MacBook Pro Specs for use with Lightroom

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jojocino Author

Level 1

13 points

MacBook Pro Specs for use with Lightroom

Hi All,

I am looking to upgrade my MacBook Pro. This is what my current mid-2012 15" MacBook Pro has:

•running High Sierra

•2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz

•8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

•1TB SSD

•SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

•MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display

I mostly use MS Office and Adobe Lightroom. My MacBook gets loud and sometimes warm when using Lightroom, and also slows everything else down a bit. I use Lightroom often for photo editing (personal use, not professional use), and how my MacBook responds when using Lightroom is my primary reason for wanting a new machine.

I was looking at Apple desktops (specifically the 27" iMac) since I know they are more powerful and I don't currently need the portability of a laptop (however I do like to have the option), but now I'm back to looking at the MacBook Pro. My question is: what specs would be best on the 16" MacBook Pro to use with Lightroom to avoid the issues I am having now?

I will add that I have a 4TB server where I keep most of my images, documents, etc.

I can get a discounted price at the tax-free military exchange on an Apple MacBook Pro 16 in. M1 Pro Chip 10 Core CPU 16 Core GPU:

16GB RAM 512GB SSD

or

16GB RAM 1TB SSD

Would either of those be sufficient?

Thanks!

Posted on Apr 13, 2022 6:27 PM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 7

24,161 points

Apr 14, 2022 6:18 AM in response to jojocino

A 16GB MBPro or iMac will run Lightroom but you will be better off with 32GB in both the short term and long term. The RAM cannot be upgraded after purchase because it is built into the logic board.

Regarding the SSD, 512GB will be sufficient but 1TB will be better for the long term. And with the M1 MBPro the SSD is also built into the logic board and cannot be upgraded after purchase. The HDD or SSD in 27" iMacs can be upgraded later but it requires major teardown to do so.

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Answer 2

ku4hx

Level 7

23,688 points

Apr 14, 2022 4:43 AM in response to jojocino

From the data you have provided, they are essentially the same except for SSD size. That choice is personal preference; I'd buy as large as I could afford. Excess space on the larger disk will be ... excess space. Insufficient internal SSD space is not fixable after the purchase.

If you're considering buying a 27" now, it's going to have to be a used unit as Apple has halted production. And nobody but Apple knows when in the future M1 chip 27" models will be available.

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Answer 3

jojocino Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 14, 2022 8:22 AM in response to ku4hx

Thank you. I might just hold off and see what 27" desktop option becomes available in the future. I know the desktop will be better for photo editing but I'm so used to having a laptop (even if it typically just stays at my desk) so I've been torn between which one I want next.

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Answer 4

jojocino Author

Level 1

13 points

Apr 14, 2022 3:02 PM in response to MartinR

Thank you. After talking to a few people who use Lightroom and have both iMacs and MacBook Pros, I think the MBP is the way to go for me. I was not sure if I should get 16GB or 32GB of RAM. I will have to just order from the Military Store on the Apple website if I want to customize it, so this is what I'm thinking of getting (even though it's a bit more than I want to spend):

Apple M1 Pro with 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
32GB unified memory
1TB SSD storage
16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display
Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 3 port
140W USB-C Power Adapter

I assume I need some type of adapters for the Thunderbolt ports so I can connect my iPhone 11? This is all foreign to me since my MBP is so old.

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Answer 5

MartinR

Level 7

24,161 points

Apr 16, 2022 3:38 PM in response to jojocino

The iPhone 11 has a lightning connector, so you will need a cable like this -> USB-C to Lightning Cable (1 m) - Apple

(The Thunderbolt 4 ports on the Macbook Pro are multipurpose and use a USB-C connection.)

BTW, if you also expect to use wired ethernet, you will need yet another dongle such as this one -> The Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Apple

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MacBook Pro Specs for use with Lightroom

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