Why I DITCHED the 16-inch MacBook Pro! 

Are you a 14-inch or a 16-inch kinda person? And why?

The 14 inch version also fits far better on lavatory toilet roll holders, does not take up too much room when operating in small lifts or escalators and could easily be strapped to average motor vehicle steering wheels. But in my case and when travelling on aircraft, I take a few hours off, reading a book when not trying to sleep for a few hours.

next video: why i bought the 16 inch macbook pro

The money I save on the airfare I don’t spend will cover the expense of the laptop, and the fact I hardly travel means the 16 inch is the best choice.

I love my 16 inch MacBook Pro Max. Bigger screen, better speakers, bigger track pad, bigger area to rest my wrists when typing, better battery life, and the notch takes up a smaller percentage of the screen. I only travel two or three times a year. If you feel the 16 inch is a bit heavy for you, go to the gym and do a few curls.

I switched from 16" M1 Max to 14" M3 Max. While I loved the size for portability, the fans were noticable and I really missed the extra screen size. I sold the 14 and got the 16 M3 Max.

I still struggle to understand why a RU-vidr would need a maxed out Macbook Pro. I genuienly believe you can get by with a 16gb/M3 Pro without even noticing any noticable difference. The reason why you can't justify it is because... you can't justify it. You don't need this absurd amount of power. :|

The 15" Air is the perfect size and weight for me. If I was going Pro it would definitely be the 14".

I'm still very happy with my 14" M1 Pro MBP. It has been heavily used since day one (so battery health is not fantastic), but I love it and used it for pretty much every aside from gaming. The 14" form factor was an easy choice for me over the 16" since I have to move my laptop between home and office almost every day.

I reluctantly went from the 16" to 14" in the M1 generation as 16GB wasn't enough memory and the only in stock 64GB one was 14" at the time. And.. I still have it. The 14" is absolutely fantastic for all of the reasons you explain. That said, I am thinking of going back to 16" because I am beginning to really feel the squeeze screen-wise with my latest work, but that's the only reason.. and I almost never travel, other than between rooms in my house, so the 16" is tolerable. Would I prefer a 15"? Yes.

Interesting - I recently got a 16" M3 Pro MBP and it has been the best computer I've ever had. Perfect screen size for getting personal stuff done, music production/practise, gaming (WoW Classic). That being said, I use a work provided 14" M1 Pro MBP for my day job, which involves being constantly on the move fixing technical issues and testing out equipment. It would be a pain to lug my 16" around for that. I suppose it is a bit of a luxury to be using both size of MacBook Pro, but surely it isn't THAT uncommon. Forum threads and RU-vid videos (not necessarily talking about this particular video) seem to operate under the assumption it's going to be your ONLY computer - but plenty of people have a personal laptop and a work provided laptop. So for me, the 16" laptop is perfect for the stuff I WANT to do, and the 14" laptop is perfect for the stuff I HAVE to do. But the goal one day is to shift my work into deep creative work instead of being a technician who's constantly on the go, in which case a 14" or smaller laptop wouldn't be necessary at all.

You’re the only reason I have an iPhone 13 mini. When I had a dilemma about my new MacBook Pro size I knew who to turn to. Thanks my guy!

I just bought a 16 inch MBP M3pro (base) and started the trade in process for my 14 inch MBP (late 2021) truly just for the screen real estate. I'm going to wait a week before I decide and actually trade it in just in case I do hate it, but I spend more time on my MBP around the house than I do docked in my office at home and the 14 inch screen was just too small to multitask and use 2 windows side by side. If I traveled a lot I could see myself keeping the 14 inch for portability but I do 99% of my work at home. I was shocked how much bigger the 16" screen is compared to the 14" and I like not having to confine myself to my desk just for a bigger screen. I don't really care about how much faster the M3 would or wouldn't be, I never did enough to push even the M1 chip lol. Side note: the bigger trackpad and speakers on the 16 are a welcome upgrade.

My first MBP is the M2 Max. At first I was annoyed that M3 released less than a year later. But now I am glad I got the M2. It’s been great. I am glad I got that instead of waiting.

I am still on a Macbook Pro 15 2018 model. Still looks brand new as I have had a laptop cover, screen and keyboard protector on it. I use it professionally in IT and still don't need to upgrade. The new Macbooks are tempting but still can't justify it. Even though my fan seems to run all the time and it's time to change the battery which I will do myself.

One of the reasons you didn't see a difference in your Final Cut Pro video rendering test is that the video rendering codexes were put on the chip on the M1, and haven't changed much since then. The CPU and GPU are barely used in this case. Where you'll see a big difference on the M3 is in ray tracing and other 3D rendering tasks. There should also be a significant difference between M1 and M3 in regular workflow things like heavy web browser or still photo editing tasks. So it all depends on what you do on it whether it will make a big difference or not.

Hello back there ! Personally have the 14-inch M1 max 64 GB 1 TB, really regret That I didn't get the 2 TB version and 16 inch. Even I'm travelling often. Because it's my ONLY one laptop. Have to use every time my portable external screen to work efficiently on many stuffs. So sorry I have to disagree with you, the productivity > portability on my case. Still a thumb up for your vid ^^

Had the M1 16". Traded it for a 14" M3. No regrets. The 16" was just too big for me. Love the size of the 14".

I bought a m1 pro 16", upgraded to the 14" m2 max, and now on the 16" m3 max. I felt the m3 max would be held back on a 14" chassis and i don't travel much. Both sizes are great and have positives and negatives.

Mark, thanks for your video. I'm impressed. I agree about the convenience of the travel size 14 inch m3 model. I had a 13-inch m1 chip macbook pro, and took it all over the world in my travels. I admit to actually dropping it onto the concrete floor of the airport in which I was traveling three years ago-literally the computer survived with no problems-! Now, three years later I got the m3 14 inch for traveling. I'm thinking of starting to do video editing for documentaries as a hobby and that 2nd computer will stay at home, so I don't need portability, rather the larger screen size.

This (and the fact it’s an intel chip lol) is partly why I went from the 15-inch MBP to base m1 air. It’s just a dream to carry around the house, use in cafes, and everything

5:23 "Why did I buy this?" LEGEND 😂

Thanks. I just got the Macbook 16 recently, and its an amazing computer, but too large to carry around, and definitively not for plane use. The keyboard is also larger, which I didn't personally don't like, but that may change the more I use it.

I just bought a 16” M1 64gb 4Tera bytes for half of what you spent. Upgraded from a 15” Intel MacBook Pro. Couldn’t be happier with it. It even fits into the old 15” sleeve. Wouldn’t use it on plane, but I need every inch of it’s incredible screen for my photo editing.

Hey Mark! Please can you make a video on the performance of the 14 inch M3 Max and music production as you did on the M2 Pro Mac mini? I'm really interested in how the fans do while producing music.

From what I understand, the video exporting speed for the m series Mac will mostly based on the video encoder and decoder on it. I guess that's the reason you have similar render time, the faster CPU and GPU are for more intense work, such as VFX or video de-noise, but if you are not using those stuff, you are likely hard to find the difference. But happy you enjoy the 14 inch screen size.

If you want to save even more money, weight and thickness buy the 15" Macbook Air! It has the one inch that is missing from the 14" and is even lighter and much thinner than that. It is the best laptop I ever used....(and I am selling Macs for over 25 years). The 15" MBA is King for mobility! If you need a more powerful computer with support for more external displays buy an additional Mac Studio for the desktop. That is the best combination in my opinion...

So, I recently bought the 14" MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip with the 18GB Ram and 1TB SSD, it is quite likely overkill for my needs, but the option of the space black was too enticing. It is replacing a 2011 15" MBP with an i7 intel chip and 500gb SSD, which I paid £1500 for in 2011. The new one was £2500, but I'm confident it will serve just as good as its predecessor. So far I am extremely impressed with its performance on all levels.

I really love the "slingability" part. I totally feel this one. I got a 16" M1 Max MBP, currently. It's provided by my employer. I am not travelling much with it, but I am moving a lot around with it at home office and know exactly what you mean there 😀 I was on trains a few times with it, and realized the size issue in those tiny places immediately, as well. However, I don't care too much for those situations. These are too rare for me. Personally I am still on an Intel Macbook Air (the last one before Apple Silicon). I am currently considering the 14" MBP or the 15" Macbook Air for a replacement. Luckily I don't need Pro or Max chips on this one for the next decade.

Have you considered that the perf. difference (or lack of it) is partially being affected by the 14" form-factor, with the [lack of] heat dissipation preventing the Max from really ramping up to full potential? The 16" version M3 Max shows quite a significant a lead over the M1 Max.

Thanks Mark, I have been agonising over the 14 or 16 inch for far too long, tried and sent back loads of machines - this video helped me decide.

Love the 16, the screen size helps when editing plus I couldn’t pass the deal I got on it brand new.

14 inch M3 Max max. 128 gb ram to future proof it with Adobe premiere. Love it so far for music and video production. Only heard the fans once only for a few seconds when i ran some extreme VA synths overloads. So far outclasses my m1 MacBook pro 16 gb ram in everyway. Great for coffee tables and this 14 inches fits in any bag and is actually lighter than my previous M1 pro 16 gb ram. Imagine that! Nifty apple!

I just received my very first mac, the 16 m3 max with 64gb memory and 2tb of storage and love the performance and size so far. My last 3 windows laptops were all 17 inchers and my current windows laptop is a 16inch and I have no issues with traveling with it. I like the bigger screen because these eyes ain't getting younger plus I like the bigger battery and supposed better thermals of the 16. Either way I like the bigger laptop.

Id love a larger laptop because Im old and have issues with my vision but they are much heavier.

The shift from 4:08 to 4:00 is more impressive than it seems. I suspect the 14" M1 Max would have been much slower and throttled. For the 14" M3 Max you have to match the 16" M1 Max (with better thermal system) is very impressive!

The jump from M1 max to M3 max is huge though!

Always loving your style of review Mark. Turned on the bells now

Wow. Surprised at how little the increase with M3 performance is. Great video. Love all your presentations. Very helpful!

I’m still pretty pleased I went for the 14” when I bought the M1 Pro MacBook Pro. Next time I’ll get a lot more RAM, and I’ll consider whether the 16” will be better at the time in case things have changed - but I won’t be upgrading any time soon TBH. I got a decent deal, about £150 off the RRP at the time of the entry level M1 Pro 14” and it’s served me really well and the prices seems to have gone up a bit since - Ironically I don’t take it with me day to day when I’m out at client offices because I already have to carry a machine they assigned to access their network - So I take a Surface Pro 9 with me day to day, I use the MacBook if I’m working on my own stuff on a weekend though and when I do being able to leave the charger behind and still have a powerful enough device is awesome.

14” M1 Max Macintosh is the best laptop I’ve ever owned. I will only get rid of it when thunderbolt 5 arrives. Until then I will continue to enjoy the machine !!

I am really tempted to go from my 16' M1 Pro to a 14' M3 Pro. However, I paid roughly 2500 € für 512 GB, 16 GB RAM the Pro Core and 16' - I'd roughly pay the same for a 14'. Since I'm not travelling a lot and never had the feeling of my laptop being to big, I (hopefully) won't upgrade. Thanks for the video, Mark. Top quality, as always.

I have both 14 and 16 inch Macbook pro but Im more using my 14 inch. As you said the 16 inch just chilling on the Desk as a desk replacement While my 14 inch is coming with me everywhere I go. I really love the 16 inch screen but I Have it docked to two 27 inch monitors so I'm barely using it. I sorry to say but My 16 inch literally became irrelevant😢

The weight and size of the 14-inch, combined with the Harber sleeve (which is a fantastic sleeve), are approximately the same as the naked 16-inch.

I have had the base 14” MacBook Pro M1 for just over a year and wish I had the 16”. I don’t travel much and work from home and it sits on the side next to my “work” windows enviroment. It’s my screen for virtual machines (mostly Kali) web search and watching video’s and wish the screen was bigger. I also do some really bad animation as a hobby and like to do it just from my laptop screen. I’m sure if I got the 16” I would be saying I wish I got the 14” though. 😂

Had a 15.6" Chromebook which was end of life. Bought a refurbished 2022 M2 MacBook Air 13.6" Black Friday in sales, and was thinking it was too small screen wise. Happy with my decision as not that big a difference screen wise in real life usage and easier to manage on lap and carrying. Probably would prefer the 15" Air but don't worry about 13" if you can't afford the extra £ 👍

I’ve heard that one shouldn’t put the Max chips in a 14” chassis because the chip throttles due to the smaller thermal envelope.

I'm switching from the 16" M1 Pro to a 13" Air, simply for the smaller size and less weight for travel. I only use the built in display, and have no need for HDMI or SD card slot. I don't game, I don't edit videos, or audio. I do ordinary stuff plus hobby xcode. I'll spring for 10-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 1TB storage.

I have the option to max out either the 14 or the 16 inch MacBook Pro M3 max for work. I went to Best Buy the other day and just simply pick them both up. The weight difference was crazy…. Also, I’m 6’3 220 pounds.

I have a 13 inch surface laptop and I still don’t use it on planes. Economy is just too cramped, even found my 12 inch iPad Pro too big. For planes the iPad mini is the best. Also just returned the 14” 11 core m3 pro because I needed more memory. Found a 16” 12 core with 32gb ram in the Apple refurbished store for the same price I’d pay for the same spec 14” with student discount. Hard to justify paying the same for a smaller screen.

My only hands-on comparison is my 13 inch work issued HP notebook to my 15 inch 2018 MB Pro which I use sporadically for some personal use. The 13 inch HP is virtually of little use to me for work related activities other than going through emails or participating on a Webex chat / meeting for example. The 15 inch MB Pro could legitimatly be used for a variety of tasks such as coding, panning through electrical schematics, etc. Additionally, the larger trackpad of the 15 inch is great in that my fingers do not go beyond the trackpad surface itself when performing gestures. However, I will say that the size and weight of the smaller notebook is much preferred when used on the go or in tight quarters such as commuting, sitting on a plane, or even at a lab bench where table space is at a premium. I would say that 99% of the time, I am using my 13 inch notebook computer with a 27 inch monitor either at the office or at home with the lid opened to serve as a supplemental screen. I personally would go with the larger notebook.

In your export test, you might be using the Media Engine Hardware-acceleration, which is the same on all MacBook Pros. Hence no serious change in export times.

Because M1 Max and M3 Max use same 2 Media Engine. So Export time on Final Cut should be almost identical.

Great review. However, i would think if one is going to go for something this powerful, it would seem to be a waste to do the smaller size.

I am sure the SAS or Royal Marines won't think it's "too heavy" or "too bulky." 😊

Hi Mark, first time commentor. Really enjoy your tech review videos. My only question for you is: so many people say that they really like the extra screen real estate of the 16 inch M3 Mac Pro, for Final Cut Pro. What say you?

16 inch is a desktop rig replacement, very niche use case in real life!

No way, I’m still getting the 16 inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro 18, 1TB. i tried the 14 and 16 in the Apple Reseller in my region and the difference is minimal that you wouldn’t notice.

I think Phil Schiller used a 17' inch MacBook Pro back in 2009 or so. For people like me who don't travel a lot and use a Mac 99% around the office or at home the 16' inch version is the way to go.

I'm on the 2019 MBP 16 inch that I bought in 2020. It still works well for me, and the reviews definitely hold true, even to this day. I'm waiting for the 16 inch MBP with the m5 ultra (or whatever it may be) in 2027.

People should buy the version spec etc that fits their own needs. The 14 will always be better for travelling with than the bigger 16. There again I know people who bought 14” and it sits on their desk in a cradle all day they should have bought a Mac mini or studio. Keep up the great work

14" is a perfect size IMO, my partner has the 16", it's always felt a little too bulky

I wish Apple would return to standard resolutions. This fixation with 220dpi+ works on phones but for laptops you view further away.

Nice video. Just wondering if there is any battery degradation issues having a MacBook on charge most of the time if it’s usually just connected to a monitor at home. ?

M1 Pro to M3 Pro is actually a pretty big jump in everything other than video encoding with the built in codecs! 20-30% CPU and 50% GPU bump in some cases. Depending on what you do, that could make a big difference. On the other hand, if you're not pushing the M1 hard, you might not notice that kind of difference too much. To me it feels a bit snappier, but M1 is already fast, so no great shakes in general use. For dev work it makes a bigger difference.

Hey pal, another great video! Personally I would have gone for the 16inch MacBook Air M2 which is light weight and I adore it! (please deal with your badges notifications on desktop, my OCD is itching!!) Love your channel, keep up the fine work!

"You'll never see it on Max Tech." LOL! I watch them too and while they go crazy with tests, well, they go crazy with tests.....and their use of superlatives.

Mark, please clean the back of your MacBook. There’s a speck of dust by the Apple logo that looked like a dead pixel on my screen and nearly gave me a heart attack! 😂

I have a 14 inch M2 pro but I was thinking about going for a bigger size? Do you think I should get a 16 inch and also do you think I should break up with my girlfriend?

I’ll be the fourth person to agree with you about carrying the 14 feels alot better than the 16 , totally relate 👍

Thanks Mark. Enjoyed the review. Now I know without having to spend loads of money on. Currently rocking m1 macbook air, 8gb, 512gb. im just a regular human being

Good video.I think M3 Max was possibly the wrong decision rather than the size. Did you really need all that power for your video work? I know they are very sexy. But I can see having a 14 inch 'pocket battleship' is good for travel. But then is it overpowered for thermals and battery life? I went for the 16 inch M3 pro MBP. I upgraded from and Intel Mac. I don't travel with it at all. Its fans never spin up, but I don't mix videos. I just do some photoshop work. But the M3 Pro 16 MBP is fantastic

I have the 14” and it is not easy to travel with. It’s heavy in my backpack. Get the 16” MacBook and be happy. If you need to look at the laptop on planes get your life together. Use a iPad. I would much rather have the 16 inch any day. I will buy the M4 16 inch once it goes on sale at BestBuy in September 2025.

I consider it a local travel deal. good for around the house another thing is going kilometers away

W😊W Marvellous Mark does a fantastic review yet again! 👍🏼 Thank y❤️u Mark for your advice regarding the ‘monumental step up’ from Intel Macs to the M1 Mac but only an incremental change from M1 to M3. THIS IS GOLDEN GUIDANCE for the majority of your views who are consumers (not tech industry folk or content creators). It is so easy to be taken in by the M3 promotion whereas the M1 is good enough for most consumers. I follow your advice because it is unbiased AND by an independent Mac user who is both a professional content creator and a consumer user. I think the M1 will hold its value in the market because it’s a true revolutionary system on a chip. To be honest I was tempted by the 3nm M3 architecture but the overall product is not worth the high price tag, especially for a 16GB RAM Model.

You ditched 16in coz you want content? I use 16in m1 and works for me perfectly as an on-site engineer, I just can’t see why it’s not enough tbh

Hell I'm just trying to save up for a 15" M3 Air when that comes out soon. Wanted to get a Pro but it's just too expensive for what I need right now

I'm torn actually, cause a few weeks ago I got back injured after falling on ice. When I tried to go out with my laptop once, the weight was immensely painful, so I was concerned, now I removed the case of my 16-inch MacBook pro and it feels a little bit lighter even when carried on my hands. Any advice on how to carry it around, I am tempted to change to the 14-inch but I don't see any big benefits apart from the portability, and I do love screen size. Thanks! and it's a great video! new subscriber

2, maybe 3 years 😂. I’ve been slumming on my MBPro since 2012. Waiting for M4 so I can get an M3 on the cheap 🤷‍♂️

I mainly use my 13" mackbook air M1, its easy to carry and bloody fast, although I would like a bigger display. Thinking of getting the 15"macbook air as a replacement. Great video as usual, thank you

The m4 with get ready for it Thunderbolt 5 ports super speeds !

You can keep using the 16 when you are on the kitchen table.

I have the 14 inch M1 max 64 GB one terabyte and my only regret honestly is not getting 2 TB. Otherwise hopefully I’ll be eligible for a battery replacement in the next year or so but I think that this is the best computer I’ve ever used. BH photo still sells the m1Max actually for a hefty discount 😊

Anything below 15" is an iPad or some sort of a tablet! Yeah, it is lighter, easier to carry, but try code in any of the IDE's while having a browser open in half of the screen space while you're traveling or just on vacation! Not to mention when you want to relax and watch a movie while on vacation...16" is a much better experience than a 14" one which in apple's perspective is more like a 13 and a half...After all this is a mobile computer, otherwise you could go with an iPhone...

if they made an 18 inch macbook pro....I would consider it 😂. I think screen size makes a huge difference for whatever "pro" workflow you want to undertake. My 10 year old 13 inch Macbook pro has spent the past 5 years in clamshell mode tethered to a monitor because It sucks trying to Make music on such a small screen. I dont think 2 inches matters much for traveling becaue im not going to try and use this on a plane etc.....I will take it with me and set up in a hotel or whatever, but im not getting major work done in the midst of travel. It will be on the table for that.......and even my tablet is 14.6 inches. Samsung Tab s8 Ultra.....which is amazing! 90% of the time i will be seated at a desk or table....i wont buy for the 10 percent of the time im moving around.

When it comes to having desktop power inside a portable, I am still enamored by my M1 Max MacBook Pro after almost two years of use. Also, for what I do with DJing, music production and video, having 4TB of space was a convenience cost that feels priceless. And yes, pulling that single Thunderbolt cable from the laptop’s port and then slipping it into my backpack is very satisfying. U go to coffee shops often, so I get having a cup neatly right next to it. So good.

Hi, I have a question for you: if you were to keep only two Macs, a desktop, Mac Studio Ultra let's say, and then consolidate every Macbook you've own or tested into the other machine, what will be your choice? MBA 13, MBA 15 or MBP14. And WHY? Thx!

first second of the video made me laugh very hard

This is the year that Apple lost me. I've been an Apple guy since 2006 when they switched to Intel; at the time I figured if I didn't like the Mac I could just run Windows on it. Since then I have owned dozens of Macs, new iPhones every 2 years, countless iPads, iPods, Apple TVs, watches, etc. Apple wants me to pay $4,000 for a 16" Mac with decent memory and storage but still can't match a 3 year old Windows machine I keep for gaming. Mac's settings have at the same time become too frilly and too restrictive. I can't sync iCloud to my Sinology NAS like I can with OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.... Green bubbles, anticompetitive behavior highlighted by the App Store BS, late to USB C, overpriced accessories and now the $3500 Vision "Pro". Sorry, Tim, as soon as the Asus Zephyrus G16 is released, I"m out.

Have you decided wich size is closer to your prefference, 14 inch macbook pro, or 15 inch air? 😅

on macbook pro 8gb is just horrific end of story. these are not sort of devices you want to buy just to get handicapped by such little ram.

Hi mark I'm currently looking for a laptop how much are you asking for your 16 MacBook pro

I love your Videos! But would you please be so kind and give me a litte feedback how it performs in music production related context? Especially fan noise in fully loade projects. Would be great! Thanks, Bernd

sling ability is good on 14inch :)

Isn’t there a heating problem with the 14” Max especially with gaming?

It is really cramped.. I tried the m2 MacBook Air and the 16 inch m3 pro as well the 14 inch.. 16 was just to big.. 14 to small to place your palms nice on the laptop.. as well the thicker boxy design of the pro.. really feels unnatural while typing.. I return them both.. waiting on the m3 air..

I'm in the Apple Store for the first time in a long time. A bunch of young kids/employees walking around playing on their iphones. What are they supposed to be doing? I went online and learned that Apple has gone anti-consumer with these. We just had a Gigabyte crap out on us and were told we had to replace the entire insides for $1400. We will never buy another one of those. These are going the same way. No thanks.

Hi Mark, was looking forward to this video and it did not disappoint! I am about to upgrade from intel Retina MacBook Pro, so the leap should be noticeable. Have you done any testing with Logic Pro and also how’s the space black holding up for fingerprints and smudges??!!

LOL the M4 will be out before you know it will you be selling the m3 ?

Is your 16” MBP still for sale?