What is the best M3 choice?

[DukeDevlin]

Hello,

I need your help with my investment strategy for my next MAC.

A bit of background: For several years now, I've had a YouTube channel that requires editing on Final Cut Prox (all my videos are made on the iPhone 15PM) with big 4K rushes, etc. On top of that, I have to run Photoshop and other software. From 2013 to 2020, I was on a MacBook Air 2013 full configuration. And in 2020, I made the serious mistake of upgrading to a 2019 MacBook Pro 16" full configuration. A grave mistake because I hadn't anticipated the migration to M chips.

I have the opportunity to change computers.

With the MacBook Pro M3, I'm bound to want to take the plunge. However, one question remains: what's the best choice for my needs? A bloated configuration? A basic configuration? Does the cost delta between the various options result in such a substantial gain in terms of product lifespan? For the time being, I don't want to make the same mistake I did with my old model. I need to keep this one for 7-10 years, so that it can see the future. But is this the right reasoning? Is it better to take a basic MacBook Pro and change it every 5 years, than to take a boosted model and hope to get more out of it? And does upgrading really extend the product's life expectancy?

Assuming a maximum budget of 4500 euros, I've seen several solutions (I want to go back to a 14-inch Macbook Pro):

- Basic M3 Max chip + 36GB memory + 2TB = 4459e
- M3 Max 16-core chip + 48GB memory + 1TB = 4574e
- M3 Pro chip + 36GB memory + 2TB storage = 3919e.

Is there a real difference between these three models in terms of durability? Will adding 500e save me 1-2 years or is it useless?
The 1TB is quickly filled on my current model, which is why I've added 2 2TB configurations. But to save a bit, maybe it's better to invest in an external SSD.

So, what do you think? Unless an entry-level will do. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Thanks in advance,

Have a nice day,

 

[chown33]

Since you use FCP, I'd wait for the update:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/final-cut-pro-gaining-new-features-on-mac-and-ipad-later-this-month.2410097/

On Apple silicon Macs, exporting projects in H.264 and HEVC will be faster than before as Final Cut Pro is able to send video segments to available media engines for simultaneous processing.

Then I'd wait to read what the FCP benchmarks show for the different M3 configurations.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

#2 is exactly right.

And consider waiting on the M3 Mac Mini & Studio instead of doing heavy lifting on laptops that will inevitably throttle. In particular, Mac Studio will have the big heat sink and fans to run at full speed much more effectively than the same chip jammed into a super slim case.

If you favor laptop because you want it to move around a bit, there are CASES for Mac Studio too... like cubic bowling ball cases. You would be carrying around far more UNrestricted/UNhindered horses in that case.

And consider maximizing RAM and Cores but towards minimizing internal SSD... and putting Apple outrageous SSD upgrade pricing towards a big fast external SSD(s) or even a RAID SSD box. Apple SSD is priced at about 3X-5X retail.

 

[picpicmac]

Is it better to take a basic MacBook Pro and change it every 5 years, than to take a boosted model and hope to get more out of it? And does upgrading really extend the product's life expectancy?

While there are many "content creators" on Youtube , only a few Youtube channels will be of use to you I think in regards to this issue.

Art is Right focuses on the photographer/videographer, and today he did a comparison of the M3 Pro Mac Book Pro versus the M2 Pro and the M1 Pro, and some other models:

He has a couple of other M3 videos from a couple of days ago, and says he'll have several move videos over the next few days, about the various M3 chips and their configurations.

He covers the questions you asked, that I quoted above.

I was a bit surprised to see the M3 Pro not show much improvement, if any at all, versus the M2 Pro in his examples. But as he points out, the software he uses is probably not well optimized by the developers. However, the more I thought about it the idea that popped into my mind is that many jobs he presents have a great many of small tasks, with much read-in and read-out of files, and the CPU and GPU performance numbers (such as with Geekbench) are not so important when doing lots of reads/writes.

 

[DukeDevlin]

While there are many "content creators" on Youtube , only a few Youtube channels will be of use to you I think in regards to this issue.

Art is Right focuses on the photographer/videographer, and today he did a comparison of the M3 Pro Mac Book Pro versus the M2 Pro and the M1 Pro, and some other models:

He has a couple of other M3 videos from a couple of days ago, and says he'll have several move videos over the next few days, about the various M3 chips and their configurations.

He covers the questions you asked, that I quoted above.

I was a bit surprised to see the M3 Pro not show much improvement, if any at all, versus the M2 Pro in his examples. But as he points out, the software he uses is probably not well optimized by the developers. However, the more I thought about it the idea that popped into my mind is that many jobs he presents have a great many of small tasks, with much read-in and read-out of files, and the CPU and GPU performance numbers (such as with Geekbench) are not so important when doing lots of reads/writes.

Thanks! Huge review, but if I understand well, the best version will be the M2 Ultra and not the M3 Max? So that means I have to wait the M3 Ultra?

What are your thoughts about my case?

 

[picpicmac]

What are your thoughts about my case?

Be sure to check out Art's latest videos.

I don't use a Mac Studio so I am not the one to ask on how one will work for your case.

I am shopping for a new Mac and have gone through all the options, only to find that, for me, I think the bottom line is going to be the quality of the display. Hence the iMac is still on my list, though a Mac Mini is probably a good fit for me. I don't do serious video creation so I don't really care about metrics for, say, FCP.

Which is why I pointed you at Art is Right's channel. He does do benchmarks for FCP.

As for general advice I can give you this: the idea of "future proof" in a computer is not going to make sense if you cannot get a return in your business (in your case doing videos for a channel) that can cover the cost over the life of the computer. Only you know how much you expect to make from your videos.

Computers, in general, are depreciated (in business accounting) over 5 years. However, for laptops that may be 4 years. So whatever you are going to buy, divide the total cost by 4 to get a yearly depreciation. Then ask yourself if that equipment is really going to be of that value to you over that year.

 

[Fishrrman]

M3pro.
32gb (or more) of RAM (it may be in increases of "12" now instead of "8").
1tb SSD. Only 2tb if you MUST have the storage "internal".

 

[DukeDevlin]

Thanks! Yeah it is complicated to know the « futur proof » concept. I can buy a basic version and switch every 4 years if it’s not realistic to say if I upgrade all features I can keep it longer.