New to Apple/MBP

[pnwwoods]

My current Windows laptop is on its last leg; I want to purchase the new 2019 MBP 16" 256-512GB (budget <$3100) however I honestly am newbie when it comes to computers/specs.

I do a lot of photo editing on Lightroom, and want to get into 4k video editing (Premiere) & Photoshop; other than that I multitask with Lightroom, browsing, Netflix.

What specs should I consider--I hope to do a lot of research within the upcoming months
Which processor? 2.6GHz 6 Core i7 / 2.3GHz 8 core i7 / 2.4GHz i9
Which RAM/Memory? 16GB / 32GB / 64GB
Which Graphics card? AMD 5300M 4GB / AMD 5500M 4GB / AMD 5500M 8GB

The help would be much appreciated, these specs & numbers to me honestly mean nothing lol...

 

[Terry Corder]

While you're waiting for a more informed reply, why not have a read of this. https://www.macworld.co.uk/review/mac-laptops/macbook-pro-15in-2019-3698393/

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

I guess it really depends on what level photo/video editing you are going to be at. MBPs are great for editing on the move, but iMacs are the way to go for more serious pro-level editing.

Remember, HD/4K video takes up a huge amount of storage space. A MBP drive can easily be filled by a large video project, so it is recommended to use an external drive to give yourself enough breathing room.

Processors do a play a part, but not as much as people think. Yes, an i9 is much faster than an i5/i7, but other things also contribute to overall video editing speed. The more RAM you have is always better, especially if you are running multiple resource-hungry applications simultaneously. The 16" MBP is not upgradeable after purchase, so keep that in mind. The video chip is also important, as many "pro" applications can use their multi-thread processing power when rendering. Also, SSD storage is not upgradeable after purchase, but you can use multiple large external drives.

A few more good articles to peruse:
-MacBook Pro 16-inch model
-The Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing
-2019 MacBook Pro vs 2019 5K iMac – Which One Should You Choose For Editing?
-MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) review

So, with all of that said and not knowing your actual workload, here are some very generic spec recommendations to fit your budget:
Base model 16" MacBook Pro
2.6GHz 6-Core Processor
512GB Storage
AMD Radeon Pro 5300M
$2399 USD

Upgrades in bold
Processor: 2.6GHz 6‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i7 processor
Memory: 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory - $400 USD
Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory - $100 USD
Storage: 512GB SSD storage (1TB would be better for $200 USD more)

Total: $2899 ($3099 with 1TB SSD) - Plus, an external drive for video editing/storage.

Hope that helps, and let us know if you have additional questions.

C