Macbook Pro Update Connundrum....

[adam tracksler]

Sort of an extistential crisis here for upgrading my MBP. I'm currently using a 2015 with 16GB/1TB. I'm using and EGPU in studio (Nvidia 1080). I kind of need to upgrade this calendar year. I'm debating between a refurb 2018 with i9/32/1TB and a 560, or the new 2018 i9/32/1TB and the Vega 20. I'm also kicking around the idea of a 2013 Mac Pro, or a 2017 iMac and maxing out the RAM I'm not going PC for a bunch of reasons, so thats not going to help me make a decision.

I have a LG ultrafine monitor in the studio already.

Three weeks ago, I thought the 560 was fine, but now I'm tempted by the latest and greatest. My day to day is about 70% Creative suite stuff and 30% C4D and Houdini. I also know that no matter what I buy the new mac pro will be announced the day after :slightly_smiling_face:

I wish I had unlimited funds, but I don’t. I have to make some end of the year purchases for tax reasons. Well, I don’t have to, but I can do it. The MacBook is okay, and I have held off upgrading for 3 years, since ram was about the same and processor speed was close. The announcement of 32gb ram, really piqued my interest. I have been doing less and less work at home. In the evenings, so a desktop could be possible, which was why I was looking at the Mac Pro. Which would essentially be a souped up version of the MacBook Pro. I’ve also considered the Mac mini, but it gets to be pretty much the cost of the MacBook or a Mac Pro or an iMac... only slower and/or no monitor.

I could keep the 2015 for out of the office stuff and client meetings. I did just have a call to apple to get my 5cent discount, but the MacBook honestly costs more than my car did....

My wife is the other person in the office, and she is not going pc, and user interoperability is essential. Also there are a couple pieces of legacy software, and FCP, and networking/self IT that make the jump to PC a major pain point.

I think that’s pretty much all of the factors for me.... maybe there is something I’m overlooking.

I did have to use the 2009 Mac Pro (2.6 qc 32gb) for a week or so last month since the logic board fried and AppleCare was fixing it. If it could have had thunderbolt 3, (for my monitor) I may have stayed with that.

Wondering if you all have any insights that can help me make a decision....

[Chris Kern]

Where are you located?  It's difficult to offer purchase advice to a poster who has declined to include a location in his profile.

If you are a resident of the United States, you might want to take a look at the refurbished and used Apple products at Other Word Computing.  Don't know whether they ship to other countries.  (I have no connection with this outfit except as a satisfied repeat customer.)

[faberryman]

Why do you feel the need to upgrade? How is you current setup holding you back?

[Joe Towner]

What's your storage like?  If you went with a current MBP the TB3 ports are really nice - between eGPUs, 10gbps networking and things like the ThunderBlade loaded with NVMe drives could actually make a performance improvement.  Same could be done with the Mac Mini, and if you're going to roll this all into a new Mac Pro they'll move over happily.

[adam tracksler]

Sorry, I hadn't realized my profile location was empty. I'm in Maine.

I would like to have more RAM and horsepower (My current laptop is a 2016 2.5Ghz i7).

I have a Synology NAS, so storage isn't a huge issue.

[vampire]

Hi,
I’m not sure what you decided to do... but I just ordered the 2018 15” mbp 2.6/32gb/1tb ssd with Vega 20. If the Mac mini would have had the Vega 20 as an option I probably would have bought that and a used 2017 mbp. But I just decided the portability with the Vega 20’s power outweighed everything else. If the Mac Pro was out, I probably would have done that and a used laptop. But I think this ting is going to be plenty powerful. I went though all the options 500 times, but with what’s available and already having monitors, it was the beet fit.

Hope that helps