m3 or m5 for light use & futureproofing?

[Sheza]

Hi there,

My girlfriend is looking for a new laptop and she really likes the look of the 2016 rMB (in Rose Gold, of course).

The question we have is whether it is worth getting the m5 over the m3. It's a very expensive upgrade and she won't need the extra storage space.

She is an English student and basically will only be using the laptop to browse the internet, watch Netflix and write essays. The only thing that makes me slightly nervous is that she wants the laptop to last for a very long time - more than 6 years, basically.

Would the m3 be so weak in comparison to the m5 in so many years' time? I'm thinking it wouldn't, as they are at least both the same 'class' of processor, but I thought I would ask for your view.

 

[Ryan Burgess]

Hi there,

My girlfriend is looking for a new laptop and she really likes the look of the 2016 rMB (in Rose Gold, of course).

The question we have is whether it is worth getting the m5 over the m3. It's a very expensive upgrade and she won't need the extra storage space.

She is an English student and basically will only be using the laptop to browse the internet, watch Netflix and write essays. The only thing that makes me slightly nervous is that she wants the laptop to last for a very long time - more than 6 years, basically.

Would the m3 be so weak in comparison to the m5 in so many years' time? I'm thinking it wouldn't, as they are at least both the same 'class' of processor, but I thought I would ask for your view.

I have been using the 2015 m3 model for a couple of months now, and honestly have no complaints. I can even run apps like Logic Pro X with several audio streams and have no lag (even my rMPB 2012 lagged sometimes with Logic).

In addition, it easily runs things like Netflix, and word processing software. My one suggestion would be to make sure that she likes the keyboard on the new MacBook, because its definitely different, and I personally don't enjoy it all that much.

In terms of longevity, Mac's always hold their value and if she keeps proper maintenance with the machine I'm sure it will last her the 6 years (providing she doesn't expect it to run intense games of 4K video editing). IMO, go with the m3, and if you want to save even more money, get the 2015 model used.

 

[mtneer]

Personally I do not think that the delta between the m3 and the m5 is sufficient to guarantee any kind of future proofing. They are just too close to each other in performance. Also, for light usage, any Intel processor released since 2010 is good enough today - 6 years on.

 

[bodonnell202]

m5 is only slightly faster than the m3 and for light use I doubt you would notice a difference. I suspect you could get 5-6+ years out of it either way.

 

[curmudgeonette]

The question we have is whether it is worth getting the m5 over the m3. It's a very expensive upgrade and she won't need the extra storage space.

Have you considered an m7 BTO upgrade of the base model?

 

[Sheza]

Have you considered an m7 BTO upgrade of the base model?

We have, but it's also quite expensive (Around £200 more I believe?) and seems like overkill. Also seems as though battery life takes a hit.

 

[curmudgeonette]

We have, but it's also quite expensive (Around £200 more I believe?) and seems like overkill.

At least in the US, the 256GB m7 costs less than the 512GB m5. You should consider it if you are worried about performance, and are certain of not needing the extra storage.