Same price: MacBook Pro M2 Pro 32 RAM (new) or M1 Max 64 RAM (refurbished)

[Trunkbass]

So the new MacBook Pro's came out yesterday. I am based in Europe and can get the following 14" Macbook Pro's (incl. Apple Care) for basically the same price. Which one should I go for?

It will be replacing my 2019 16" Intel MacBook Pro. My workflow consists of some light design work (InDesign/Illustrator), 4K video editing (Da Vinci, Premiere) and the occasional 3D modelling (Blender, Metashape). I'm usually powering one 4K display through a HDMI-Thunderbolt adapter, but I sometimes have issues where my MacBook doesn't charge when I have my display, iPhone and iPad all connected, so I hope this also gets resolved with the new machine.

M2 Pro (new)
12c CPU 19c GPU
32 GB RAM
2 TB SSD

M1 Max (refurbished)
10c CPU 32c GPU
64 GB RAM
2 TB SSD

Thanks!

 

[Iouis]

I had almost the same question, although in my case 16” M1 Max 64GB and 4TB, vs 16” M2 Pro 32GB and 2TB.

They're essentially the same price. I went with the M1 because more space and ram. I’m now having second thoughts because newer. And I don’t need all the GPU cores, 64GB of ram or 4TB of space. I think I’ve been seduced by the numbers!

 

[JPack]

We have to wait for benchmarks, but as it stands, the M2 performance cores outperform M1. And the M2 has more cores in total. I don’t think that would be offset by the higher GPU count of the Max. The dual video encoders on M1 Max may benefit if you’re doing heavy video editing. But for most people, the M2 Pro likely performs better in general performance.

 

[Xiao_Xi]

This may help.

M2 Pro With 19-Core GPU Is Only 12 Percent Slower Than M1 Max, Reveals Latest Metal Benchmark

The M2 Pro is only slightly slower than the M1 Max in the latest Metal GPU test, but it is significantly more power in the CPU category

wccftech.com

 

[Trunkbass]

Thanks for the insights!

After watching a few more YouTube reviews and tests (on the M1 Pro/Max) I'm actually leaning more towards Pro (be it M1 or M2) because apparently there is virtually no real-life difference in terms of CPU, and for the GPU it really depends on your use case. The Pro's are also reportedly cooler, quieter (fans kick in less) and lasts longer (Max = more cores so drains battery more).

 

[Alex W.]

Why are you replacing your 2019 already?

You realize your charging issue is standard and will be worse on the new M1 Pro/Max with fewer independent USB-C ports, right?

If you're connecting all of that to your laptop, it's pretty unwise for charging purposes, and you'd be better off using a powered hub as a workaround or getting a proper adaptor like this.

My recommendation is the following: your 2019 is working perfectly fine, performance-wise, and you're not using it away from power, so wait another year or two,o, and you'll get an even better machine. 2019 is powerful as it has Bootcamp still which is AMAZING for privacy using security-centric OSes.

Do you render and edit videos all day? Occasionally?
If so getting a Mac Mini M2 (base unit) will be more than enough for you IMO. If video editing is a hobby.
If its a career full time then get the mac studio and a M2 Pro 16"