Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Is it worth getting an intel 16 inch macbook maxed out? As opposed to the new one

E

esaelias187

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 25, 2017
232
132
Its thinner

32gb ram

2 tb hdd

I9

5500 8gb

The question is how long will apple support it? A good few years?

Worst case scenario ill get the new one but would any of you still get the older one?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Juraj22 and chikorita157
5500M, no. 5600M, maybe.

I have the last Intel 16" i9, 64GB, 4TB, 5600M. The 5600M makes all the difference as it doesn't have the heat and resulting fan problems that the 5500M does. I plan to keep mine another 3 years.
 
Maybe if you have software requirements that need an old model then get used at a big discount. Buying a new intel macbook pro though? Absolutely not.
 
esaelias187 said:
Its thinner

32gb ram

2 tb hdd

I9

5500 8gb

The question is how long will apple support it? A good few years?

Worst case scenario ill get the new one but would any of you still get the older one?
Click to expand...

I’m sure Apple will support Intel Macs for years to come. With that said… Unless you run applications that absolutely require an Intel chipset, I can’t think of one practical reason to go with the older model. I just upgraded from the 2019 16”, so I can tell you that this new model is a huge improvement all around.
 
  • Like
Reactions: theliellama
esaelias187 said:
Its thinner

32gb ram

2 tb hdd

I9

5500 8gb

The question is how long will apple support it? A good few years?

Worst case scenario ill get the new one but would any of you still get the older one?
Click to expand...
I just traded in almost those exact specs for a 14", so I'll say no. It is powerful but only if you don't mind it getting really hot and sounding like a blow dryer. Or you can cripple it with turbo boost switcher and it will run quiet at like 40% cpu. The Touch Bar is a gimmick. Yes it's thinner but at the expense of thermal headroom. The new chips are so fast and run so much cooler that it would make no sense to me to buy any intel Mac now, except maybe if you're running some kind of studio and need a Mac Pro asap for business.
 
I have had my 16" 5600M for a year and the fans have come on 4 or 5 times in a year. It runs very cool for me doing software development work. I plan to keep it for another 2-3 years. That said, I would not buy one of these today but would get an M1 Pro or Max.
 
Last edited:
I've got an i7 with the 5300M and I think I've heard the fans once. Maybe.

The real question is what your reason for wanting it is.
 
If you still absolutely need x86 on a Mac, the 16" with the 5600M is still a very capable machine and will be supported for a few years. However, the ship has sailed, and I would not go that route unless your workflow leaves you with no practical way to make the jump to Apple Silicon. The current model is a better computer in pretty much every way.
 
Last edited:
I just got 16" M1 Max today and there is absolutely no way I would go back to x86 based Macbook Pros. Unless your workflow requires x86 for several years to come, do not get Intel based Macbook Pros today.
 
  • Like
Reactions: haruhiko and rMBP2013
esaelias187 said:
Its thinner

32gb ram

2 tb hdd

I9

5500 8gb

The question is how long will apple support it? A good few years?

Worst case scenario ill get the new one but would any of you still get the older one?
Click to expand...
How much thinner? I’d say that if you’re content with the CURRENT state of affairs for that laptop. And that, when you buy it, you’re understanding that there are no software developers that HAVE to support you going forward, then get it and be happy.

However, it’s like buying a 32-BIT Intel system once Apple started shipping the 64’s. It’s a good deal at the time, and those who have software needs that never expanded beyond that are fine. (Some folks ARE still running the 32-BIT capable macOS) But you’ll be cut off from OS features and software releases well before that other system that’s going for roughly the same price.
 
esaelias187 said:
Its thinner

32gb ram

2 tb hdd

I9

5500 8gb

The question is how long will apple support it? A good few years?

Worst case scenario ill get the new one but would any of you still get the older one?
Click to expand...

Yes, I think you will get a several (3-4) good years out of it. Although as shown with macOS 12, not all features will be supported on Intel. That list probably will keep getting longer with every new OS.

Unless you have something in your workflow that is Intel specific, I would just wait a few months and get the M2 MacBook Air, if the new M1 MacBook Pro isn't to your liking. The new Air will probably be more powerful, thinner, and half the price....

And even if you did have something Intel specific in your workflow, I would tend to lean towards the 27" iMac over the Intel MacBook Pro....
 
As we are seeing with the launch of Monterey, Apple is already configuring that OS so that some of the new features and functionality are not going to work or won't work all that well with Intel-based machines, whereas the new Apple silicon chip machines can make full use of all the new functionality and features.

Don't waste your money or time in buying what is now already obsolete: any Intel-based Mac. Go for the Apple Silicon machines which are here today and will be here in the future.
 
  • Angry
  • Like
Reactions: baypharm and haruhiko
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back