Advice needed: M1 MacbookPro 8GB vs Corei7 16GB

It may come down to external display support. The current M1 only supports one external monitor. The Intel version supports up to two 4K monitors.

The are some new features in macOS Monterrey that will require an Apple Silicon processor. Check the foonotes here:

macOS Monterey Preview - Apple

....Chrome as primary browser

16GB RAM with either model then. 🤮

...and a silent fan.

Most video-conf apps will light up the fan(s) regardless of the computer model or the app. I use temp monitors on my iMac5K and older MacBook Pro. FaceTime , Zoom and WebEx all run the CPU temps to the range of many hi-res video games.

From Day 1 13-inch iMacs have but one fan; those with larger screens have two. Chill pads that worked so effectively on the first MacBook Pros offer little assistance to newer models than no longer use the case bottom as part of the heat-sink system.

And a general recommendation: go for the 512GB storage option. I see too many "not enough space" cries here from people who opted for the 256GB SSDs.

You are most welcome. I should have mentioned this item, too often overlook by Mac Shoppers: RAM and storage cannot be changed once the computer leaves the assembly line. Buy what you might need 2-3 years out today.

from what I've read so far is the difference between 8GB and 16GB is only advantageous if you're doing video editing, otherwise 8GB on an Intel Mac is not 8GB on a M1 Mac. Finding one with 16GB when I had to get one was impossible, otherwise I would have for peace of mind.

I'm using mine for recording live music, I haven't pushed it to the point where it's sluggish. it has an entirely different feel to intel to me.