acceleration for 8-bit 4K HEVC, which is an enormous advantage. (Most 4K HEVC is basically unplayable on the 2015 model.)

The 2017 m3 is a further significant improvement. The keyboard was further improved, and the performance is even higher. It also gets hardware acceleration for 10-bit 4K HEVC, which is a further enormous advantage. (10-bit 4K HEVC is basically unplayable on the 2016 model.)

Geekbench scores:
615/1168 - Core M-5Y31 (2015 entry level)
596/1263 - Core m3-6Y30 (2016 entry level)
668/1490 - Core m5-6Y54 (2016 mid range)
800/1601 - Core m3-7Y32 (2017 entry level)

I think you did well for your purchase, because in 2023 I think the 2016 i5 is a decent baseline for features and performance. I wouldn't want anything below the 2016 i5, although back then I personally specifically waited for the 2017 for its HEVC support.

 

[loby]

I have a Macbook 2015 (got second hand and cheap) and surprisingly...I like it.

It is light, I don't mind the butterfly keyboard, looks great (got the gold version). No power of course, but it is not for doing more really than internet, docs, general "stuff" etc..

It is stuck on Big Sur, but does the job for why I got it.

Now if it had a M1 chip in it...

 

[EugW]

I have a Macbook 2015 (got second hand and cheap) and surprisingly...I like it.

I like it too! 🙃 I don’t find that surprising though. It’s small, very light, and fanless.