What specs should I get? 13" MBP 2020

[Reach9]

Hey everyone!

I'm in a dire need of a MacBook Pro. I do a lot of UI/UX Design and iOS Development, some Adobe After Effects if possible.

I've decided on the 1TB for storage, but have the following questions:

- Should I upgrade to the i7? Would it make that much of a difference for me compared to the i5?
- Should I upgrade to 32GB of RAM? How long will the 16GB be sufficient for?

I'd like to keep this laptop for the long haul, and I can upgrade one of the above. Which would you suggest?

 

[maldahleh]

Are you looking at the Intel 10th gen lineup?

 

[Reach9]

Are you looking at the Intel 10th gen lineup?

Yes

 

[casperes1996]

I assume we're talking about the model with the 10th gen chip and Thunderbolt ports on both sides.

Honestly, I'd say don't upgrade either of those. Take the money you would've spent and put them away for that day when the machine dies or becomes unusable for your needs some years down the road. Buying more than you really need right now won't meaningfully extend the lifespan of the product. The $400 you'd spend for the extra RAM would extend the lifespan so much less than what $400 could get you by the time you're no longer satisfied with the device as it is.

That said, between the two options the RAM will benefit a great deal more than the CPU upgrade. That is, if you fill up the memory. As long as you stay below 16GB of used memory, either will honestly have a negligible effect on perceived performance.

 

[KPOM]

I’d go with the base 10th gen i5. Even if you do exceed 16GB the SSDs are very fast. The difference between the i5 and i7 won’t be that significant.

 

[Reach9]

Thanks everyone, that was very helpful!