2014 13" Retina MBP vs 2015 13" Retina MBP

[Archerious]

Roughly $1060 vs $1407 (tax included).

One is Apple Refurb, other is brand new. Both have 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and 2560x1600p resolution screens.

Primary use is video editing, I don't mind closing out my browser and mail app in order to improve performance and/or increase available RAM for Premiere Pro.

I saved (and still plan to) about $50-$100 monthly, and I'll be using my savings to buy this laptop. This was the original goal of saving money, to get a nice laptop . It took me about 18-20 months to get this sum, and if you work out the math:

$1060/18=$58.89

$1407/18=$78.17

So if I go for the more expensive option, I would wish to put about $60 savings monthly every month to recoup the amount spent. Closer to $80 for the higher end model.

If the 15 inch model was a little cheaper ($1600ish), especially since it has 16GB RAM, I would of went with it, even if it cleared out my savings completely.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Additional Details/Planned Use: I'll be editing 4k footage, but I downscale in Premiere Pro to 1080p, and usually once the video is completed I upload it or put it on a flash drive for client(s), and then I delete the video off the computer. So 128GB storage is not a issue at all. As average video length is 10 minutes or less, and it's only 4-12GB each video. This is a second job type of thing , only makes around $100 monthly, so I don't make enough for myself to warrant the purchase of a Mac Pro or anything like that.

 

[Phyco126]

The 2015 has slightly faster RAM, a SSD that is twice as fast as the 2014 model, and the Touch Force trackpad. If none of that matters to you (and honestly I don't [personally] feel any of that makes a large difference in what you do) then go for last year's model. Not entirely sure how much of a role a SSD of that speed plays, but my desktop PC is slower. I do have a quad core though... but anyway I can render a 15 minute 4K video (best YouTube quality settings I could find) in an hour.

TL;DR - Go with 2014. Faster time to recoup expenses, use money for other things like a nice 4K monitor from Dell or something.

 

[Archerious]

The 2015 has slightly faster RAM, a SSD that is twice as fast as the 2014 model, and the Touch Force trackpad. If none of that matters to you (and honestly I don't [personally] feel any of that makes a large difference in what you do) then go for last year's model. Not entirely sure how much of a role a SSD of that speed plays, but my desktop PC is slower. I do have a quad core though... but anyway I can render a 15 minute 4K video (best YouTube quality settings I could find) in an hour.

TL;DR - Go with 2014. Faster time to recoup expenses, use money for other things like a nice 4K monitor from Dell or something.

Ah ok, to be honest after rethinking things, I'm leaning towards a used 2013 or 2014 MBP, just because the $299 saved would towards Final Cut Pro X, since everyone tells me to use it instead of Premiere CC.

 

[bookwormsy]

I'd save the money and go for the 2014 (or late 2013, basically the same machine). If you can, i'd really try to find a 15". The larger screen really would make a big difference in video editing.

Also, I personally prefer Premiere over Final Cut, but that's only because I learned on Premiere. Pick the one you prefer using.

 

[Archerious]

I'd save the money and go for the 2014 (or late 2013, basically the same machine). If you can, i'd really try to find a 15". The larger screen really would make a big difference in video editing.

Also, I personally prefer Premiere over Final Cut, but that's only because I learned on Premiere. Pick the one you prefer using.

Well....I sorta ended up getting a RMBP 15inch w/ 750M ;(. What sold me was the used price for it, $1845. Also the higher end 15 inch has a 2.5Ghz i7 4870HQ, which is like 92% as quick as my PC's 4770k according to CPUBoss and CPU-world.

>
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Posted that as a response to another person who was contemplating 13 inch rMBP vs rMBP 15 inch.

Sorry to any who responded here, as I sort of forgot to update the thread.

@bookwormsy I'll be switching to Final Cut from Premiere Pro CC, as it's cheaper. I loved Premiere Pro, as audio synchronization was SO much better than Vegas.

 

[bookwormsy]

Well....I sorta ended up getting a RMBP 15inch w/ 750M ;(. What sold me was the used price for it, $1845. Also the higher end 15 inch has a 2.5Ghz i7 4870HQ, which is like 92% as quick as my PC's 4770k according to CPUBoss and CPU-world.

>
>

Posted that as a response to another person who was contemplating 13 inch rMBP vs rMBP 15 inch.

Sorry to any who responded here, as I sort of forgot to update the thread.

@bookwormsy I'll be switching to Final Cut from Premiere Pro CC, as it's cheaper. I loved Premiere Pro, as audio synchronization was SO much better than Vegas.

Fair enough. $299 for a perpetual license is hard to beat.