Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

8 points

Macbook Pro 13 2017 2cores/8gb - enough?

Dear Community,

In January I will have the opportunity to get a macbook which will be my first apple notebook.

I am a bit worried tho. I dont know if i should get the macbook pro 13 2017 with only two cores and 8 gb of ram or should i get a refurbished 2015 13/15 pro (15 even better) with 4 cores and 16gb of ram.

I will intend to use my notebook for multimedia, university, and multitasking. I dont like to close things honestly. I personally like to keep a mess of tabs on my notebook (haha)

Ordering custom built is totally out of consideration. (budget reasons)

Any of the communitity help would be highly appreciated,

Thanks

David

Posted on Dec 28, 2018 12:48 PM

Best reply

Theoden_King

Level 2

354 points

Posted on Dec 28, 2018 1:10 PM

Just my two cents:

I've been using a 2007 dual core MBP for years. It's still wonderful for web browsing, writing, and media playback (though a little iffy on full HD and useless for UHD).

I used to use it for editing SD video and JPEGs in Photoshop, but it won't touch Raw photos or HD rendering.

I also have a 2.8 GHz 8-core tower from 2008 that gets beat by a 2.5 GHz dual core laptop from 2012. When it comes to processor speed, release year makes a huge difference, but the 2 you are comparing are close enough in age that the 2015 quad core is likely still faster.

Look up the Geekbench scores from the two machines you're comparing. These should give you an idea of the actual power difference.

I'm getting ready to upgrade for work, and I'll probably be buying the 2015 quad core you are considering. Unless you're editing 4K video or merging raw panoramas, I doubt you'll need the quad core processor, but if you like to keep your apps running, don't skimp on RAM. And it goes without saying to use a solid state hard drive.

Caveat: this is coming from a guy who doesn't yet own a computer newer than 2010! Hopefully you can get some more relevant real world experience from the rest of the community.

View in context

Macbook Pro 13 2017 2cores/8gb - enough?

Similar questions