2015? 2017? 2018? 2019? Can't decide...

[tsala]

Hello everyone - here's my first post with a very burning question;
So, yesterday I spent a whole 2 hours discussing with the very nice boys of an unregistered apple shop about where best to put my money. I don't have a lot of it and I saved 2 years now to finally, finally buy a new computer! And I still can’t come to any desicion!

I mainly do video editing (premiere/after effects/occasionally avid(I have 1 project running on avid atm)/i do it a lot!), want to start with a little 3D animation (cinema 4D/blender) and fell in love with color correcting my own material (davinci). I aslo use photoshop and indesign a lot, never really worked with lighroom, but that might change actually as I have a photoproject coming up in September…

As I’m working on my first feauture film atm (still in the script process for at least another half year) I do want to be able to work on it with my own computer once we are shooting(2021 probably), and thus I should have a maschine capable of handling 4k…

And all this I need in a laptop, as I am between cities and countries even, sometimes working in Vienna, mainly in Berlin and in winter I’ll be in Bangkok for research.

The apple guys(not from apple) were all three very, very certain that I should get the 2015 MBP with 1 TB and AMD radeon and 16gb – though I guess it’s also because they had it there, would offer it for 1700€ with 1 year warranty, new battery.

Mainly they argue because you can still change stuff inside, it’s a bit updateable and has less account of troubles?

This price is very much what I‘d wish for, and looking on ebay it’s gonna be hard to find a MBP 2018 for less than 3k. However, if anyone can proof that this pricedifference is worth it somehow I’d rather spend a bit more now?

Reading through the many threads on here that compare those computers I can’t seem to find a solution – some say this, some say that - I am soooo confused!!


Yes, I know, I want a lot and don’t have much to spend – and I also know I can’t afford a new one soon after, and I really, really want to invest my money as wisely as possible! So I appreciate every thought you might have to this!! <3

 

[Howard2k]

If you are on a budget it's a good reliable machine. The newer ones are obviously far faster but they have some quirks and reliability issues.

On the 2015 15" I believe you can replace the SSD but you cannot upgrade the processor, video, RAM etc. There's really no upgradability, so choose wisely. But since you're talking about not doing hard lifting until 2021 (if I understand correctly) I would consider going cheaper now and saving for a stronger system at that time.

 

[Valdna]

It's easy.
Less performance with the added bonus of being cheaper. 2015 model (With a good/new battery)
More performance 2019 model. (Preferably models with 4 thunderbolt ports. Makes your life easier in a long run)

 

[profcutter]

Yeah, the 2015 isn’t really that upgradable. Make sure it’s the top of the line 2015, or you may be disappointed with the speed and storage. A 2017 is pointless, at that point, the throttling was so bad that it ran slower than my 2013. The 2019s should be significantly faster, but for the price, and the fact that they may be totally redesigned for 2020, I’d probably go with the 2015 maxed out instead.
Keep in mind the connectivity options: 2015 is TB2, 2019 is TB3. If you’re driving external 4K monitors, a new model may not slow down as much. My 2013 can drive an external 4K monitor, but it sounds like a jet engine when it does, and is pretty sluggish.

 

[morze]

As I’m working on my first feauture film atm (still in the script process for at least another half year) I do want to be able to work on it with my own computer once we are shooting(2021 probably), and thus I should have a maschine capable of handling 4k…

I'm concerned if you start to cut your feature at 4k on a 2015 machine in 2021, you'll really be pushing it. Not just with speed but something may be more likely to fault with age. My system is slow using Avid with my 2015 Macbook Pro and that's cutting offline (could be because it's a 13" and unsupported integrated GPU, a 2015 will have a dedicated GPU). I'm also worried it might cark it at any moment.

I'm waiting it out till the end of the year/ next year to see what comes out, so maybe you could save a bit more as new releases should lower the price of second hand older machines. But if I were you and needed something now for as long as possible, I'd opt for a later machine (possibly 2018) with more performance.

 

[pshufd]

Hello everyone - here's my first post with a very burning question;
So, yesterday I spent a whole 2 hours discussing with the very nice boys of an unregistered apple shop about where best to put my money. I don't have a lot of it and I saved 2 years now to finally, finally buy a new computer! And I still can’t come to any desicion!

I mainly do video editing (premiere/after effects/occasionally avid(I have 1 project running on avid atm)/i do it a lot!), want to start with a little 3D animation (cinema 4D/blender) and fell in love with color correcting my own material (davinci). I aslo use photoshop and indesign a lot, never really worked with lighroom, but that might change actually as I have a photoproject coming up in September…

As I’m working on my first feauture film atm (still in the script process for at least another half year) I do want to be able to work on it with my own computer once we are shooting(2021 probably), and thus I should have a maschine capable of handling 4k…

And all this I need in a laptop, as I am between cities and countries even, sometimes working in Vienna, mainly in Berlin and in winter I’ll be in Bangkok for research.

The apple guys(not from apple) were all three very, very certain that I should get the 2015 MBP with 1 TB and AMD radeon and 16gb – though I guess it’s also because they had it there, would offer it for 1700€ with 1 year warranty, new battery.

Mainly they argue because you can still change stuff inside, it’s a bit updateable and has less account of troubles?

This price is very much what I‘d wish for, and looking on ebay it’s gonna be hard to find a MBP 2018 for less than 3k. However, if anyone can proof that this pricedifference is worth it somehow I’d rather spend a bit more now?

Reading through the many threads on here that compare those computers I can’t seem to find a solution – some say this, some say that - I am soooo confused!!


Yes, I know, I want a lot and don’t have much to spend – and I also know I can’t afford a new one soon after, and I really, really want to invest my money as wisely as possible! So I appreciate every thought you might have to this!! <3

There was one for sale locally for $1,200. The owner's wife used it and she passed. Someone bought it before I could. I'd buy one at $1,200. But not 1,700 Euros. But maybe your needs are more urgent than mine are.

 

[tsala]

Ooh...
Thank you all so much for your answers!!! I really really really appreciate it!
And I still can't come to a decision smh
I really need to buy a computer until the end of the month, as I start a new project coming August that I have to have a good machine for

I saw on Ebay a 2019 one for 3k - 8core i9/512 GB/16 GB/Radeon 560X
as well as a 2017 for 2,1K - i7/16/512/Radeon 650 4GB/Intel HD Graphics
or the 2015 i7 quad/16/1TB/AMD/Radeon one for 1,7K ???
(all prices in euro, i knooow them macsies are cheaper in the U.S., but I don't have any way to take advantage of that atm....)

I dooo noot knoow what the smartest option would be!!
(I do know though that in 2021 I probably won't be able to upgrade again, may be 22/23 but that soooo depends on how well lyfe is paying I guess---)

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"As I’m working on my first feauture film atm (still in the script process for at least another half year) I do want to be able to work on it with my own computer once we are shooting(2021 probably), and thus I should have a maschine capable of handling 4k…"

STOP RIGHT THERE.

4k ???
What you REALLY need is a 27" iMac, with as much "internal power" as you can afford.
You'll get much more "bang for your [limited] bucks" with an iMac, than you will from a MBP.

End of story.

 

[tsala]

OP wrote:
"As I’m working on my first feauture film atm (still in the script process for at least another half year) I do want to be able to work on it with my own computer once we are shooting(2021 probably), and thus I should have a maschine capable of handling 4k…"

STOP RIGHT THERE.

4k ???
What you REALLY need is a 27" iMac, with as much "internal power" as you can afford.
You'll get much more "bang for your [limited] bucks" with an iMac, than you will from a MBP.

End of story.

Hahahaha <3 - yeeees I do know that, however I won't be handling the editing alone (there will be an editor with a proper suite) and just want to be able to do little sequenzes myself, bc i'm one of these annoying directors who always need to 'try out' stuff themselves - my problem with an iMac is the moving around - I'm jumping cities A LOT at the moment and mostly with handluggage - thus I look for the best I can get to carry on board
BUT I KNOW AND I WISH I COULD GET EM BOTH SIMPLYY ~

 

[aimbdd]

Hahahaha <3 - yeeees I do know that, however I won't be handling the editing alone (there will be an editor with a proper suite) and just want to be able to do little sequenzes myself, bc i'm one of these annoying directors who always need to 'try out' stuff themselves - my problem with an iMac is the moving around - I'm jumping cities A LOT at the moment and mostly with handluggage - thus I look for the best I can get to carry on board
BUT I KNOW AND I WISH I COULD GET EM BOTH SIMPLYY ~

I would also vote an 18 or 19. A 2015 would be 7 years old by the time your editing the movie. I’m not positive it will serve you well for what you want that far into the future. Since your using the laptop to make money, and editing with it, I would buy the best you can afford currently.