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ctjack

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 8, 2020
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Hello dear comrades. I need your help to make decision between customization to pick. So I am aiming at the higher end base for $2600 with base i9, 5500 8gb(+$90), 16gb RAM and 1tb SSD. So now i can afford and justify only one extra upgrade for $360. So should i go from 16gb to 32gb of ram, or upgrade 1tb base to 2tb ssd for extra $360? Total will be $3089 or something like that, and no way i want to stretch further.

Usage: Excel, Final Cut and DaVinci resolve to make my family videos from holidays and everyday life. Currently only 1080P camera, but maybe one day there will be need to render 4K videos, when i will upgrade my old camera.
No gaming. Lightroom and light Photoshop. Bootcamp with Windows for specific software.

Little background: student, willing to take free beats with back to school. So selling beats will give me back around $175-200.
Last laptop: 2mo. used Dell xps 15z purchased in June, 2011. I had 128gb ssd + 750gb hdd on that rig with 4gb of ram. It served me really well and still serving, but hinges don't keep the lid fixed, so i have to place books at the back of lcd to fix it, so it stays straight in open position. I can't complain about Dell that much and Windows, but I had an opportunity to buy used MBP 13 late 2012 i5 8gb/128gb in October 2016 for $200.
And this MBP 13 is really awesome and i liked it a lot. Especially quality and sturdiness. For example, Dell looks really bad, because it is not unibody aluminum, and every plastic part fell off, hinge broke after 8 years(can't complain), hate windows 10 interface, but really loved windows 7.
Overall Dell xps went with me through my journeys, and I really thankful for it. For example, large storage always helped me to keep my stuff to recover other windows PCs while traveling, 7-8 hours of battery life in 2011 is awesome. I was so cold in the airplane, that i opened GrandTheftAuto 4 on Dell and put it in my backpack. I closed the lid, it was screaming with fans and giving hot air, and put my toes into the backpack with hot laptop. Also once in the winter it was so cold, that i was putting that dell with game on/lid closed into my bed under the blanket, and it was giving me warm air for 4 hours.

My reasoning for upgrades look like this: Third party RAM on the market is around $80, but Apple is asking $360 extra. I know that it is highly selected crystals for Apple RAM, and they are better, but still that doesn't justify price difference for me.
On the other hand, similar performance ssd Samsung 970 Pro is like $360 for 1tb, and $500 for 2tb. And this way I can justify paying Apple $360 for switch 1tb -> 2tb, because external ssd for 1tb will cost me at least $150 and still won't be as fast and comfy like internal one. So the premium paid is justified i guess.
 
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Can you add RAM through a Thunderbolt port when you need it?

No.

RAM

Here is the model I bough. 2.3 i9 32gb ram 1TB Ssd 8gb vram $3099 now. I paid $3299. So your price range with an even better video card for your future 4k video editing.

 
Usage: Excel, Final Cut and DaVinci resolve to make my family videos from holidays and everyday life. Currently only 1080P camera, but maybe one day there will be need to render 4K videos, when i will upgrade my old camera.
No gaming. Lightroom and light Photoshop. Bootcamp with Windows for specific software.

My reasoning for upgrades look like this: Third party RAM on the market is around $80, but Apple is asking $360 extra. I know that it is highly selected crystals for Apple RAM, and they are better, but still that doesn't justify price difference for me.
On the other hand, similar performance ssd Samsung 970 Pro is like $360 for 1tb, and $500 for 2tb. And this way I can justify paying Apple $360 for switch 1tb -> 2tb, because external ssd for 1tb will cost me at least $150 and still won't be as fast and comfy like internal one. So the premium paid is justified i guess.


MacOS is pretty memory efficient, with you current needs, 16Gb of ram seems to be the sweet spot.

Personally I use my MacBook Pro 16" for video editing(mostly 1080p, on some occasions 4K, using FCPX), after using it for 2 months, I have never witness file swapping, not once.

The "hardest" consistent workload on my machine is a combination of playing WoW on my external monitor, simultaneously watching Netflix on the build in display, while rendering out a video on FCPX. Even under such extreme load, no file swapping takes place.

The price for upgrading the ram is borderline ridiculously, something you should venture towards, only if you have very specific needs.

While upgrading the internal SSD is more financially palatable, prudence dictates that the cost to necessity ratio be closely examined before undertaking such an endeavour. It might just prove to be unneeded.

In short, upgrade only if you absolutely need to. The base model MacBook Pro 16", both the i7 and particularly the i9, are priced as value proposition to the masses, bringing more than enough performance, for the average prosumer.

You are getting the best bang for buck with the base models, especially if you are able to get a substantial discount on the "standard build" at your local store.
 
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MacOS is pretty memory efficient, with you current needs, 16Gb of ram seems to be the sweet spot.

Personally I use my MacBook Pro 16" for video editing(mostly 1080p, on some occasions 4K, using FCPX), after using it for 2 months, I have never witness file swapping, not once.
Thank you very much. That was the answer i was looking for.
The "hardest" consistent workload on my machine is a combination of playing WoW on my external monitor, simultaneously watching Netflix on the build in display, while rendering out a video on FCPX. Even under such extreme load, no file swapping takes place.
Then i have no doubts. You are seeking for its' limits, huh? Nice thing that it handles so much of work at once.
You are getting the best bang for buck with the base models, especially if you are able to get a substantial discount on the "standard build" at your local store.
Thank you:). I see your point;). $2400 for your spec would be awesome.
 
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