Macbook 2017 i5/8gb or m3/16gb

[stellerd]

I'm in the market for a new computer. I am wondering if I should do a Macbook i5 processor with 8gb memory or m3 processor with 16gb memory. I am going to college and have a: Macbook Air 2013 13inch, 128gb ssd, i7, 8gb ram.

I am going to be using it mainly to write essays, use excel, powerpoint, streaming, and occasional music production in logic (the reason for the interest in higher power than baseline specs)

What do you think the right choice is for me?

Thanks

 

[maerz001]

Logic seems to be the most demanding software u use. How much RAM does it need on ur Air while u use it?

 

[stellerd]

Logic seems to be the most demanding software u use. How much RAM does it need on ur Air while u use it?

Logic works with very few problems on the 8gb I currently use.

 

[stellerd]

or should I just get a macbook pro and upgrade to 256gb ssd?

 

[maerz001]

A base MB should be fine than. If one port is enough for you.
the refurbished 2017 MBP just arrived yesterday on apples store

 

[stellerd]

A base MB should be fine than. If one port is enough for you.
the refurbished 2017 MBP just arrived yesterday on apples store

You dont think that I will need any upgrades to the processor or ram? From what I understand, the m3 processor is like a processor fit for an iPad. That won't power logic to how i need it to, will it?

 

[maerz001]

You dont think that I will need any upgrades to the processor or ram? From what I understand, the m3 processor is like a processor fit for an iPad. That won't power logic to how i need it to, will it?

Well I asked u how much ram u need for it on your Air. And u answered it's fine...
Have u checked in activity monitor?

The m3 and i5 or i7 are the same processor chip. Just slightly higher clocked. As it was the years before. It was just a marketing renaming this year to make people believe it's something special...

In benchmarks the 2017 m3 is on par with the i5 Air 2015.
And if this is not enough the i5 MB won't help because it's just 10% faster. Than u would have to invest in a MBP.

Only thing is that thermal throttling can happen after a few minutes of high processor use cos there is no fan.

 

[KPOM]

You dont think that I will need any upgrades to the processor or ram? From what I understand, the m3 processor is like a processor fit for an iPad. That won't power logic to how i need it to, will it?

Last year the m3 was fairly slow compared to the m5. This year the m3 is actually pretty good. It's about the same as the 2016 m7.

I have the 8GB i5 but only because I needed the larger SSD. 16GB would be helpful if you plan to use a virtual machine or have a lot of apps open.

 

[stellerd]

Last year the m3 was fairly slow compared to the m5. This year the m3 is actually pretty good. It's about the same as the 2016 m7.

I have the 8GB i5 but only because I needed the larger SSD. 16GB would be helpful if you plan to use a virtual machine or have a lot of apps open.

I think I'm going to go with a 2016 MBP with 256gb, i5, and 8gb memory. Thanks so much for the input but after looking into it and seeing what the m series can do, I don't think it's enough for my needs. Thank you so much!

 

[DNAppleGold]

I bought the 2017 rMB M3/8g for a mobile work computer. I use mostly the MS office suite (including outlook), Evernote, Salesforce through safari. (yes- really exciting ). I'll often have iTunes open in the background. Occasionally, I use photoshop, zoom, Citrix go to my pc to desktop remote into my work desktop. I'm bad about closing apps and often all were open at the same time. The basic model handled it all fine. That being said, I enjoyed the rMB so much, I decided to "future proof" it just a bit by trading for the 16g model (same processor) within my 15 day grace period. It could be my imagination, but I see noticeably fewer spinning balls. My sense is you'll be super happy with the base model based on your needs (I was). But if you need to/like to run many apps at once, the extra $200 for the 16g was worth it for me.

 

[jrswizzle]

You dont think that I will need any upgrades to the processor or ram? From what I understand, the m3 processor is like a processor fit for an iPad. That won't power logic to how i need it to, will it?

The idea that the Intel M3 somehow compares to what’s in an iPad is laughable.

The iPad Pro, for example, is MUCH more powerful than MacBook.

If your 2013 MacBook Air runs Logic just fine, any current device will do.

 

[maerz001]

I think I'm going to go with a 2016 MBP with 256gb, i5, and 8gb memory. Thanks so much for the input but after looking into it and seeing what the m series can do, I don't think it's enough for my needs. Thank you so much!

Which is no bad decision

Have u seen this ?
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/...-Intel-Core-i5-with-Retina-Display-Space-Gray
[doublepost=1502519044][/doublepost]

The idea that the Intel M3 somehow compares to what’s in an iPad is laughable.

The iPad Pro, for example, is MUCH more powerful than MacBook.

If your 2013 MacBook Air runs Logic just fine, any current device will do.

For some optimized programs yes. But u also have thermal throttling there. Just nobody talks about this