Should I return my MBP Pro 16? What are the alternatives?

[_keith_]

Hi guys,

I recently purchased a MacBook Pro 16" 2.4 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9 w/ 64GB RAM. I previously had a mid-2014 MacBook Pro 15" and loved it, but I needed to upgrade to handle my increasing workload. I am a dev manager and need to have a lot of different dev setups and VMs running. I need to run a Windows VM (I use Parallels) for Visual Studio / SQL Server so I can't upgrade to a M1 Macbook yet. We do write iOS apps as well so I need a Mac!

I love the keyboard, the screen, and the speakers on my new MacBook Pro but I'm not that impressed with performance - the fans seem to be constantly on even though the CPU usage is very low and the laptop is very hot. I've read many posts and watched videos on the topic and there does seem to be a flaw with these devices, especially when hooked up to an external display.

I am still within the return window and am just looking for some advice based on your experiences - should I return this laptop? If so, what would be a good alternative? I would prefer a notebook, but if the best alternative is the Mac mini then so be it. I could get a Mac mini and Macook Air M1 for the price of this MBP 16!

The whole time I've been writing this post the fans have been on and I currently have Safari, Outlook and Slack open!

Thanks in advanced for your replies!

 

[Macdctr]

If you're not happy with the new 16" MBP then return it and get a spec'd mini for your work and an M1 MBA w/ 512GB storage.

I have heard there's a lot of issues associated with the 16" MBP from speaker issues to overheating issues/excessive fan noise and inconsistent wifi performance... no thanks...

No new laptop should be having these issues in my opinion. Sounds like a product to be avoided to me...

 

[_keith_]

If you're not happy with the new 16" MBP then return it and get a spec'd mini for your work and an M1 MBA w/ 512GB storage.

I have heard there's a lot of issues associated with the 16" MBP from speaker issues to overheating issues/excessive fan noise and inconsistent wifi performance... no thanks...

No new laptop should be having these issues in my opinion. Sounds like a product to be avoided to me...

Thanks for your reply! I think that's a good option. I just checked it out on the Apple Store and the two machines combined come in cheaper than the MBP 16".

There does seem to be a lot of people complaining about these laptops online alright! I'm really surprised it's been going on so long.

 

[terminator-jq]

There’s also a chance (not a guarantee but a good chance) that the new 16” M1X MacBook Pro will be announced at WWDC next month and could potentially release at some point in July following the same delayed release pattern as the new iMac.

If that shows up, it should bring drastically better thermals, the latest WiFi tech and judging by the performance of the low voltage M1, the more powerful M1-X should bring some significant CPU and GPU performance bumps over the existing 16” all while having better battery life.

If you can wait for that, I’d say it would be worth it. If not, the M1 MacBook Air is no slouch and just the fact that I can recommend a MacBook Air to a 16” MacBook Pro owner says a lot…

 

[Macdctr]

Thanks for your reply! I think that's a good option. I just checked it out on the Apple Store and the two machines combined come in cheaper than the MBP 16".

There does seem to be a lot of people complaining about these laptops online alright! I'm really surprised it's been going on so long.

It comes down to what it is that you need to accomplish your needs. If you can wait for the WWDC announcement then I would also recommend you do that and then see whether or not returning your 16" for the newer version is worth the wait but if you can't wait then I think getting the Mac Mini/MacBook Air option is the way to go for you.

 

[arche3]

Get a 16 w 5600m gpu.

 

[magbarn]

Get a 16 w 5600m gpu.

Agreed, if you have to have it now and NEED the Intel compatibility, otherwise wait for the Apple Silicon update. I find myself using my M1 Air most of the time now vs. my 16 with 5500m as the 16 is always is hot and noisy, not to mention the much worse battery life....

 

[LinkRS]

If you're not happy with the new 16" MBP then return it and get a spec'd mini for your work and an M1 MBA w/ 512GB storage.

I have heard there's a lot of issues associated with the 16" MBP from speaker issues to overheating issues/excessive fan noise and inconsistent wifi performance... no thanks...

No new laptop should be having these issues in my opinion. Sounds like a product to be avoided to me...

While I agree with the sentiment that if you are not happy with it, return it, I have to add some clarifying info about the issues. I purchased a 2019" 16" MacBook Pro with the i9 (2.3 GHz), 16 GB RAM and 5500M 8 GB GPU last May. I have been happily using it since then. The only issue I have with it, is with the plug-in sound. When I first got it, whenever I plugged in the AC adapter, I would get the same chime that my iPhone and iPad make when plugged into power. After a Big Sur related firmware update late last year, the chime only sounds if the MacBook Pro is on or in sleep mode. Prior to that, I heard the chime even if it was powered off. Incidentally, this same update brought back the classic boot chime, which I was glad to hear .

I have not had any of the speaker issues or had my system overheat. As for fan noise, I have found my system is quieter than my older 2015" MacBook Pro. Some additional info, I do not plug an external monitor into my Mac (I have a desktop for that), and I also do not set on my lap. The space above the touch bar does get hot (and the same place on my 2015 did too).

If you need a laptop form factor and need to run Windows VMs, really this or the high-end 13" Pro are your only option in the Mac world. Some folks are running ARM versions of Windows 10 using Parallels, but this may not be supported in the future (Microsoft does not support WoA Windows running on anything other than their hardware), and will not run standard Win32 applications very well (this is a subjective statement, some folks report it is "fine," but it does not meet my definition of fine) if at all.

If you don't need a laptop (and if you are using an external display, you may not actually need a laptop), then a high-end Mac Mini or iMac would be alternatives. Both of those still come in Intel varieties.

The current M1 offerings are not targeting power users (the folks who would typically run VMs and such), and there are rumors that Apple's SOC offerings for those users could be announced/released in July. When those come out, this may have a different answer .

Apple SOC's are the next wave, and I expect that at some point they will have something that is worthy of replacing the 2019 16" MacBook Pro

Rich S.

 

[sherwinzadeh]

I friend of mine had issues with the fan always on -- especially when it was connected to certain external monitors. He ended up sending it back to Apple for repair and the new one one they sent him works much better.

 

[G5isAlive]

I have been very happy with my MacBook Pro 16 and have never had any issue with it with the exception it sometimes will thermal throttle if I have a LOT going on at once. I don't deny some have real issues, but believe it to be the minority. MacRumors Forum members have a tendency to greatly amplify the occurrence of the problems and often you just have people repeating what they read as gospel and then pass judgement without even owning the device themselves.

Having said that, I am confused by your question. Your use cases and configuration suggest you have a need for an intel chip and maxed out system. I think they are working on solutions to your use cases but they are not here yet and even a faster Apple Silicon chip won't solve that. So yes, if you can wait for the Dev conference, maybe you will see something that fits but it's not guaranteed.

And finally, I like to explore tech. I also have a M1 MacBook Air, and for most of what I do, it works fine. I do NOT need an intel chip so likely will be trading in my MacBook Pro 16 while it has any value. So it all boils down to how one needs to use it.

 

[rawweb]

I second @G5isAlive. My daily driver is a 16" 2.4 8-core i9 with 64gb of ram and the 5600M GPU. I do some pretty intensive 1080 and 4k video editing everyday for 8-10 hours a day. This machine is connected to a Pro Display XDR and offers me none of the problems I read through in this thread. Do the fans kick in when I'm exporting? Yes, they're supposed to. I would be concerned if they didn't! It's doing it's job to keep the computer cool. The 2017 iMac I'm forced to use at the office (dreading a return to in person work!) does the same thing and overall sounds pretty similar. The only problem I have is slow wifi in bootcamp because of a bad driver that no one seems to know how to fix.

At the end of the day, OP, like any product, your mileage may vary. If you don't like the device, return it. Right now, there are no 'alternatives' at this power/price level. The m1 is impressive and everything, but it's an entry level product as of today. You need to go into it expecting that, not more, not less. I suspect you purchased the 16" notebook because you needed it's features (ram, portability, screen size or dGPU), otherwise, you'd already have an m1 entry level 13" MacBook Pro, or if you're a desktop user, you'd have something in that space.

 

[Chevysales]

If you even question it go return it before that 15 days is up.

From there if you can't wait for new 16" then I would venture towards the one that needed least investment as possible at this time.

Personally speaking my 16" has been great...
It has filled every need expected of it with no complaints from me.
(2.4/i9- 2TB- 32GB- 8GB 5500)

I don't use external monitors and when the fan comes on I deal with it... knowing full well what this chipset was and is prior to purchase Jan.2020 . That said I do wish it was much more given the price although I was able to use Educators Discount which helps.

But have no problem jumping to new chipset of Apples design and expect wonderful things from it with no major shortcomings.

 

[GSWForever8]

Get the Mini. It's faster than the 16 inch. You can run Windows via a virtual machine with it.

 

[Okta]

IMO I'd return it. If you're questioning it then bring it back. You can purchase a used one to tide you until the new Mx's come out