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PoppyFromNC
PoppyFromNC
Inspiring
November 1, 2023
Answered

MacBook Pro M3 vs M3 Pro

  • November 1, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 15794 views

I am trying to decide between a new MacBook Pro with an M3 chip or an M3 Pro chip. 

I can get both for the same price. The only difference between them, other than the chip itself  is the M3 I am considering has 24GB of memory vs 18 GB on the M3 Pro.

I am an amateur photographer and therefore not a heavy Lightroom Classic user.

Should I go with the faster chip or the increased memory?

Is there any advantage either way?

Any opinions/information will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Conrad_C

    Thanks. Would a MacBook Air with 24GB of memory run Lightroom and Photoshop without a problem?


    An M2 Air with 24GB should run Lightroom Classic and Photoshop well for most general editing.

     

    What would challenge that configuration are:

    • Adding many masks to a single image in Lightroom Classic, especially AI masks 
    • Merging many images into a panorama 
    • Editing Photoshop documents with very large pixel dimensions and many layers and masks 
    • Keeping both Lightroom Classic and Photoshop open at the same time, especially when working with tasks like those above 
    • Keeping many other applications open too 

     

    If you think you’ll do those a lot, 32GB or more might be a better idea, which would push you past the Air to the Pro.

     

    That is not necessarily a complete list, just things I notice on my own.

    4 replies

    Tom2266072
    Tom2266072
    Participating Frequently
    February 1, 2024

    Perhaps this performance test helps your.

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/performance-lightroom-classic-with-apple-silicon-m2-max-m3-max/m-p/14395022

    C.Cella
    C.Cella
    Inspiring
    November 1, 2023

    I would go for the 24GB M3

    LrC is very memory hungry.

     

    Consider also that Camera Raw in LrC will not/never use more than 50% of the cores of your Mackbook.

     

    .

      PoppyFromNC
      PoppyFromNCAuthor
      Inspiring
      November 1, 2023

       

      As I mentioned above I am upgrading from a 9 year old iMac, so either will seem like a sports car!

      I am leaning toward the 24gb model though.

      Thanks!

      D
      dj_paige
      Legend
      November 1, 2023

      I am an amateur photographer and therefore not a heavy Lightroom Classic user.

       

      An M3 Mac seems like overkill, unless you have other applications that would benefit from this chip.

        PoppyFromNC
        PoppyFromNCAuthor
        Inspiring
        November 1, 2023

        I was all set to order an M2 Mac, but they are no longer available. Since the M3s are about the same price, I decided to go with one of them.

        D
        dj_paige
        Legend
        November 1, 2023

        Well, I don't really know what Apple is selling, but if they sell some lower end machines, and you're not a heavy LrC user, the lower end machines seem to make more sense to me as they will be cheaper. (Unless as I said, you have other applications that would benefit from an M3 chip)

          L
          Lumigraphics
          Legend
          November 1, 2023

          There are other differences besides RAM capacity, such as number of cores (performance), external display support, number of Thunderbolt ports, and battery life.

          https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/compare/

            PoppyFromNC
            PoppyFromNCAuthor
            Inspiring
            November 1, 2023

            True.  I am just wondering if the differences would be apparent, especially since I generally will not be using it heavily.

            I like the idea of the faster chip, but wonder if the memory difference would be an issue, or will the extra speed offset it.

            Thank you!

            Conrad_C
            Community Expert
            Conrad_CCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            November 1, 2023

            If you don’t use Lightroom Classic heavily, either model will do. I use Lightroom Classic heavily with what is now an older M1 Pro MacBook Pro, and that’s still great. If I was making your decision, I would favor the one with more memory, because in the long run that might help you more than a few extra cores.

             

            In another post you said M2 Macs are no longer available. Apple might not be selling them new, but they still have some in their Apple Refurbished section at a nice discount if one of the configurations will meet your needs. Also, M2 Macs will continue to be available from other retailers such as B&H and Costco until their stocks run out.

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