Which base model 16” MBP generally runs cooler?

[beansbaxter]

Unfortunately, the time has come where I needed to retire my 2015 R9 15” MacBook Pro. I changed the CPU thermal paste about a year ago, and it ran better than ever, but the intense Southeast Asian heat was starting to take a toll on the overall computing experience.

I am not excited about buying a 16” MacBook Pro because it’s been out for 8 months already and I believe Apple will do a product update soon; but I need a computer now for life and work.

I am also not excited about my options and purchase prices for buying a new 16” MacBook Pro, but I have no choice. I can choose from the two base models available, and what I will have to pay here for them:

• $2600 — i7 2.6 5300M 512GB
• $3000 — i9 2.3 5500M 1TB

Given my workflow on my old computer, the i7 2.6 is more than enough for my overall needs. That said, I would prefer to have 1TB of storage and that means spending extra for the i9 2.3 model. The extra cores at lower speeds sounds great, but I don’t expect it to make any difference with 95% of what I’m doing, and the marginally better video card wont affect me.

My top concern is heat and thermals. I understand this new chassis design is better than before, but comparing these 2 base models, will the upgraded CPU and video card generally operate at a higher temperature?

Regarding how hot the laptop gets, my flawed thinking is trying to compare lower number of cores in the i7 versus lower base clock speeds in the i9? And then the marginally better 5500M video card needs marginally more cooling than the 5300M video card?

Yes, I want to have 1TB, but I would prefer to save that extra $400 if it means the laptop will run hotter most of the time?

Any thoughts or guidance will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[kp98077]

i7 will run cooler in my opinion... should be more than enough for most needs...

 

[beansbaxter]

Thanks. I didn't get much feedback from this thread and decided to proceed with the i7 because I want to minimize the heat as much as possible. And for the extra cost of the i9, I can buy some external storage (the day I need it).

Seems like everyone wants space grey, but I opted for the silver. Purchased in Vietnam at the only authorized Apple provider. Compared to the Apple Store, the return policies in Vietnam are much more strict, and I had the salesman open the box to make sure there was no physical damage before bringing it home - unboxing video here.

 

[buran-energia]

The 5600M

 

[kp98077]

Silver is nice! wow what a way to unbox!