M2 Mac Buyer’s Guide

Which MacBook, Mac Mini or Mac Studio do you need?
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[@ThomasGroveCarter]

Great advice! This is what I went with and why… 14” MacBook Pro - I split my time between work and home office. 95% time I’m plugged into a display. Rest of the time it’s literally on my lap, and commute via bike so small size works better for me. M1 Max - I wanted the 2x media engines over the Pro chip for better ProRes playback and exporting. But went for the lower GPU count as the extra grunt didn’t seem worth it for my work. 32 GB ram - For FCP I think 16gb is probably a good minimum. I didn’t think 64gb was going to be worth it for me as I’m mostly in one app all the time, and I don’t think I’ll be hitting the ceiling with 32. 4TB SSD - 1tb is the minimum I’d recommend. But I work with all my media internally for speed so 2 is the minimum I’d get. I went with 4 for headroom and I love it. I have the last 6-12 months of project on there. I use this machine for all of my work on high end commercials and music videos. (This was a mid 2022 purchase. And I expect to use it about 4 years in total)

[@AndrewC89]

14:50 I got the 13” M2 Air because I wanted something small and portable for travel. At home it stays in clamshell mode and is hooked up to a studio display.

[@kingsamvisuals]

I still have my m1 air and my biggest gripe is the 8gb/256gb. I hardly think it’s worth buying if you do any creative work. A base 14” pro is the sweet spot

[@fatlittlenick]

ive got the same Air but with 512gb storage. I think I'm going to go up to the base 14" M2 Pro early next year.

[@himynameisryan]

The ram and storage have definitely been an issue on my exact same one over the past few years, however what I noted is that I have my pc I built with an rtx 3080ti, 12gen intel, 48gb ram, and lots of ssd storage in various forms. No matter what I do the m1 MacBook Air still can edit 3 layers of 4K without issue, the same as the pc, even tho the 3080ti alone cost more than the Mac when it came out And it does it on battery

[@t.bowden5117]

Mac user since the 80s. This is the best Mac buying decision video I have ever seen. Made me think hard about my next Mac options. Thanks

[@PandaMoniumHUN]

Just picked up an M2 Mac Mini that's less than a month old with 16GBs of RAM and 512GB SSD second hand for $970, which is a baller deal here in Europe (the new price for this config even with the student discount is $1200+). Ordered a Studio Display to go with it, as I'll be staring at code all day on the monitor. The Mini is not my primary computer, I have a work issued laptop, so it really is only for personal projects and it should be good enough for that. If I had to pick my primary computer, it'd be the M2 Mac Studio base config (maybe with the SSD upgraded to 1TB). Good video!

[@AnonN-sr6uu]

Thankfully i have a work laptop so the 8/512 M2 13 inch Pro is just amazing. I do light gaming and occasional video/photo editing. It’s been a dream

[@AndrewC89]

15:37 Instead of saving a few dollars getting an LG UltraFine, just get a refurbished studio display. Cost is the same and you get much better build quality.

[@EnronnSierra]

I bought a Touchbar MacBook Pro 13 inch M1 back in November 2020 because I was so excited and impatient. I could have held out until the M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro's were released, since my intention was really to go to a bigger display from my previous Early 2015 13 inch Broadwell MacBook Pro. I went with the base model and upgraded the storage to 512 GBs. My decision to stick with the default 8 GBs of RAM came down to the fact I wasn't doing the things I use to before like running Windows VMs. But we have since witnessed changes like official Windows 11 support through Parallels and even VMWare Player. I have tested out Parallels with just the base 8 GBs of RAM and surprisingly, its super fast in the VM and macOS doesn't slow down either. I probably won't upgrade until 2027, then I will either choose a Mac Studio or 16 inch MacBook Pro.

[@dantecorbett2221]

Literally been struggling with this topic for 2 month. Thanks for the video.

[@dylanbwilson]

recently picked up the M2 Max with 64GB of ram and 2TB. Can't wait to push this thing!

[@neostephens8980]

Good video. I always recommend to people to buy as much memory as you can afford b/c you can't update later (on the Macs).

[@stalman]

Often good advice, but I also know some people that keep buying 64GB and definitely aren't using it 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@mx4211]

I am still on the M1 train with a MacBook Air 16Gb Ram 512TB Drive and a Mac Studio Max base model and the Studio Display on a versa mount and I see no need to upgrade for a while. Great informative video and it confirmed that I made a good choice and can stick with it for years to come. I am looking forward to the M5 or M6. I can not even wrap my mind around what performance that will be. I guess we will all be in Vision Pro land by then.

[@newecreator]

512 TB!?

[@mx4211]

@@newecreator Oh that was a typo. But it would be great to have.

[@williamdavidson1490]

Thanks for the work you put in on this video. I'm looking at purchasing my first Apple computer (been using PC's since 1986). Just waiting for this falls or springs new Apple releases to make my purchase and this video was a huge help! Cheer's from Vancouver Canada.

[@michellsantana6402]

I love "texture" of your videos.

[@mistro888-h2b]

Oh what a fantastic video. You answered every single question I thought of and then add to some I didn’t even think about. Thank you.

[@intestinomedicino]

Great review without click baits titles like most KZbinrs whenever someone puts a new product

[@MrMgd33]

great job in explaining and prioritizing plus real world examples that you shared! It really helped in the decision making process. Thanks!

[@motoed]

Good video. I went back to Mac myself after 20 years. I went Mac Studio base model with a bigger ssd. I just got it so I wish k had seen this video first. I’d still have gotten what I did,but it would have made my decision making a lot quicker and not debate about the choices as much!!!

[@owen9899]

M2 Pro -> Max isn’t a $200 difference though. It’s at least $1000

[@stkuj]

I've been using a Mini M1 2020 with 16gb ram + 1 TB. I feel I'm finally reaching a point where I need to upgrade; especially ram. I'm looking at the Studio M2 with 32gb ram + 1 TB (today...I feel the extra $180 for double the SSD is worth it).

[@Tristan]

What are you using it for out of curiosity?

[@newecreator]

I know I am not gonna buy a Mac anytime soon but it's nice to know how great the Mac lineup is currently.

[@MalcolmREBORN]

Yes, he's right MacBook Pro 16-inch with M2 Max chip is a screamer. It rips through everything I throw at it with zero hiccups or annoying system reboots. I've never worked this fast in my whole life.

[@arlencarlson]

Interesting argument on the 14” vs Air (13”) for travel. That is a decision I am looking at myself as well. I have a 16” M1 Pro MBP, but would like to pick up something a bit lighter for travel.

[@akin242002]

Depends on what you do for a living. The M2 Air 13 inch is great for traveling journalist at 4-5-hour events. No need for the extreme CPU power to write a blog or give updates that are less than 1 pages long on a Word document. For DJs or video/photo editors, the M2 MacBook Pro is far better and utilizes all that CPU/GPU power.

[@giannifiore7231]

I use a Base M2 Pro Mac Mini for my professional work and home desktop, and a Base 13 in. M2 Air for travel and basic computing! Also have a pile of hard drives 😅

[@WeeBcDeutsch]

I really love my M1 iMac 24 for a home office and backend business stuff the color is really joyful to look at every morning and quit set a mood for working, it is really fast for everything I hope Apple update them to M3 this year.

[@azukijelly7755]

I just got a 14” Macbook Pro M1 16GB 512GB for $1260 refurbished. Very good price to performance imo.

[@JasonLorette]

It's honestly amazing that they are still putting out base models with 8GB...my 2015 MBP has 8GB of RAM...it's not enough. I see a 14" MBP with 32GB and 512GB in my near future...just have to find the loonies to do it.

[@BoostFutbol]

This was such an incredibly thorough video. Apple def screwed you with timing though by coming out with the M3 lineup, haha. Any chance you're doing a similar video for the M3 lineup? I need to make the jump from a 2019 intel MacBook and trying to decide if I go M2 Max or M3 Max MacBook Pro.

[@JayseePro]

Appreciate the honest reality that all machines can cover and support most workloads nowadays, and not just the machines with pro and max chips Love this videos!

[@stalman]

Yeah we crossed a line with base models where they really serve most people's needs

[@nbhhcghgfyg]

Well you don't really need those , you can use cloud computing service for doing hard task (?)

[@thatoneguy1821]

I currently have a 2017 MacBook Pro (16g, 512). It’s starting to slow down. And I’d be fine with a MacBook Air realistically, but feel I need 1 TB storage and 16g RAM. It’s currently out of my price range. But I’m hoping when the M3’s drop, I can make the switch

[@dawnofkitty]

Please compare M1 Max vs M3 Max. 64GB ram. How do they stack up? Is it smarter to get M1 Max if you are on a budget?

[@the_diamant]

I have the Studio m1 still and not going to upgrade. Works perfect for me. I have only 512 gb storage but since it´s stationary I have many externally harddrives so now issues for me.

[@RayOrtega]

Stellar work. Took many notes. Thanks, Tyler.

[@billx4266]

Wow US prices are a lot cheaper then euro prices. Your last config with the mac studio and the studio display costs a whopping 4158 EURO....

[@alexfvcruz]

don’t forget the price will go a lil bit up after sales taxes are applied though.

[@sayeduzzamanrayan9387]

Dear Tyler, mind making a video on Google's new phones and smartwatches? I've been thinking about getting them, especially in the RAW output mode.

[@CinematographyDatabase]

I have an M2 Mini and new M2 MacBook Air and they are both impressive for their size and honestly price.

[@stalman]

There a few categories now where Macs are the best deal out there

[@Osandajayawar]

This video was helpful. Thank U Dude!

[@georgiaboy2023]

This is the first time I've ever heard someone insinuate that the m1 pro / m2 pro were slow...

[@lennartuecker]

Im budget sensitive but not setup flexible with my work as a creative student :D

[@akin242002]

For most people into Macs and not professionals, 16GB of RAM with the MBA or base M2 Mac Mini meets their needs. For professionals, 16-32GB of RAM is needed and the M2 MacBook Pro and/or M2 Mac Mini Pro. Get 1TB of SSD for the M2 MacBook Pro laptop for those into digital arts (front-end web development, video/photo editing, or DJs). It is a business investment that will make your professional life easier.

[@caseyjmarkovich]

I have a M1 Pro 10 cpu 16 gpu 32 gb of ram and 1 tb ssd 14 inch MacBook Pro. I would change a couple of things. 1 I would go for the m1 max model 2 I would go for the 16 inch.

[@waelothman6377]

Do you recommend a refurbished macbook 14 inch m2 max 32gb Ram , 1TB SSD. For 4k video editing. Or buying a m3 pro ?

[@benlarson8263]

TLDR: they’re all great for all-around work but if you rely on your computer’s speed for your income, go with the configurations that have more adjectives behind the processor 🙆🏻‍♂️

[@mehdialirizvi9616]

Is the air good enough to run Figma smoothly at all times? Especially the figma files having lots of elements in it.

[@nitishgarlapati128]

Can u give a photo gear for dental photography according to you

[@Quickb3n]

M2 Mac buyers guide: Find the best deal you can on an M1 Pro / Max 2021 MBP.

[@stalman]

Not bad advice, the M1's still crush

[@mutcorentin7231]

Still on MBA 2017 😢

[@dixitpatel8735]

great video! really helpful.. thankfully you validated my choices! phew - but in looking at monitor options for my MBP M2MAX|64GB|2TB you confused me by selecting the LG monitor for the MBP and Apple studio display for the Mac studio... why not use the same option for both? thanks

[@aryapraagya]

what do you think about 64gb ram vs 96 gb?

[@GiacomoTongiani]

do you think mba 15" m2 would be a good mac for editing video in 4k? or should i go for the new mbp 14" m3 with 24+512?

[@nzn1565]

Anyone else’s 14inch pro randomly got black flickering lines on the screen?🧐

[@captainstablemdr113]

Is the touch bar a worthy necessity. ? Also will the mac mini and studio support two monitors ?

[@stalman]

No one needs a Touch Bar, and yes Mac mini can support two monitors.

[@mrjamesmay3548]

I think everyone under estimates internal storage. Most consumers in their 30’s must have over 500 gig of photos and videos so I think we should be ordering 2TB as a minimum to give you space for the future.

[@stalman]

Very true, if there’s space it will get filled

[@ghost-user559]

Man, I got a used 10TB Hdd from a data center with a 5 year warranty for 80$. I really don’t think anyone should store assets and archives on a working drive anyway, and at that point most people would be better served with a Thunderbolt enclosure and a 2TB ssd for 100$ that you can work off of day to day. I think that data management is always cheaper and easier than solving the problem by opening up your wallet, but when you do need more storage anywhere is better than paying Apple at the moment. Trust me, get an hdd for your long term storage and an external ssd for your current work, and your still spending 250$-400$ less than going through Apple, and you get way more storage for a fraction of the cost.

[@businesspins5825]

Don’t forget to add the cost of a mouse/trackpad and keyboard to the cost of a Mac Mini 😉

[@JackiePrime]

I just buy them all

[@ianforber]

As well as budget one of the key issues might be how often you intend to replace the machine. My MacBook Pro is 6 years old and I bought it with the intention of keeping it about that long. If I thought I was going to keep it for less time I might have configured it differently, or even gone for a Mac mini plus display so that I could replace the mini more often at lower cost. Any thought on whether that would change your options?

[@ghost-user559]

I prefer to split my spending and computing needs across multiple devices which means every device gets less wear and I need less powerful devices because they each have a different function in my workflow. So I think the M2 Pro Mac Mini was a good fit, an iPad 9 with a keyboard and stylus, and I have an old MacBook 2012 for very basic tasks if I need it. I have a Thunderbolt Display for 2k resolution and a second for a vertical display. My entire setup was relatively cheap for the number of devices. Your idea of a mini and display sounds like a perfect plan, and you can always supplement that with a tablet or faster phone with the money you save. I got 20 TB of storage and an external das for very cheap. I think it’s always smarter to dump as much money into your personal setup than it is to buy the most expensive machine you can afford. It’s smarter to have a 10tb nas, multiple displays, and a tablet versus a single very expensive device like an iPad Pro or an upgraded MacBook. The less you spend on your computer the better display and external hard drives you can afford, and in the end the workflow is more about the sum of the parts that you have than it is about maximizing one single device.

[@waitwhat9669]

I am not poor, I am budget sensetive

[@kaarteeek]

the thumbnail. wow.

[@dmitrylaktionov]

It’s a best time to buy M1 Max

[@TheBardsCorner]

Outstanding video! Thank you! It seems that the binned M2 Max (30gpu cores) may be better in terms of battery life and thermals compared to the full 38 core in the 16” MacBook Pro. Now, saving on that, I’d upgrade to 2tb of storage or would you advise 64gb of UM? Working on music (engraving, score creation) and InDesign/illustrator book building.

[@Carlosttmm]

You can now get a MacPro with M2 Ultra

[@theloniousMac]

Came out with this video a bit early huh? Heh Heh.

[@stalman]

October surprise!

[@joshuahaney1135]

I need $400 and less

[@ghost-user559]

You can definitely get a used m2 mini for around that price. Maybe 450$ for a base model. But you need a mouse and keyboard and a monitor or Tv already as well. But you can easily get a decent setup for around 500-550$ now with everything included if you shop around online.

[@Alster763]

These 8GB machines serve a few purposes for Apple, first as a bait and switch and second as a way to advertize a low entry price point for marketing purposes. To anyone who knows anything about computers and computing it is insulting and it's getting kind of old, I wish Apple would move on as you said we have had 8 years of 8GB, it's enough already.