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The best year to buy high-end 15" MBP (need it to last for 7+ years)

KensaiMage

KensaiMage

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 25, 2017
235
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I do some really demanding stuff like 4k editing, photoshop, I also learn programming and play Blizzard games + I will want to play the newest Blizzard games which come out in near future (a big fan of Diablo franchise here). I will also want to use the MBP for business related stuff.

Thus,
What will be the best year to buy high-end 15" MBP? (I need it to last 7 or more years, as I do not sell & buy new computers faster. Processor-related technological progress is slow and processor-related substantial, technological jumps are very rare. The case is way different with iOS devices where one can justify a purchase of a new iPhone/iPad every 2 years).

I guess 32GB of RAM might be a minimum in this case.

So,
2018 - probably still 16GB of RAM and 6-core processor.
2019 - probably 32GB of RAM and 6-core processor.
2020 - redesign and 32GB-64GB of RAM and 8-core processor + some new technology from apple (like face ID and something that replaces the touchbar or makes it more useful).

I know, I know, one could wait forever as something new comes out every year. However, current MacBooks Pro are not much different from the old ones which also have 16GB of ram and not much slower processor than the current ones, which makes the devices not a valid purchase in my case.

Reassuming - which year might bring a technological jump good enough to justify a purchase in this scenario? (I do not want to wait long but I also do not want to make a bad decission as I will use the device daily and for a very long period of time).

Kind regards!

PS. Sometimes I think that other solution could be better:

plan b) buying an iMac this or next year and a 12" MacBook when the redesign comes

plan c) buying a 12" MacBook this or next year and an iMac when the redesign comes

I think about these solutions also, because I need mobility and medicore power only when I am away from home. As for the demanding stuff as Blizzard gaming, 4k editing and photoshop - I only do so when I'm at home. However, it would be nice to have a single powerful and mobile device for business work and fun.

Help :)
 
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In all honesty I don’t think RAM is going to be the biggest thing when it comes to longevity, it’s the graphics.

CPU performance hasn’t made huge leaps and 16GB RAM isn’t likely to become unusable in the foreseeable future for a notebook. Graphics are making leaps and bounds every year, so that would be my main concern if you’re considering performance in 7 years’ time.
 
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If you want it to last, an iMac will probably do better than a MBP, and for less money leaving you with more to buy a cheaper portable (maybe even a ntb pro rather than a MacBook). You can also get the 32gb of ram in an iMac if you really want it (though make sure you get it yourself if you get the 27").
 
KensaiMage said:
I do some really demanding stuff like 4k editing, photoshop, I also learn programming and play Blizzard games + I will want to play the newest Blizzard games which come out in near future (a big fan of Diablo franchise here). I will also want to use the MBP for business related stuff.

Thus,
What will be the best year to buy high-end 15" MBP? (I need it to last 7 or more years, as I do not sell & buy new computers faster. Processor-related technological progress is slow and processor-related substantial, technological jumps are very rare. The case is way different with iOS devices where one can justify a purchase of a new iPhone/iPad every 2 years).

I guess 32GB of RAM might be a minimum in this case.

So,
2018 - probably still 16GB of RAM and 6-core processor.
2019 - probably 32GB of RAM and 6-core processor.
2020 - redesign and 32GB-64GB of RAM and 8-core processor + some new technology from apple (like face ID and something that replaces the touchbar or makes it more useful).

I know, I know, one could wait forever as something new comes out every year. However, current MacBooks Pro are not much different from the old ones which also have 16GB of ram and not much slower processor than the current ones, which makes the devices not a valid purchase in my case.

Reassuming - which year might bring a technological jump good enough to justify a purchase in this scenario? (I do not want to wait long but I also do not want to make a bad decission as I will use the device daily and for a very long period of time).

Kind regards!

PS. Sometimes I think that other solution could be better:

plan b) buying an iMac this or next year and a 12" MacBook when the redesign comes

plan c) buying a 12" MacBook this or next year and an iMac when the redesign comes

I think about these solutions also, because I need mobility and medicore power only when I am away from home. As for the demanding stuff as Blizzard gaming, 4k editing and photoshop - I only do so when I'm at home. However, it would be nice to have a single powerful and mobile device for business work and fun.

Help :)
Click to expand...


RAM won't be an issue.... you will probably benefit from a better GPU. I'd wait for 2018. models. If they come with AMD Vega graphics, I'd get that. 6 core CPUs will be nice too, sure, but GPU is the biggest long-term bottleneck. As for new design and tech, as you said, we don't know if it will be 2019 or 2020 - and, you know, there could be issues with the first version, etc. Honestly, if you need a computer now, I'd wait for the 2018 and get it. In all honesty, whatever MBP you get, it will last roughly the same and you'll probably be able to use it in 7 years.
 
If you were in my skin, which route would you go guys?

a)High-end 15" mbp this or next year
b)This year iMac and next year a macbook (12-13 inch)
c)This year macbook (12-13 inch) and next iMac

I really have hard time finding out what to do in order to make my choice the best.
 
KensaiMage said:
If you were in my skin, which route would you go guys?

a)High-end 15" mbp this or next year
b)This year iMac and next year a macbook (12-13)
c)This year macbook (12-13) and next iMac

I really have hard time finding out what to do in order to make my choice the best.
Click to expand...
If it were me, then I'd be going option b or c, depending on what they do with each of the lines this year. iMacs tend to be more powerful to begin with than MBPs and you can spec it up more for the money you'd spend on a top end MBP. If you want power you'll get more bang for your buck on an iMac, and likely with enough cash left over to get a solid laptop into the deal too!
 
Refurb 2016 for the best price possible, invest the leftover funds. In 2-3 years sell and buy another machine. I can’t possibly imagine a computer lasting 7 years in Apples current turnover model.
 
KensaiMage said:
If you were in my skin, which route would you go guys?

a)High-end 15" mbp this or next year
b)This year iMac and next year a macbook (12-13 inch)
c)This year macbook (12-13 inch) and next iMac

I really have hard time finding out what to do in order to make my choice the best.
Click to expand...

I'd go for C, as the iMac stands to gain far more performance versus any of the portables. Personally I'd opt for a reasonably specified MBP and build a desktop PC for the heavy lifting and gaming as the performance on offer is simply so much more, unless the likes of FCPX is an absolute. This way you have the best of both worlds and a scalable desktop with an upgrade path for RAM & GPU etc.

Q-6
 
BenTrovato said:
Refurb 2016 for the best price possible, invest the leftover funds. In 2-3 years sell and buy another machine. I can’t possibly imagine a computer lasting 7 years in Apples current turnover model.
Click to expand...
I am a perfectionist thus no matter what my inner voice will not let me buy a used or refub device. :(

Queen6 said:
I'd go for C, as the iMac stands to gain far more performance versus any of the portables. Personally I'd opt for a reasonably specified MBP and build a desktop PC for the heavy lifting and gaming as the performance on offer is simply so much more, unless the likes of FCPX is an absolute. This way you have the best of both worlds and a scalable desktop with an upgrade path for RAM & GPU etc.

Q-6
Click to expand...

&
Falhófnir said:
If it were me, then I'd be going option b or c, depending on what they do with each of the lines this year. iMacs tend to be more powerful to begin with than MBPs and you can spec it up more for the money you'd spend on a top end MBP. If you want power you'll get more bang for your buck on an iMac, and likely with enough cash left over to get a solid laptop into the deal too!
Click to expand...

Only Mac computers interest me. As for the mobile one - Would you go for 12" or 13" and why? I heard that the best year to buy 12" would be 2019 because of possible redesign and new low power processors incoming. As for the 13" we might see a nice update this year. However, still dunno which route should I take.
 
KensaiMage said:
If you were in my skin, which route would you go guys?

a)High-end 15" mbp this or next year
b)This year iMac and next year a macbook (12-13 inch)
c)This year macbook (12-13 inch) and next iMac

I really have hard time finding out what to do in order to make my choice the best.
Click to expand...
KensaiMage said:
I am a perfectionist thus no matter what my inner voice will not let me buy a used or refub device. :(


Only Mac computers interest me. As for the mobile one - Would you go for 12" or 13" and why?
Click to expand...


Refurb devices are often more carefully inspected and “perfect” than those straight from the assembly line.
 
If "robustness" and longevity is your primary concern, I would buy a 2015-design (really).
Or... wait for the 2018 design (this coming summer).

The 2016-17 design is snazzy, but DOES NOT seem to have been built with longevity in mind...
 
KensaiMage said:
Only Mac computers interest me. As for the mobile one - Would you go for 12" or 13" and why? I heard that the best year to buy 12" would be 2019 because of possible redesign and new low power processors incoming. As for the 13" we might see a nice update this year. However, still dunno which route should I take.
Click to expand...
I'd echo @Queen6 - the ntb pro is a much more balanced machine than the 12" MacBook of the current choices. There's rumours of a new model to replace the Air (though this is what the ntb was billed as) and the situation might change when we see exactly what 2018 models are on offer, how they are configured and how much they cost.
 
If you want performance above all else then get a desktop. With a notebook you're compromising said performance for the benefit of portability, they're not desktop replacements. If you can survive with a lesser powered notebook then the benefit is that portability and flexibility of the platform. Otherwise you'll be waiting a long long time for the specs you feel you need.

Put it this way, today you need those specs, so you want to wait till a computer comes out with those specs. However you must remember that by the time a notebook has those specs, it will still be far behind what a desktop can achieve and you will be wanting more power. 8 cores and 32GB RAM sounds like a lot today and it would be if it came out tomorrow, just as the machines today would be amazing if they came out 5 years ago. Basically, by the time a computer has those specs, it'll be average and the norm, and there will be something even better on the horizon.

So you'd be far better off with an iMac and a lesser specced notebook for portability. However you may find the performance of a MBP sufficient for your case, there's nothing stopping you buying one and trying it to see how it works out. But don't get sucked into the fallacy of 'Futureproofing' something as it's a misdemeanour at best, software requirements and hardware specifications are constantly improving so you just get the best you can when you need it.
 
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Guys, what do you think about going with the first MacBook Pro that appears with 32GB of RAM and 6-core intel processor + eGPU?

Take a look:

What do you think about that solution?
 
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Personally if an iMac is an option i would go for the iMac and then get either the 12" MacBook OR if the rumours are true then Apple might be releasing a 13" version of the MacBook later this year.

My current set up is a 2011 MacBook Pro and a 2012 iMac, i'm going to be upgrading them depending on what happens next, i.e if there is an iMac redesign this year then i will get that first and then a new MacBook or MacBook Pro (i haven't decided which one to get yet), if Apple do indeed release a 13" version of the MacBook this year with better specs i would be tempted to get that.

It also depends on your usage, me personally i use Final Cut Pro X a lot for editing, writing software and so on. The brilliant things about Mac's is that they last for many years.
 
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Seven years is a really long time. With new GPUs coming out and more and more code using GPUs to offload computer cycles, that is where the big increases in performance will come in your time frame. And the increases will be like in the old 486/Pentium days.
 
No computer will "last" 7 years +, if it's still working it will be slow. Do some actual research on Mac computers, because if you're thinking about a 12" MacBook to last you a while you have no idea what you're talking about.

Have you even owned a Mac computer? There is no huge technological jump from year to year. It's like I'm talking to a noob in a video game.

last, I don't think you're even in the market for a computer.
 
kudos212 said:
No computer will "last" 7 years +, if it's still working it will be slow. Do some actual research on Mac computers, because if you're thinking about a 12" MacBook to last you a while you have no idea what you're talking about.

Have you even owned a Mac computer? There is no huge technological jump from year to year. It's like I'm talking to a noob in a video game.

last, I don't think you're even in the market for a computer.
Click to expand...

Wow your coming off as a little rude there, anyway it’s all relative to the task that’s being performed, for example my 2011 MacBook Pro still works as does my 2012 iMac, do they need updating yes but they still work relative to the task that’s being performed.
 
KensaiMage said:
Guys, what do you think about going with the first MacBook Pro that appears with 32GB of RAM and 6-core intel processor + eGPU?

Take a look:

What do you think about that solution?
Click to expand...
Like with power in laptops, you're paying way over the odds for an eGPU. By the time you've bought an expensive MacBook pro and an expensive eGPU enclosure and an expensive GPU, you're into iMac pro territory, indeed high end gaming rig territory. The value is just not there with a MacBook if you want to game I'm afraid.
 
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When talking about a high end 15" with 32GB and external GPU, u realize that you are talking about +4000$ ?
In which case you could just buy an iMac Pro from bestbuy:)

But why do you want to keep it 7 years? You just said cos you don't do it more often.

Money and performance wise it's better to buy a computer which suits your needs now and not in 7 years. and maybe buy a new one in 3-4 years and you still save money when u sell the old machine

Edit: Falhófnir beat me :)
 
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maerz001 said:
When talking about a high end 15" with 32GB and external GPU, u realize that you are talking about +4000$ ?
In which case you could just buy an iMac Pro from bestbuy:)

But why do you want to keep it 7 years? You just said cos you don't do it more often.

Money and performance wise it's better to buy a computer which suits your needs now and not in 7 years. and maybe buy a new one in 3-4 years and you still save money when u sell the old machine

Edit: Falhófnir beat me :)
Click to expand...
Indeed I'm pretty sure if OP went for a less specced out MBP, he could probably also get a GTX 1060 gaming laptop and be able to play most games at reasonable resolutions, frame rates and graphics settings, and all for less than the cost of a near-maxed out MBP and eGPU. Seems like the best of both worlds though granted it might not be a set up that will last out 7 years.
 
And OP in all respect but reading your started threads in the past from iPads over MacBooks and MB Pros to iMacs I highly doubt that you will stick with a machine for 7years...
Here's my advice from half year ago: live in the now
 
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Falhófnir said:
Like with power in laptops, you're paying way over the odds for an eGPU. By the time you've bought an expensive MacBook pro and an expensive eGPU enclosure and an expensive GPU, you're into iMac pro territory, indeed high end gaming rig territory. The value is just not there with a MacBook if you want to game I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

Tend to agree, eGPU's made sense before as mobile GPU's offered so little performance. Spin forward to today not so much the case, with the next generation being ever more impressive. There will always be niche users where eGPU is the better solution, equally unlikely to go mainstream.

Right now I just view Apple going down this path as it's a very easy option for Apple. Just software tweaks little else and another smart marketing ploy. My answers the same if your going to invest to this level with Apple the iMac Pro is the far better solution, yet equally a rather closed solution. One clearly needs to consider portability, equally I don't consider MBP that requires eGPU to get the job done very portable, and if you will just another very large & expensive dongle :p

Q-6
 
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