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M5 MAX MBP vs MacBook Neo + Mac Studio?

M5 MAX MBP vs MacBook Neo + Mac Studio?

  • Get a maxed out MacBook Pro

    Votes: 7 46.7%

  • Get a Mac Studio + Base Neo

    Votes: 8 53.3%
  • Total voters
    15
M

m1mini

macrumors regular
Original poster
M3 Pro Macbook Pro is not cutting it anymore. I love it but the memory bandwith is low, the ram is not enough. I was a basic graphic designer when I got this, but since I started working in the VR lab in my university, I started working heavily with Unity and Unreal engine, and the broader Meta development ecosystem applications (our target devices are usually quest 2 and 3), and I am also employing local AI models to aid in all sorts of stuff. Due to data policies in my university and the lab, I kinda have no other choice. The lab itself has a mac stuidio m4 max with 128 gbs of ram, but it is actually the personal computer of the head professor of the lab so we can only use it for specific occasions where we really need the speed, and even m4 max was soooooooooo much faster in loading context and time to first token, and i cant even imagine m5 ultra, like every part of m5 is basically neurally accelerated and mlx models are going to work way way faster.)

So, I am planning to replace my Macbook Pro.


My budget is around 5,5-6k. It will increase in the coming months +I'll also sell my M3 Pro 14 inch 18c 36GB ram Macbook.

I can either get a M5 Max 40c gpu 128GB Ram for 5134 dollars (edu store)

or

Get a MacBook Neo (499) + Get the low core count M5 Ultra with 256 gb RAM. Thats of course assuming that they will have a similar config.
Right now that same config with m3 ultra is 5399 in edu store, I am not confident that it will stay the same. Lets assume it's going to be at least 5899 even with edu discount.

I am planning to keep my mac studio at home, and then use RDP (i heard apple has a new high performance RDP mode in between silicon macs now) in my Neo to connect to it. Both my home and the lab has stable gigabit speed internet.

So for basically 1K more, I will get a computer that is twice as fast, I will have a laptop that is small enough to carry anywhere and something that i can be a bit less careful about
 
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dmr727 said:
I like your Neo/Studio idea. Nothing against the MBP, but I think you're going to want all the thermal headroom you can get anyway. I'm also a fan of having a mobile device that's not as big of a disaster if something happens to it.
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Right? If they up the max ram to 1TB in the high core count ultra, thus giving the low core count ultra an option for 512, or even 384gbs of ram, i wouldnt hesitate one second. heck, if i had the money id go all in and max it out all the way lmao
 
Since the Neo's smaller screen and RGB - consider getting a MBA 15" for the better quality screen ?

I love my Mac Studio Max - it's been a dream.
 
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4sallypat said:
Since the Neo's smaller screen and RGB - consider getting a MBA 15" for the better quality screen ?

I love my Mac Studio Max - it's been a dream.
Click to expand...
Do not really care about screen quality. Portability is key. Single screen support is good enough for me bcuz we have giant monitors in the lab.
 
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Sell your car too, then you can get a maxed out Studio Ultra AND a MBP Max. 😉

Agree with the other comments, I think your Studio+Neo idea is best. The Studio provides additional memory, thermal overhead, etc while the Neo offers basic portability.
 
m1mini said:
I am planning to keep my mac studio at home, and then use RDP (i heard apple has a new high performance RDP mode in between silicon macs now) in my Neo to connect to it. Both my home and the lab has stable gigabit speed internet.
Click to expand...
Sounds good in theory, but I’d strongly suggest finding some way of testing out that RDP connection with existing equipment before dropping $6k. Maybe get the Neo first and see how it works as an RDP terminal. If you are actually going to be running interactive graphics over the RDP link - there will likely be some lag or artefacts.

Do you have a fixed IP address for your home network? If not, can you set up dynamic DNS? Can you set up a VPN into your home network? Or leave your home computer VPN’d into the lab? Are you confident enough with networking & security to enable incoming connections to your home network? The question is always “can you actually get it to work” rather than “does it work in theory”.

If by “data policies” you mean rules about taking data out of the lab (A) do those policies actually allow you to process data at home and (B) is remote access to data via the internet going to be fast enough? It will surely be slower than Ethernet in the lab.

The plus side of the MBP route is that you already know it works. Also, the M5 Max MBP exists, the M5 Ultra Studio is still a rumour.
 
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Here are my 2 Neos - Meet Citrus and Indigo on right - left is a 12" rMB being migrated to the Citrus.

Amazing engineering - so much better than the 12" rMB and 11.6" i5 MBA !

IMG_4714.JPG
 
Back when I did a lot of 3D work I had a Mac Pro + MacBook Air combo. I absolutely loved it. It was nice having the powerhouse at home and then a light little companion for travel.
 
m1mini said:
Oh, I see it now. Looks 2x thicker lol, But still, compact enough for what I need. Cannot wait for the m5 ultra mac studio so i can have the sickest combo
Click to expand...
Just an FYI the wedged airs have a bit of an optical illusion to them. If you compare them flat on a surface with a m2 or later air without the edge shape, the wedged one actually sits higher due to the feet on the thickest end. The Neo is a little thicker than the air but not by a ton.
 
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