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Ahh... this is taking forever, and making me think...

richard13

richard13

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 1, 2008
1,108
945
Odessa, FL
On Aug 7, the last day of the Florida tax holiday, I ordered two M2 MBA (one would replace my 2016 MBP 8GB/512GB, the other I'd cancel in a couple days). The configs are: 10c/16GB/256GB, the other 10c/8GB/512GB. Ship dates of Aug 23 to 31. Both great deals at $1499/no tax.

I like the idea of getting more RAM for the headroom even though 8GB seems to have worked the past 5 years. I should also mention that I have a higher spec (although aging too, iMac) that could help in a pinch. But maybe I'm causing problems for myself with a downgrade to a smaller 256GB SSD as I am already using 155GB on my MBP SSD.

Waiting for these M2 orders is giving me more time to think and now wondering if I should just cancel both and get an 16GB/512GB or 16GB/1TB config. The problem, of course, is the additional cost of $319 or $533 respectively. I won't even bring up the MBP 14. :)

I'm a guy that likes a good deal, but could realistically afford the higher specs. Are they really worth it?

For those that upgraded to the M2 MBA (which admittedly by itself, in my case, would be great), did you also go with a spec bump from your current system? Or was the upgrade to M2 by itself good enough for you?
 
Personally I never order upgraded processors on laptops as it seems most companies, including Apple, never cool them properly. So a fanless design definitely warrants the coolest running chipset in my opinion to maximize value. Additionally, I’m a cloud storage user so I could care less about hard drive speeds/space to an extent. That leaves, memory and while I don’t need a lot for my life I don’t want to rely on swap and the hiccups it may bring if I do happen to be in a position where I have lots if things going on.

That said, I get 16gb memory and leave everything else base.
 
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I would get 8c/16GB/512GB. I would never prioritize 2 extra GPU cores over RAM or SSD. This way you can think one of the other upgrades is only $100 instead of $200, and have a great machine.
 
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Why get 10 core? I did tons of research and found that the 10 core is probably worse than the 8 core in most everyday tasks!

100% get the 16gb and 512 storage.
 
This is what I did. Returned the first launch day midnight 8/256. Then I received a SG 8/512 (returned that). Received silver Wednesday 16/512. Ordered on last day of Florida no tax. Got it thru educational store. This is it for me. All along this was my go to set up. Already put the clear skin on it too. Also 10 core is not necessary honestly. I know 2 friends in my industry that returned it and got the 8 core instead. Also for midnight I did base charging brick. For SG I did the big 67w brick. For the one I'm keeping (silver) I went with dual 35 w instead. The 67w power brick too big and heavy in my taste. When plugged in takes up too much space to even attach another charger on that outlet. I realized I didn't need fast charging as the battery life on these laptops is pretty amazing. The 35w power brick charges MBA and my iPhone same time. I leave my iPhone charging overnight so I'm good on charging time.
 
Sheepish-Lord said:
Personally I never order upgraded processors on laptops as it seems most companies, including Apple, never cool them properly. So a fanless design definitely warrants the coolest running chipset in my opinion to maximize value. Additionally, I’m a cloud storage user so I could care less about hard drive speeds/space to an extent. That leaves, memory and while I don’t need a lot for my life I don’t want to rely on swap and the hiccups it may bring if I do happen to be in a position where I have lots if things going on.

That said, I get 16gb memory and leave everything else base.
Click to expand...

I use iCloud for syncing between my devices. The thought of relying more on it (and less on local storage) is definitely a thought in my mind. But that also would mean actually cleaning up my existing data (should do this anyway) and/or going to a higher tier of cloud storage which leads me back to just getting local storage to cover me. I'm glad to see that this concept works for you, it gives me hope on this question.

erasr said:
Why get 10 core? I did tons of research and found that the 10 core is probably worse than the 8 core in most everyday tasks!

100% get the 16gb and 512 storage.
Click to expand...

A couple reasons for 10 core:

  • It was the "default" on the base models on the online Apple Store so considered it standard
  • Related to the previous, I don't know if I like the idea of a binned processor
  • Better performance than 8 core under short-term or burst conditions.
  • It was only $80 more with the 35W charger
That said, I appreciate other's opinions on this subject and may convince me otherwise, to get the 8 core.


sjperformance said:
This is what I did. Returned the first launch day midnight 8/256. Then I received a SG 8/512 (returned that). Received silver Wednesday 16/512. Ordered on last day of Florida no tax. Got it thru educational store. This is it for me. All along this was my go to set up. Already put the clear skin on it too. Also 10 core is not necessary honestly. I know 2 friends in my industry that returned it and got the 8 core instead. Also for midnight I did base charging brick. For SG I did the big 67w brick. For the one I'm keeping (silver) I went with dual 35 w instead. The 67w power brick too big and heavy in my taste. When plugged in takes up too much space to even attach another charger on that outlet. I realized I didn't need fast charging as the battery life on these laptops is pretty amazing. The 35w power brick charges MBA and my iPhone same time. I leave my iPhone charging overnight so I'm good on charging time.
Click to expand...

Really great to know I'm not the only one struggling with this decision and I'm really happy that you ultimately found what you wanted in the end. Did you get the 10 or the 8 core with your 16/512?

16/512 would have been a way to go had the FL tax holiday not capped at $1500! Since I didn't have access to the educational store (or any other method like F&F) I ordered what could for the "best bang under the limit". But both felt like a compromise.

Great feedback on the chargers too!


Overall, thanks guys for sharing your perspectives! It's really great to get feedback from others to provide context and help guide my ultimate decision.
 
richard13 said:
  • Related to the previous, I don't know if I like the idea of a binned processor
Click to expand...
I don't think that is a worry. The unused 2 GPU cores are fused off and don't actively interact with the SoC. Apple tests the SoC thoroughly so you don't have to worry about something breaking (at least not any more than any other Apple silicon SoC).

For me, the price difference was low enough that if I get better performance even in only some cases, it was worthwhile. I spent $2099 for my M2 MacBook Air. Reducing that to $1999 wasn't a big concern.
 
richard13 said:
I use iCloud for syncing between my devices. The thought of relying more on it (and less on local storage) is definitely a thought in my mind. But that also would mean actually cleaning up my existing data (should do this anyway) and/or going to a higher tier of cloud storage which leads me back to just getting local storage to cover me. I'm glad to see that this concept works for you, it gives me hope on this question.



A couple reasons for 10 core:

  • It was the "default" on the base models on the online Apple Store so considered it standard
  • Related to the previous, I don't know if I like the idea of a binned processor
  • Better performance than 8 core under short-term or burst conditions.
  • It was only $80 more with the 35W charger
That said, I appreciate other's opinions on this subject and may convince me otherwise, to get the 8 core.




Really great to know I'm not the only one struggling with this decision and I'm really happy that you ultimately found what you wanted in the end. Did you get the 10 or the 8 core with your 16/512?

16/512 would have been a way to go had the FL tax holiday not capped at $1500! Since I didn't have access to the educational store (or any other method like F&F) I ordered what could for the "best bang under the limit". But both felt like a compromise.

Great feedback on the chargers too!


Overall, thanks guys for sharing your perspectives! It's really great to get feedback from others to provide context and help guide my ultimate decision.
Click to expand...
I did 8 core. I never considered 10 core. The $1500 cap sucks. Now what should I buy with this $150 gift card.. With educational discount + no tax I basically got a 16/512 cheaper than the SG which was 8/512.
 
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