Worth $550 to jump to 32GB RAM /1TB SSD in 2018 15"?

[16bitplus]

I would love some help to decided which 2018 15" MacBook Pro to get. For my needs I edit 1080p and 4k video for about 5-8 hours each week (split between FCPX and Premiere) and record/edit podcasts (in Logic Pro X). No matter the machine I need to factor in $379 for Apple Care +.

Previously I was on a machine with 16GB Ram and 512GB SSD. When organized, I can usually keep my SSD around half full to make sure there is room for bigger projects, but double storage would be nice.

Also, this would be a business expense for my company, so there will be some wire off with it.

For my choices I have looked at three machines:

2.2 i7/555x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2675 (tax free from B&H)

2.6 i7/560x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2990 (Taxed at Best Buy)

2.6 i7/560x/32GB RAM/1TB SSD - $3570 (BH) (The same machine with 16GB ram is only $150 less due to current sales).

I just wonder if that is a bit overkill, even if it is double the storage and double the ram for 16% more. And I do tend to upgrade every 2-years or so, especially if there is a solid hardware reason like better cooling/keyboard/ports, so potential resale value and attractiveness to buyers in the future matters too.

What would you do?

 

[Ries]

2.2 i7/555x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2675. It will leave you with almost a $1000 for the next upgrade. Properly with cheaper storage and 32GB RAM default.

 

[mreg376]

And without T2 crashes and reboots.

 

[16bitplus]

2.2 i7/555x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2675. It will leave you with almost a $1000 for the next upgrade. Properly with cheaper storage and 32GB RAM default.

That makes sense. Do you think the 555x will significantly hurt the resale value vs the 560x? More than $100?

Anyone else with input? Thanks!

 

[Ploki]

And without T2 crashes and reboots.

lol yeah, just like 2018 fixed that from the same problems in 2017 on the iMac Pro.
[doublepost=1545512854][/doublepost]

That makes sense. Do you think the 555x will significantly hurt the resale value vs the 560x? More than $100?

Anyone else with input? Thanks!

As far as i observed the resale difference is not nearly as big as the new purchase is, especially if the computer is in good shape.

Next years base model will knock the socks from the 2018 top of the line.
Get what you need and upgrade sooner rather than later, future proofing is bollocks and computer is not an investment, its an expense.

 

[jlc1978]

And I do tend to upgrade every 2-years or so, especially if there is a solid hardware reason like better cooling/keyboard/ports, so potential resale value and attractiveness to buyers in the future matters too.

My experience is that higher specs may command a slightly higher price but not that much. Most buyer sof used equipment, unless you find one that needs a particular setup, are very price sensitive. You'll be competing with lower priced models and have to price accordingly.

What would you do?

Buy the least expensive that meets my needs for the time period I plan to use the machine. Anything more is wasted money better put to use elsewhere.

 

[jerryk]

I think you should look at a 1TB system. Not only will you get extra space, you will gain extra speed, especially for write operations. And having extra space for projects and assets is nice.

The memory is a tougher question. What does your Memory Pressure show on your current system when you are doing your regular workload and workflow? If it is always green and you do not expect major changes in your workflow, than the additional memory may not be worth the expense. Also, since it is a business asset you can always justify a new unit with bigger memory when you need it and a get a new tax deduction.

 

[MacNut]

lol yeah, just like 2018 fixed that from the same problems in 2017 on the iMac Pro.
[doublepost=1545512854][/doublepost]

As far as i observed the resale difference is not nearly as big as the new purchase is, especially if the computer is in good shape.

Next years base model will knock the socks from the 2018 top of the line.
Get what you need and upgrade sooner rather than later, future proofing is bollocks and computer is not an investment, its an expense.

You think there will be a next years model? I don't think Apple is doing the yearly upgrade cycle anymore.

 

[pmau]

I think there will be updates at the WWDC...
The Mac Pro, a newly positioned iMac Lineup and a (probably silent) MacBook Pro update.
Why?

The current lineup and the Vega upgrade before the holiday season made no sense.
My guess is Apple wanted something different but could not deliver in time.

The only thing they delivered as designed was probably the Watch, the Mac Mini and the MacBook Air.
Even the iPhone release was a disaster compared to the X.

Please note: I'm talking about product lines and marketing, not the products.

I will definitely wait until June.

PS: I'm excluding iPads, as I believe Apple has a different strategy for them, compared to phones anyways.

PPS: Of course the display and the casing will stay, but thew T2 will get a revision. I would bet money on that. It is broken.

 

[MacNut]

Unless Apple does a complete 180 and releases a MacBook Pro Pro with a thicker body and more ports I can't see the roadmap for the MacBook Pro going forward. They have made these as thin as possible without taking out all of the pro abilities.

 

[pmau]

Unless Apple does a complete 180 and releases a MacBook Pro Pro with a thicker body and more ports I can't see the roadmap for the MacBook Pro going forward.

I 99% sure Apple has a high performance ARM based MacBook Pro.
The iPad Pro has no active cooling.

Just imagine a cooled Dual-ARM CPU MacBook Pro with Apples custom GPU.
There is zero reason for Apple to change their design because Intel nor AMD can deliver what they actually want.

The T2 chip not only does high-bandwidth encryption, but also video encoding.
This is just a testbed for Apple.

This is what they want. This is Apples roadmap.

They want to convince Adobe with the iPad Pro.
They cooperate with Microsoft for Office.

The MacBook Pro will leave the PC heritage behind.
The stupid keyboard will stay, the pricing will stay.

They just need to prepare remaining customers by on-boarding a few external partners.

The rest of Apples ecosystem is just a re-compile in the brand new Xcode, unifying ARM based Mac and iOS development cycles, keeping the frameworks for a touched based OS (iOS) and a desktop OS (macOS).

 

[Plett]

Sounds like two different things here. IF you are buying the computer to use, then of course upgrade. IF you are buying the computer to resell and just stick with what you have and let Apple handle it.

Seriously just get what you want/need to use, $550 is not that big of a deal from a purchase that should last a couple years. I use PS, FCP and never wish I had less computer, usually the reverse is true.

Waiting for next year never really ends does it? The new one comes out and we start talking about next years model. Again IF you are buying it to use get the best you can now and use the hell out of it .

 

[MacNut]

Sounds like two different things here. IF you are buying the computer to use, then of course upgrade. IF you are buying the computer to resell and just stick with what you have and let Apple handle it.

Seriously just get what you want/need to use, $550 is not that big of a deal from a purchase that should last a couple years. I use PS, FCP and never wish I had less computer, usually the reverse is true.

Waiting for next year never really ends does it? The new one comes out and we start talking about next years model. Again IF you are buying it to use get the best you can now and use the hell out of it .

Agreed, every year a debate will begin about next years model being better. You will never get a new computer if you keep waiting for a newer better model. What ever you buy will be obsolete in a year or 2.

 

[Ploki]

Unless Apple does a complete 180 and releases a MacBook Pro Pro with a thicker body and more ports I can't see the roadmap for the MacBook Pro going forward. They have made these as thin as possible without taking out all of the pro abilities.

They can remove the keyboard altogether and make you connect one via thunderbolt

 

[16bitplus]

For my choices I have looked at three machines:

2.2 i7/555x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2675 (tax free from B&H)

2.6 i7/560x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD - $2990 (Taxed at Best Buy)

2.6 i7/560x/32GB RAM/1TB SSD - $3570 (BH) (The same machine with 16GB ram is only $150 less due to current sales).

Right now I am leaning towards option 1 (2.2/555x/512GB) . I think either way the 32GB won't be utilized much if at all. The only perk I might use is the bump to a 1TB SSD, but an extra $400 is a lot.

 

[MacNut]

Right now I am leaning towards option 1 (2.2/555x/512GB) . I think either way the 32GB won't be utilized much if at all. The only perk I might use is the bump to a 1TB SSD, but an extra $400 is a lot.

I was going to do with the i7 2.6 and max out the RAM and go with 1TB. But I ended up just going for it and opted for the i9 with Vega 20. My main reasoning was that they had them in stock at the Apple store. That means they are producing more of those models and if there was a problem would be easily replaced. The machine is a beast and I have not had any issues with it.

 

[16bitplus]

I was going to do with the i7 2.6 and max out the RAM and go with 1TB. But I ended up just going for it and opted for the i9 with Vega 20. My main reasoning was that they had them in stock at the Apple store. That means they are producing more of those models and if there was a problem would be easily replaced. The machine is a beast and I have not had any issues with it.

I hear you. I think another factor for me is heat, with the 2.2 and the 555x running cooler. I won't be using the laptop docked, so it would be preferred for it to not always get super hot above the keyboard.

 

[MacNut]

I hear you. I think another factor for me is heat, with the 2.2 and the 555x running cooler. I won't be using the laptop docked, so it would be preferred for it to not always get super hot above the keyboard.

It's not all that hot under normal operations. And even pushing it it's no hotter than any other laptop I've used.

Honestly what's another $400 if you are already spending well over $3000 for a machine.

 

[16bitplus]

It's not all that hot under normal operations. And even pushing it it's no hotter than any other laptop I've used.

Honestly what's another $400 if you are already spending well over $3000 for a machine.

Well I guess it is more like an extra $900. B&H does also have a 2.2/555x/1Tb for $3079 (with apple care). I am only considering the 2.6/560x/1tb/32GB since it was $500 for double the ram, faster CPU and GPU with the sale going on.

So it is a choice between going with a lower spec system now, with hopes that the MBP line gets a refresh addressing the issues so many had with the current frame (thermals and keyboard). or getting a $450 off speced out machine that will be great for 3 years.
[doublepost=1545764632][/doublepost]And, I did a bad job with the OP. To fund this I sold my 13" 2018 and Desktop PC for $3500 to consolidate to one machine. So the funds are there for the bigger purchase. Again, I guess it is about putting some of that to the next revision or to use it now.

 

[MacNut]

I downloaded the photoshop suite and I must say it runs like butter on this machine.

 

[unglued]

It's not all that hot under normal operations. And even pushing it it's no hotter than any other laptop I've used.

Same here I was surprised how cool these beasts run no matter what you throw at it. I don't understand all the talk about fan noise it's really nothing compared to my older MBP's. I'm enjoying the quick response most from it, talk about getting some work done damn.

 

[MacNut]

Same here I was surprised how cool these beasts run no matter what you throw at it. I don't understand all the talk about fan noise it's really nothing compared to my older MBP's. I'm enjoying the quick response most from it, talk about getting some work done damn.

Idle it doesn't make any noise at all. I would not even know it's running unless I saw the screen on.

 

[jlc1978]

It's not all that hot under normal operations. And even pushing it it's no hotter than any other laptop I've used.

Honestly what's another $400 if you are already spending well over $3000 for a machine.

You demonstrate an interesting decision making bias. People will think $400 on $3000 is nothing but balk at $400 on $400; either way it's $400. Similarly, people will often drive cross town to save $10 on a $100 purchase but not to save $10 on a $1000 purchase.

 

[MacNut]

You demonstrate an interesting decision making bias. People will think $400 on $3000 is nothing but balk at $400 on $400; either way it's $400. Similarly, people will often drive cross town to save $10 on a $100 purchase but not to save $10 on a $1000 purchase.

Im already overspending so I might as well spend a little more to get better performance. If I had the option to upgrade memory or drive space later on I would cheap out upfront. The fact that I can't do that forces me to decide on maxing it out or wishing I had in the future.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

In my experience 16gb is good enough.

I have the 2.6 i7/560x/16GB RAM/512GB SSD
I also do some 4K editing, and everything runs flawless.

The Vega 20 would have been better, but I do much more music producing than video editing. So for me, the extra video rendering time is a non issue.