Ordering a 16” MBP - help choosing Options

[DynamicNotch]

tasks:

• Zoom
• Several browser windows simultaneously
• Outlook
• Excel
• Word
• Office365
• Quickbooks
• Microsoft Teams
• Windows 11
• Parallels
• Monterey plus the next 5 or 6 iOS updates

Which Processor- Pro 16 or Max 24?
What Memory - 16GB or 32GB?
Storage - 512 or 1TB?

Don’t want overkill, loud fans, overheating or heavy battery usage

 

[UltimateSyn]

Okay… can you tell us what you plan to use it for? What other devices you own? How long you plan to keep it?

 

[wilberforce]

Base model.
There is no difference in CPUs between Pro and Max, and you have no need for GPUs or encoders

 

[Jára Tyky]

32 GB RAM for Windows.

I have the same requirements as you and went with M1 Max 32. The price with 32 RAM is really high and upgrading CPU and GPU does not make so much difference, so there was no reason to go with lower specs and regret later..

 

[Akapplefan]

I am in the same boat with the same tasks as OP.

Would I notice a difference going with the M1 pro vs max?

 

[wilberforce]

I am in the same boat with the same tasks as OP.

Would I notice a difference going with the M1 pro vs max?

Probably not.
M1 pro and max have the same CPUs (10 cores), and (unsurprisingly) the same Geekbench CPU scores.
None of OP's tasks require GPUs, certainly not more than the 16 GPUs in the M1 pro, nor extra video encoders, which is what the M1 max provides.

The exception is the 8-core CPU in the base 14-inch MBP.

See for yourself:

https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/search?utf8=✓&q=Macbookpro18%2C

 

[Akapplefan]

nvm

Probably not.
M1 pro and max have the same CPUs (10 cores), and (unsurprisingly) the same Geekbench CPU scores.
None of OP's tasks require GPUs, certainly not more than the 16 GPUs in the M1 pro, nor extra video encoders, which is what the M1 max provides.

The exception is the 8-core CPU in the base 14-inch MBP.

See for yourself:

https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/search?utf8=✓&q=Macbookpro18%2C

Yeah I think the max would be overkill for me. Will go with the higher end pro spec 32gig ram and I think I will be more than fine.

 

[Akapplefan]

Yeah I think the max would be overkill for me. Will go with the higher end pro spec 32gig ram and I think I will be more than fine.

do you think the max would use more battery than the pro chip?