What specs do I need?

[emchap4]

Hi, I was thinking about getting the MacBook Pro 13" 2015. My current setup is an iMac (21.5" Mid-2010) with 8GB (upgraded from 4) of DDR3 1333 RAM, an Intel i3 3.06GHz, and the graphics are an ATI Radeon HD 4670 4670 256 MB. The only things I do on this computer is run different operating systems, create, render, and animate complex 3D models, and I also use Adobe After Effects CS6 heavily. Is the duel core on the MacBook Pro 13" going to have a dramatic difference is render times, animating frame rates, or light gaming (such as Minecraft)? Also is the graphics on the MBP better, worse, or the same as my current iMac? 

[KemoKa]

For what you're paying for a Macbook Pro, if your render times are important to you, you'd be much, much, MUCH better served by getting a mid-level gaming laptop with a quad-core hyperthreaded i7 and a decent Nvidia graphics chip.

Apple doesn't make workstation-grade laptops. You're not gonna see a huge difference in performance going to a 2015 Macbook Pro. Not to mention it'll throttle like hell. And those are the "only" things you do? Those are things that only workstation and gaming-grade notebooks are built to do proficiently. It looks like you're pretty heavy into rendering and 3D modeling. If they're as complicated and complex as you say, a Macbook is totally unsuited to the job, no matter what they told you.

Look at some Asus, MSI and Gigabyte gaming laptops for the price point you want. the MSI GS60 Ghost is the one I'd go for for overall quality. I'd even consider looking at a WS-60.

 

Don't stick with Macs for this sort of thing, man. They're just not powerful enough.

[KemoKa]

@emchap4 follow your posts, old boy!

[SG14_96]

I would suggest getting a 15 inch pro with dedicated graphics and 16 GB of ram. Many of the software that is used for editing media is optimized for apple hardware. And you will get a much better and longer lasting computer than a PC of the same price.

[southpaw5271]

For what you're paying for a Macbook Pro, if your render times are important to you, you'd be much, much, MUCH better served by getting a mid-level gaming laptop with a quad-core hyperthreaded i7 and a decent Nvidia graphics chip.

Apple doesn't make workstation-grade laptops. You're not gonna see a huge difference in performance going to a 2015 Macbook Pro. Not to mention it'll throttle like hell. And those are the "only" things you do? Those are things that only workstation and gaming-grade notebooks are built to do proficiently. It looks like you're pretty heavy into rendering and 3D modeling. If they're as complicated and complex as you say, a Macbook is totally unsuited to the job, no matter what they told you.

Look at some Asus, MSI and Gigabyte gaming laptops for the price point you want. the MSI GS60 Ghost is the one I'd go for for overall quality. I'd even consider looking at a WS-60.

 

Don't stick with Macs for this sort of thing, man. They're just not powerful enough.

While you are right that you could get something better for that particular use, if OP wants a MacBook, they will buy a MacBook.

 

The 15" with an i7 is pretty pricey but the extra threads will definitely help with rendering.

[KemoKa]

While you are right that you could get something better for that particular use, if OP wants a MacBook, they will buy a MacBook.

Which is why I contemplated even replying to this thread. Of course, if OP can't drag himself away from Apple's ecosystem, then he's gonna be stuck with the performance bracket that Apple gives him, which at the highest end would still quail before a Quadro-based workstation laptop. But OP said he ran multiple operating systems, so presumably he doesn't mind the Windows/Linux ecosystem. And...

 

And you will get a much better and longer lasting computer than a PC of the same price.

While that is true of most consumer-grade notebooks, at the higher end this is simply not the case.

 

If OP is truly looking to maximize his performance, he should be willing to look at other vendors.

[kels]

Only the best AMD specs right?