Hesitating btw Macbook pro vs Mac pro

[med78]

hey guys,

Im a music producer and been producing on laptop for a while and now i need to upgrade but i am hesitant whether to switch to Mac pro or stick to laptop here are my 2 choices. let me know if you can help

Mac Pro
Hardware

• 3.0GHz 8-core with 25MB of L3 cache
• 16GB (4x4GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
• 1TB PCIe-based flash storage
• Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM each
• Accessory Kit

15-inch MacBook Pro

Hardware

• Touch Bar and Touch ID
• 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz
• 16GB 2133MHz memory
• 2TB PCIe-based SSD
• Radeon Pro 460 with 4GB memory
• Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
• Force Touch trackpad
• Accessory Kit

 

[maflynn]

Do you have mobility needs? If so then get the laptop.

Also do you need dual GPUs to do your work? You're getting a more powerful computer in the Mac Pro but do you need all that horse power (or GPU power)?

Also consider the fact that Apple has already stated that the Mac Pro is going to be replaced with something different, do you want to buy a product that is in effect at EOL?

 

[Pakaku]

I doubt you'd need anything near the hardware of a Mac Pro unless you're a special case in terms of music, and if you were, you'd probably have your mind made up and wouldn't be asking in the first place. You would probably be better off comparing the MBP and iMac.

 

[kschendel]

I have to say that's kind of an odd pairing. You'll need a monitor for the Mac Pro as well, unless you have a suitable one lying around. I'm not honestly sure that a brand new MP is worth the money, but you might consider a refurb.

If you need to run long (say 30 minutes or more) intensive jobs I'd lean towards the Mac Pro since it will handle the thermal stress better. an Imac is probably somewhere in between the MP and MBP in that respect, although I admit I don't have any first hand experience with the latest round of MBP's and I don't know if they are better or worse than older models. The MBP will probably be faster in short bursts.

 

[960design]

MBPr 15 is the go to for music... A MP would be cumbersome to travel, plus as mentioned will updated to something sooner than later.

I'd get the MBPr now and in a year or two pick up the MP if it evolves into something the MBPr is not fullfilling.

 

[med78]

Do you have mobility needs? If so then get the laptop.

Also do you need dual GPUs to do your work? You're getting a more powerful computer in the Mac Pro but do you need all that horse power (or GPU power)?

Also consider the fact that Apple has already stated that the Mac Pro is going to be replaced with something different, do you want to buy a product that is in effect at EOL?

Hey Thanks for the answer. I just keep getting that system overload on my DAW (Logic pro X) because of all the plugins I use. I wanted to go for MP to avoid all the frustration. most of my friends are happy with the new MBP

 

[phrehdd]

MBP - you know the ceiling of 16 gigs RAM, CPU and internal storage. You probably know that others have commented on challenges when doing larger Logic Pro X projects. The trade off is better portability vs lag on projects.

While the Mac Pro does have the power needed it also costs you because you are spending for video you don't need (and also somewhat out dated).

Some thoughts -
1) consider an older style Mac Pro either hex or 8 core. Fit it was dedicated storage for samples, project work and then OS/Apps. My guess is at least 32 gigs of RAM, 3 SSD should make this system run smooth.
2) consider the nMP Hex or 8 Core. Add RAM to be at least 32 gigs. Add 1-2 external SSD (USB3) or RAID (TB).
3) A 27" iMac might be a fair compromise with 32 gigs of RAM higher end CPU. You would still want to add more storage. (Being all in one, you could get or custom a case to move it about like musicians move instruments and tech equipment.)

For me, I would find this frustrating as I don't think Apple makes an ideal computer for this app. The closest would be of course the nMP but with over spending. I guess I would for now, if I must replace, buy the nMP Hex as I can always rededicate it to other duties when a new Mac Pro comes out. Because my serious apps are not Apple, I also know that when my Apple hardware goes south, I'll be replacing it with non-Apple. Your needs require you remain with Apple so, I gave you some thoughts that you may want to consider. Hope you find what works for you.

 

[med78]

MBP - you know the ceiling of 16 gigs RAM, CPU and internal storage. You probably know that others have commented on challenges when doing larger Logic Pro X projects. The trade off is better portability vs lag on projects.

While the Mac Pro does have the power needed it also costs you because you are spending for video you don't need (and also somewhat out dated).

Some thoughts -
1) consider an older style Mac Pro either hex or 8 core. Fit it was dedicated storage for samples, project work and then OS/Apps. My guess is at least 32 gigs of RAM, 3 SSD should make this system run smooth.
2) consider the nMP Hex or 8 Core. Add RAM to be at least 32 gigs. Add 1-2 external SSD (USB3) or RAID (TB).
3) A 27" iMac might be a fair compromise with 32 gigs of RAM higher end CPU. You would still want to add more storage. (Being all in one, you could get or custom a case to move it about like musicians move instruments and tech equipment.)

For me, I would find this frustrating as I don't think Apple makes an ideal computer for this app. The closest would be of course the nMP but with over spending. I guess I would for now, if I must replace, buy the nMP Hex as I can always rededicate it to other duties when a new Mac Pro comes out. Because my serious apps are not Apple, I also know that when my Apple hardware goes south, I'll be replacing it with non-Apple. Your needs require you remain with Apple so, I gave you some thoughts that you may want to consider. Hope you find what works for you.

thank you so much for the help. really appreciate.