13" MBP 2016 vs 13" rMBP 2015?

[danielwerner]

Hi,

Sorry if there's other threads with the same question; i didn't find it by searching.

So! I need a new 13" Macbook Pro, but I'm not sure which to pick. I've pretty much got two options right now. Gonna use it for light gaming, browsing, web design, and some video editing. Also I'll use it between my home and work so portability is a factor.

Either I buy the base 2016 Macbook Pro. It's lighter, a bit smaller, with better speakers (important for me), better screen, and slightly better CPU and GPU. It's 1800 dollars in my currency.

Or I buy the base 2015 Macbook Pro. It's 13000 dollars, but I sacrifice the other things.

Thoughts? Anyone with comparable benchmarks for these two? Is the new one worth $500 extra? Thanks!

 

[Super Xander]

My common sense says the 2015 MacBook Pro would be the one worth the money. But I bought the 2016 version for the extra bucks without really any good reason.
If you like an awesome screen and new design, I would definitely go all in and go for the TouchBar version.
If you want to save a couple of bucks, then go for the version without touchbar. The speakers are pretty nice there as well.

 

[RamalTheCamel]

This is my opinion:

So, you need a new 13" MBP, and you're stuck between the 2015 and 2016 model. TBH, I'd go with the 2015 MBP with a few upgrades, like the jump to 16 gigs of ram and maybe some higher storage (unless you plan to keep your games and other data that doesn't fit on the Mac on an external hard drive or SSD).

With the upgrades, you will exceed $1300 (how much depends on the upgrades), but IMO I believe it's still worth it over the 2016 model. Here are my reasons:
- Even on the base 2016 MBP, you're not getting dedicated graphics, so you're not really going to be better off in that regard, for things like gaming and video editing.
- Even though the performance increase is there, it is very minimal and you'd be unlikely to notice it while doing day-to-day tasks and any light gaming.
- The base 2016 MBP model only has two(!) USB-C ports. Considering that the world of tech hasn't fully embraced the wonders of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 yet, you'll have to spend some cash on getting some adapters and whatnot, which will result in you exceeding $1800.

However, if you opt for the 2015 MBP, you will be missing out on the improved screen, better speakers and the portability of a smaller and lighter machine. But with that said, the Retina display on that model is very good, and it wasn't really heavy and cumbersome to begin with. Also, I can assure you that the 2015 model will last for years to come, at least to 2020 if given a ram upgrade.

TL;DR: go with the 2015 13" MBP, as you'll be better off economically and won't be missing out on much from the base model 13" MBP.

 

[danielwerner]

If you want to save a couple of bucks, then go for the version without touchbar. The speakers are pretty nice there as well.

Hmmm, is there even a difference on the speakers for the base and touchbar versions? :O