Need Thoughts...

[Maclver]

So I have an order with Apple for a Macbook Air i5 w/ 16GB RAM. I have been reading reviews of the device and the common thing that is coming out of those reviews is under normal loads the device heats up excessively and the fans go crazy! I want to keep this laptop long term, thinking around 3 to 5 years. My question is should there really be a heat issue am I better off canceling and going with the i3 model with 16GB ram? I will have AppleCare on it, so that leaves me leaning i5. But interested in what you think?! My usage will be, safari, YT, iWork, Office, Photos (light editing) and using Shadow.tech (Cloud gaming).

Edit: I am coming from a 2018 Macbook Air 1.6 i5

Thanks!

 

[Capeto]

I have the same configuration, and the only time my MBA's fans go wild is when I'm on Zoom (which is pretty often these days), especially when doing screen shares. Under other workloads (including web apps and MS Office), fans are silent.

Out of your app usage, the only one I expect to possible cause some strain could be cloud gaming, but that's just a wild guess on my part.

 

[Maclver]

I have the same configuration, and the only time my MBA's fans go wild is when I'm on Zoom (which is pretty often these days), especially when doing screen shares. Under other workloads (including web apps and MS Office), fans are silent.

Out of your app usage, the only one I expect to possible cause some strain could be cloud gaming, but that's just a wild guess on my part.

my thinking is the i5 is more future proof than the i3. But not sure how much more future proof it is.

 

[Capeto]

Performance is similar to the i3, and the upgrade from that to the i5 was only $100 so that's why I went for it.

The 16GB RAM upgrade will likely bring more futureproofing than the i3 -> i5 bump.

 

[Capeto]

Also, several anecdotal reports here state that the i3 is more silent/cooler than the i5, so if fan noise and heat are concerns of yours it might be a good idea to stick with the i3 (I'd still recommend the RAM upgrade).