Deciding between 16" M1 PRO and 16" M1 MAX, please help me choose :)

[Eholic]

Hello everyoneee

I hope you are all doing well and having an amazing day so far!

So I am getting mixed messages from forums different videos, I am really confused and torn between the two chips. My day to day usage includes:

1. Over 100 tabs opened Firefox browser (they may be more though)
2. Video streaming ( again multiple youtube tabs)
3. General internet browsing
4. Messages
5. Emails
6. Music (with Bluetooth earbuds)
7. Watching movies
8. I may have other apps running in the background such as notes.
9. I might (once in a blue moon) edit a video or music but I am not a vlogger or a music producer, and no photoshop at least for now.

My most vital features in a laptop are its battery life and speed.

Since 2016 I have a Windows machine with Intel Core i7, don't even get me started on multi tasking these days, it laggs like crazy and crashes, I cannot wait to get rid of it , so I want the new Mac machine to be far from lagging/crashing.

I am definitely going to go for a 16" 4TB SSD but I don't know which specs to select based on the above mentioned so what Processor and Unified memory which is why I have created a poll for the options I am choosing.

P.S. I am not bothered about the price tag, I am down for going premium if it means getting quality.

Thank you for your inputs in advance

 

[Dragon M.]

Where's the option for the non-max/non-pro M1?

 

[Eholic]

Where's the option for the non-max/non-pro M1?

Hey Dragon M, I am only choosing between the listed ones

 

[beach bum]

Hello everyoneee

I hope you are all doing well and having an amazing day so far!

So I am getting mixed messages from forums different videos, I am really confused and torn between the two chips. My day to day usage includes:

1. Over 100 tabs opened Firefox browser (they may be more though)
2. Video streaming ( again multiple youtube tabs)
3. General internet browsing
4. Messages
5. Emails
6. Music (with Bluetooth earbuds)
7. Watching movies
8. I may have other apps running in the background such as notes.
9. I might (once in a blue moon) edit a video or music but I am not a vlogger or a music producer, and no photoshop at least for now.

My most vital features in a laptop are its battery life and speed.

Since 2016 I have a Windows machine with Intel Core i7, don't even get me started on multi tasking these days, it laggs like crazy and crashes, I cannot wait to get rid of it , so I want the new Mac machine to be far from lagging/crashing.

I am definitely going to go for a 16" 4TB SSD but I don't know which specs to select based on the above mentioned so what Processor and Unified memory which is why I have created a poll for the options I am choosing.

P.S. I am not bothered about the price tag, I am down for going premium if it means getting quality.

Thank you for your inputs in advance

For the day to day that you outlined, the 16gb unified memory Pro will be more than enough—maybe even too much. You might also want to consider the M1 MBP/MBA.

 

[Eholic]

For the day to day that you outlined, the 16gb unified memory Pro will be more than enough—maybe even too much. You might also want to consider the M1 MBP/MBA.

Do you know someone that has it, if yes what is the battery life like?

 

[beach bum]

Do you know someone that has it, if yes what is the battery life like?

I have the 16” base pro w/1TB. Dependent on usage battery life can last up to 5-7 days if used for only a few hours a day and some have reported needing to charge daily due to high/intense usage off power.

The M1 MBA was a phenomenal machine for me but I did charge daily—at night, because I was using it for 8-10 hours off power. I do not know about the M1 MBP battery life.

Apple’s site should list the longevity of the battery for each configuration under Tech Specs on the products page.

 

[Eholic]

I have the 16” base pro w/1TB. Dependent on usage battery life can last up to 5-7 days if used for only a few hours a day and some have reported needing to charge daily due to high/intense usage off power.

The M1 MBA was a phenomenal machine for me but I did charge daily—at night, because I was using it for 8-10 hours off power. I do not know about the M1 MBP battery life.

Apple’s site should list the longevity of the battery for each configuration under Tech Specs on the products page.

I am using it pretty much the whole day with 1-2 hours off being off it

 

[beach bum]

I am using it pretty much the whole day with 1-2 hours off being off it

Again, both the M1 MBA/MBP will work for your needs; however, you might need to top off at some point during the day and/or charge overnight.

The base M1 Pro will more than meet your needs, but again, you might need to top off at some point during the day and/or overnight. I will note that the 16” comes with the 140w MagSafe fast charger if you need to top off.

Honestly, the M1 Pro is probably overkill for your needs but the decision is up to you.

 

[Eholic]

I watched 2 videos of battery drain test between the pro and max chips, and in both videos the pro chip lasted for the majority of the day under heavy use.

 

[Eholic]

140w MagSafe fast charger

How long does it take to reach full charge from flat battery?

 

[UBS28]

If you watch alot of movies, get the base 16" model (don't waste your money on the M1 Max which you will never utlize to it's potential).

 

[Technerd108]

I say go for it!! If money is not an issue and you want to keep your device a while then I would get the 16" M1 Max 32 iGPU and 32GB Ram and the other specs you mentioned. This should be a very popular build maybe with less storage but I figure a lot of people will want the 16" base model or the next real step up which would be the M1 Max 32/32 etc because the 64GB ram is going to be for just a select few. Most people will NEVER need or use it. 32gb ram is the sweet spot and the M1 Max with 32IGPU will be the fastest in everything you do. It has double the bandwidth ram of the M1 Pro to get the most of the 32gb ram. The M1 Max has a very good iGPU that should hold up for a few years just like the CPU and RAM. I don't foresee you needing to upgrade for a while with that config unless you want to but you shouldn't be forced because of slow downs.

One thing I will say is all of us are going to have to adjust what we think we know about CPU components and how they work because the M1 really changes a lot of things. Intel CPU's work so differently that our ideas about how much we need are probably antiquated now with the M1. Not to say you don't need high RAM but the days of turning your Mac on and the cpu running the fans just to get going are gone. These are very different beasts which means that I suspect all of us will be able to keep these machines for longer than our Intel brethren.

All this to say that while I don't agree the base model would be fine for your needs-the reality is probably closer to the base model 16" would probably be enough with the M1 Pro. My thinking is that no one just wants enough performance to get buy but we want more than enough at all times so things move quickly and don't slow down. To that end the higher configurations are going to be slightly faster and with higher ram and faster bandwidth or more bandwidth things should not slow down for a very long time.

Which ever you choose-Go for the new models as they are SO SUPERIOR to all older Macs!!

 

[beach bum]

How long does it take to reach full charge from flat battery?

If at all possible, I would not let your battery drain to zero. From Apple’s product page:

 

[Eholic]

I say go for it!! If money is not an issue and you want to keep your device a while then I would get the 16" M1 Max 32 iGPU and 32GB Ram and the other specs you mentioned. This should be a very popular build maybe with less storage but I figure a lot of people will want the 16" base model or the next real step up which would be the M1 Max 32/32 etc because the 64GB ram is going to be for just a select few. Most people will NEVER need or use it. 32gb ram is the sweet spot and the M1 Max with 32IGPU will be the fastest in everything you do. It has double the bandwidth ram of the M1 Pro to get the most of the 32gb ram. The M1 Max has a very good iGPU that should hold up for a few years just like the CPU and RAM. I don't foresee you needing to upgrade for a while with that config unless you want to but you shouldn't be forced because of slow downs.

One thing I will say is all of us are going to have to adjust what we think we know about CPU components and how they work because the M1 really changes a lot of things. Intel CPU's work so differently that our ideas about how much we need are probably antiquated now with the M1. Not to say you don't need high RAM but the days of turning your Mac on and the cpu running the fans just to get going are gone. These are very different beasts which means that I suspect all of us will be able to keep these machines for longer than our Intel brethren.

All this to say that while I don't agree the base model would be fine for your needs-the reality is probably closer to the base model 16" would probably be enough with the M1 Pro. My thinking is that no one just wants enough performance to get buy but we want more than enough at all times so things move quickly and don't slow down. To that end the higher configurations are going to be slightly faster and with higher ram and faster bandwidth or more bandwidth things should not slow down for a very long time.

Which ever you choose-Go for the new models as they are SO SUPERIOR to all older Macs!!

Yeah I agree with you, we don't want something just to get us by, we want to have plenty of breathing space even when we are pushing our macs like crazy

In terms of charging time from flat battery to 100% : how fast does the M1 pro base model charge compared to the m1 max 32 iGPU and 32GB Ram?

Thank you for the detailed input

 

[UBS28]

Yeah I agree with you, we don't want something just to get us by, we want to have plenty of breathing space even when we are pushing our macs like crazy

In terms of charging time from flat battery to 100% : how fast does the M1 pro base model charge compared to the m1 max 32 iGPU and 32GB Ram?

Thank you for the detailed input

The M1 Pro is not just getting by, it is complete overkil. You can do all the stuff you listed on an iPad even.

And both M1 Pro and M1 Max charge the same speed.

Just get the M1 Pro, forget about the M1 Max for your use case.

 

[Technerd108]

No you don't want a complete discharge but full charging cycles are good for the battery. The battery charges significantly faster on the 16" despite having a higher battery capacity than the 14"!

Also Battery life is extremely important and that is why these new Mac's are so special. It is not just battery life but performance while on battery and reduced thermal output which means NO throttling!! Right now these are the only high power laptops that you can work and run all day and that is really amazing!!

Also I keep hearing the same argument-don't get M1 max because you will never need it???? It is like saying I don't want the V8 performance because I don't think I will ever use it?? On top of that this V8 gets gas mileage like a Hybrid with the same performance or even better than old V8. Who would not want to know they have that power if they ever need it??

Battery life is worse on the M1 Max but I am pretty sure that depends a lot on workload. There is no doubt the Max will consume more power but is it enough to really degrade battery life over time. The AI will probably be able to eek out more battery once it learns your uses.

Of course there is no right or wrong answer. It completely depends on your wants and needs and sometimes those aren't always 100% rational. So if it makes you feel better to get a better config and you will be happier using the machine then I think it is worth it. Do what makes you smile in the end as that is all that matters and these machines will make you smile!!

 

[Technerd108]

I am waiting for an M1 Max with 24 iGPU and 32gb ram 512gb storage. Highest config I could afford! I am using a base model 16" right now and due to holiday return policy will return this one once I get the custom order. I will run some battery tests between the two before I return the base model. It will be around December 2nd week if Apple doesn't get it here early. Maybe someone else can do something similar before I do.

I honestly don't see the Max using maybe more than an hour or two over a charge than the Pro under load and under heavy load it might be a little worse but I don't think there is a big difference. I can't find anything on Apple website. It is just the extra bandwidth and extra GPU cores. If you aren't taxing the GPU then I think battery difference would be slim.

 

[throAU]

An m1 pro will be plenty.

I mean get the max if you want but you’re throwing money at a machine you won’t use. You’d be better off putting the additional money (if it’s burning a hole in your pocket) to buying an iPad Pro to accompany it as a portable second display or external backup storage or whatever.

Or maybe flip the machine sooner when the new model comes out. Because the spec difference between pro and max is currently all ram and GPU (which your typical workload doesn’t hit hard). The next model will have features you can’t buy today (which is why trying to spec machines for keeping beyond 3-5 years is a lose).

The workload described just simply won’t push beyond what a pro will happily accommodate.

 

[Shirasaki]

Any config short of 8GB RAM should work just fine I’d argue, though multitasking on your windows PC is that bad? Seems like a pattern on this forum. Mysterious. To me M1 Mac is just as laggy as a Windows machine with NVME SSD - both are great at multitasking.

100 tabs huh. 32GB might be better. 64GB might be a bit overkill.

 

[Eholic]

I am waiting for an M1 Max with 24 iGPU and 32gb ram 512gb storage. Highest config I could afford! I am using a base model 16" right now and due to holiday return policy will return this one once I get the custom order. I will run some battery tests between the two before I return the base model. It will be around December 2nd week if Apple doesn't get it here early. Maybe someone else can do something similar before I do.

I honestly don't see the Max using maybe more than an hour or two over a charge than the Pro under load and under heavy load it might be a little worse but I don't think there is a big difference. I can't find anything on Apple website. It is just the extra bandwidth and extra GPU cores. If you aren't taxing the GPU then I think battery difference would be slim.

Say for example I go with the M1 PRO 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine with 32GB unified memory, would I be able to swap it for the m1 MAX should I need to?

 

[Eholic]

On my current PC (64-bit operating system, x64-based processor) the ram is 8GB of which 7.86GB are currently used.

Also CPU @ 2.50GHz 2.59 GHz

 

[Shirasaki]

Say for example I go with the M1 PRO 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine with 32GB unified memory, would I be able to swap it for the m1 MAX should I need to?

Dunno what “swap” mean, unless you are talking about apple’s return policy.

 

[Shirasaki]

On my current PC (64-bit operating system, x64-based processor) the ram is 8GB of which 7.86GB are currently used.

Also CPU @ 2.50GHz 2.59 GHz

No wonder why your PC experience is bad. Mine has 16GB of RAM and 1TB NVME SSD.

 

[Eholic]

Dunno what “swap” mean, unless you are talking about apple’s return policy.

I think so, it depends how they proceed

 

[doublemycoresplz]

If at all possible, I would not let your battery drain to zero. From Apple’s product page:

View attachment 1909214

Isn't fast charging going to wear the battery down a lot faster?