Which 15" MBP to buy? i7 vs i9 2019 (Graphic Design)

[lerschiboi]

Hello everyone,
I'm going to make the switch from Windows to MacOS for the first time and am quite excited already. I'm leaning towards a 15" model as I slightly prefer the form factor with more screen real estate and portability won't be that much of an issue.

The machine will be mostly used for graphic design work: Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator. A huge priority for me is that the laptop runs quietly and the fans don't constantly spin up.

16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD should be fine but other than that, I'm still undecided. How important is a good graphic card for my workflow? Is the 555x of the 2019 base model sufficient?

In terms of the processor, I believe the 6 core i7 should be plenty powerful but I read that Apple did some performance tweaks to the i9 this year (undervolting, new thermal paste) and I'm not sure if the i7 got the same treatment. Does anyone know more about this?

 

[collin_]

They improved the thermal paste on all models. I'm think the 6-core would definitely be sufficient and the 555x probably would too.

 

[lerschiboi]

They improved the thermal paste on all models. I'm think the 6-core would definitely be sufficient and the 555x probably would too.

Thanks for the reply! Are you sure about the i7? Is there a source confirming this somewhere? When you google "Apple MBP 15 2019 i7 disappoints in review", you'll find an article by Notebookcheck that's actually a bit worrisome.

 

[buran-energia]

Hello everyone,
I'm going to make the switch from Windows to MacOS for the first time and am quite excited already. I'm leaning towards a 15" model as I slightly prefer the form factor with more screen real estate and portability won't be that much of an issue.

The machine will be mostly used for graphic design work: Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator. A huge priority for me is that the laptop runs quietly and the fans don't constantly spin up.

16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD should be fine but other than that, I'm still undecided. How important is a good graphic card for my workflow? Is the 555x of the 2019 base model sufficient?

In terms of the processor, I believe the 6 core i7 should be plenty powerful but I read that Apple did some performance tweaks to the i9 this year (undervolting, new thermal paste) and I'm not sure if the i7 got the same treatment. Does anyone know more about this?

There's a rumored new mbp version in a few months, probably more expensive, though.

Other than that I've heard about the 8-core version running more efficient and cooler than the 6-core, too. Though you'd need to compare things like fan speed during those tests.

As for it being quiet, that might be a problem. If the app makes use of GPU or you'll use it with external display, if it will push the CPU, it won't be silent that's for sure.

So, I'd look at those thermal improvements closer on the 8-core to see if it's worth it.