Is it worth paying $300-400 to upgrade from a '16 M5 to a '16 M7?

[Rory76]

I currently have a 2016 12" M5/512GB MacBook. I got an incredible deal on it and it's currently my only personal home computer (I only use it for personal and casual use). However, I'm debating on using it for both personal AND professional purposes, and if I do this, I'll really need it to be a able to handle whatever I might throw at it. This being said, should I update to an M7 version for an additional $300 to $400 (diff between what I could get for mine and BHphoto's M7/512 price) to ensure that it's capable of handling whatever I might need to use it for (Nothing too crazy...) and to have it last me a few more years in terms of future proofing it?

 

[bill-p]

No. The difference is very negligible between the 2. The m7 model "may" be about 5-10% faster in general use, but under long sustained load (like if you spend longer than an hour rendering video), they are pretty much the same anyway. And for general use (web browsing, documents, etc...), I doubt you'll see much of a difference anyhow.

m7 is only somewhat faster (think a bit more than 10%) than m5 when it comes to graphics. So if you plan on plugging in a 4K display or play some light games, then yeah, it'll provide a bit more oomph. But at the end of the day, if that's not your intended usage, just stick with m5. $300 is not worth it IMO.

 

[paule23]

Definitely not worth it. If your MB cannot handle your professional work i'd advise changing to a MBP. Lose portability, gain lots of power (and its all relative, the new MBP is so light compared to the same model a few years back.)

 

[Ulenspiegel]

No.

 

[fisherking]

try doing the 'pro' work you need to do, see how it goes. and/or wait for the next 12", hopefully june (at the WWDC)..

 

[nordique]

Nope

 

[psymac]

No.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Face-Off-Apple-MacBook-12-Core-m3-Core-m5-and-Core-m7.172046.0.html

And yes, wait if you can until June WWDC, hopefully updated Macbook (and wishful thinking Mac Mini), otherwise not until Sept/Oct.

 

[lowkey]

I you want a laptop "that is capable of handling whatever I might need to use it for" you really need a laptop that can perform for longer periods of time before thermal throttling takes over. The MacBook is great when its running at turbo speeds, but for extended tasks, its base speed it too slow to "handle whatever you might need".

You would be better off with the dual core i7 13" MBP if you value portability, or the Quad Core i7 15" MBP if you want to be able to handle anything.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I you want a laptop "that is capable of handling whatever I might need to use it for" you really need a laptop that can perform for longer periods of time before thermal throttling takes over. The MacBook is great when its running at turbo speeds, but for extended tasks, its base speed it too slow to "handle whatever you might need".

You would be better off with the dual core i7 13" MBP if you value portability, or the Quad Core i7 15" MBP if you want to be able to handle anything.

It doesn't throttle back as much as people think. See this thread.

I accept that the testing I did there was not taxing the GPU much.

 

[Ixidor]

The way I see it, there are two viable options beyond the entry model:

1) m7 processor + 256 GB storage (custom order)
2) m5 processor + 512 GB storage (default configuration)

Option 1 is cheaper than Option 2, so it is good for people who don't really need the extra storage (you can't get m5 with 256 GB).

Option 2 is for people who want the extra storage.

The maxed out m7 + 512 GB is really not worth it for the price you pay (as others have mentioned). So really, it's either m7 or storage but not both.

 

[Ma2k5]

Definitely not. To add, in some scenario's the m5 actually outperforms the m7, due to different throttling impact.

Some people talk about re-sale value, but I very much doubt you'll be better off financially from any future re-sale due to having the m7 (due to just how much extra you have to pay for the upgrade).

 

[Treyhunna]

If U already have the M5 stick with it. The upgrade won't matter as much. I opted for the 256gb M7 from jump. It runs hot when streaming but gets the job done.

 

[thekev]

No, you're falling into the trap of viewing something you happen to want as "future proofing". If this won't handle your workload, going from 2016 to 2017 won't change that. The phrase "handle whatever I might throw at it" suggests that you may not understand your own performance requirements in a way that can be directly translated to a purchasing decision.