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.
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)
Option 2 seems better to me.
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