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

M7 256 vs M5 512

Which Computer for (Roughly) Same Price?

  • M7 256GB

    Votes: 40 48.2%

  • M5 512GB

    Votes: 43 51.8%
  • Total voters
    83
M

MXSkier62

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 4, 2006
151
3
Essentially, it's the same price. Performance wise, looks like M5 is hitting 2800/5800 single/multi core geekbench, where M7 is more like 2900/6000 (so pretty similar).

The question is, which seems like the better deal (I know, person to person), just looking for some advice. I'm a physician, so my laptop is for writing papers, simple web stuff, and charting over citrix. Maybe some simple imovie editing, but that's it. First off, does Macbook seem like enough for that? For those of you with the 2015 MBP, how overpowered would that be for what I use it for?

I have used 210/250 GB on 2011 MBA, 111 of which is "other," and plenty of the rest is stuff I can delete (no one needs all 3 batman moves on their laptop all the time...).

I suppose my question is how much "other" are you guys seeing in your computers? Also, if I wanted to partition to give some to Windows for work stuff, how much would you use/recommend?
 
M5 with the 512GB, simply as the extra storage is a real daily tangible difference

If you intend to set up a bootcamp partition given you are use to 256GB I would opt for a 100GB even though you could get away with a much smaller one especial if you install Win10 minimal footprint. By the time you put Win10, Office 360 and a few bits and bobs and some legacy stuff you would use best part of 20GB leaving a healthy 80GB for experimentation and generally playing about and still have 400GB for OSX which is 50% larger than your use to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeremiah256
Concur. For me the extra storage would be more useful than the M7 processor. My work is all office stuff, web surfing, and light number crunching. Doubt I would even notice the faster processor.
 
I'll just be the dissenting voice then. I have the 2015 1.2/512 and have the opportunity to sell it. So I just ordered a new one today, went thru the pros and cons for this same question. Ultimately, I chose the m7. I'm only using 130GB with all my apps, documents and a Parallels with Windows 10 Pro virtual machine install. So I decided to go for the extra point processing power I might use over the drive space I'm not using.
 
I would go with the larger storage. Let's be honest, if power is even kind of important to you, you should be buying a MacBook Pro. The m7 is a waste of money, you might as well save it for a redesigned thin 13" MacBook Pro. No matter which configuration you choose, power shouldn't be a priority at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jeremiah256 and Biggie Robs
Gav2k said:
If the choice you have must be between the two then go for the m5 as you'll appreciate the extra storage in the long run.
Click to expand...
As a 1.1GHz 256GB first-generation owner, I'll second this. For my next RMB the greater storage will be the first consideration.
 
There is currently a reddit thread going that is comparing the performance under load of the m7 to the current i5 MBP. So i have to say you go for the m7 and deal with the storage issue another way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: appleish19
sziehr said:
There is currently a reddit thread going that is comparing the performance under load of the m7 to the current i5 MBP. So i have to say you go for the m7 and deal with the storage issue another way.
Click to expand...
Is it in r/apple? I can't seem to find it

Edit: I think I see the one you're mentioning (on r/apple), but can't find where it says they're comparing under load (at least sustained load).
 
Last edited:
A lot of people say "for me" but for the purposes you stated it seems like 256 is plenty but the processor won't hurt. In general with soldered ssd you want to get all you can afford....but if you are really doing work stuff and occasionally editing a movie and this isn't your main comp, 256 is plenty, and exporting an iMovie with a better processor won't hurt.:..good luck deciding!
 
MXSkier62 said:
Essentially, it's the same price. Performance wise, looks like M5 is hitting 2800/5800 single/multi core geekbench, where M7 is more like 2900/6000 (so pretty similar).

The question is, which seems like the better deal (I know, person to person), just looking for some advice. I'm a physician, so my laptop is for writing papers, simple web stuff, and charting over citrix. Maybe some simple imovie editing, but that's it. First off, does Macbook seem like enough for that? For those of you with the 2015 MBP, how overpowered would that be for what I use it for?

I have used 210/250 GB on 2011 MBA, 111 of which is "other," and plenty of the rest is stuff I can delete (no one needs all 3 batman moves on their laptop all the time...).

I suppose my question is how much "other" are you guys seeing in your computers? Also, if I wanted to partition to give some to Windows for work stuff, how much would you use/recommend?
Click to expand...

The geekbenchs results weren't these ones AFAIK... Without throttling it was about 6700 while throttled down was 6300.

I would take the M7 over the extra storage because that much won't ever be used on any of my computers.
 
Thanks all for the feedback. For some clarification, yes, this would be my primary machine.

I'll likely just keep checking in store availability to pick up and try it out at home with the M5, and if it seems fast enough (which it will since I'm coming from a 2011 MBA), then I'll just keep that. But if I can't get it in the next week, I'll probably just wait till WWDC (2 week vacation, away from home, would only have to wait 1 month to then likely purchase the rMB).
 
M5 512, it will retain far more value and offer far more tangible benefit, M7 your just gaining very little, and Apple is hosing you on the price, no big surprise. If you need more performance, wait on the 2016 MacBook Pro which will very likely be revealed at WWDC. I fully expect the new 13" to be not significantly heavier than the 12" rMB, however it will be significantly more capable; CPU/GPU, ports etc.

One may consider that it`s more prudent to wait until June, unless there is a significant driving force. Apple has updated the rMB now for one sole reason sales. The additional $200 - $300 for the new 2016 rMBP will likely be money well spent on a far more versatile system, for those that need.

FWIW I own & use 12", 13" & 15" Retina Mac`s professorially, so really I "don't have a dog in this fight" or maybe I have three :)

Q-6
 
  • Like
Reactions: SteveJUAE and matt_on_a_mtn
definitely storage. I bought the 256GB Macbook 13" last November thinking it would be enough and save me a bit of money. Since then my iTunes and Aperture library have grown - so i now have less than 1GB left. Ive had to spend a lot of time constantly deleting apps and moving stuff to an external HDD.

So im giving my MBP to my girlfriend and have ordered the 512GB M7. (ive only ordered the M7 to hopefully get a few extra FPS out of games if i decide to play any)
 
The other quandary is the M5 512 is in stock now at most Apple Stores. So you can have your new shiny toy TODAY.

Or, wait for over a week for the build-to-order M7.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Brookzy
I would go with the m7, if the macbook would have two usb ports ;) I have a 2012 MBA with a 128GB hard drive and im using it with a small ssd external hdd (samsung t1). Thats pretty much ok for me.
 
While on the subject of speed, does anyone know if the 512GB has better write speeds than the 256GB, like with the rMBP's?
 
MXSkier62 said:
Essentially, it's the same price. Performance wise, looks like M5 is hitting 2800/5800 single/multi core geekbench, where M7 is more like 2900/6000 (so pretty similar).

The question is, which seems like the better deal (I know, person to person), just looking for some advice. I'm a physician, so my laptop is for writing papers, simple web stuff, and charting over citrix. Maybe some simple imovie editing, but that's it. First off, does Macbook seem like enough for that? For those of you with the 2015 MBP, how overpowered would that be for what I use it for?

I have used 210/250 GB on 2011 MBA, 111 of which is "other," and plenty of the rest is stuff I can delete (no one needs all 3 batman moves on their laptop all the time...).

I suppose my question is how much "other" are you guys seeing in your computers? Also, if I wanted to partition to give some to Windows for work stuff, how much would you use/recommend?
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1462042266][/doublepost]I would get the 256/m7. you can always solve storage solutions but you can't processor. it is also a better way of future proofing the machine. that is what I am doing.
 
If you don't use the storage (like me) then the larger SSD can still offer two potential benefits for day-to-day usage.
  1. SSDs slow down when they're full. If you can get by with 256GB, but it will be nearly full, the 512GB will perform better.
  2. Sometimes the larger drives Apple sources are faster.
However there does not seem to be a difference in speeds between the 256GB and 512GB drives on the 2016 MacBook: I've seen a couple of tests that come with opposite results - the reason probably being some dual-sourcing is happening (but you can't tell the manufacturer of the SSD for recent Macs in System Profiler like you used to be able to, so this can't be tested without taking off the back panel and observing what the manufacturer is).

In my case, I use nearly no storage on my MacBook as it's a second machine and most of my stuff is in the cloud. So I went for the 256/m7. In my view, the 512GB would have provided zero extra utility for me, so I was better off saving that money. I wanted the m7 anyway.

Edit: Also the performance improvements of the m7 vs the m5 are more than just those Geekbench scores you cite (indeed the difference in those scores is larger according to the scores I've seen), but I'd like to see an in-depth review to confirm the magnitude of that.
 
my m7 benchmarks at multicore 6500-6600 so there is definitely s performance benefit.

If you want longevity then get the m7 with 512 gb. The price difference is not that great and will be worth it in the long run.
 
Considered m7/256, but went with m5/512.

None of the stuff I do requires a decent CPU, a text editor, few browsers, a solution stack (in my case, MAMP), these will run fine on m5, or even m3, other than that, the most demanding stuff I'm going to be running is VMware Fusion but I won't be running it much.

As for why I didn't go with m3/256 - extra storage, so I can leave my VMs on the Mac instead of moving stuff around between my Mac and few hard drives, also media stuff (movies, etc), I plan to be more mobile with this rMB, also planning to keep this one much longer than I did with my other Macs.
 
Last edited:
Brookzy said:
However there does not seem to be a difference in speeds between the 256GB and 512GB drives on the 2016 MacBook: I've seen a couple of tests that come with opposite results - the reason probably being some dual-sourcing is happening (but you can't tell the manufacturer of the SSD for recent Macs in System Profiler like you used to be able to, so this can't be tested without taking off the back panel and observing what the manufacturer is).
Click to expand...

I can't find/remember the source, but someone has taken apart the PackageOnPackage SSD controller of the rMB. The chip on top is RAM used by the controller. Underneath it is the actual controller - designed "inhouse" by Apple. It is the result of Apple's acquisition of Anobit. Thus, there won't be dual sourcing of the rMB's drive.
 
I went for the 512

The storage will be more useful in the long run than a benchmark score - the software I use will not notice it
 
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