Hi, I’m looking to buy a new MacBook and I’m wondering whether I really need the M5 Pro, or if the standard M5 with 32 GB of RAM and a 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU would be enough for me.
I’m currently using a roughly seven-year-old Lenovo Legion. It’s still alive, but I’d like to upgrade to something more stable, with much better battery life and the ability to work comfortably without being plugged in all the time.
My work mainly involves larger Photoshop PSD files, Premiere Pro, WordPress, a web browser, and usually several applications open at the same time.
Most of the time, the MacBook would be connected to an external monitor, so I think the 14-inch model should be enough. I would occasionally use the MacBook’s built-in display as a second screen.
These are the options I’m currently considering:
– M5, 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD – around €2,599
– M5 Pro with more CPU/GPU cores, but 24 GB RAM – around €3,069
– M5 Pro with 48 GB RAM – around €3,690
Would the standard M5 with 32 GB of RAM be enough for my workload for the next five to seven years? How noticeable would the difference between the M5 and M5 Pro be in everyday use?
I’m also wondering what would matter more for my use case: 32 GB of RAM with the standard M5, or 24 GB of RAM with the more powerful M5 Pro? Is it worth paying significantly more for 48 GB of RAM, or would that be overkill?
I’d be interested to hear from people who work with similar software and workloads.