Best Bang For Buck Macbook?

[Chevron]

Our studio assistant is in need of a new laptop to handle various tasks, including prepping and tweaking mixes of audio-only Pro Tools sessions with up to 100 tracks. Additionally, the laptop should be capable of handling medium-heavy virtual instrument work, and own mixing projects.

Currently, the assistant is using a MacBook from the mid-2010s with 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD, which struggles with the aforementioned Pro Tools task but manages the VI projects and own mixing projects.

One suggestion I offered is to consider a refurbished 14" 12 Core M2 Max laptop with 64 GB RAM and either a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD. This option is available from Hoxton Macs in the UK for approximately £2.5k. I'm open to hearing other ideas as well!

[smurfyou]

I'd say any of the M series MacBook Pros would work given a minimum 32GB RAM. Storage really depends if you'll be copying the sessions over or using an external drive?

My main concern would be screen size. I wouldn't want to work on a 14" unless it's connected to an external display. 16" would do standalone if need be.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by Chevron

Our studio assistant is in need of a new laptop to handle various tasks, including prepping and tweaking mixes of audio-only Pro Tools sessions with up to 100 tracks. Additionally, the laptop should be capable of handling medium-heavy virtual instrument work, and own mixing projects.

Currently, the assistant is using a MacBook from the mid-2010s with 16 GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD, which struggles with the aforementioned Pro Tools task but manages the VI projects and own mixing projects.

One suggestion I offered is to consider a refurbished 14" 12 Core M2 Max laptop with 64 GB RAM and either a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD. This option is available from Hoxton Macs in the UK for approximately £2.5k. I'm open to hearing other ideas as well!

Well if he definitely needs a laptop for what amounts to $3k+ USD he can certainly get something like the referb you are looking at Or even an M3 with with 32 BG RAM will be in ball park cost wise

If he does not the mobility of a laptop then perhaps a Mac Mini M2 Pro with a 27 or 32 inch display might fit the bill

[Chevron]

Originally Posted by K Roche

Well if he definitely needs a laptop for what amounts to $3k+ USD he can certainly get something like the referb you are looking at Or even an M3 with with 32 BG RAM will be in ball park cost wise

If he does not the mobility of a laptop then perhaps a Mac Mini M2 Pro with a 27 or 32 inch display might fit the bill

I believe a powerful laptop is what he would prefer.

I don't see a 32 GB RAM M3? But a vanilla 14" M3 with 24 GB RAM is a comparable price, I'd still favour the M2 Max.

[K Roche]

Originally Posted by Chevron

I believe a powerful laptop is what he would prefer.

I don't see a 32 GB RAM M3? But a vanilla 14" M3 with 24 GB RAM is a comparable price, I'd still favour the M2 Max.

Opps sorry it's 36 GB RAM--- 32 on the Mac Mini

[Chevron]

Originally Posted by K Roche

Opps sorry it's 36 GB RAM--- 32 on the Mac Mini

No worries and thanks for the suggestion. How about the number of performance cores in the M3 Pro (6) vs M2 Max (8).

[dominicperry]

As detailed in several other MacOS sub-forum threads here, the "Pro" variant is a poor choice for Pro Tools, especially in M2 and M3 guise. This is due to the lack of increase in performance cores from one generation to the next.

Dominic