2019 15 MBP vs 2020 15 MBP

[udflyer]

Interesting Choice

Last year of a generation
- Usually most mature reliability wise
- feels like it is except for keyboard?

2020
- New Keyboard
- Apple Gen 1 products usually you stay away from
- If you follow the gen1 thing then it is either 2019 or 2021

I have a 2014 MBP so looking to replace. I have not decide yet which way to go.

What are your thoughts? Are most of you holding or doing the 2019?

 

[zachlegomaniac]

Interesting Choice

Last year of a generation
- Usually most mature reliability wise
- feels like it is except for keyboard?

2020
- New Keyboard
- Apple Gen 1 products usually you stay away from
- If you follow the gen1 thing then it is either 2019 or 2021

I have a 2014 MBP so looking to replace. I have not decide yet which way to go.

What are your thoughts? Are most of you holding or doing the 2019?

I’m in the same situation, but with a 2013 rMBP.

My inclination is to wait and if there are few reports of problems with 2019 keyboard (plus the 4 year warranty on them already) I’ll have the option of picking it up with some cost savings at that time.

I have a totally unsubstantiated hunch that they are going to make the 16” the new MBP (similar to the iMac Pro) and slide in some new machines (13” and 15”?) as MBs now that the 12” MB got the axe.

REALLY looking forward to a new Mac, either way.

 

[mragarg]

I compl

I’m in the same situation, but with a 2013 rMBP.

My inclination is to wait and if there are few reports of problems with 2019 keyboard (plus the 4 year warranty on them already) I’ll have the option of picking it up with some cost savings at that time.

I have a totally unsubstantiated hunch that they are going to make the 16” the new MBP (similar to the iMac Pro) and slide in some new machines (13” and 15”?) as MBs now that the 12” MB got the axe.

REALLY looking forward to a new Mac, either way.

I completely agree with you. I also have a 2013 rMBP and can't wait to upgrade. In my opinion, I'm probably going to purchase the current 15" MacBook Pro during the back to school promotion.

My reasoning:
- The current 15" is the last iteration of the current design so it's the best of its generation.
- There seems to have been little to none complaints about the 2019 Keyboard as well.
- The specs I will get with the 15" are probably better than the 16" in terms of what I will be paying.
- It's really only the keyboard and screen size, but at the end of the day, it's still the first iteration of the new design so there will be problems.
- Rumors also state that the screen type will be changed in the coming years, away from LCD.

In short, the 2019 Macbook Pro would be the best bang for your buck when compared to the 16" (in my opinion).




P.S. I'm excited to be on the USB-C life and have a more powerful GPU than my current macbook pro.

 

[ruslan120]

Just updated from the Late 2013 MBP to an iMac + base model 13” MBP. Gave up on depending on a laptop for power when a desktop can do much more for cheaper (even though I’ve been all about having everything with me on the go up until this point).

It’s a compromise I had to make given the current Apple situation with non upgradeable SSDs *shrug*

I would definitely not recommend the 13” as a daily driver but it’s adequate as an on the go device. The keyboard seems ok so far. Not a fan of the touch bar.

 

[MengkeMary]

I compl

I completely agree with you. I also have a 2013 rMBP and can't wait to upgrade. In my opinion, I'm probably going to purchase the current 15" MacBook Pro during the back to school promotion.

My reasoning:
- The current 15" is the last iteration of the current design so it's the best of its generation.
- There seems to have been little to none complaints about the 2019 Keyboard as well.
- The specs I will get with the 15" are probably better than the 16" in terms of what I will be paying.
- It's really only the keyboard and screen size, but at the end of the day, it's still the first iteration of the new design so there will be problems.
- Rumors also state that the screen type will be changed in the coming years, away from LCD.

In short, the 2019 Macbook Pro would be the best bang for your buck when compared to the 16" (in my opinion).




P.S. I'm excited to be on the USB-C life and have a more powerful GPU than my current macbook pro.

I'm in the same shoes with you. I have a 2015 13" MBP, but it feels sluggish with Mojave, especially when I run some computations, such MATLAB, Python etc. I was on market looking for an upgrade, but was hesitant due to the rumored October update of 16" MBP. I like the scissor keyboard, and happy to learn that Apple is returning in the upcoming 16" model. However, given the rumored $3,000 starting price, I doubt I will throw that much money into a laptop. That being said, I lean towards the 2019 15" MBP, especially with the current Best Buy sales.

 

[ruslan120]

Have you considered replacing the thermal paste and undervolting to extend the life of the machine?

I went from 380's Cinebench scores to a max of 615.

Can share the process if interested.

 

[MengkeMary]

Have you considered replacing the thermal paste and undervolting to extend the life of the machine?

I went from 380's Cinebench scores to a max of 615.

Can share the process if interested.

How did you do it? This will break the warranty, right?

Generally I do not recommend this kind of DIY to ordinary customers, as they are more likely to break something rather than successfully do it. MacBook Pro has evolved to a point that customization is strongly discouraged for most people, unless you're absolutely certain you've got the skills.

If you really need that much power, you can always use a desktop or consider some Windows machine with better cooling.

 

[ruslan120]

You make a good point regarding newer machines.

I would say on a 2014 MBP it's safe to assume it's already expired. :-/

If unsure of one's own skills, getting a repair shop to do it for $20-$40 also might be worth it to extend the life of the machine.

Here's repasting a Macbook Air (2012). A few screws to remove the back, three screws for the fan, and five screws for the heatsink.

Undervolting a Late 2013 Macbook Pro:

 

[MengkeMary]

You make a good point regarding newer machines.

I would say on a 2014 MBP it's safe to assume it's already expired. :-/

If unsure of one's own skills, getting a repair shop to do it for $20-$40 also might be worth it to extend the life of the machine.

Here's repasting a Macbook Air (2012). A few screws to remove the back, three screws for the fan, and five screws for the heatsink.

Undervolting a Late 2013 Macbook Pro:

Well, if your machine is already out of warranty, you can definitely consider it. Even with the Youtube video, I would say "be careful" as anything broken would cost a fortune to repair. If I can get it done it a repair shop for $20-$40, I would happily go for it.

Great video. Thanks for sharing.