Upgrade 2020 MacBook Pro 13 i5 to M1?

[henckel]

I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" 2020 version i5 base version with 8GB ram and 512Gb SSD on July. Regret that Apple just released the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with M1 chip in less then 1 year.

It seems it is not a wise decision to upgrade from an intel i5 version to M1 within such a short period of time.The MacBook Pro still works fine, just the overheat issue really bothering especially if I connected to an external monitor. I have heard that the new version equipped with M1 chip solve the thermal deficiency. Is that true?

I primarily use it for web browsing, email, office work and some photo editing only.

Thanks so much for your advise

 

[russell_314]

I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" 2020 version i5 base version with 8GB ram and 512Gb HDD on July. Regret that Apple just released the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with M1 chip in less then 1 year.

It seems it is not a wise decision to upgrade from an intel i5 version to M1 within such a short period of time.The MacBook Pro still works fine, just the overheat issue really bothering especially if I connected to an external monitor. I have heard that the new version equipped with M1 chip solve the thermal deficiency. Is that true?

I primarily use it for web browsing, email, office work and some photo editing only.

Thanks so much for your advise

The M1 chip runs cool but what is your current overheating problem? All Intel MacBooks under contentious full load will have fans ramp up and throttle down the CPU frequency. This is normal and not overheating. The M1 MacBook Pro will not throttle and you can barely hear the fan. M1 stays much cooler than Intel chips

Should you upgrade depends on you. Is your current MacBook completing for the tasks you need it to? The new one will be faster and cooler but might not work with some software that hasn't been updated.

BTW your MacBook Pro has an SSD not an HDD. It's been a while since the MacBook had a spinning hard drive.

 

[TheKDub]

I'm in the same case. Bought an early 2020 13" MBP i7 (4 ports), and definitely have a bit of FOMO seeing the M1s blow them out of the water.

I would say that my laptop does get hot with fans but it's the shorter batt life that gets to me. All that being said, I'd personally wait to see the 14" version before I upgrade. The 13" M1 looks great, but I'm losing 2 ports and sticking to the same form factor, and I know I'd probably regret doing a quick switch from intel to M1, only to want to do another switch with a 14" redesign less than 2 years out. I know people say that the processor will get faster every year and there's something always better a year later, but I don't think the 14" MBP redesign will change for a # of years after that comes out.

I know 14" is all rumors, but I personally think it'll be out next year (even if it's late 2021). Until then, my i7 MBP works just fine even with a sub-optimal battery life and some heat, and the extra year will allow for more native apps to come out and smooth out some more of the transition.

 

[henckel]

The M1 chip runs cool but what is your current overheating problem? All Intel MacBooks under contentious full load will have fans ramp up and throttle down the CPU frequency. This is normal and not overheating. The M1 MacBook Pro will not throttle and you can barely hear the fan. M1 stays much cooler than Intel chips

Should you upgrade depends on you. Is your current MacBook completing for the tasks you need it to? The new one will be faster and cooler but might not work with some software that hasn't been updated.

BTW your MacBook Pro has an SSD not an HDD. It's been a while since the MacBook had a spinning hard drive.

Thanks for correcting my mistake made, it is a 512 SSD. The overheat problem occurs while I am connecting with an external monitor. (its a 27" Samsung Curve monitor) I can feel the keyboard and the base so hot even I am not doing any tasks.

So far the intel base CPU can satisfy my daily usage, Most of the app I used compatible with M1 chips. I was just impressed by the M1 battery life, speed and cooler while operating.

 

[deeddawg]

I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" 2020 version i5 base version with 8GB ram and 512Gb SSD on July. Regret that Apple just released the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with M1 chip in less then 1 year.

It seems it is not a wise decision to upgrade from an intel i5 version to M1 within such a short period of time.The MacBook Pro still works fine, just the overheat issue really bothering especially if I connected to an external monitor. I have heard that the new version equipped with M1 chip solve the thermal deficiency. Is that true?

I primarily use it for web browsing, email, office work and some photo editing only.

Thanks so much for your advise

Not sure I'd have bought the Intel MBP in July given that Apple had already announced the transition to Apple Silicon, but perhaps you didn't have a choice at the time.

I regularly use my M1 MBP attached to an external 1080p monitor through a USBC hub or to a 1440p display through my Caldigit TS3+. It remains cool and silent.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" 2020 version i5 base version with 8GB ram and 512Gb SSD on July. Regret that Apple just released the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with M1 chip in less then 1 year.

It seems it is not a wise decision to upgrade from an intel i5 version to M1 within such a short period of time.The MacBook Pro still works fine, just the overheat issue really bothering especially if I connected to an external monitor. I have heard that the new version equipped with M1 chip solve the thermal deficiency. Is that true?

I primarily use it for web browsing, email, office work and some photo editing only.

Thanks so much for your advise

If you had purchased a 4-port Intel model, I'd tell you to simmer down and maybe investigate your heating issue. That said, I know the thermals on the final Intel 2-port 13" MacBook Pro were not as good as they were/are on the 4-port model (and that's still me comparing Intel to Intel).

Given the M1 difference when it comes to both the Air and the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro compared to their now-discontinued Intel predecessors, I'd say that the desire to sell what you have and get an M1 version makes perfect sense. Ordinarily, I'd say that you don't need to do this between two consecutive generations, but the difference is stark here. Certainly, anyone on a 2020 Intel MacBook Air should absolutely drop (sell) it like it's hot (pun most definitely intended here).

Not sure I'd have bought the Intel MBP in July given that Apple had already announced the transition to Apple Silicon, but perhaps you didn't have a choice at the time.

I regularly use my M1 MBP attached to an external 1080p monitor through a USBC hub or to a 1440p display through my Caldigit TS3+. It remains cool and silent.

I would've. But I need Intel in my Mac life, still. Though, I wouldn't have purchased anything less than the 4-port 13". The 2020 2-port Intel's thermals didn't get the overhaul that the 4-port's did and it suffered for it; that and 8th Gen on a brand new MacBook Pro in 2020 seems wrong. And the 2020 Intel Air DEFINITELY seemed to have serious issues in the thermals/performance department(s).

 

[nburwell]

Like the OP, I also have a 2020 i5 13" MBP, but elected to keep it rather that sell it and purchase the 13" M1 MBP. The computer does everything I need it to, especially when it comes to processing RAW files in LR and PS. I also use it for web browsing, MS Office and email occasionally. The machine isn't holding me back with the tasks I use it for, and quite frankly I have no gripes with how it holds up when processing images from my Sony a7RIII, so I will wait a couple years to upgrade to the M3/M4 MBP.

 

[deeddawg]

I would've. But I need Intel in my Mac life, still. Though, I wouldn't have purchased anything less than the 4-port 13". The 2020 2-port Intel's thermals didn't get the overhaul that the 4-port's did and it suffered for it; that and 8th Gen on a brand new MacBook Pro in 2020 seems wrong. And the 2020 Intel Air DEFINITELY seemed to have serious issues in the thermals/performance department(s).

Makes sense. Wouldn't have bought the 8th gen MBP model either. I actually was happy with my early 2020 MBA, never had a heat issue with it and it stayed quiet except if I did something like have Lightroom recreate a few hundred previews... but I bought it for brief/bursty work not sustained CPU workloads. I did the latter on my MBP15.

I mostly made the jump to M1 from the standpoint of deciding to consolidate the two systems into one since it looked like the M1's would do what I needed just fine, I had no need for Intel on my mac, and I figured resale on my old ones wasn't gonna be any higher in the future.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Makes sense. Wouldn't have bought the 8th gen MBP model either. I actually was happy with my early 2020 MBA, never had a heat issue with it and it stayed quiet except if I did something like have Lightroom recreate a few hundred previews... but I bought it for brief/bursty work not sustained CPU workloads. I did the latter on my MBP15.

I mostly made the jump to M1 from the standpoint of deciding to consolidate the two systems into one since it looked like the M1's would do what I needed just fine, I had no need for Intel on my mac, and I figured resale on my old ones wasn't gonna be any higher in the future.

For sure. Though, you'd be surprised; the resale value of the 2020 Intel 2-port models are still holding. The Airs not so much, but it doesn't help that all retailers are holding clearance sales right now (where a base model 2020 Air can be had for $700).

I am definitely curious if the 2020 Intel 2-port 13" MacBook Pro (being 99.9% similar to its July 2019 predecessor) can run Mojave. That's the only thing that would increase its value for me (seeing as every Mojave compatible MacBook Pro post-2015 has the dreaded butterfly keyboard). But yeah, otherwise, the 2020 Intel 2-port model never seemed to be a good value.

 

[PetterPan]

Makes sense. Wouldn't have bought the 8th gen MBP model either. I actually was happy with my early 2020 MBA, never had a heat issue with it and it stayed quiet except if I did something like have Lightroom recreate a few hundred previews... but I bought it for brief/bursty work not sustained CPU workloads. I did the latter on my MBP15.

I mostly made the jump to M1 from the standpoint of deciding to consolidate the two systems into one since it looked like the M1's would do what I needed just fine, I had no need for Intel on my mac, and I figured resale on my old ones wasn't gonna be any higher in the future.

If I really wanted that M1 model I would sell now. A few months from now the M1 will be available at the used marked, making it hard to sell Intel based models without a significant loss.

 

[jagooch]

I purchased a MacBook Pro 13" 2020 version i5 base version with 8GB ram and 512Gb SSD on July. Regret that Apple just released the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with M1 chip in less then 1 year.

It seems it is not a wise decision to upgrade from an intel i5 version to M1 within such a short period of time.The MacBook Pro still works fine, just the overheat issue really bothering especially if I connected to an external monitor. I have heard that the new version equipped with M1 chip solve the thermal deficiency. Is that true?

I primarily use it for web browsing, email, office work and some photo editing only.

Thanks so much for your advise

I spent a 3-4 weeks trying everything under the Sun to get my 16" Macbook Pro (2019 ) to not overheat with 2 4k LG Ultrafine displays connected. My troubleshooting thread is about 56 pages long, lol. I really tried everything that made sense and many things that did not. It never hurts to try!

Apple replaced the motherboard but that didn't fix it. I have to have the external displays connected through an eGPU to prevent the macbook from overheating.

My employer gave me the exact same laptop for work, and it also overheats with external GPU's connected.

I'm also considering getting an M1 and using the 14 day return window test if it overheats like my Intel Mac. However I don't know if all of my apps are M1-compatible. I'll need to research that as well.