Unsure whether to keep new MacBook

[Halbrand]

I bought:
M5 Pro / 14" / 48GB / 2 TB / 18C CPU / 20C GPU / Nano Texture

I had:
M1 Max / 16" / 32GB / 1 TB / 10C CPU / 32C GPU

I like the smaller form factor, the display quality upgrade, the expanded storage (I use a lot of space as a photographer and prefer internal storage), and the nano texture (so much better!) on my new MacBook. Got the smaller laptop since I have Apple Studio. But, to my surprise it's heating up quite easily using Lightroom and even Pages (although maybe it's indexing?). I paid about $5000 CAD in total so it was quite expensive.

I'm using my M1 Max as I type and it's still totally fine. I just worry that it is nearing 5 years old, it could lose support sometime soon, it doesn't work so well with a XDR Display if I get one eventually, and most importantly I worry the cost of a MacBook like the new one I bought will go way up, like many things are beginning to to right now, and if I return it I will regret it.

I was going to trade in the M1Max before the end of my 14 days were up...now I'm wondering whether to return the new one or keep both. Or maybe even return the MacBook for a Studio Display XDR (useful to me as a photographer editing) for a little less money (limited 60hz with M1).

 

[jeroenvip]

Stop here “still totally fine” and return it

 

[capamac]

Some guy said his M5 Macbook made "crinkling" noises when it got hot when running an LLM ... expanding internal parts / tape, he speculated. Apparently that M5 gets rather toasty.

My 2015 MBP often got warm and straight-up hot. But my M1 air barely reaches what could be considered "warm" status. I wonder if the M5 MBP is hotter or cooler than my 2015 Intel MBP. The Intel mac's heat was not really much of a problem, really.

 

[AlixSPQR]

keep both

Yes. 😎

 

[whitby]

Sounds like you do not need the upgrade for other than a concern about support for your 16” M1 Max. I too have a 16” M1 Max with 64 GB of memory and 4TB of SSD, since I, too, am a photographer with a need for a lot of SSD space. Mine is still under AppleCare + under an AppleCare 1 plan. I think we probably have a couple of years or more of support, but replacing this machine would be a very expensive proposition and it is perfectly fine for the work I do, and I have never had any issues with it. My recommendation would be to save the money, return the new M5 machine and use the money elsewhere. $4K CAD is a lot of money for a machine whose only benefit is that it is newer.

 

[maflynn]

I'm using my M1 Max as I type and it's still totally fine.

What apps are you using? If the M1 is fine, why spend a boatload of money for a brand new laptop?

The counter argument is that while you spent a lot of money today for the M5, its quite conceivable, that you'll spend a lot more money for a M6 or M7 in one to two years, given the ever increase ram and ssd pricing. From that perspective keeping the M5 and selling the M1 does make sense - at least it does to me.

I just worry that it is nearing 5 years old, it could lose support sometime soon,

I believe you have 2 more years until Apple transitions the M1 over to legacy support (or whatever they call it).

 

[dblissmn]

I bought:
M5 Pro / 14" / 48GB / 2 TB / 18C CPU / 20C GPU / Nano Texture

I had:
M1 Max / 16" / 32GB / 1 TB / 10C CPU / 32C GPU

I tend to see that as a sideways move. I don't think the 14's are as well cooled as the 16 (though to be fair the Pro is the sweet spot on that point in the 14) and the M1 Max is surprisingly good for stuff where the graphics processor and memory bandwidth are factors like graphics-intensive applications.

I'd be inclined to wait until you're running into some sort of barrier e.g. Apple moving to transition a device into legacy support or not enough RAM or it's a work machine and you need a personal device or something like that. And if you are moving on a new device now, to configure it with more SSD and RAM before Apple raises prices (they really haven't raised SSD and RAM prices so far on mobile devices like phones and laptops, though note that the often accurate analyst Ming Chi Kuo has suggested their margins were previously big enough that they can get away without a price increase on many mobile devices if not desktop ones in order to grab market share).

As for what else might be coming the big one other than the usual iterative improvements in processor tech and so on is tandem OLED displays; basically screen refresh rates in the next generation or the next generation-but one will improve in a way that will be noticeable for gaming and motion video, especially on the 14, and the change also comes with an opportunity for Apple to slim up the case a bit because of the display panel using less power and being slimmer than the already fairly svelte micro LED. And who knows, they might incorporate touch screen tech but that one's more speculative I would think. The ability of suppliers to produce tandem OLEDs at scale in a format big enough for a laptop has actually been reported in news.