Was this the right move (re: 2016 Configuration Options)?

[Silverjerk]

I have never been so torn about a new MacBook Pro purchase. I generally upgrade every 2-3 years, and while my 2013 Retina MacBook Pro is still a great performer, I am in need of a better GPU and larger internal drive. After briefly considering buying a refurbished 2015, I finally decided to pull the trigger on the 2016 model.

Unfortunately, I haven't kept up with hardware in the last few years, and I was conflicted on which model to go with. I knew I didn't want to spend over $3200, and so I decided to grab the 2.6 configuration, with the 1TB drive, and the 460. It came in right at $3199, and hit the sweet spot for me.

That being said, should I have gone with the 2.9 and gotten the 512 and the 455? It's hard to find any direct comparisons out there, so if there are any savvy hardware gurus that know the answer, I'd greatly appreciate any insight.

 

[xmonkey]

What will you primarily be using the laptop for?

 

[Silverjerk]

It's going to be a workhorse, as I use my MacBooks for nearly every aspect of my professional life, and a bit for play as well.

It's main use is to write code, and do design work/digital illustration (Photoshop, Manga Studio, Painter, Illustrator, InDesign, Sketch), and then I'll also use it for video editing, music production/audio engineering. I'll likely create a 256gb Bootcamp partition where I'll install a few games for when I'm on the go -- I also have a Razer Blade, but I don't like carrying two devices around when I'm away for business, so I'd prefer to simply take the MacBook (and hoping the upgrade to the 460 will help achieve better performance for this specific reason).

 

[xmonkey]

Given those uses I would say the configuration you picked is fine Upgrading to the 460 will give you bigger real-world gains than bumping the CPU speed up. 1TB is also the right way to go if you intend to keep this for awhile (and were already running low on space before). I got the same configuration as you, save for a small bump to the 2.7 CPU.

 

[happyhippo1337]

I had the standard 2.6/256/450 and upgraded to 2.7/512/455 - would have gladly taken the 2.6 CPU and 460 instead. But had no time to wait for the BTO machines to arrive as I needed the machine asap.

Your configuration seems reasonable, you generally get way more bang for your buck with a GPU upgrade.

 

[Silverjerk]

Given those uses I would say the configuration you picked is fine Upgrading to the 460 will give you bigger real-world gains than bumping the CPU speed up. 1TB is also the right way to go if you intend to keep this for awhile (and were already running low on space before). I got the same configuration as you, save for a small bump to the 2.7 CPU.

I felt the same way about the 460 upgrade as well, so glad that assumption was correct. And the 1TB drive feels absolutely massive compared to my 2013's 512. It's also ridiculously fast -- I'm really surprised by the performance. Thanks for the advice!
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I had the standard 2.6/256/450 and upgraded to 2.7/512/455 - would have gladly taken the 2.6 CPU and 460 instead. But had no time to wait for the BTO machines to arrive as I needed the machine asap.

Your configuration seems reasonable, you generally get way more bang for your buck with a GPU upgrade.

I was almost in the same boat, but got very lucky and found the exact build I wanted at B&H. Ordered it early yesterday and it just came in about two hours ago. Feels much snappier than my 2013, and so far I don't hate the keyboard -- the naysayers had me very worried about this feature and so far I'm totally fine with the switch from the old chiclet keyboard. Overall, I'm a lot more impressed than I thought I was going to be based on some of the negative reviews.

Thanks for the replies!