13'' vs 15'' 2018 MBP

[Macdaddi69]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a computer that will last me long. I would rather spend a lot of money today than upgrade laptop every 2 years...

I don't have a desktop so I need a powerful laptop that I will also be able to carry around since I'm heading off to college this year. I'm planning on using it during lectures and web-browsing. Also I am addicted to Netflix so thats why I kinda want to get bigger screen.

I have 2 options :

1) 15-inch MacBook Pro - Silver ($3200)
2.6GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
1TB SSD storage

2)13-inch MacBook Pro - Silver ($2900)
2.7GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
1TB SSD storage

Do you think spending almost 3k on 13'' is dumb? Would it just make more sense to pay 300 and get a 15''?

Thanks

 

[Te0SX]

I hope you were doing or planning do much more and then decide to spend ~$3000 on a machine to use it during lectures, web browsing and Netflix. Waste of money imo. Go for cheaper options or just wait for the other Apple laptops refresh and the new laptop that will replace Air.

If you had told us more plans about its future use, for example if you need great graphics to run prof software for your assignments and projects I would suggest you to go for the 15 for the graphics card. It's all about if you need the better graphics performance or not imo.

Also since you can spend the extra $300 it would be wiser to go for the 15', but not only for your Netflix addiction.

 

[rillrill]

So it looks like these machines are really for really intensive computing, like video editors and 3D modeling.

I was thinking of getting a 13” for podcasting. I do other things like light video and audio editing, Keynotes, etc, but would I be better off waiting until September to see if there are more consumer MacBooks, or is the MacBook Pro suited for podcasting?

 

[Mr Screech]

I'd go for 15" 2.2ghz.
nearly same speed, less heat/throttling.

 

[Howard2k]

Rumour has it that there is another 13” coming soon.

 

[unchecked]

I'm going with the 13'' i5 with 16GB memory and 512GB storage.

The i5 because the gains from the i7 is negligible, 16GB RAM because you gotta max out your RAM, and 512GB storage is enough. When you need more working space as a scratch disk, just use one of your four ports for an external SSD drive like the Samsung T5 for a lot cheaper.

 

[wchigo]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a computer that will last me long. I would rather spend a lot of money today than upgrade laptop every 2 years...

I don't have a desktop so I need a powerful laptop that I will also be able to carry around since I'm heading off to college this year. I'm planning on using it during lectures and web-browsing. Also I am addicted to Netflix so thats why I kinda want to get bigger screen.

I have 2 options :

1) 15-inch MacBook Pro - Silver ($3200)
2.6GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
1TB SSD storage

2)13-inch MacBook Pro - Silver ($2900)
2.7GHz quad‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
1TB SSD storage

Do you think spending almost 3k on 13'' is dumb? Would it just make more sense to pay 300 and get a 15''?

Thanks

For your stated usage, the CPUs you selected are overkill; I wouldn't go over the base i7 on the 15" or i5 on the 13" in your shoes. I also don't think the upgrade on the GPU is necessary, but up to you.

If you're lugging it around with you a lot on campus, I think the better portability of the 13" will be really beneficial. I'd suggest the 13" with i5, 16GB RAM and probably 512GB SSD, but if you really want and can afford the 1TB by all means.

 

[Macdaddi69]

For your stated usage, the CPUs you selected are overkill; I wouldn't go over the base i7 on the 15" or i5 on the 13" in your shoes. I also don't think the upgrade on the GPU is necessary, but up to you.

If you're lugging it around with you a lot on campus, I think the better portability of the 13" will be really beneficial. I'd suggest the 13" with i5, 16GB RAM and probably 512GB SSD, but if you really want and can afford the 1TB by all means.

I know that 13'' is more portable , but do you think it will be very hard for me to carry around 15'' on college campuses and coffee shops?
The reason why I'm spending a lot of money on this MacBook is in order to future proof it. I would rather buy maxed out MacBook and not worry about new laptop for next 7-8 years...
Its just I'm not sure if I want to get a 13'' or 15''... When I told my friend that I'm spending $3k on 13'' he laughed and told me to might as well get a 15'' with upgraded specs.
Whats ur opinion?

 

[Poki]

The base 13" with the i5 CPU is in some cases actually faster than the highest end 15" from last year - that one will be more than fast enough for your needs. While the 15" is not "hard" to carry around by any means, it's just so much nicer not having to deal with a bigger, heavier laptop when on the go.

I second wchigos recommendation - get the 13" with the i5, 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD (I don't see why you would need more storage for your needs). Saves a ton of money, and the i7 which is just a few percent faster in select scenarios won't future proof this thing anyway.

 

[wchigo]

I know that 13'' is more portable , but do you think it will be very hard for me to carry around 15'' on college campuses and coffee shops?
The reason why I'm spending a lot of money on this MacBook is in order to future proof it. I would rather buy maxed out MacBook and not worry about new laptop for next 7-8 years...
Its just I'm not sure if I want to get a 13'' or 15''... When I told my friend that I'm spending $3k on 13'' he laughed and told me to might as well get a 15'' with upgraded specs.
Whats ur opinion?

Everyone will be different, so I can't say for sure how difficult or not it will be for you to carry around, but the extra pounds will add up, especially if you're also carrying around the charging brick, cables, and any other accessories you may need to use. I upgraded from a 12" MacBook to a 13" MacBook Pro a couple years ago and while you wouldn't call the 13" very hefty, the extra weight is distinctly noticeable when I carry it around, whether by itself or in a laptop bag.

I get that you want longevity out of your purchase, especially when it costs this much, but trying to "future proof" tech is mostly a fool's errand. I used to joke around with friends all the time that any piece of technology is obsolete by the time you purchase it. While it's certainly hyperbolic, there's also some degree of truth to it; any tech that is ready for commercial use tends to lag behind any tech still in active development. Based on the use cases you provided, even the 13" i5 with 16GB of RAM will be more than enough to last you 5 years, and should still be fine 7-8 years from now. Nothing you mentioned will require any more computational power than that, unless you're also going to be doing a lot of heavy duty video editing, and even then all that's going to happen is it will be a little slower; it won't be something that machine can't do at all.

Again, different things matter more or less to different people. If you can, try going to an Apple Store and looking at the machines and picking them up/carrying them; there's nothing that's going to beat hands-on time. If I were in your situation, I would probably go with the 13" myself, but that's because I'd value the portability more as I'd be moving around with it a lot. This is based on my experience with the different sizes of MacBooks though, so I already know what's most important to me. With that being said, the 15" is also a fine choice, especially since you mentioned the extra screen real estate is important to you, but even then I wouldn't get anything past the base model (i7 2.2GHz, 16GB RAM, 555X) aside from the SSD.

 

[maflynn]

2.6GHz 6‑core 8th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.3GHz
Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory
16GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory
1TB SSD storage

Why do you need the 2.6, 560x or 1TB of storage if you're just surfing and watching netflix? Seems like overkill based on your stated needs. the base model 15" will be more then enough to handle those tasks now and in the future and that will bring the price point to $2,400 (non-edu price before tax)

As for the 13", the same goes, why not get the base model for a heck of lot less?

The difference between the 15" and 13" is that you get a larger display which can be very nice, a dGPU, and a hexcore processor. The 13" is more portable, less expensive and now for the first time a quad core processor. If you like the smaller form factor then the 13" is a fine machine. If you like the larger display or need a dGPU or more power, then the 15" may make sense.

 

[Newtons Apple]

For the difference in price the 15" is the way to go for me. I do not have to lug my laptop through the school campus or airports and the 15" screen is awesome to see, not to mention the dGPU!

 

[ofarlig]

I can say I didn't even bump my SSD to 512 GB, I cannot see myself installing enough programs that 256 GB is not enough. I don't work with video files so I don't need that much storage for that either.

Went with 13" as the 15" would be more annoying to use while just relaxing on the couch, I find my 12" perfect for that so even the 13" will be a bit worse.

 

[maflynn]

Went with 13" as well as the 15"

that's where personal preference and mobility comes in. The 13" is easier to travel with, and many people prefer the small form factor. My preference is for the 15" form factor vive la difference

 

[ofarlig]

that's where personal preference and mobility comes in. The 13" is easier to travel with, and many people prefer the small form factor. My preference is for the 15" form factor vive la difference

Thanks for catching that, I did not mean I goth both, typo from me. But yeah, to each their own. It is the same as with storage, most people get much more storage than I do. Could be because I have a big NAS where I store all bigger things I keep as well as cloud storage for all my coding projects and so on. If I once a year or 2 need to bring A LOT of movies or something like that with me I have USB-C SSDs to bring.

Everyones lives are different so they need different things form their computers.

 

[redarmy0]

Hi folks,

the company I working for (as a data scientist) offers both 13 and 15 inches macbook pros (2018), with similar spec (core i7, 16GB ram, 256 SSD). I am hesitating between them. on one side 13 inches seems to be more portable (I am planning to take it with me between work and home on daily basis) on the other hand the 15 inches seems better in term of cpu (6-core vs 4-core), GPU and also more screen real states.

Any advise would be much appreciated.