Macbook 12 1,2 2015 - upgrade now or next year?

[borgusio]

Hello guys,

I own a Macbook 12 1,2 2015 and a Mac mini 2011 i7.

Both machines work perfectly fine and I love them. The only issue is that 8 GB of ram on the macbook are really tight. When I open a lot of MS office documents and I connect it to an external monitors it suffers.

I am tempted to upgrade to 16 GB and have a better working life when traveling.

However, on the long run my idea is to replace the two machines with just one laptop plus a powerful dock. Ideally a Macbook 12 with 1 TB SSD, 16 GB Ram and Thunderbolt 3. I would pair it with an external eGPU and a dock with Ethernet, firewire, etc.

So if I upgrade now, I will have to upgrade again next year again. The only alternative would be the MacBook Pro 13 non TB but it is too big for me when on the road.

What would you do:
- upgrade two times within one year and lose a bunch of money on it
OR
- live with the sloppy MS office for more 12 months and upgrade next year?

P.S. I travel 50 % of my working time.

 

[epca12]

Live with what you have for another year, hopefully we get 1TB option and thunderbolt 3 next year as well as more powerful chips

 

[Qu1ckset]

I waited it out since the initial launch of the MacBook 12 and finally caved with a 2017 i5/8gb/512gb, I initially ordered 16gb but cancelled since I will just max out a MacBook 12 when they finally add ThunderBolt 3 and eGPU support is mature on MacOS and then either sell my current or just keep both.

Love this Mac so much considering selling my PC Gaming Desktop

 

[epca12]

I waited it out since the initial launch of the MacBook 12 and finally caved with a 2017 i5/8gb/512gb, I initially ordered 16gb but cancelled since I will just max out a MacBook 12 when they finally add ThunderBolt 3 and eGPU support is mature on MacOS and then either sell my current or just keep both.

Love this Mac so much considering selling my PC Gaming Desktop

It sounds like a good plan, hopefully the Macbooks also get a price cut then but I doubt it will be by much

 

[evec]

The bottleneck is when the MB12 with external monitors will heat it up and slow down due to heavy graphic load with positive cooling and low TDP.

Even, MBP13 will work heavy and heat up when hooked a external monitors.

2017 12 improved by the efficiency of GPU but don't expect with big jump. (due to low TDP )

Don't expect next year Apple will provide Thunderbolt 3 on MB12, however, 10nm coffeelake will have real good improvement.

 

[Qu1ckset]

The bottleneck is when the MB12 with external monitors will heat it up and slow down due to heavy graphic load with positive cooling and low TDP.

Even, MBP13 will work heavy and heat up when hooked a external monitors.

2017 12 improved by the efficiency of GPU but don't expect with big jump. (due to low TDP )

Don't expect next year Apple will provide Thunderbolt 3 on MB12, however, 10nm coffeelake will have real good improvement.

Next years MacBook should have 10nm cannonlake as Intel will be launching both coffeelake and cannonlake together , cannonlake being low power Y chips and 14nm coffeelake will be for U chips and desktops chips

 

[effineji]

I also have this fear that next year summer, they will do a major refresh.
- 10nm cannon lake.
- 2 USB-C ports (5gb each, or 10gb each. I don't understand the technical specs.)
- 720p camera.

I get the feeling they won't add thunderbolt 3 if they keep the current design. They just don't have the space for it.

BUT, they are busy with the modular Mac Pro so it could be just another chip update with cannon lake.

The update to cannon lake shouldn't give it much of a performance boost but will make it more efficient? May be the more knowledgable people on this forum can give their understanding.

 

[epca12]

I also have this fear that next year summer, they will do a major refresh.
- 10nm cannon lake.
- 2 USB-C ports (5gb each, or 10gb each. I don't understand the technical specs.)
- 720p camera.

I get the feeling they won't add thunderbolt 3 if they keep the current design. They just don't have the space for it.

BUT, they are busy with the modular Mac Pro so it could be just another chip update with cannon lake.

The update to cannon lake shouldn't give it much of a performance boost but will make it more efficient? May be the more knowledgable people on this forum can give their understanding.

Also hoping for this but thunderbolt 3 would be a welcome addition to at least one of those usb-c ports

 

[Qu1ckset]

I'm more then fine with a single usb-c/Thunderbolt 3 port, updated camera would be cool but wouldn't bother me as I don't use laptop cams very often.

10nm Cannonlake will have huge performance gains due to being a lot more power efficient which = higher clock speeds = longer sustained speeds before throttling, also should get a good graphics boost as well.

 

[sunapple]

[...] The only issue is that 8 GB of ram on the macbook are really tight. When I open a lot of MS office documents and I connect it to an external monitors it suffers.

I am tempted to upgrade to 16 GB and have a better working life when traveling.

[...]

What would you do:
- upgrade two times within one year and lose a bunch of money on it
OR
- live with the sloppy MS office for more 12 months and upgrade next year?

You're mentioning this happens when you also connect an external monitor, so I was wondering if it really is the RAM or maybe just graphics and CPU that are the bottleneck. Have you monitored your RAM usage with Activity Monitor (if that's what it's called in English )?

I'd say that if 8GB of RAM is limiting your use on a daily basis, you'd be better off buying a 16GB model. Buy it when you need it, something better is always coming next year.

You also can't be sure next years' model will bring everything you're hoping. If it disappoints (no TB3 for example), you'd regret having stuck with your old machine for so long.

 

[borgusio]

You're mentioning this happens when you also connect an external monitor, so I was wondering if it really is the RAM or maybe just graphics and CPU that are the bottleneck. Have you monitored your RAM usage with Activity Monitor (if that's what it's called in English )?

I'd say that if 8GB of RAM is limiting your use on a daily basis, you'd be better off buying a 16GB model. Buy it when you need it, something better is always coming next year.

You also can't be sure next years' model will bring everything you're hoping. If it disappoints (no TB3 for example), you'd regret having stuck with your old machine for so long.

Well, when I have an external monitor I open way more documents at the same time than on the cramped 12"
The mini can cope with it, the MacBook not that much.

As I said, I want to replace both machines, but at present there is no real alternative. I really need TB3 for that.

So it is not about "something better", but a specific need which Apple cannot fulfill
Right now.

I will surely have to upgrade again if I do it now.

 

[palmwangja]

Life is short. I'd just enjoy a 16GB.