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mbp or desktop

H

Hachirou

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 16, 2012
10
0
Hi

so i started with a desktop, i7 2600k, 8gb ram n a 2gb gtx560 ti. however it has been the most unreliable system i have ever had and caused me so many problems, i am currently still trying to get a refund on this machine.

i am a student studying 3d modelling & animation, i use 3ds max, maya, premiere pro, photoshop cs5.1, mudbox etc

my parents and my brother all say i should get a MBP so i can take my work home with me easily and have a reliable laptop.

so do you think a MBP will do the job? at the moment i can only take work home with me if someone is available to drive up to me as i sold my car. so the mobility of the laptop will be a bonus but will the sacrifice in spec hurt?

i should probably say that i will most likely need to dual boot windows on there.
 
Sacrafice in spec?

i7 + 8GB RAM + 6770M + 7200RPM = No compromise.


It will easily handle anything you throw at it :) (MBP that is)
 
would you say 15" > 17" as i already have a 32" screen that i work on, though i have been wanting dual screen for using image ref on one screen while i work on the other. not sure if a MBP can handle this and my funds cant handle that yet anyway :p

will having windows on it affect the performance at all? n is buying now an ok time? or are apple going to release a new one soon, i know how they like to update yearly.
 
Dual screens will work just fine. I suggest going for a 15" and trick it out with more ram and a SSD. Working at home with this is no problem :)
 
the 15 and 17 inch MBPs are a monster machine at the moment.

My 15" is more than capable of running current 3d games in boot camp, and is faster than any other machine i have ever used, desktop or not for video encoding, etc.

I went 15", however for your application I'd consider the 17" as well - the extra screen real estate will help when doing stuff not at your desk - on the couch, on the move, etc. 1680x1050 is "ok" for that, but bigger would be better :D
 
thanks for all the replies.

im thinking ill get the top range 15" mbp, student discount seems to knock off a nice chunk in the price. i just want to make 100% sure it is gonna run everything i want :) i like to multi task a little bit between photoshop and max

one last question is....i have been waiting for diablo 3 and guild wars 2, i have never really seen macs as a gaming platform. since i will have windows boot camped on the mbp, will it survive with these games at a decent setting? need not be at ultra/max but would rather not have it at minimum either.
 
Hachirou said:
thanks for all the replies.

im thinking ill get the top range 15" mbp, student discount seems to knock off a nice chunk in the price. i just want to make 100% sure it is gonna run everything i want :) i like to multi task a little bit between photoshop and max

one last question is....i have been waiting for diablo 3 and guild wars 2, i have never really seen macs as a gaming platform. since i will have windows boot camped on the mbp, will it survive with these games at a decent setting? need not be at ultra/max but would rather not have it at minimum either.
Click to expand...

A 15 maxed out will definitely suit your needs and with what you do, I would get either the highest or second highest CPU. The reason for this is you also get a better GPU which it sounds like will benefit you a lot. The 15 MBPs are as fast as many desktop computers and so the trade off for portability is at a minimum. They run CS5.x like a champ. If you have an external monitor at your house and a keyboard, you can get a vertical mount for the MBP such as the one below (they have many different ones) and you can run all of your external stuff off of a single Thunderbolt cable (as accessories become compatible with it).
floater_t2.jpg


For the work you stated, I would buy the top spec MBP with the cheapest RAM and cheapest HDD. Then I would buy 16 GB of RAM and a SSD (prolly 256 GB) such as the Samsung 830. Both will help you a lot with your needs. The 16GB of RAM makes a HUGE difference when multitasking via multiple memory hogging programs. If you don't use CDs much and/or you need more storage, you could put a second 7200 RPM HDD or a SSD in the ODD bay. I believe you could even run Windows off of the second hard drive only if you wanted to, so if you generally would use OS X but rarely Windows, that may be the way to go.

If you haven't used OS X much before, there is a good chance you will like it as much or more than Windows. My first Mac had a hard drive partition for OS X and Windows. As time went on, I used Windows less and less as OS X is more logic-based system to me and for what I do it runs flawlessly. Before I knew it, I forgot I even had a Windows partition and since that hard drive, I have not installed Windows on any of my Macs since. I do, however, use a Windows Virtual Desktop for some work-related stuff, so I understand the need for Windows. How often would you be using each OS? Depending on the CS you use, you can get 5.5 for Mac at a pretty cheap price although I have read CS6 is set to premier in May. CS is actually a bit cheaper for Macs, which I have never quite understood. The CS I use I got with my student discount for like $250. IIRC it was the Premium or Reference or something like that. You can also get Office 2011 for dirt cheap. IIRC it was like $40 for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Remote Desktop, and MS Messenger (I only use Word, Excel and PPT).
 
If you need portability the only option is a laptop. I use a 13" mbp but it's only for pleasure and playing. If I was doing any actual work :D I'd be using something with a bigger monitor and a little more power...at least the 15".
 
not sure if i could afford to get SSD as well, they seem rather expensive at the moment. i will be upgrading the RAM via crucial. Why does apple state 8gb max when buying a laptop but crucial say 16gb? is it just apple wont supply 16gb?

yeah well the spec i was looking at was the 6770m 1gb card with 2.4 quad i7, the extra money for 2.5 doesnt seem worth it. unless that upgrades graphics as well?

the university uses windows so i was thinking i would mainly be running windows just to make sure nothing happens with compatibility. i also have every program i need on windows at moment.

that stand looks rather tidy :)
 
Hachirou said:
not sure if i could afford to get SSD as well, they seem rather expensive at the moment. i will be upgrading the RAM via crucial. Why does apple state 8gb max when buying a laptop but crucial say 16gb? is it just apple wont supply 16gb?

yeah well the spec i was looking at was the 6770m 1gb card with 2.4 quad i7, the extra money for 2.5 doesnt seem worth it. unless that upgrades graphics as well?

the university uses windows so i was thinking i would mainly be running windows just to make sure nothing happens with compatibility. i also have every program i need on windows at moment.

that stand looks rather tidy :)
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't offer 16 GB as an option. They are still selling their 8 GB upgrade for $400 if you buy it outright or $200 if you buy a computer that is new and upgrade from 4 to 8...so 16 would then commend an arm, a leg, and your first born.

You can get the Samsung and Crucial SSDs for about $1.25 a GB. Once you go SSD, you never go back. If nothing else, get a 128 GB SSD and keep all your core programs on it and than less often used files on a second HDD. SSDs are amazing!

The 2.4 is fine as it has the same graphics as the 2.5 but the IIRC the 2.4 has a 6 MB L3 cache where as the 2.5 has a 8 MB L3 cache. That may or may not be important to you and I would confirm that as I may be wrong. That was originally why I bought my 2.3 instead of the 2.2 (which were replaced by the 2.5 and 2.4, respectively). They also have refurbbed ones too which you may be able to save some money on.

Now with all that said, if you are almost always going to be running Windows, a Windows computer may serve you better. The MBP is an amazing machine and I would not trade mine for the world, but half the reason I like it is OS X. If you are going to be running Windows only or almost only, you honestly may not be using it to the fullest and then the question is 'is it still worth it?'. You can get some pretty decked out (magnesium or aluminum cased) Windows machines for a lower price, and some are very nice. The offerings from Toshiba and Levano are pretty sweet. I'm not saying don't get a MBP as I personally would not buy another laptop other than it, but I would definitely look at the high end Windows machines as well given it sounds like they may suit your needs as well as a MBP for a lower price.
 
Hachirou said:
not sure if i could afford to get SSD as well, they seem rather expensive at the moment. i will be upgrading the RAM via crucial. Why does apple state 8gb max when buying a laptop but crucial say 16gb? is it just apple wont supply 16gb?

yeah well the spec i was looking at was the 6770m 1gb card with 2.4 quad i7, the extra money for 2.5 doesnt seem worth it. unless that upgrades graphics as well?

the university uses windows so i was thinking i would mainly be running windows just to make sure nothing happens with compatibility. i also have every program i need on windows at moment.

that stand looks rather tidy :)
Click to expand...

I'd get a PC laptop then. Get something with the same specs as a top-end mbp with an ssd. No reason to spend so much on a MBP just use it in windows. Driver support in windows on a MBP is pretty bad. I get half the battery life as in OSX and it runs really hot. In osx, it is cool.
 
I'm trying to decide as well ... Either buying an iMac or Mbps when they are updated .. I do some editing with fcpx but might switch to adobe and might possibly play diablo iii
 
jetjaguar said:
I'm trying to decide as well ... Either buying an iMac or Mbps when they are updated .. I do some editing with fcpx but might switch to adobe and might possibly play diablo iii
Click to expand...

If you dont need to carry your Mac, then buy an iMac.
If you do, buy MacBook Pro.

I carry my 11in MBA for university and easy traveling.
MBP 17in for long term travel and light work in my house.
iMac 27in for intensive task, long time work.

The downside of desktop is that you cant move it around.
I like to use my MBP on bed side and iMac on desk.

It really depends on the portability and what you are using it for.
 
Hachirou said:
is buying now an ok time? or are apple going to release a new one soon, i know how they like to update yearly.
Click to expand...

To answer your last question, Apple are likely to release a new, revised Macbook Pro any time between the months of April and July; thus coinciding with Intel's new processor release.
 
yusukeaoki said:
If you dont need to carry your Mac, then buy an iMac.
If you do, buy MacBook Pro.

I carry my 11in MBA for university and easy traveling.
MBP 17in for long term travel and light work in my house.
iMac 27in for intensive task, long time work.

The downside of desktop is that you cant move it around.
I like to use my MBP on bed side and iMac on desk.

It really depends on the portability and what you are using it for.
Click to expand...

ive had imacs and mac pros and when it comes down to it I hate being stuck at my desk .. the only problem i had with editing on a mbp is that it sounds like a jet whenever it was under load
 
jetjaguar said:
ive had imacs and mac pros and when it comes down to it I hate being stuck at my desk .. the only problem i had with editing on a mbp is that it sounds like a jet whenever it was under load
Click to expand...

I still hate playing heavy videos on MBPs too haha
I cant even hear the video because the fan sounds like a fighter jet!

But the reason why I bought MBP was I wanted to be portable not just outside but inside my house aswell.
Sometimes I never leave my bed hehe
 
Well lets be a bit more serious, a mbp will never rech the speed of a mac pro! Not only the sandy bride e is faster than ivy bridge, but also the gpu in a mac pro is relatively faster and you can even put more gpu's at once. You just cant compare a mp with a mbp, thats said. But when you want a portable solution with lesser power than a desktop, then you do well, go for a mbp:)
 
macintoshi said:
Well lets be a bit more serious, a mbp will never rech the speed of a mac pro! Not only the sandy bride e is faster than ivy bridge, but also the gpu in a mac pro is relatively faster and you can even put more gpu's at once. You just cant compare a mp with a mbp, thats said. But when you want a portable solution with lesser power than a desktop, then you do well, go for a mbp:)
Click to expand...

We arent really comparing to Mac Pros. We are mostly comparing to iMacs.
And Mac Pro's have Intel Xeon Nehalem. Not Sandy or Ivy.
 
yusukeaoki said:
We arent really comparing to Mac Pros. We are comparing to iMacs.
And Mac Pro's have Intel Xeon Nehalem. Not Sandy or Ivy.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but the upgraded mac pros will have sandy e! And the Title dosn't states iMac vs MBP but it states: DESKTOP VS MBP. In the desktop category, there is also MP!
 
macintoshi said:
Yeah, but the upgraded mac pros will have sandy e! And the Title dosn't states iMac vs MBP but it states: DESKTOP VS MBP. In the desktop category, there is also MP!
Click to expand...

Im guessing updated Mac Pros will have Ivy's instead of Sandy.
I cant see why Apple would downgrade to put deactivated processor into a refreshed machine.
 
Hachirou said:
one last question is....i have been waiting for diablo 3 and guild wars 2, i have never really seen macs as a gaming platform. since i will have windows boot camped on the mbp, will it survive with these games at a decent setting? need not be at ultra/max but would rather not have it at minimum either.
Click to expand...

I've run games on mine just fine with boot camp (fan noise is loud though) - Dragon Age Origins was as fast or faster than on my Q6600 + Nvidia 450GTS desktop (all settings maxxed, 1680x1050 res in 32 bit with anti-aliasing). You won't need to run minimum settings, the GPU is pretty decent.

Diablo 3 will be Mac native though, so you won't need to boot camp for that :D
 
i find this such a hard choice :( every windows based laptop i have owned has been a bit meh, battery never lasted, always got really hot by just being on. always kept vents cleared and free of dust.

i know a laptop will never be the same as a top end desktop but that mobility makes it so tempting.

family say nothing but mbp as a laptop but if it runs worse when using windows im not sure what to do. does anyone know of decent laptops to compare to the mbp? or maybe if i can make a switch with all my programs, hmmm i will see if autodesk support macs since i get all the software free while im a student

i would like to be able to go home and visit people even if i have work to do, with a laptop my work comes with me :) dragging a desktop on the train isn't my ideal situation.
 
Hachirou said:
i find this such a hard choice :( every windows based laptop i have owned has been a bit meh, battery never lasted, always got really hot by just being on. always kept vents cleared and free of dust.

i know a laptop will never be the same as a top end desktop but that mobility makes it so tempting.

family say nothing but mbp as a laptop but if it runs worse when using windows im not sure what to do. does anyone know of decent laptops to compare to the mbp? or maybe if i can make a switch with all my programs, hmmm i will see if autodesk support macs since i get all the software free while im a student

i would like to be able to go home and visit people even if i have work to do, with a laptop my work comes with me :) dragging a desktop on the train isn't my ideal situation.
Click to expand...

I dont have ivy bridge nor a sandy bridge mbp. i would like to know of a sandy bridge owner how windows preforms and in term of becomeing hot. i have windows 7 installed as a second boot option as i have also linux ubuntu as a third boot option. and i must say, the hottest he become with windows 7 and less with linux, but best is osx. i think its cause of the cooling system not well supported with windows and linux, but i dont know how sandy and ivy does, sorry
 
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