I know you guys are sick of these posts, but I really am stuck. I’ve got a few options - and I’m happy to spend up to the most expensive one - however not sure if I need to
Here is some background: I am a final year high school student whose laptop just died and need a new one for the rest of school + into university. I do web browsing, school essays/assignments and lots of editing in lightroom/photoshop as I am a photography student
Here are the options I present to myself:
13" MBA M2 10 core GPU, 16gb ram, 512gb storage - $2,369
14" MBP M3 Base Model + 16gb ram - $2,799
Or on the refurbished store: 14" MBP M1 Pro 8‑Core CPU and 14‑Core GPU, 16gb ram, 512gb storage - $2,399
Refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro Apple M2 Pro Chip with 10‑Core CPU and 16‑Core GPU - Space Grey - $2719
Or if there are any other ones that you guys may recommend? It has to be able to handle lots of multitasking (as I tend to do many tasks at once over many apps, hence ram upgrades), and photo editing in photoshop/lightoom
Thank you all to advance
(Edit: Prices in AUD)
I have the MBA M2 and do the same stuff as you and it’s incredible.
If you need the ports get the MBP - but I love that the air has no fans and stays quiet. Had no issues in Lightroom or photoshop at all on my air.
Option 2 seems better to me.
Go to the refurbished section and buy the m1 max/ultra if u can, Minimum 16Gb of ram .
The reason u should go for the refurbished :
- Apple is a control freak with their products, based on various testimonials form apple employees themselves. If they see a defect, it’s a complete replacement of the part. The Refurbished models come with the same warranty from apple, + the refurbishment is a total replacement. There are almost no scratches that are visible.
- Much much more cheaper. Might even save $700 sometimes
- Comes with better configurations, so u don’t have to spend time on choosing and spending too much.
If that’s not possible, Do the same with M2 Pro, Minimum 16gb of ram.
Good deal :
If u buy the 1st one, don’t buy an external ssd. I’d strongly suggest considering the 2nd, + an 2tb nvme ssd (WD black SN850x, one with DRAM cache in it) + a nVMe usb 3.2 gen 2 ssd enclosure. (this saves a ton of money bc 1. u don’t buy from apple 2. It only takes 5 minutes to hack a great ssd which will give u better speeds than the ones that are pre glued together, 3. it’s surprisingly more rigid and portable & don’t come with obsolete connectors. I did the same, so if u need pics of what i did, reach out)
(All macbook pros)
If you can afford it, I would get 32Gb or more of RAM. That will make the biggest difference in your processing speed, especially it you multitask a lot. Ideally, you’d get a 14" MBP M3pro with 36GB of RAM