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GBE2020

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 21, 2020
2
0
Hi all-about a month ago, I spilled corn oil on my early-2015 13-inch MBP. It's got 2.7 Ghz, Dual Core i5, 8GB Memory, and 128GB Storage. I recently graduated college and it got me through all four years. Had the spill not happened, I probably would still be sticking with it as it wasn't showing signs of slowing down. After the spill, the keyboard was acting up. I sent it to get fixed, but the problem only got worse, now with the screen having lines go through it (probably due to the shipping). Insurance won't cover any further repairs and they say accidental damage isn't covered in my policy (which is true). This has led me to thinking about a new laptop.

I'm gravitating toward the new 2020 MBP 13 inch, maybe baseline, but unsure of what specs to get. I will want to use this computer for years to come and while I won't be doing super heavy tasks, I'd like it to be decent for occasional gaming/video editing, but mostly web browsing, grad school, some potential work in the future, etc-much like I used my previous MBP in college. I do just want to have the option to do more intensive tasks once in awhile instead of needing a desktop to resort to (doesn't mean I need the highest-end available by any means). I like the MBP because my previous machine worked well for me and had a good amount of power and was portable. The touchbar also appeals to me (although I recognize that I may be in the minority here). Price considerations-obviously as cheap as possible without compromising on performance or features is ideal. If I can stay under $1500 without insurance/tax/etc, that would be great, but no hard budget.

My criteria/questions:

I'd like a new computer at least as powerful as my five-year-old one (seems silly to go backward). I'm also not too well-versed in how much power means what and storage/etc and how the models stack up to my current MBP. I also want it to last for awhile (not really considering buying last-year's model-I also don't like the butterfly keyboard).

I would consider the MBA, but would definitely need some convincing because I've heard it struggles when given any moderately difficult task-I don't want a machine that limps by with web browsing and again, above point (is it better than my 2015 MBP)?

Is the baseline MBP a good value (at $1300 less education discounts and trade-in)? How does it compare to my 2015 MBP? Does the 1.4 Quad-core GhZ mean it's more/less powerful than the 2.7Ghz dual core of my 2015? Again, not so well-versed on this.

Would it be smart to go up to the $1500 or $1800 model (I do like the idea of two more ports, but for $500 more is a lot)? Also I will likely get insurance which adds another $200-300 to the price tag, so something to consider there too.

Are there Windows computers I'm not considering that I should be? Something in the same footprint around the same price with as much/more power would be ideal. I switched from an iPhone to a Samsung Note 8 two years ago because I thought it was a better value and have no regrets, but I'm just not sure I want to completely abandon the Apple "ecosystem" altogether. I also do like how so many repair shops service Macs, while it seems harder to get service for a PC (I may be wrong in that perception, though).

Please let me know any thoughts or suggestions you may have. Thanks!!
 

coffeeplease

macrumors 6502
Sep 28, 2019
467
327
All three models (MBA, $1299 MBP, and $1799 MBP) will perform better than your 2015 MBP. I'd say one of the MBPs is your best bet. The MBA doesn't do so well for sustained performance, and that's where your occasional gaming/video editing will struggle. Then it's down to either the 8th generation CPUs ($1299) or 10th generation CPUs ($1799). The higher end model does come with a better integrated graphics card (G7) which will help with gaming and video editing. I don't think it's worth getting it unless you also want a model with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. This is because the base model with these two upgrades already pushes the price to $1599 (compared to another $200 for the better higher end model). It seems that you gotten by with 128GB of storage. If 256GB would be fine for you, the base model with the 16GB RAM upgrade (+$100) is well suited for you and should last you for a few years. Total cost is $1399.
 

mtneer

macrumors 68040
Sep 15, 2012
3,179
2,714
What do you plan on doing with the machine - word processing? Video editing? And now that you graduated college - will you be using this computer directly in line of your livelihood?
 
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