Will the 2017 entry-level Macbook Pro 13.3in Without TouchBar (256GB) work for me?

[CatherineVeraGat]

Hey

I'm thinking of buying the 2017 entry-level Macbook Pro 13.3in Without TouchBar (256GB). I don't know if I should upgrade things like the processor, memory, and storage when I order it online.

On the Macbook Pro I will be doing some
- Light to Heavy web browsing
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- Light 2D/3D rendering (CAD rendering)
- Light architecture programs (Floor plans, or designing houses.)

Which processor do I need?
- 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
- 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7

How much storage would you recommend?
- 256GB SSD
- 512GB SSD
- 1TB SSD

How much memory would you recommend?
- 8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
- 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3

Is this powerful enough for graphics?
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

My budget is $1,499 but I can go up to $2,000 if it meet all my needs. Will the 2017 entry-level Macbook Pro 13.3in Without TouchBar (256GB) work for me?

 

[krause734]

Storage: can always use external HD. Large SSD's are overpriced. i5 is probably fine. 16GB RAM if you want it to last for a good 5 years and be safe but 8GB should be adequate. If I needed a laptop I would get the same one you're getting.

 

[kschendel]

I'd definitely go with 16 Gb RAM. 256 or 512 Gb SSD (probably the larger), I'd only get the 1 Tb if I knew I needed it. The CPU question is a bit of a toss-up. I think the lower spec CPU will be fine, but the price differential isn't all that much and having the extra two threads from the i7 might make a difference in some situations. If it came down to a choice between the extra RAM and the faster CPU I'd take the RAM.

I agree that your choice ought to be just fine. I myself prefer the 15 inch MBP's but only for the screen size, not performance. If you're OK with 13 inches then it should be a good buy.

 

[Booky]

Check out Bestbuy online or in store "open box" offers. They have the same Bestbuy return policy and the same Apple warranty as a brand new unit. You can save some $$ that way. And ... they often come without a scratch.

 

[shaunp]

Go into an apple store and try one. That is the only way you find out if it is for you.

 

[bubbleboil]

Make sure you get at least 256 gb storage. 1 of the days you are bound to need to install Windows.

8gb of ram is sufficient. I'm doing development work on 8gb ram

 

[kschendel]

8 Gb of ram will probably work fine today. In 4 years you might be wishing for more. Since it's non-user-expandable I advise buying the max up front. You can add external storage and the CPU gains are just incremental, but once you pick the RAM size you're stuck with it.

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
Closed for review