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M2 15" Air or M3 Pro MBP 14" or 16"?

A

aaron5566

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 23, 2012
254
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Hey guys, I'm looking to replace my 2016 15" MBP with Touch Bar.

I have a desktop so I don't need any CPU / GPU capabilities and will just be using my laptop as a video / document machine.
I'm in a dilemma because I want a bigger display like my 15" but also want the better display and speakers as I watch a lot of videos on my laptop. I also want the Space Black colour so that leaves the M3 Pro chipsets.

If I spec a MBA 15" to what I want, 1 TB and at least 16 GB but leaning to 24 GB of RAM, it feels like it doesn't make sense to spend so much on an Air. If I get the 14" M3 Pro, I will also get the 1 TB and 36 GB of RAM. I want to upgrade the RAM to future proof as my current laptop has 16 GB and constantly uses about 13 GB. The 16" display looks amazing but feels too bulky..

I have used a 13" MBP in the past. It felt so crammed so am a little afraid of going smaller than my current 15".

Anyone else in a similar dilemma?
 
thejadedmonkey said:
The 15" Air is plenty good enough for movies and documents. I prefer it over my work 16", due to the lighter weight.
Click to expand...

Do you notice the difference in screen quality? I'm a bit particular about that considering I'm on the laptop for more than half a day at times.
 
As an owner of a 15" M2 MBA and 14" M3 Max MBP I offer you need to consider how much HDR content you consume. If little or none the 15" with 1 TB and 16 GB is a sweet machine... Speakers on both machines are very good. My colour preference is the midnight blue as it has tons of character in different lighting. Of course rumours are it is about to get the M3 chip.
 
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u2u2 said:
As an owner of a 15" M2 MBA and 14" M3 Max MBP I offer you need to consider how much HDR content you consume. If little or none the 15" with 1 TB and 16 GB is a sweet machine... Speakers on both machines are very good. My colour preference is the midnight blue as it has tons of character in different lighting. Of course rumours are it is about to get the M3 chip.
Click to expand...

I think HDR content will be quite common in the future so it's like future proofing with the MBP but I will have less screen real estate which I don't prefer...
 
I had the exact dilemma as you do and I ended up getting the 14 MAX. There are a few reasons: 1. better display 2. loud speakers 3. portability 4. connectivity (connecting 32inch 4k display or TV is awesome) 5. performance is top of the line 6. space black is awesome

Don't go for 16inch if you ever take it out because it is so heavy to carry around. And you are obviously not satisfied with 15 air otherwise you won't be asking questions here (or at least that's how I thought about 15 Air).

Hopefully, my input helps you a bit.
 
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I had the same dilemma, still ongoing in some ways! I'm writing this from the 14" 1TB M3 Pro I landed on, but I test drove the 15" and still have a 16" M1 pro. I went with 18gb--which is more than enough for my work.

You WILL feel cramped a bit on the 14" -- it's a small machine on purpose. But I never had a 14" and I have to say I am impressed with how much power this little space black beauty has. Also, the screen real estate for such a small size is amazing. I do logic pro and thanks to the resolution there is not as big a loss of track area compared to my 16"--I was expecting to lose much more.

Now, with the 15 inch -- the screen is worse. It is. BUT, it's still a good screen. The lack of promotion did bother me a bit since I've been on XDR for the last few years. However, even with my briefer test drive of that machine during the holiday return period, I liked it "well enough." What I was surprised about was how much the footprint didn't seem different than the 16". It's lighter, but it still takes up "just about the same" amount of desktop space, which I am trying to conserve. Keep in mind that I have toddlers at home and need a smaller footprint machine (for so many kid-related reasons). The 15" wasn't that much of an improvement in that respect--it's still fairly close in footprint to the 16". This is both good and bad.

If you're insane about this stuff, like I am, definitely go test drive a machine during the return period. Heck, I even paid Best Buy $50 to get their "plus" membership just so I could get a standard 60-day return period. If you have a Costco membership, they give you 90 days. So try to take advantage of a long return period and give both machines a true run so you feel comfortable with your ultimate decision.
 
I think I'm leaning to the 16" now. I hardly do take my laptop around and it's normally on my desk. If I get the 16" it's total overkill but if I get the air, it feels like spending $$$ on essentially the same laptop as my current one just fan-less.
 
You won't "regret" the 16" in space black. I have no need for the 16" (I already have an M1 Pro), and still had to run out of the store to avoid buying the SB one after I saw it. Heck, I still sometimes regret NOT buying it (it was a heavily discounted OB, but immaculate). Unfortunately, I can only find the 18/512 models on sale, usually around $2100 or so.

Also, if you've held on to your MBP since 2015, then you should get the best you can afford so you can continue to extend your upgrade cycle.
 
Yeah my 2016 still works but it's constantly hot with fans running and noticing random CPU spikes that causes the whole laptop to come close to crashing while it sorts itself out. This will be my back up laptop if I do replace it.

Size wise, for me coming from that generation, the 16" M3 is basically the same footprint but heavier. This should last me another 7 to 8 years.
 
G&N said:
I had the exact dilemma as you do and I ended up getting the 14 MAX. There are a few reasons: 1. better display 2. loud speakers 3. portability 4. connectivity (connecting 32inch 4k display or TV is awesome) 5. performance is top of the line 6. space black is awesome

Don't go for 16inch if you ever take it out because it is so heavy to carry around. And you are obviously not satisfied with 15 air otherwise you won't be asking questions here (or at least that's how I thought about 15 Air).

Hopefully, my input helps you a bit.
Click to expand...
I don't understand! I tried the MBP 16 in the store and bruh, the 16 is not heavy at all! What are you people talking about..it feels the perfect weight and the 14 felt like a toy
 
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