Newbie Choice between a 2016 and 2015 MBP

[Sam_sung]

Hi Folks I am new to the whole business with macs and a bit confused about specs, differences and capabilities. Actually I am caught between two models.

first one
Apple MacBook Pro 13,3" Retina 2016

• Display: 13,3 Zoll Retina Display
• Prozessor: 2,9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor
• RAM: 16 GB LP DDR 3 - 2133 RAM
• 256 GB SSD, Keyboard: Touchbar and Touch ID
• Graphic: Intel Iris Graphics 550
• 4 x Thunderbolt 3

second one
Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina 2015

• Display: 15 Zoll (33,78 cm) Retina Display
  
• Prozessor: Intel® Core™ i7 (4. Generation) 4x 2,20 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB LP DDR 3 - 2133 RAM
• 256 GB SSD, Keyboard: Touchbar and Touch ID
• Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics
• 2 x Thunderbolt 2 and 2 USB
  
  
  

Both models are new and prices are the same. What would I do with the machines? Besides of the typical internet stuff and common use... The machine would serve as the host of my DAW (Ableton) plus external synths and I would like to switch to FCPX. Projects are usually small ones. Typically videos between 5 and 15 minutes and in the future in 4k. Videos are from multiple sources and projects are multi track ones.

Opinions are appreciated.

 

[Fishrrman]

Questions:
Do you need the "legacy ports"?
Do you prefer the older keyboard, or the newer one? (the only way you can answer this is to try both of them)

 

[jerryk]

Don't forget the screen size difference. 13 to 15" seems like a little, but in day to day usage it is quite different. If I were video editing, I would want more screen for timelines and such.

And the quad core CPU would also be useful.

 

[Sam_sung]

@Fishrrman

Keyboard is not that important because I am not a coder or earn my money with writing. About the legacy ports. Nope I think its not that important to me. Its more which machine is more powerful. I have really problems to judge it.

@jerryk

I agree totally with your statement. But if am at home I use external monitors. so i can live with a smaller screen. What is your opinion about the difference between both machines in sense of computing power? Because its all a bit new for me I have problems to judge. Is there any kind of benchmark results to compare the machines?

 

[jerryk]

@Fishrrman

Keyboard is not that important because I am not a coder or earn my money with writing. About the legacy ports. Nope I think its not that important to me. Its more which machine is more powerful. I have really problems to judge it.

@jerryk

I agree totally with your statement. But if am at home I use external monitors. so i can live with a smaller screen. What is your opinion about the difference between both machines in sense of computing power? Because its all a bit new for me I have problems to judge. Is there any kind of benchmark results to compare the machines?

There are numerous performance benchmarks available on various products and general performance. Here is one that has FCPX and others, on 13 and 15 2016 units.

http://barefeats.com/rmbp13v15.html

 

[maflynn]

Personally, I like the larger display, dGPU and quad core processor. I understand the allure of the 13" being more portable and I'll not disagree, but the performance and better display trump that advantage imo.

 

[PBz]

Hi Folks I am new to the whole business with macs and a bit confused about specs, differences and capabilities. Actually I am caught between two models.

first one
Apple MacBook Pro 13,3" Retina 2016

• Display: 13,3 Zoll Retina Display
• Prozessor: 2,9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor
• RAM: 16 GB LP DDR 3 - 2133 RAM
• 256 GB SSD, Keyboard: Touchbar and Touch ID
• Graphic: Intel Iris Graphics 550
• 4 x Thunderbolt 3

second one
Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina 2015

• Display: 15 Zoll (33,78 cm) Retina Display
  
• Prozessor: Intel® Core™ i7 (4. Generation) 4x 2,20 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB LP DDR 3 - 2133 RAM
• 256 GB SSD, Keyboard: Touchbar and Touch ID
• Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics
• 2 x Thunderbolt 2 and 2 USB
  
  

Both models are new and prices are the same. What would I do with the machines? Besides of the typical internet stuff and common use... The machine would serve as the host of my DAW (Ableton) plus external synths and I would like to switch to FCPX. Projects are usually small ones. Typically videos between 5 and 15 minutes and in the future in 4k. Videos are from multiple sources and projects are multi track ones.

Opinions are appreciated.

2015 doesn't have Touch Bar.

 

[Sam_sung]

Personally, I like the larger display, dGPU and quad core processor. I understand the allure of the 13" being more portable and I'll not disagree, but the performance and better display trump that advantage imo.

@maflynn
The one I could buy has not a dGPU it seems to me its just the intel chip. Does it change your statement about performance? Whats your opinion about the processor?

@PBz

Does it matter? Whats your opinion about the touch bar. Is it that useful?

p.s.: I am a total nob if it comes to macs. Sorry.

 

[PBz]

@maflynn
The one I could buy has not a dGPU it seems to me its just the intel chip. Does it change your statement about performance? Whats your opinion about the processor?

@PBz

Does it matter? Whats your opinion about the touch bar. Is it that useful?

p.s.: I am a total nob if it comes to macs. Sorry.

My $0.02..
Regarding the dGPU.. I don't game or do heavy video editing so it would not be a deal-breaker for me. I have even read some posts saying some preferred the integrated in the 2015 but I don't have the links.. just read in passing.. many here will know better.

Regarding the TouchBar.. like many I like the finger scanner as it makes it super easy to log in and buy things.. but that's a lot of $$ for not typing a password. As far as actual use.. I just don't really use it. I don't scan through video, I don't edit using it as a slider, I can hit the delete key at top right vs delete on TB.. I know there are apps that allow you to customize the TB but I only used the one that mapped my apps and it was blah to me.

There is another thread here about 8 and 10 bit support in the 2015 - 2017 for video and you may want to see if that applies to you. If I do videos I will likely do 1080P.. not in a hurry for 4K personally. Hope that provides some insight.

 

[Erdbeertorte]

Apple MacBook Pro 15" Retina 2015

• RAM: 16 GB LP DDR 3 - 2133 RAM 16GB DDR3L 1600MHz
• 256 GB SSD, Keyboard: Touchbar and Touch ID

Fixed it for you.


Here is a good comparison:

 

[Sam_sung]

@PBz

Thank you. Seems to me its a feature I could also survive if I dont have it. On the other side the 4 thunderbolt ports seems to me are quite interesting.

@Erdbeertorte

hm seems to me I was to fast with past and copy and mixed up things. Lol. Thank you also for the screenshot. As I understand the geekbench results the 2015 model is either better or at least even to the 2016 one. If you dont mind could you provide the link to the source of your screenshot?

 

[Falhófnir]

Its more which machine is more powerful.

The 15" by quite a wide margin in terms of CPU (being a quad core/ 47W, vs a dual core/ 28W in the 13) I think the iris pro graphics 5200 in the 15 is about equal to the iris in the 13, so that's a wash.

 

[maflynn]

The one I could buy has not a dGPU it seems to me its just the intel chip. Does it change your statement about performance? Whats your opinion about the processor?

Your right, I totally forgot that the 2015 model was iGPU. Still the other advantages remain on the 15" over the 13"