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MacBook Pro M3 Pro --- 14" or 16"?

S

sidgriffey

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 27, 2008
121
17
Los Angeles, CA
Hi,

I am either getting the M3 Pro 14" or the 16" and am wondering what tradeoffs there are to consider. 1Tb storage, 18gb ram most likely as I am not doing extremely heavy duty work but use to do Telehealth as a therapist, zooms, multitasking a bit in that sense.

thank you,

Peter

p.s. I currently have 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro and it's great but I am open to maybe going smaller...maybe. has battery improved on 14"?
 
It’s personal preference. Based on your user case, not even sure 1 TB SSD is necessary but I always grapple with 512 or 1 TB. I went with the 16 inch MB Pro 36 GB 512 GB SSD since I don’t have another Mac to compare to (I returned a previous MacBook I purchased in 2020 after deciding to just go with an iPad).

512 GB makes sense to me because the current 1 TB Toshiba I’ve had since 2016 has only used maybe 250 GB of storage. I can always attach additional storage if necessary.
 
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sidgriffey said:
p.s. I currently have 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro and it's great but I am open to maybe going smaller...maybe. has battery improved on 14"?
Click to expand...


The battery on the 14" M3 Pro is the best in any laptop PC Magazine has ever tested:

www.pcmag.com

Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch (2023, M3 Pro) Review

Apple's 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro strikes a winning balance between premium design and M3 Pro-powered performance, for a compact mobile workstation that trounces similarly priced Windows machines.
www.pcmag.com www.pcmag.com
 
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Last thing ... my other machine is M2 MacBook Air. Should this influence my decision? I would consider trading that in instead of the 16" but I do not get nearly as much for it.
 
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It’s hard to answer because it is based on your workflows. Since this will effectively be my first MacBook, going 36 GB RAM will seem like a huge leap. However, I am not a video editor, so for someone who is, 36 GB might seem low. I was going to purchase the 1 TB SSD version but noticed it was shipping later. I also compared it to my current Windows based laptop and just didn’t make sense to hold out for 1 TB.
 
I think that 18gb should be enough for you, but remember, you can always plug in extra storage later. You can't plug in extra RAM. Especially since you're doing multitasking, you should prioritize upgrading RAM, chip, and SSD, in that order. As for the size, it doesn't really matter. I really like my 14 inch, but I can see how you'd want more screen space. Even with a scaled resolution it still gets pretty cramped for me.
One thing to note: Right now we are in the extended return period for Christmas, so if you buy from Apple you have until January 8, 2024 to return it for 100% money back. You could buy both and then return the one you don't want.
 
Have you tried them? My main issue with the 14” is that I don’t mind it comfortable for typing… the 16” is much better for typing plus it has bigger screen and speakers, and possible better battery life. If you are not going to be moving around a lot with the laptop, I’d definitely go with the 16”.
 
Why do you even consider going from a 16“ M1 max to a M3 pro?

You will gain nothing but lose a lot of money
 
This is my logic:

I'm replacing a 16" MBP and 27" iMac with this thing. Most of the time, this thing is going to be docked to multiple displays. When I do use it as a laptop, I want it to be as portable as possible for travel and for general comfort. Before now, it wasn't possible to have something that is essentially as powerful as a Mac Pro in a 14" laptop, so it works great as a desktop most of the time, and gives me great battery life, portability, and power on the go.

So if you're going to dock it at home or work a lot of the time, then the smaller display is a great tradeoff. If you don't plan on doing that, a 16" might be worth it so it doesn't feel as cramped. Even so, I've gotten so used to having three displays that any laptop feels cramped to me, so may as well go with a 14"! On top of that, the 14" is cheaper, and starting with this generation, for the M3 Max anyway it has performance mode, so there was no downside for me.
 
True. I just got the 16” M3 Pro and the screen is a dream. I thought the portability was gonna suck, but no. Once it’s in my backpack I honestly don’t feel a difference between this and my old M1 Air.
 
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So there isn't any difference between the 14 and the 16?
Last year everyone was saying the 14" SSDs speed was slower compared to the 16 inch.
 
sidgriffey said:
Hi,

I am either getting the M3 Pro 14" or the 16" and am wondering what tradeoffs there are to consider. 1Tb storage, 18gb ram most likely as I am not doing extremely heavy duty work but use to do Telehealth as a therapist, zooms, multitasking a bit in that sense.

thank you,

Peter

p.s. I currently have 16" M1 Max MacBook Pro and it's great but I am open to maybe going smaller...maybe. has battery improved on 14"?
Click to expand...

sidgriffey said:
Last thing ... my other machine is M2 MacBook Air. Should this influence my decision? I would consider trading that in instead of the 16" but I do not get nearly as much for it.
Click to expand...

Based on your use case, the 15" Air might be a good choice and would give you a lot for your money. Your stated use case is easily handled by the Air and by going to the pro, you're really paying for a lot of capability that you don't need.

I would hold onto the 16" M1 Max if I were you. if you're really wanted to get something 'shiny new' (I get like that too) then the 15" Air is really great even in base spec. I got one as a secondary machine to my 14" M1 Pro and I love it.
 
CalMin said:
Based on your use case, the 15" Air might be a good choice and would give you a lot for your money. Your stated use case is easily handled by the Air and by going to the pro, you're really paying for a lot of capability that you don't need.

I would hold onto the 16" M1 Max if I were you. if you're really wanted to get something 'shiny new' (I get like that too) then the 15" Air is really great even in base spec. I got one as a secondary machine to my 14" M1 Pro and I love it.
Click to expand...
Hmmm well it depends on what you want and how much you are willing to pay. I don't do anything heavy duty and I got a Macbook Air 15" because I wanted a bigger screen, but I ended up returning it and going with the 16" M3 Pro. More expensive and overpowered for my needs, but the screen is SO MUCH better, as are the speakers and the whole experience in general. I'm keeping my M1 Air for more on-the-go portability.
Also, the 16" is not that bulky. I honestly can't really tell the difference between this and my M1 Air once they are in my backpack.
I personally wouldn't get the 14". I find it uncomfortable to type on because the palm of my hands don't get to rest all the way on the laptop, unlike with the 16", which is a joy to type on.
My advice? If money is not an issue, go with the 16"!!
 
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YonTom said:
Hmmm well it depends on what you want and how much you are willing to pay. I don't do anything heavy duty and I got a Macbook Air 15" because I wanted a bigger screen, but I ended up returning it and going with the 16" M3 Pro. More expensive and overpowered for my needs, but the screen is SO MUCH better, as are the speakers and the whole experience in general. I'm keeping my M1 Air for more on-the-go portability.
Also, the 16" is not that bulky. I honestly can't really tell the difference between this and my M1 Air once they are in my backpack.
I personally wouldn't get the 14". I find it uncomfortable to type on because the palm of my hands don't get to rest all the way on the laptop, unlike with the 16", which is a joy to type on.
My advice? If money is not an issue, go with the 16"!!
Click to expand...

Nice post - this outlines exactly why this is a very personal thing and why what is right for one person, may not be right for someone else.

I found the 16" 2019 MacBook Pro unwieldy and when I checked out the M1Pro/Max form factor I knew instantly it wasn't for me. I use my 14" work machine docked to an external display setup 90% of the time, so screen size doesn't matter as much. Then when I travel the 14" works just great and is tangibly lighter than the 16".

My personal couch computer was a 13" M2 Air, but when the 15" Air came out, I eventually traded up and now enjoy the 15" display in my living room without the weight of the 16". I miss the lightweight of the 13" but with my eyesight, that screen really only lends itself to having one thing at a time open and I don't compute that way.

At the end of the day these threads are fun to weigh in on and opine, but these are very personal choices on which only OP can decide on themselves. There's no 'right' or 'wrong'. I actually love that we have 13", 14" 15" 16" options available depending on budgets/needs/preferences. There is no optimal choice that works for everyone. Like so many things in life we have to choose based what we're willing to compromise on i.e. Power, Screen Size, Image Quality, Weight, Cost etc.
 
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YonTom said:
Also, the 16" is not that bulky. I honestly can't really tell the difference between this and my M1 Air once they are in my backpack.
Click to expand...
I found this as well. I used to run as part of my commute and honestly, anything bigger than a 12" MacBook or an iPad and I was very aware I was carrying a "chunk" of metal on my back.

Assuming you're able-bodied, I don't think the 16" MBP is too heavy to carry around in a laptop bag of some sort when on the move. That screen and those speakers are incredible.
 
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ascender said:
I found this as well. I used to run as part of my commute and honestly, anything bigger than a 12" MacBook or an iPad and I was very aware I was carrying a "chunk" of metal on my back.

Assuming you're able-bodied, I don't think the 16" MBP is too heavy to carry around in a laptop bag of some sort when on the move. That screen and those speakers are incredible.
Click to expand...
It depends on what you mean by “carry around”. Taking it from your car to your destination is a whole different experience than hauling a 4.7lbs. MBP in your backpack while navigating public transit, when the perceived weight increases with every step.
 
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prospervic said:
It depends on what you mean by “carry around”. Taking it from your car to your destination is a whole different experience than hauling a 4.7lbs. MBP in your backpack while navigating public transit, when the perceived weight increases with every step.
Click to expand...
Everyone's different though. I didn't have any issue with having it in a bag when traveling on public transport - train or plane somewhere and then trains. subway etc. But its an easy enough test to do for anyone before you buy one - load up your bag with some bas of sugar and see how it feels.

I've no doubt that will give a lot of people the immediate answer to this question as to whether or not this laptop is too heavy for them to consider if they are on the move a lot.
 
I've had both and while I absolutely love the screen real estate of the 16" it's way more bothersome to carry IMO. Not mainly due to its weight but much more due to its form factor which requires an overall bigger backpack, etc.

So if you plan on using an external monitor I'd go for the 14" and call it a day. If not it's really up to you and if you're willing to carry the massive size of the bigger one with you all-day everyday.
 
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ascender said:
Everyone's different though. I didn't have any issue with having it in a bag when traveling on public transport - train or plane somewhere and then trains. subway etc. But its an easy enough test to do for anyone before you buy one - load up your bag with some bas of sugar and see how it feels.

I've no doubt that will give a lot of people the immediate answer to this question as to whether or not this laptop is too heavy for them to consider if they are on the move a lot.
Click to expand...
I love my 16 inch M1 MBP, but I only take it with me when I'm going directly to a location to do some work. I've found that just walking around with it on my back while running errands to be burdensome (maybe I need to go to the gym more often?).

I'm going to get an M2 13 inch MBA for days like that, and for travel (fit's much better on airline tray tables).
 
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