Hey all,
I’m considering buying a new MacBook for Christmas.
I’ve been using a 13" 2015 i5 MacBook Pro since 2016. My primary uses are music production (Logic Pro), audio playback (Spotify and CDs), and video streaming (I’m a bit of a YouTube addict).
I have to admit, my experience with this machine—and MacOS in general—has been mostly terrible. Early on, I noticed that the hardware struggled with even basic tasks, with temperatures quickly soaring into the 100°C range. In an effort to keep their machines quiet while still touting good performance, Apple has tuned MacOS to allow temperatures to climb to concerning levels before the fans kick in. This stands in stark contrast to Apple’s mobile products, like iPhones and iPads, which handle temperatures and clock speeds exceptionally well despite being fanless.
Forget about video editing or gaming—this MacBook drops frames like crazy when streaming 1440p or 4K content from YouTube or Netflix. It heats up as if the fan doesn’t even exist, and it throttles as soon as anything remotely intensive is asked of it. The one saving grace has been installing Macs Fan Control, which allowed me to customize the fan behavior. That software has turned what I consider an awful product (for its price tag) into something “acceptable.”
The only reasons I’ve stuck with this computer are Logic Pro and the seamless integration of music production hardware and software with MacOS. Unfortunately, my model is no longer supported, so it’s time to move on.
I bought this MacBook Pro for €1,500 in early 2016. Since then, prices have only gone up, and it’s no longer possible to get a Pro model for a similar amount. This leaves me with two options:
What do you all think? Has the MacOS temperature situation improved since 2022? Should I risk going fanless to save money, or is the Pro model worth the investment?
Or… should I just ditch Apple entirely and switch to Windows for music production?
I’m considering buying a new MacBook for Christmas.
I’ve been using a 13" 2015 i5 MacBook Pro since 2016. My primary uses are music production (Logic Pro), audio playback (Spotify and CDs), and video streaming (I’m a bit of a YouTube addict).
I have to admit, my experience with this machine—and MacOS in general—has been mostly terrible. Early on, I noticed that the hardware struggled with even basic tasks, with temperatures quickly soaring into the 100°C range. In an effort to keep their machines quiet while still touting good performance, Apple has tuned MacOS to allow temperatures to climb to concerning levels before the fans kick in. This stands in stark contrast to Apple’s mobile products, like iPhones and iPads, which handle temperatures and clock speeds exceptionally well despite being fanless.
Forget about video editing or gaming—this MacBook drops frames like crazy when streaming 1440p or 4K content from YouTube or Netflix. It heats up as if the fan doesn’t even exist, and it throttles as soon as anything remotely intensive is asked of it. The one saving grace has been installing Macs Fan Control, which allowed me to customize the fan behavior. That software has turned what I consider an awful product (for its price tag) into something “acceptable.”
The only reasons I’ve stuck with this computer are Logic Pro and the seamless integration of music production hardware and software with MacOS. Unfortunately, my model is no longer supported, so it’s time to move on.
I bought this MacBook Pro for €1,500 in early 2016. Since then, prices have only gone up, and it’s no longer possible to get a Pro model for a similar amount. This leaves me with two options:
- A fanless MacBook Air—which I’m skeptical about.
- A significantly more expensive 14" MacBook Pro, which, at least on paper, has a more robust thermal system but really stretches my budget.
What do you all think? Has the MacOS temperature situation improved since 2022? Should I risk going fanless to save money, or is the Pro model worth the investment?
Or… should I just ditch Apple entirely and switch to Windows for music production?