M5 vs M4 Pro MacBook Pro

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GeX

GeX

GeX

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Looking to update my top spec 2017 MacBook Pro 15".

I don't use this connected to a monitor much, I don't need to hoard data on it. I use it mostly sat on the sofa, hacking about code, chatting on Discord, watching videos.

Prior to this I had a 2012 MacBook Retina, so you can see from the dates that I generally keep a machine for a long time - the 2017 is actually still 'fine' but it does a get warmer than it should when decoding some media formats.

I would probably be 'fine' with a MacBook Air but I want the better screen of the Pro.

So what I'm weighing up is

M4 Pro
12-Core CPU
16-Core GPU
24GB Unified Memory
512GB SSD Storage
£2000

M5
10-Core CPU
10-Core GPU
24GB Unified Memory
1TB SSD Storage
£2000

I don't really need the extra storage (I have a NAS) but do want 24GB 'RAM'. The M4 Pro having Thunderbolt 5 ports vs Thunderbolt 4 on the M5 is another 'future proof' thing.. I guess.

I feel like in writing this, I've convinced myself that I should get the M4 Pro. If I do.. Silver or Space Black? Which hides marks better, I'm going to assume Silver.

Or do I actually want a 16", and should buy the

M4 Pro
14-core CPU
20-core GPU
24GB Unified Memory
512GB Storage

£2119 (refurb)

I'm a software engineer, not doing heavy media related stuff; but do like having CPU/GPU grunt in reserve.

What would you do?
 
Given the current RAM price trends I don’t expect it to be priced reasonably and whilst I don’t have limit, reasonable is all I got
 
Simple answer is have a good look at the current pro's screens and general shell. Apparently they'll be the next big change in the pro lineups and will make a much bigger difference than the m4/m5 chips to your time with the laptop over the next 5/7 years so it'll just be about if you want the end of this style now or if you can wait till the next complete redesign.

If the current range (14 or 16 inch ones) work for you then I'd lean towards the 16 inch referb m4, only as I got my old 16 inch intel back recently for some classic pc gaming and (despite all the intel flaws) the screen estate is better than the 13 inch m2 I upgraded to a few years go.

What ever you'd pick the move away from intel machines is a huge jump at the end user experience
 
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I’ve just been looking, I hadn’t realised that the M5 Pro / Max was going to be a new chassis.
I’m in no rush so could hang on, are there any details on what the new chassis will be like?
 
GeX said:
I’ve just been looking, I hadn’t realised that the M5 Pro / Max was going to be a new chassis.
I’m in no rush so could hang on, are there any details on what the new chassis will be like?
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It's rumoured to have an OLED screen.
 
I’m not sure if the new design will be with M5 Pro/Max or M6 chips. But that’s what I’m waiting for (on a mid-2014) as this design has been around a long time now. Then if it’s not your cup of tea, pickup an ‘old’ model for a bit less as they are being sold off.

For me the pick of the M5 machines is the 24GB/512GB as that seems like a reasonable amount of future proofing. Not sure what TB5 gets you unless you’re planning on needing that bandwidth for something. The M5 has a good bump of performance and particularly in the GPU where it’s a leap over M4. But depends on your workload as an M4 Pro or Max may outperform M5.
 
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ChrisD. said:
Personally, I'd wait for the M5 Pro.
Click to expand...

That's what I'd do if I were you as the M4 Pro has been on sale for ages and is likely to be refeshed imminently.

Either than or buy a 15" Macbook Air M5 when it's refreshed. I wouldn't be so quick to discount the Air as the screen is still really good and the performance more than enough for pretty much anything unless you have a specific need for more GPU power.
 
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Thanks everyone, I’ll wait and then get an M5 Pro or if I don’t like it, an M4 Pro for probably less
 
I bought the M4 Pro model you mentioned in August and it is blisteringly fast, pretty sure I saw somewhere it's still a fair bit quicker than the base M5 (obviously M5 pro is going to be more impressive).

I love having the real estate with the 16"" screen, makes it a completely different experience to using my iPad Pro.
 
I've gone leftfield and have an Asus Zenbook S16 to trial being away from MacOS. If this experiment fails then I'll get an OLED MacBook Pro when they're out.
 
I just upgraded my 2015 rMBP and went for a 15” M5 MacBook Air with 24Gb/1Tb. I struggled to justify the extra outlay on the Pro model and I’m hoping the similar screen size and slightly smaller form factor will suit my needs well.
 
I just can't see Apple going OLED personally, I think people waiting for it are going to be disappointed. It's just not in their DNA to use a tech which fundamentally needs handling with kid gloves to pray it doesn't burn in. (You're Holding It Wrong-gate aside :P)

I have an OLED on my P16, sure the blacks are better than my MBA, but it's not like the IPS is terrible, it's just not *quite* as good. The fact the Studio Displays have been refreshed without going OLED should be pretty informative.
 
The main benefit of the Pro is the screen, otherwise the rest of the hardware doesn't matter much outside of capacity. I still have an M1 Pro, working on large software projects, and it doesn't skip a beat.

If it's company money, I'd buy latest and greatest, but for my own money, pre-owned is just way better value and it'll last you years. Not a huge fan of MacOS but still don't think there's a Windows/Linux competitor in terms of hardware.
 
tom_nieto said:
I just upgraded my 2015 rMBP and went for a 15” M5 MacBook Air with 24Gb/1Tb. I struggled to justify the extra outlay on the Pro model and I’m hoping the similar screen size and slightly smaller form factor will suit my needs well.
Click to expand...

I updated my 2015 rMBP to a 15" M2 Air a little while back, and it's great. I have a Studio M2 Max as my main machine, so the laptop is really just for travelling or doing bits on the sofa. It's not as fast as the Studio, but it can still cope with the Adobe Creative Suite when it needs to.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
 
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