MBP 2018 13" (2.3GHz i5) or 15" (2.2GHz i7)?

[hajime]

Hello, if I want a quiet laptop that I do not feel the heat when using it on the laps and have a better battery life than the other size, which model should I choose? Thanks

 

[hajime]

I asked Apple chat agent. He wrote that there isn't a noisy fan because it uses SSD! When I mentioned about noisy fan due to heat from the cpu and/or gpu, he wrote "Well the 15” models have the6 core processor, dedicated graphics card and 16GB of RAM. So the 15” models are going to be faster overall." What does that has to do with my question? He mentioned that the 2016 keyboard issue has been fixed but we all know that nobody knows for sure until few months later. He also tried to avoid answering questions about some issues.

He kept trying to push me to order it with him for three times.

 

[MRrainer]

I think the 12" is the quietest, actually, with no fans. Not sure if it's also the coolest.
Not sure which one runs longer - Apple both rates them at 10h. Probably depends on what you do.
YT-Reviewers universally commend the 15" on being the quietest laptop in its class (15" 6-core), even if they don't like much else of it ;-)

And honestly, if you plan on having kids soon, don't use it on the lap (assuming you're male).

 

[hajime]

I think the 12" is the quietest, actually, with no fans. Not sure if it's also the coolest.
Not sure which one runs longer - Apple both rates them at 10h. Probably depends on what you do.
YT-Reviewers universally commend the 15" on being the quietest laptop in its class (15" 6-core), even if they don't like much else of it ;-)

And honestly, if you plan on having kids soon, don't use it on the lap (assuming you're male).

Not kids related but I am on public transportation 4 hours/day so I care about feeling hot on my laps.

 

[MRrainer]

4h public transportation/day would literally kill me. Or at least drain me of any energy I have even before I entered work.
Having a hot laptop on my lap would be the least of my problems then.

 

[jaduff46]

Depends on your use case. i7 and the larger screen if you’re doing video editing, i5 otherwise. Given the length of your commute, the 13” will be much more comfortable, perhaps coupled with a nice external monitor if you need/want the scree

 

[DeepIn2U]

Not kids related but I am on public transportation 4 hours/day so I care about feeling hot on my laps.

2018 MBP 13" i5/16/512 does get hot after normal browser, emails, iMessage use. Then again it's 30 Celsius in my apartment but I'm in my living room with the 10K BTU A/C going at medium. Outside is roughly 26 Celsius. Mine is ok for lap using light shorts on the couch ... but if I queued up GarageBand or Xcode or anything that demands more resources ... then YES it gets TOO hot.

- I never use Safari full screen
- I do use iTunes full screen on a dedicated space.
- LOVE the TouchBar ... very convenient for tedious tasks.

To me at quad core i5 it's VERY close to the performance of the same on an i7: for usual typical mundane tasks. MS Office suite doesn't really care if you have an i3/i5/i7 ... these Intel chips are not ramped up for single threaded apps.

GO with what works best for YOU!
Start with your existing machine ~ I din't have a full working laptop/no PC for months. My MBA 2011 needed LCD backlight repairs which took a week thus I ordered my machine prior for that repair to being.

isolate what your needs are:
in terms of applications, power, size then weight.
* ensure you have the adapters you require.

Ensure you have a case or skin and a GOOD bag to use your Mac in.

 

[Lfcstanley]

Hi, I like to seek advise on top of this thread as it has good advise. I have been using my old windows laptop for 8 years and it is time to upgrade in order to learn new skills from YouTube and Udemy.

I am deliberating between a MBP with the OP’s 2 options above: i5/13/16GB/512GB vs i7/15/16GB/512GB/550x. I am wondering which is better suited for the following usage?

My usage is:

1. iOS developement with XCode
2. VSS for other software development
3. Prototyping with Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, setting up local test net, docker VMs. Simulating 2 organizations transacting with each other.
4. Playing Football Manager 2017
5. Intend to learn photo and video edit using free software that comes with the Mac or Open Source.
6. My photos and video are stored externally on NAS.
7. Bring out of house twice a week using about 7 hours at a stretch.
8. I won’t spend more than the listed price of the i7/15/16GB/512GB/560x top end default configuration model.

Thanks in advance for any kind advise.

 

[jgoodmanjr]

I too am using it for Blockchain development, and some very light video as well, and am also a developer in various other platforms. I just found a great deal on Apple refurb site for a i7/32gb/512gb/550x. Just ordered and will be here Tuesday. From what I read, these are just as good as the new ones and have same exact warranty. My advice is probably not much different from others in as much as go with base and upgrade SSD and maybe RAM. But def check the refurb site. Great deals!

 

[littlepud]

I went with the 15” 2.6/16/512/R560X after going back and forth between that and a 13” 2.7/16/1TB where both machines were essentially the same price.