I could really need some advice regarding what MBP'21-configuration to get.

[Paratriplel]

I could really need some help deciding on what configuration of the new MacBook Pro's to get. I haven't even decided on 14" or 16". I've always had 15" computers and I'm slightly worried the 14" will be too small but every coin I can save is potentially worth it. Besides, 95% of the time my MBP will be sitting on a table connected to an external screen so the 14" screen might not be an issue even if it's "too small".


My current computer is a

MacBook Pro 15" from mid 2015
2,5 Ghz Quad-Core Intel i7
16 GB memory
500 GB SSD storage
AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB.

What I want and need is basically something better than my current computer, as in noticeably better performance and a lot quieter fans/less heat.

Music Production is what I'll use my new MacBook Pro for, it's a hobby (even though I make some small money from it but it's not nearly enough to start talking about how a fast computer will make me more money and save time etc. sadly it's not what will help me improve my workflow but I still need a new faster computer, just probably not a maxed out one.
I previously kind of only recorded hardware instruments (synths, drum machines, guitars, bass) but I'm leaning towards using more software instruments/Virtual Instruments and plugins so I need a computer that easily can handle it but my Audio interface (MOTU 828es) does have hardware monitoring so latency is not as big of an issue luckily but still I want the computer to be able to handle it (within reason).

I also do 3D-modelling, also a hobby and my current computer handles it alright but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it handles it like a breeze though, so I surely would like to see some improvements there but I've got no idea how to compare my current MBP's specs against the M1 Pro's and M1 Max's.

Is anyone willing and able to help me figure out what configuration I should go for?


My level of knowledge are best described like this:
I have no idea what difference 16 vs 24 vs 32 GPU-cores will make for me but I understand for video editors or people working and making money (unlike me), I also have no idea what difference the bandwidth between M1 Pro and M1 Max makes.

Spoiler: Old unnecessarily long post

l

I put the original post in a spoiler because this is such a way too long thread start...


So finally we got our highly anticipated MacBook Pro's yesterday.
I thought it would be one of the greatest days in a really long time because I've waited on these Macs for so long now but I was honestly not far from curling up into the fetal position due to anxiety from choosing the right configuration.


I noticed I still can't write a short forum post with a simple question but I decided to split it here and post whatever rubbish I wrote in the second post (if I would delete it this next try will just become even longer) and try to just to get to the point here.

So I'm having a tough time deciding what configuration to choose from. Budget is an issue but my top priority is to be really satisfied with my new MacBook Pro and my second priority is to not buy / pay for what I don't need or have any use for.

I use my computer for Music production (probably 80% of my current MacBook Pro's use is Music Production) and I also use it for 3D-modelling (probably 10-15% of my use is for 3D-modelling, though just for 3D-modelling, not 3D-rendering) mainly for 3D-printing or making a drawing for something I'm about to build.

My current computer's spec's are:
MacBook Pro from mid 2015
CPU 2,5 GHz Quad-Core intel i7
Memory 16 GB RAM
Storage 500 GB
Graphics AMD Radeon R9 M370 2 GB (+ iGPU Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB)


My current issue with choosing the right configuration is of course the price and in my country the cost is higher than in most countries, mostly and foremost it is due to our taxes but even if you take them into account Apple's "currency conversion" in Apple Store for my country is very odd and not in our favour, the 14" base model has a price difference of $295 in my country just because of Apple's weird conversion rate, in comparison to the and I also looked at the most expensive stock model 16" and Apple's conversion rate adds $440, just two examples.

If it wasn't for this it would have been so much easier to choose my configuration.

My backup plan was to go for the Mac mini if it was released and the MBP's was too expensive due to Apple going all in on screen tech (which I honestly care little about) but it would be nice to have some mobility and that's why I want a MBP.


Anyway, the biggest issue I've got is that I don't know what I need or what to expect from the different configurations. I undertand none really knows yet but I believe some of you have rather great understanding about these sort of things and that you better know what to expect from 24-core GPU vs 32-core GPU. I mean, I have no idea at all if I'll even benefit from a 16-core GPU to 24-core GPU upgrade or if the increased bandwidth is something that affects me at all (since I don't do any video-work at all but just audio-/3D-work and of course some office-work here and there).

I've never had more than 16 GB of RAM, though I do not want to realise 2-3 months after the purchase that I really need more RAM because I changed my workflow etc.
I actually plan on trying to use my software as in plugins and Virtual Instruments on the new computer than I've previously done and I've actually sold off a bunch of synthesizers already because I want to give it a go.

Please, let me know what answers I need to answer in order for you to be able to give me some advice or help me figure this out, if you feel like helping me.

Sorry for any misspellings... I stayed up this night and wrote on this so I haven't gotten any sleep except for the sleep I got the 25 times I fell asleep on my desk (standing, haha),

Thanks for reading this long post, I thought I was going to keep it short but nope it became long as always, really sorry about that.

 

[Paratriplel]

I re-wrote my post and made it a lot shorter, still too long but I hope someone is willing to read and se if they can come up with some advice and guidance.

Would really appreciate it.

 

[CosmoPilot]

My best advise is to get the best laptop you can get for the budget you have.

Based on your workflow, the M1 Pro is probably more than sufficient. This chip is insanely good! Had Apple not introduced the M1 Max, most would be extremely happy with that upgrade over the baseline M1 (which has shown to be a phenomenal chip already). In terms of graphics, the M1 Pro is twice as powerful as the baseline M1. So watch some videos on the baseline M1 and then imagine twice that performance! Is that good enough for you?

Again, base your buying decision your budget for a new machine and get it spec’d out accordingly.

The unified memory (RAM) can’t be updated so choose wisely, as well as internal storage.

in terms of 14” vs 16” it’s boils down to how mobile you are. If you carry the MBP with you everywhere, then I would submit you’ll be happier with the 14”. Also, the 14” has a 14.2” screen size which is really close to your 15”. The M1 Pro can also drive 2 6K displays, so even if you work from home a lot, an external monitor attached to the 14” gives you options. And since the 14” is $200 cheaper than the 16” (similarly spec’d), you could use that extra cash for other upgrades you want.

Personally, I purchased the 16” because I rarely go mobile with my laptop and I appreciate the extra screen size and battery life.

Final thought: Since you’re on the fence about what to buy…I recommend waiting for all the hands on reviews to hit YouTube in less than a week and you’ll be able to make a more informed decision. It’s a lot of money, and waiting an extra month to get your new machine is worth it to get exactly what you want based upon real world reviews of all the different configurations.

 

[Salty Pirate]

If you have a good external screen, it is a no brainer, get the 14

 

[Kierkegaarden]

The 16” model sounds like it might be a good fit. The case size will be similar to your 15”, and it would allow you to work more without an external monitor (if that interests you). You also get a step up in the CPU and GPU by going to the 16” on the base level.

As the other user mentioned, how much RAM you buy is an important consideration since you can’t upgrade later. You’ve been using 16GB since 2015, so chances are 16GB of unified RAM would probably be fine. You’ve also been using 500GB of storage, so 1TB might be fine as well.

So the base level 16” might be perfect for you. Just remember that you can always trade up in a year or two if your needs change.

 

[MF878]

Our dilemmas are quite similar actually. I also do music production (Logic Pro) and occasional graphically intensive tasks, and our current MacBooks are quite similar. I’m coming from a 2016 15” with 2.6GHz quad i7, 16GB, 512GB, Radeon Pro 460 (4GB).

The configuration I eventually decided on is a 14” with:
- M1 Max (24c GPU)
- 32GB memory
- 1TB

I mostly use an external monitor so I figured I don’t really *need* the larger display and battery, plus I don‘t think I’d mind having something a bit lighter when I do take it on the road.

After initially ordering then cancelling a base 16”, I was deciding between two 14” configs. The other (cheaper) config was M1 Pro (10c CPU, 14c GPU), 16GB memory, 512GB. My thinking was it didn’t make sense to upgrade just one area (eg. 32GB memory) because that could potentially leave other bottlenecks in the future (eg. storage). Basically, it was a decision between what is sufficient right now vs. what is likely to be sufficient for another 5 years. I ultimately decided on the better config because I can afford it and I’m also a sucker.

 

[Paratriplel]

My best advise is to get the best laptop you can get for the budget you have.

Based on your workflow, the M1 Pro is probably more than sufficient. This chip is insanely good! Had Apple not introduced the M1 Max, most would be extremely happy with that upgrade over the baseline M1 (which has shown to be a phenomenal chip already). In terms of graphics, the M1 Pro is twice as powerful as the baseline M1. So watch some videos on the baseline M1 and then imagine twice that performance! Is that good enough for you?

Again, base your buying decision your budget for a new machine and get it spec’d out accordingly.

The unified memory (RAM) can’t be updated so choose wisely, as well as internal storage.

in terms of 14” vs 16” it’s boils down to how mobile you are. If you carry the MBP with you everywhere, then I would submit you’ll be happier with the 14”. Also, the 14” has a 14.2” screen size which is really close to your 15”. The M1 Pro can also drive 2 6K displays, so even if you work from home a lot, an external monitor attached to the 14” gives you options. And since the 14” is $200 cheaper than the 16” (similarly spec’d), you could use that extra cash for other upgrades you want.

Personally, I purchased the 16” because I rarely go mobile with my laptop and I appreciate the extra screen size and battery life.

Final thought: Since you’re on the fence about what to buy…I recommend waiting for all the hands on reviews to hit YouTube in less than a week and you’ll be able to make a more informed decision. It’s a lot of money, and waiting an extra month to get your new machine is worth it to get exactly what you want based upon real world reviews of all the different configurations.

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm so sorry for this novel of mine as reply, tried shortening it down but it only got worse!

Your post actually helped me quite a bit, calmed my nerves etc.

Waiting for the reviews was something I considered when I realised how most I was but then I remembered how disappointed I usually get since they usually says exactly the same, not meaning that they just agree with each other but I rather get a feeling that none has any opinions of their own and just copy paste each others opinions. I know I might just sound silly or maybe I’m just terrible at finding the serious reviews or lazy and check YouTube (YouTube reviewers are the ones I’m usually look up for reviews) for reviews.

Anyway I hope the reviews can give me some better insider this time. Do you have any suggestion where I can find the best or most serious reviews? Since English isn’t my native tounge I can also appreciate in-depth reviews that still has a rather straight forward and easy to understand language.

About getting the best laptop I can get for my budget, it is kind of one of the top 3 things in my list over the things that confuses me and makes the choice of configuration hard.
3 or 4 months ago I had about $ 10 000 reserved for my new MacBook Pro (wouldn’t have used it all but just in case I was going to be well prepared...), but after getting disappointed at WWDC and once or twice again after getting my hopes up late summer / early autumn I guess I started spending it and really not on something good... figured I would just spend a bit of the money and that I might have to be slightly more sparing with the configuration of the MacBook Pro spec’s
Also worth mentioning I didn’t think he M1X (now M1 Pro and M1 Max) would have much more BTO choices than the M1X maybe just a binned chip and more RAM and storage and I’m used to using external devices and usually record my tracks/music to an SSD. I also thought that alike would maybe lower the prices (at least in my country, due to the crazy currency conversion they started doing 2016, or even 2012 just not as much back then), I mean they removed the Touch Bar (but kept fingerprint sensor on the other hand) and they also make their own chips so Intel is no longer a cost with their CPU’s, same goes for AMD and their GPU’s... Not sure why I seems I’m trying to defend myself about spending part of my budget or maybe rather defending my way of logical thinking haha. Sorry for spinning a bud off topic.

As I was writing this reply (takes me quite some time because my phone ia kind I’d broken, my XS’a screen fell out and after spending money on repairing the screen two times I’m done with it and went back to my iPhone 8 and dropped it the first week of using it again and now I’ve got a deep crack in it and even though it works 90% of the time the touch sometimes gets messed up and starts to input random stuff making it impossible to type anything longer than a short sentence) some more answers came in which I really appreciate.

Yes the 16” would probably be nice and the base model could get me everything I possibly could need (10+16 cores, 1 TB but only 16 GB RAM) and I actually believe some things are more important than 2” of screen size, that it took me this long to realize that is probably because it’s a really nice have but in the end probably not such an important need. I’m not entirely sure though, tomorrow things might have changed. Haha.

MF878, I think your setup is really nice and it’s actually the one configuration I’ve myself looked at the most the last couple or hours / last day. I guess I feel it’s still a bit expensive. If I just knew more about the difference between M1 Pro and M1 Max and getting 8 more GPU-cores I could better understand if I would benefit from it enough to put in the extra cash for it.

I believe the configurations I'm still looking at right now is:

MBP 14"
- M1 Pro 10C CPU+14C GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 TB SSD - Price: $ 3 050
- M1 Pro 10C CPU+14 GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 TB SSD - Price: $ 3 080
- M1 Pro 10C CPU+16C GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 TB SSD - Price: $ 3 180
- M1 Pro 10C CPU+16C GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD - Price: $ 3 780
- M1 Max 10C CPU+16C GPU, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD - Price: $ 4 050
- M1 Max 10C CPU+24C GPU, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD - Price: $ 4 350


MBP 16"
- M1 Pro 10C CPU+16C GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 TB SSD - Price: $ 3 500
- M1 Max 10C CPU+24C GPU, 32 GB RAM, 512 TB SSD - Price: $ 4 350
- M1 Max 10C CPU+24C GPU, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD - Price: $ 4 650 (NO, NOT VERY LIKELYY!)

When I started listing the configurations that's still in for consideration I though I'd list 2 or at max 3 alternatives but as it turns out I'm still having a hard time reducing the number of alternatives.. I kind of feel like I just started listing all available configurations, damnit.
Prices are by the way the price I will have to pay in my country and then converted to US $ at today's value.

I've noticed that I've got a really hard time justifying upgrading the RAM to 32 GB without also upgrading the chip to a 24-core GPU.
I guess it's about upgrading to 32 GB's of RAM is going to cost me $ 580 and upgrading from M1 Pro (10C CPU+16C GPU to M1 Max (10C CPU+24C GPU) only costs me $ 290, still a lot of money and even if I don't know what it equals in performance it seems/sounds like much greater value but it could of course equal no real benefit for me at all.
I've managed with 16 GB's of RAM the last 5 years and I don't think I've noticed any issues about running out of RAM but maybe I've just not realised it. Ah.. If I went with 16 GB's of RAM and realise it's not enough I could of course just try to get by with it and when my finances are in better order sell the computer and just order a new one with 32 GB's of RAM and maybe if the time has come, the M2 Max-chip. Haha.
Also if I within the first two weeks notice the computer I've ordered isn't powerful enough, wasn't what I expected or something else I can always return it and order a new one but the last two computers I've bought from Apple I've returned (those were iMac's) so I'm sure they wouldn't be to happy about it and might blacklist me soon hehe.

Better start ending this post now otherwise I'll end up writing a couple of thousand words more and probably never posting it. As I think I mentioned my phone is kind of crazy to write on, so sometimes it inputs it random and same thing started happening with my computer these last days so I'm sorry if I missed it somewhere.
Also I might have missed answering something I planned to, since I was in the middle of my reply to CosmoPilot when you (Kierkegaarden & MF878) replied, you all had wise things to say and at least I'm no longer that badly stressed out about ordering, maybe that wasn't all you but also that I obviously missed out on the first batches anyway, haha.
Oh and I also decided to sell some assets I had and when I get that money I'll actually have a choice going for anything other than the cheapest option but I will and cannot spend that cash just because "it doesn't hurt to get it" but I'll only use some of that money for the the stuff I know will make a difference for me.

 

[CosmoPilot]

After re-reading your 1st post, and your “novel” above, my recommendation would be the following set up:

14” M1 Pro: 10CPU/14GPU/16GB RAM/1TB SSD.

That is the baseline 14” MBP W/a spec bump to the chip & SSD ($400 USD total upgrade—-$2,399 USD).

You mention you want a computer better than you have now….this is definitely better!

You’re also undecided between 14” and 16” however, you mention you will be using an external monitor. So I think you’ll enjoy the 14” more because you can easily carry it with you and also connect the external monitor when you need additional workspace.

These are my thoughts. But again…you might want to wait for reviews to start popping up!

 

[Paratriplel]

After re-reading your 1st post, and your “novel” above, my recommendation would be the following set up:

14” M1 Pro: 10CPU/14GPU/16GB RAM/1TB SSD.

That is the baseline 14” MBP W/a spec bump to the chip & SSD ($400 USD total upgrade—-$2,399 USD).

You mention you want a computer better than you have now….this is definitely better!

You’re also undecided between 14” and 16” however, you mention you will be using an external monitor. So I think you’ll enjoy the 14” more because you can easily carry it with you and also connect the external monitor when you need additional workspace.

These are my thoughts. But again…you might want to wait for reviews to start popping up!

Thanks again CosmoPilot. I think you might be right about the configuration but I still would like to ask for your arguments about a few things (not because I object, but rather that I actually want to hear your thought and how you came to the conclusion etc. ).

So first of, :
How do you come to the do conclusion that the M1 Pro with 10 core CPU and 14 Core GPU is enough?
I mean I know I said my requirement was that it should be better then my current computer and that is kind of true but what I really meant was kind of “as kind as it’s better than my current computer I should be alright but it’s always great if it’s 2x, 3x or even 5x as good/better/faster/more powerful” but really everyone wants their computer to be better and faster than their current ones but to me what really matters is that it is the bare minimum but also that I’m willing to pay a fee hundreds extra for 2x and 3x faster than my current computer but at 5x faster I’m really doubting I’ll notice a difference (probably won’t even notice it at 3x faster either though) so that’s why I don’t feel willing to pay extra for it.
At least not at the price level we’re at. Hehe.

I do however like idea is future proofing it but I lose my go b in the pandemic and have become a bit more careful with money for the first time in my life.
I can see his video editors see the benefits from their upgrades more clearly since renders of their typical projects might go down from 30 minutes to 20 minutes to 15 minutes to 10 minutes and so on.
While my music production has a similar process when “bouncing offline” (Which is when a song is “rendered” to disk but not in real-time, such as the clear example with a mixing table mixing the song down to tape, off-topic but just to point it out as well, real-time bouncing can be done in a DAW on the computer without tape, just saving the project to a file)



Might seem like a bit like “inside out”, but if you had to choose one of the two alternatives for me, which one would you choose and why?

Alternative 1 - Upgrade RAM from 16 GB to 32 GB but leave the M1 Pro at 10 Core CPU + 14 Core GPU

Alternative 2 - Upgrade M1 Pro from 10 Core CPU + 14 Cores GPU to 10 Core CPU + 16 Core GPU but leave RAM at 16 GB

Which one of these alternatives would you pick and why?
I’m kind of hoping your answers will help me get my head around exactly what the GPU cores can be good for, for me, because I honestly don’t know and I haven’t been able to find our after spending quite some time searching for the answers, I don’t believe it’s because the answer isn’t out there but rather because the answer is getting drained by all information related to GPU + gaming and GPU + video editing.
I’ve of course found some information about GPU’s and 3D bur I’ve felt it has been quite hard to filter out what’s relevant for me and what’s not, because if often seem that people (at least I believe and have gotten the feeling) are not themselves working with 3D (neither professional or on a hobby level) due to them never or very rarely making a difference between 3D-modeling and 3D-rendering.

I have however become terrible at searching last couple of years/last decade, I believe actually ever since social media and clickbaiting ans people making money through their internet presence, no matter at what quality they provide whatever they provide.

The (what I at least believe to be the) “best info” I’ve found this far I actually found on here (the MacRumors forum!) and it was basically saying did 3D it’s more about the CPU than GPU when comes to rendering but for the last couple of years 3D software has started using GPU more and more for when you’re modeling the object and viewing it in high detail moving around it in real-time


Anyway. I believe your advice in 14” instead of 16” probably is a good one. When I try to convince myself for the 14” my counter arguments are not really about anything else than “maybe the thermals are not as good in the 14” as the 16”, “I’ve always used 15”, maybe I’ll feel it’s too small, 15.4” vs 14.2” is however not even 2” and I even if I can easy see a difference between the 15” and the 16” I’m not sure it will make a difference the few hours a month I might use it unplugged from my external display.

Just got to mention one argument often used for the 14” that I really feel isn’t applicable on me... talking about the 14” is more movie than the 16” and sure it probably is bur seeing that I’ll move it around daily first week after I received it but after that maybe once every second or third week and sometimes even more rarely I have a really hard time seeing myself benefit from the 14” increased mobility or whatever the word opposite of benefit from the 16” decrease of mobility compared to the 14”.


I know we don’t know any detailed results of these chips yet but just for fun “how much faster” would you say these are compared to my MBP15” from 2015 and how do you believe I’d notice?

My hopes really are smoother 3D-modeling since it can feel laggy quite a lot of the times now (when I tried the latest iMac one reason why I sent it back, besides realizing I wanted something more mobile (Haha I know I just said I didn’t believe I needed mobility that much but come on, an 9 kg / 20 pounds iMac vs 2 kg / 5 pounds MacBook Pro 16”.

Haha better stop here before my novel gets a part 2 after just one day. Really appreciate you taking the time!
I will probably sit and wait on reviews and hope that they talk about the stuff I want to hear about and maybe even sir and wait a while longer even so before I order to make sure I’ve thought it through thoroughly but i guess if I wake up tomorrow after a good nights sleep, being well rested (which I probably wont’t since I don’t even dare to look at how much the time is, sadly, for real. Haha) and feel “ah so stupid of me that I didn’t realize this is the right configuration, how couldn’t I realize this from the start!” well then I might of course perhaps order, we shall see but I don’t feel like I’m in such a rush as I did 3-5 days and in so thankful did that and I owe you guys a big thanks for that, just getting it off my chest and getting a reply from someone taking the time actually did make me so much more at ease with not being among the first few people getting the computer delivered (and usually I wait a before I order a Mac that’s just being released especially a redesign bud I think these have been extremely well checked to avoid any scandals).

Anyway thanks!

 

[Paratriplel]

Sorry my post above actually became yet another novel. This post will for sure not be one I promise you.

Just was going to post this regarding one of those little details that I made an attempt at talking about before, not sure how clear
I was making myself though.

Anyway:
"16-inch MacBook Pro models configured with the M1 Max chip feature a new High Power Mode to maximize performance for intensive, sustained workloads, according to Apple. High Power Mode is not available on other models."

So the Power Mode we’ve maybe read about 2-3 times during this past year here on MacRumors seems to be true but only available on the 16”.

I’m not sure it’s something I could have any use for anyway but still would have been nice to have.

It also makes me wonder what more things I’ve missed. I was hoping Apple either let prides stay the same as before or that they made end 14”’ and 16” with the only difference being just the screen sizes and maybe something related such as 2 more GPU cores to drive the display.

 

[CosmoPilot]

By bumping the M1 Pro to 10 core CPU, you also get the better charger for free. In terms of performance, based on your workflow….I believe you’ll be extremely happy. It’s human nature to want the biggest and best. And by all means, if you can afford it…do so! Sometime we just wa t the best because we do…not because we need it. However, if your budget is restricted, the M1 Pro & M1 Max have the EXACT SAME CPU performance. So computational power is approx equal across chips. The benefit of the Max chip is additional horsepower in graphics. 99% do not “need” this additional upgrade. They may “want” the upgrade (ie. Myself) but they don’t need it! The other benefit is the 400 Gb/s bandwidth vs 200 Gb/s. 200 is already a phenomenal upgrade and will make any system powered by the M1 Pro a blazing fast machine. So if you have extra cash, by all means go M1 Max but I doubt you’d notice any difference between the 2 chips based on your workflow.

In terms of how much faster than your 15”. At least twice as fast with either chip. Again, CPU performance is basically the same across chips. So based on the Alternatives listed, I’d go with #1! More RAM for the GPUs to access if needed.

The “High Power Mode” is only going to be needed by the most extreme users. Probably not you or I. So I wouldn’t give that any additional thoughts.

 

[Paratriplel]

Thanks again CosmoPilot and as I said I think you’re totally right I just want to better understand why so that’s why I asked (just to make sure you understand I wasn’t questioning you but rather I was agreeing with you but I’m just curious ).


I think I pretty much put the ideas of M1 Max to rest. When I called my friend the first thing he said when I mentioned the new MacBook Pro’s was “Yeah... you don’t need the bigger one, it’s for people with needs for more screens and you just get confused by several screens, you know that” hahaha. I was a bud confused because he talked about the bidder know. He’s not an Apple fan (he does however use an iPhone since 10 years ago, but can’t stand Mac OS, so there’s obviously something seriously wrong with him ? but he’s always been a great friend to me and he’s also a nerd and can sometimes help out with the few things he can do better than me or the extremely few things that he knows more about than me) so I think he thought the larger MacBook Pro was the one with M1 Max and smaller one was M1 Pro...


Anyway I was going to ask I’m just wondering, what are GPU’s and GPU-cores used for?
I understand that it’s often used for games and all that talking about video editing has made me never forgetting about that the GPU is also used for that hehe.
But I don’t really understand why. Why is the GPU used for X but not for Y?
Probably something I actually can find out by googling for the answer but as I said I have become so terrible finding answers through google (I’m spelling a conspiracy where the leaders of the world and the men behind the curtain is trying to keep information from me and keep me from information!! They probably pay google to put the good hits far far back, at page 6 or 7 is even page 131...)... ehrm
Sooo..
It will be so much faster if you just tell me, like going from my MacBook Pro 15” from 2015 to a maxed out M1 Max MacBook Pro 16”, if i’m going to search for the answer myself it’s more like me getting the old non Touch Bar 13” but with the thermal throttling from the 2019 MBP16” with one or two external display connected.

Sorry for jerking around haha. I didn’t really sleep at all this night and very little the night before that and I’m thinking it’s getting to me a bit.
I truely would like to understand when and why a GOU Is used though. I remember GPU’s being a thing even when I was a kid and we looked in catalogs and dreamed about getting this and that computers and I even back then wondered why GPU’s had so little memory while the regular memory had like 5-10 times more. Etc etc.

If I would take a guess about GPU‘s is guess that they are built a bud differently than CPU’s but still kind of similar but with the focus being in doing things really fast rather than doing them right/correct, drawing things and stuff out on our screen faster than we can perceive it etc.

I’m not expecting you to sit and write an essay about GPU’s so don’t worry about that but maybe you can give me some search phrases to search for to get a better understanding about GPU’s that way I wouldn’t be fooled into upgrading the chip into something I have basically no use for and can ditch that idea all together without any hesitation or doubts.

 

[tigha45]

Apple has some documentation on how their GPUs work, which may be helpful (you can find more documentation in the Metal and GPU Features links at the top of the page). I also found this article which may be helpful. I'm not an expert (hopefully someone more knowledgeable can chime in with a better explanation or if I've said anything incorrect), but my understanding is that if an audio source can be modeled, for example, as a 2D wave equation then an audio program can theoretically leverage the GPU, as the wave equation then results in calculations that are very similar to those typically performed by the GPU for rendering images, since it can be graphed in 3D (Figure 5 in the link). In the same vein, wave equations can also often be used for modeling graphical environments, as many processes in physics can be approximated by a wave equation. Here is a forum thread that discusses GPU utilization in Logic Pro, but has some information on audio processing in general. Post #4 has a quote that explains that GPUs are generally used for massively parallel operations, for which images are a good example, as well as the wave equation I mentioned before, precisely because it results in similar parallel operations because it can be visualized as an array in a similar manner as an image (you would then perform parallel processing on the array). In practice, it is often difficult to leverage the GPU for audio applications except in specific scenarios, because current GPU architectures are more efficient with large blocks of data such as would be found in this type of parallel processing (also from post #4). Audio programs often utilize incoherent processes making it difficult to model using something like a wave equation as such an equation implies some sort of coupling. This does not necessarily mean that the audio being processed displays no coupling, only that it may not be readily apparent, meaning the program is not able to leverage the coupling to take advantage of the GPU. Thus, there are instances where the GPU may be leveraged by an audio application, but those use cases are currently somewhat limited, which is why GPU performance is generally not as important for audio.
For 3D modeling, you should be able to leverage the GPU quite a bit, as it should be able to take advantage of the same types of processes used for processing other graphical environments, but I'm not sure how much would be enough in practice as I have no personal experience with modeling. As you mentioned in one of your posts, moving the object in real time should leverage the GPU (this is not based on personal experience, just my possibly erroneous understanding of how the GPU should function) as you essentially will be performing many parallel operations on the model that change in time depending on how you are moving the model. I think the reason still images (when you are not moving the model) may leverage the CPU more is because modeling an image through coupled parallel processes is more difficult since coherence in a single image is probably less obvious and difficult to model. In practice, I'm sure that some programs will be more effective at utilizing GPU acceleration, so the relative importance of the GPU may vary depending on the specific programs you're running. That said, given that you only need smooth realtime rendering of the model, and aren't generating exports that may take hours to complete, I think the base GPU could still be adequate as it will roughly double the GPU performance from the iMac that you tried (a little less for the 14 core model, but only by maybe 10-15%).

 

[Paratriplel]

Sorry for my long post and did trying to be funny while I clearly was just irritating. Haven’t sleep’t well or really sleep’t at all (at least no more than 10 min periods and very see jd enjswbas Ann for two days straight and my head gets a bit mushy then.

 

[Paratriplel]

Hello again.

So I've not ordered my MacBook Pro yet, mostly because I have such a hard time deciding about the configuration and I keep going back and forth between different configurations.

So here's what I'm undecided about.

14" vs 16" - I've read about the 14" performing kind of a lot worse when it comes to thermals and after having had these issues with Intel Mac's I really don't want to make the same mistake with Apple Silicon Mac's.
I really don't care about mobility (I travel with my computer at tops once a month) and the screen size I believe I'll be fine with whatever, will have it plugged in to a 27" monitor 85% of the time but also use the screen of the laptop as a second monitor.

16 GB RAM vs 32 GB RAM - I have been fine with 16 GB's of RAM on my current computer but of course I want it to be sort of future proofed but Apple's crazy prices for ram makes me really hesitant, especially since I've understood that the SSD's are so fast that it's barely noticeable even if it's SWAPed.

Other than that I guess I feel fine the storage (1TB) and I think I've decided to go with the 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU chip but if I go for the 14" I think I could save about $100 by going for the 16-core CPU and 14-core GPU and I can't really see how the 2-cores will make such a big difference. If I however go for the 16" this is not even something I need to think about since I've decided to go for the M1 Pro and it's the only chip-config available.

By the way, since I started this thread I've decided to only focus on music production when speccing out this MBP, 3D-modelling will most defiantly work fine even though I might have to accept that advanced models will probably push the computer to it's limits. In music production I currently almost always just work with real instruments that I record but I have plans to start using plugins more often (if I can learn to stand sound designing softsynths with the trackpad).

Would appreciate some last minute input if someone has some advice for me. Would love to order it today if I just can decide. I have not set a strict budget but I really don't want to or even can push the budget too far and ordering 32 GB's of RAM will kind of break my budget but if it's totally necessary I will somehow need to come up with that cash. Thanks for your input.

Edit: Oh, and time is kind of running out, both my MBP15” from 2015 and my MBP15” from 2012 has had the battery swell as much so that bottom plate of the chassi now is bent out (so ****ing crazy that both of these laptops had this issue at the same time and the 2012 had the battery replace less than 1,5 years ago). And no, the 2015 one isn’t the right serial number for the battery replacement program.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Hello again.

So I've not ordered my MacBook Pro yet, mostly because I have such a hard time deciding about the configuration and I keep going back and forth between different configurations.

So here's what I'm undecided about.

14" vs 16" - I've read about the 14" performing kind of a lot worse when it comes to thermals and after having had these issues with Intel Mac's I really don't want to make the same mistake with Apple Silicon Mac's.
I really don't care about mobility (I travel with my computer at tops once a month) and the screen size I believe I'll be fine with whatever, will have it plugged in to a 27" monitor 85% of the time but also use the screen of the laptop as a second monitor.

16 GB RAM vs 32 GB RAM - I have been fine with 16 GB's of RAM on my current computer but of course I want it to be sort of future proofed but Apple's crazy prices for ram makes me really hesitant, especially since I've understood that the SSD's are so fast that it's barely noticeable even if it's SWAPed.

Other than that I guess I feel fine the storage (1TB) and I think I've decided to go with the 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU chip but if I go for the 14" I think I could save about $100 by going for the 16-core CPU and 14-core GPU and I can't really see how the 2-cores will make such a big difference. If I however go for the 16" this is not even something I need to think about since I've decided to go for the M1 Pro and it's the only chip-config available.

By the way, since I started this thread I've decided to only focus on music production when speccing out this MBP, 3D-modelling will most defiantly work fine even though I might have to accept that advanced models will probably push the computer to it's limits. In music production I currently almost always just work with real instruments that I record but I have plans to start using plugins more often (if I can learn to stand sound designing softsynths with the trackpad).

Would appreciate some last minute input if someone has some advice for me. Would love to order it today if I just can decide. I have not set a strict budget but I really don't want to or even can push the budget too far and ordering 32 GB's of RAM will kind of break my budget but if it's totally necessary I will somehow need to come up with that cash. Thanks for your input.

Edit: Oh, and time is kind of running out, both my MBP15” from 2015 and my MBP15” from 2012 has had the battery swell as much so that bottom plate of the chassi now is bent out (so ****ing crazy that both of these laptops had this issue at the same time and the 2012 had the battery replace less than 1,5 years ago). And no, the 2015 one isn’t the right serial number for the battery replacement program.

14 or 16 choose just on screen size the thermals are slightly worse but by all reports they are still cool and quiet and only really throttle when maxing out the 32 core max you and the cpu at the same time.

Ram sounds like the 16gb will be fine for you for years to come unless you want like 100 tracks on audio or huge 3D modelling where time is money. As you say the swap is very fast and these ssd’s are looking rock solid.

If one 1tb is fine then the base model 14 will probably be fine for you with the ssd upgrade. If you want that bigger screen then the base 16 with the ssd upgrade would also seem a good option.

Never break the bank for a computer unless it’s going to pay you back.

 

[Paratriplel]

Thanks Samuelsan. I think you’re eights and onto something. I know it inside that the thermals are not going to be an issue with the 14” but I still worried about them and especially thinking 2-3 years into the future when there has gathered some dust in the fans etc but I guess it’s another days headache and it’s solved by just cleaning them out. I wanted the 16” screen for long now and it might be another reason why I want it (part of the reason being the bigger screen and part of it being just that I wanted it for so long and haven’t adjusted to the idea of the 14” yet since I haven’t seen it in the real world yet).

I think you’ve helped me become ready to order though and I need to keep telling myself I can return it if it’s not what I expected and in 2-3 years I might be ready for another computer upgrade so why break the bank now when economy isn’t really thriving, since I’ll most definitely be okay with whatever configuration I get. Will just need to go through it all a couple of more times in my head and then place the order.

 

[dmccombs]

It sounds like you are getting the Pro chip vs the Max. I assume you don't need the extra gpu power for Music Production. If you are getting the Pro, then the thermal limitations of the 14" chassis shouldn't be an issue.

I have gotten to use both the 14" and 16" displays. The 16" is noticably bigger. If you don't mind the bigger footprint and weight, then the 16" is worth considering because of the screen. Although it sounds like you don't need the big screen it is immersive and I do enjoy it a little more than the 14" screen. YMMV

16GB vs 32GB is for me the toughest question. The 16GB setup will work well for most people for now and probably 1-2 years. Depending on your needs the 16GB could work well for you for 3-4 years. While I didn't want to go wild with the money, I opted for the 32GB so I knew I would be covered for a few years. Again YMMV.

Since you can add speedy external SSD to the Macbooks, I opted for the 1TB setup. I can put lesser used music/photography on external drives. IT sounds like you are in a similar situation with your music files.

 

[Paratriplel]

Thanks for your input. I also believe the 16”’s screen will be slightly more enjoyable but still realize that I’ll have to pay $200 for it and I i could probably use that money elsewhere right now so it’s a bit hard to decide but hearing that it’s only the M1 Max being affected by the slightly less good thermals is comforting. I guess also the speakers are to be considered but at the same time I rarely listen to music through my laptop speakers since I’ve got great professional studio monitors for that task and whenever I’m not in my studio I have a nice HiFi-system, though there are times I’m visiting a friend or my parents and not having to pack my studio headphones or if I forget them it would be nice, on the other hand, in those scenarios I have a hard time believing that I would really care that much about the slightly less frequency range of the 14” speakers.

But going for 16 GB RAM feels kind of alright. If it holds me back I’ll hopefully have a nice job and better economic situation in 2 years and be able to buy myself a new MacBook Pro without the anxiety I currently feel about spending all this cash. Buying a new computer should be fun! Even though I feel slightly better about it right now I don’t think it will get much more fun so I should just go ahead and pull the trigger on the configuration you have helped me realize is good enough for me so that I might be able to save my current computer from the swelling battery and hopefully I might get some money back from selling it.

Really appreciate your inputs and it helps me more than you realize!

 

[Paratriplel]

I have decided to go for the:
16” M1 Pro with 10c CPU + 16c GPU with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage

Will order in the last couple of hours so make sure to soon point out if you think I’m making a mistake.

I really think it will be a fantastic computer. Will have to read up on battery health while I wait for it so nothing similar happens to this computer as with my other MacBook Pro’s, obviously it needs to be completely recharged about once every month or such but I still wonder if there’s more to be done to make sure it won’t swell etc.

 

[Alameda]

I have decided to go for the:
16” M1 Pro with 10c CPU + 16c GPU with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage

Will order in the last couple of hours so make sure to soon point out if you think I’m making a mistake.

I really think it will be a fantastic computer. Will have to read up on battery health while I wait for it so nothing similar happens to this computer as with my other MacBook Pro’s, obviously it needs to be completely recharged about once every month or such but I still wonder if there’s more to be done to make sure it won’t swell etc.

I can only suggest you see the 16” in person. For me, it’s way too large a laptop. Even the 14” is a pretty big, heavy laptop. On my desktop, I attach a 4K monitor so the screen size isn’t so important.

My setup is much more modest: The M1 Pro 14” with 512 GB and 16 GB.

For my work, it’s far more than enough.
For my hobby of photography and video, 1 TB would be better, but no matter what, I have to move my photos to backup storage and move my working files to internal storage. If I go shoot a rock concert, I come home with around 40-80 GB of photos, and it doesn’t take long for that to reach a TB.

The memory? I never had memory problems with my previous 8GB MBP. Jumping to 16 GB is more than enough. The swaps from RAM to Flash are lightning fast and not noticeable.

There are some people who benefit from ultra high performance, like people who compile massive amounts of code. But for the most part, these machines are sickeningly fast.

I’ve never seen much benefit in spending 20% more for 20% more performance. In three years you’ll upgrade to a machine with 200% more performance, which is what you’re doing now.

 

[Paratriplel]

My girlfriend has a intel 16” from her work so I’ve seen and also used it quite a lot and I don’t mind the size and weight but yes it’s heavier than my 15” but luckily I don’t really mind it, I guess I would however want to see the 14” but not sure where and Apple has two Apple stores in my country but one is half across the country and the other here in the capital where I live but they decided to place it far outside the city and I really can’t be arsed to go there just to look at the 14” and have to deal with the cult like employees. Haha.

 

[CosmoPilot]

I actually changed my mind and cancelled the 16" and got the 14" M1 Max w/24-core GPU/32GB Ram/1TB SSD. It arrived last week. It's an amazing machine.

I have an external monitor so really didn't need the 16" as bad as I thought. What sealed the deal for me...I went to an Apple Store to actually look at them...I fell in love with the 14" so had to get it.

 

[Paratriplel]

Hope you’ll be satisfied with it!

Heard people has to wait long to get their 24cores but maybe it’s not that bad anymore?

Anyway I got my 16” and it’s lovely but I haven’t really tried it out yet need to do that I’m just trying to clean up and make a cleaner setup for it. Haha. Damn UPS didn’t give me any real notice so I was surprised when it came (actually had to collect it.. because they delivered it to a access point without me asking them to).

 

[CosmoPilot]

Hope you’ll be satisfied with it!

Heard people has to wait long to get their 24cores but maybe it’s not that bad anymore?

Anyway I got my 16” and it’s lovely but I haven’t really tried it out yet need to do that I’m just trying to clean up and make a cleaner setup for it. Haha. Damn UPS didn’t give me any real notice so I was surprised when it came (actually had to collect it.. because they delivered it to a access point without me asking them to).

I ordered on 29 Oct and received it on 29 Nov...it's a fantastic computer. Really hits the sweet spot for my use.