Tasks and errands got the best of me for most of the day, which means I still haven’t opened the box containing my new M5 MacBook Pro. (It will happen tomorrow, I promise.)
(Incidentally, the featured image for this post is of my M1 Pro MacBook Pro, shortly after it was unboxed.)
In my last post, I wrote about why and how I plan to use this new laptop. Today I wanted to share the rationale for the specific configuration I chose for my new Mac laptop.
1. Silver vs. Space Black
I chose Silver over Space Black after much internal debate. The Space Black MacBook Pro model looks sleek and sophisticated. I seriously considered it, but two things held me back: fingerprints and scratches. I take great pride in keeping my Macs pristine. Reports from users on various Mac reddit groups suggest that although Space Black looks good, it takes more upkeep to maintain. I suppose I could deal with a fingerprint-laden case, but visible scratches (from rings, watches, and plugging peripherals in and out) made Space Black a no-go for me.
2. 14” vs. 16″
I value portability over screen size. If I need to use a bigger screen, I can do so by plugging my laptop into an external display. Therefore, the 14” model was an easy pick. At work, I have access to a 16” M3 Max MacBook Pro. Despite it’s larger screen size, it’s far too big and bulky for me to tote around.
3. 48GB RAM
My M1 Pro MacBook Pro was outfitted with 32GB of RAM. I plan to use the M5 Pro MacBook Pro for at least five years or more, so I bumped RAM up to what I was comfortable with. Truthfully, for the work that I do, I could have probably settled for 24GB of RAM. But I didn’t feel like settling. Besides, I’ve never, ever regretted having more RAM in any one of my Macs.
4. 1TB storage
I’m very selective when it comes to the applications and files that live on my MacBook Pro’s internal drive. I have never used more than 350GB of storage space for apps / files on the M1 Pro’s 1TB drive. (Most of my files live on external drives.)
5. Binned vs. Non-Binned
I opted for the Binned variant CPU/GPU, largely based on the test results conducted by several YouTubers. For the type of work I do, I’m fine with waiting a few extra seconds. The extra cost for the non-binned CPU didn’t seem worth springing for. The 15 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores in the M5 Pro will be a massive step up from the 8 core (6 Performance and 2 efficiency) setup I have in the M1 Pro.
Extensive research and careful deliberation led me to this decision. Soon, I’ll be putting my new machine to the test. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a box to open…
-Krishna