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2018 MBP 15"Base(i7/16gb/256) vs Mid (i7/16gb/512) - Which one to buy?

fate0311 said:
Is that gap of performance between the 2.2 and the 2.6 larger than between the 2.6 and the 2.9?
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No, there is a gap between 560x and 555x that shows on some benchmarks. CPU wise they are literally identical inside of macbook case, with actually 2.2 beating 2.6 when close to thermal limit.

wchigo said:
I agree with this sentiment, but OP says he will be buying from Best Buy, so assumably they won't have BTO options in stock.
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I missed that, yeah, in that case the 2.6 stock config makes more sense.

Saturn1217 said:
How has the heat been for you doing basic stuff like web browsing, youtube etc. Because I need Chrome dev tools I would need to be on chrome most of the time rather than safari (not ideal I realize). My current 2015 15" MBP with integrated graphics can get really hot at random times (just browsing particularly javascript heavy sites). I had a Macbook Air previously that really spoiled me for quiet cool computing but I need as much screen space on the go as I can get. Is the 2018 base 15" at least usable on your lap from a heat perspective? Are the fans distracting in normal non-pro use?
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I have 2017 Air, and when chilling out, browsing etc there is no difference, no recognizable noise coming from the laptop, no heat. At about 20W the fans become noticeable, and definitely loud at 45W - 50W (100% CPU usage) but compared to the recent laptops I had (P34, XPS15, Sager) the noise is much lower and .. ehmm.. easier on ears, I can't really explain that, looks like they did something to the blades of the fans so that the sound frequency produced is not annoying. But for the sake of future generations that you hope to spawn, I wouldn't keep it on your lap above 30W of power usage, the bottom gets warm.

What are those JS heavy sites, I can have a look and let you know.
 
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Thanks guys for everyone who helped me to answer my questions. You all made some very good points.

I'm buying this Macbook from Best Buy which has only 2 options at the moment. Being thier rewards member i wanted to use some of their rewards/gift cards/coupons to make this purchase and hence i had to pick one of them.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-...test-model-space-gray/5998604.p?skuId=5998604 - $2399 MSRP

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-...test-model-space-gray/5998605.p?skuId=5998605 - $2799 MSRP
 
If you are BestBuy rewards member it means you're based in USA, are your rewards expiring soon? You can set it to 'banking' so that you accumulate points until you're ready to use them. If the rewards certificates are already issued you have to cash them, but really, unless you bought a million worth of equipment from them I don't think it would make a dent in your wallet when it comes to buying a new macbook. Just make a custom order with apple, and use your points to buy some accessories, magic mouse, spare power supply etc.
 
Thysanoptera said:
If you are BestBuy rewards member it means you're based in USA, are your rewards expiring soon? You can set it to 'banking' so that you accumulate points until you're ready to use them. If the rewards certificates are already issued you have to cash them, but really, unless you bought a million worth of equipment from them I don't think it would make a dent in your wallet when it comes to buying a new macbook. Just make a custom order with apple, and use your points to buy some accessories, magic mouse, spare power supply etc.
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I'm a Best Buy Elite Plus member in the US. I had a 10% off coupon + had about $120 GC + using my BB card i get $24 months interest free. Hence i decided to stick with only best buy and choose one of the 2 options they have.
 
Max Yuryev posted an very interesting comparison video just now:

What do you think guys?
 
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Regardless of which system you decide on I would also suggest checking out the pricing at the Apple store before going elsewhere. When I walked in there I was expecting to pay full retail price. But the guy started questioning me about my computer use, what sort of work did I do, where I worked, etc.

I thought he was going to ask me for a job, but it turned out he was trying to see if he could get me a discount. I mentioned that part of my work was contracting for a specific company. He looked up that company and it turned out they had a business agreement with Apple. So he gave me their close to 10% discount on the MBP and Applecare+.
 
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jerryk said:
Regardless of which system you decide on I would also suggest checking out the pricing at the Apple store before going elsewhere. When I walked in there I was expecting to pay full retail price. But the guy started questioning me about my computer use, what sort of work did I do, where I worked, etc.

I thought he was going to ask me for a job, but it turned out he was trying to see if he could get me a discount. I mentioned that part of my work was contracting for a specific company. He looked up that company and it turned out they had a business agreement with Apple. So he gave me their close to 10% discount on the MBP and Applecare+.
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Thanks for the tip.
 
Csayno said:
I'd say get the 2.6 with the 512gb for storage. If you're going to have a lot of raw photo finals and games. It's nice to have the storage.

I personally went for the 2.2 and upgraded my storage. There's not much difference in the 2.2 vs 2.6.
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Or use a NAS or external storage. I’d go for 512, but I currently use 256 and NAS. I would give some thought to how large a photo library to expect in total, and how much of that needs to be always accessible or whether you can keep some local and some on other storage. I can VPN to my NAS if I really need access to my entire library while on the road. It’s not fast when remote. Over home wifi (1.3Ghz 802.11ac) it’s very respectable though.
 
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Well you do have 1 year to purchase Applecare, so you can always put that expense off for awhile if you need to. It won't be able Applecare+(which has accidental damage coverage), but will still give you the extra 2 years of coverage (on top of that initial 1 year) if you want.

Applecare+ must be purchased within 60 of the MBP purchase date (or 30 days in some countries). Regular Applecare (no accidental coverage) must be purchased within 1 year of the MBP purchase date. It is very slightly cheaper I believe and you may need to call Apple to purchase it.

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/21/applecare-plus-mac-iphone-60-day-purchase-limit/
 
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I have the 2.9 32GB 1TB and I was editing a 30MB RAW file in Lightroom Classic last night and my fans hit an RPM that was actually audible.

I was like...OH HEY THEY DO WORK..WHO KNEW?
 
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smbu2000 said:
Well you do have 1 year to purchase Applecare, so you can always put that expense off for awhile if you need to. It won't be able Applecare+(which has accidental damage coverage), but will still give you the extra 2 years of coverage (on top of that initial 1 year) if you want.

Applecare+ must be purchased within 60 of the MBP purchase date (or 30 days in some countries). Regular Applecare (no accidental coverage) must be purchased within 1 year of the MBP purchase date. It is very slightly cheaper I believe and you may need to call Apple to purchase it.

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/21/applecare-plus-mac-iphone-60-day-purchase-limit/
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Thank you. This was good to know.
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fate0311 said:
I have the 2.9 32GB 1TB and I was editing a 30MB RAW file in Lightroom Classic last night and my fans hit an RPM that was actually audible.

I was like...OH HEY THEY DO WORK..WHO KNEW?
Click to expand...

good to know. How was your overall experience with your editing works with your new powerful mac ?
 
DaveMike11 said:
Thanks guys for your reply .
When i went to the store to check it out. The Best Buy guy said the base mode's graphics card is not that good & it has only 2GB RAM on the AMD Radeon Pro 555X whereas on the Mid model he said it had better graphics card with 4GB RAM. If its a big upgrade then i thought its worth it paying $400 more. What do you guys think on the GPU between these two items?.

Let me know.
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I think the extra $400 is well worth it.
 
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DaveMike11 said:
Guys, I have one more question. I need to stick to my budget which means i can get one of the below. Which one you suggest ?
1. Buy the base model (i7/16gb/555X GPU/256 SSD) + Apple care or
2. Buy the mid model Mid (i7/16gb/560X GPU/512 SSD) & no apple care.

I know Apple care is subjective. Let me know which options you would pick ?
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You have 60 days to add Apple Care. Would your budget support getting the 512 SSD and Apple Care within 60 days? The 256 won’t leave you much room to play with. I think in the longer term, you will find the 512 SSD a better choice
 
jerryk said:
Regardless of which system you decide on I would also suggest checking out the pricing at the Apple store before going elsewhere. When I walked in there I was expecting to pay full retail price. But the guy started questioning me about my computer use, what sort of work did I do, where I worked, etc.

I thought he was going to ask me for a job, but it turned out he was trying to see if he could get me a discount. I mentioned that part of my work was contracting for a specific company. He looked up that company and it turned out they had a business agreement with Apple. So he gave me their close to 10% discount on the MBP and Applecare+.
Click to expand...

I was able to get that as well, through work with a non-profit that qualified. Sometimes it pays to ask :)
 
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I have one more question.

I’m reading online that people who want to hookup their MacBook Pro to an external 4k monitor display like a LG 4k monitor needs to have better graphics like the 560x . Is this true ?? Will the base model GPU 555x will not work better with an external 4K monitor ?

Pls let me know.
 
DaveMike11 said:
I have one more question.

I’m reading online that people who want to hookup their MacBook Pro to an external 4k monitor display like a LG 4k monitor needs to have better graphics like the 560x . Is this true ?? Will the base model GPU 555x will not work better with an external 4K monitor ?

Pls let me know.
Click to expand...

No even the 13” with iGPU can run a 4K or 5K monitor fine.
 
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DaveMike11 said:
I have one more question.

I’m reading online that people who want to hookup their MacBook Pro to an external 4k monitor display like a LG 4k monitor needs to have better graphics like the 560x . Is this true ?? Will the base model GPU 555x will not work better with an external 4K monitor ?

Pls let me know.
Click to expand...

Of course it will work, what they are probably saying is that for some more money, you are getting a far better GPU.
 
Thanks Everyone for your help. After back & forth between the base & mid model I decided to finally pull the Trigger on the Mid model ( i7 /16gb/512 SSD/560x). This will be my first MacBook .

I need to buy the accessories now especially the USB C Hub. Any recommendations for USB C hub. I’m planning to buy an 4k LG Monitor later . Thank you all .
 

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DaveMike11 said:
Thanks Everyone for your help. After back & forth between the base & mid model I decided to finally pull the Trigger on the Mid model ( i7 /16gb/512 SSD/560x). This will be my first MacBook .

I need to buy the accessories now especially the USB C Hub. Any recommendations for USB C hub. I’m planning to buy an 4k LG Monitor later . Thank you all .
Click to expand...

Congratulations on a wonderful purchase, Dave. Wishing you many years of joyous use of the notebook.
 
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