I need a new MacBook Pro. Which one?

[billeba]

So the M5 has launched, but just for the 14" model so far. How do you guys usually keep an eye on price drops?

Here’s where I’m at: because of my accounting/tax setup, I’ll be buying before the end of the year, so waiting for a major new launch in 2026 isn’t a viable option for me.

I’m deciding between:

• A 16” MacBook Pro with the M4 chip
• Or a 14” MacBook Pro (M5) with best specs

Any point in holding off until Black Friday?

 

[billeba]

Black Friday. Yay.

I’ve decided to buy the 16” MacBook Pro with the M4 chip. I believe 512 GB of storage will be sufficient, as I rarely fill up my drive anymore and can use an external one if needed.

What I’m more unsure about is whether 24 GB of memory will be enough.

48 GB seems like a lot. I’ll be working with 4K video (not feature films, but reels and promotional material) and images.

Will I regret choosing 24 GB, or will it be more than sufficient for the coming years? Appreciate any input.

 

[raythompsontn]

What I’m more unsure about is whether 24 GB of memory will be enough.

I use a M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24 Gig with Lightroom and Photoshop. Memory has not been an issue when dealing with importing 2K images. Photoshop with 30+ layer on 24x36 600 DPI images has not been a problem. 24 Gig should serve you well. With video, especially rendering, CPU seems to be the biggest constrain.

 

[billeba]

I use a M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24 Gig with Lightroom and Photoshop. Memory has not been an issue when dealing with importing 2K images. Photoshop with 30+ layer on 24x36 600 DPI images has not been a problem. 24 Gig should serve you well. With video, especially rendering, CPU seems to be the biggest constrain.

Thanks! I’ve decided to go with the 24 GB option and upgrade to the 1 TB SSD instead — a change from what I originally planned. Honestly, it feels great to finally make a decision. I was getting tired of flip-flopping like a confused pancake. 😄

 

[Eric_WVGG]

Post a review. We're deeply invested now.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"48 GB seems like a lot. I’ll be working with 4K video (not feature films, but reels and promotional material) and images."

With 4k video, you may find that even with 24gb of RAM, you may be "pushing against the edge of the envelope".

Is there no 32gb option available?

Also, with 4k, have you considered the 14" MBP combined with a good 4k display?

 

[rwh63]

i recently purchased a silver m4 base 16/512 from the apple refurb store for about $1200 shipped to tax free store. i'm happy with it. replaces my 2011 base 13" pro from that i paid about $1000 for at microcenter.

 

[whatnot]

..since I do a lot of photo and video editing
...The matte/nano-texture display isn’t a big deal for me.

the main reason I clung to my dinosaur MBP was because they discontinued matte displays, but I guess not everyone minds all the glare and fingerprints. and everyone I know who does image/video editing for a living swears by it.