u/ArugulaAltruistic447

Hi everyone!

I'm a visual arts student, mainly working in graphic design, photography and web design, and I'm currently trying to decide which MacBook Pro configuration to buy.

My main use would be:

• Photoshop / photo editing
• Illustrator
• InDesign / editorial design
• Web design / Figma
• Photography and RAW files
• Some video editing, but nothing particularly heavy
• Possibly some After Effects in the future, although it won't be my main focus

I'm currently deciding between:

MacBook Pro M5 — 24GB RAM / 1TB SSD — €1,919

and

MacBook Pro M5 Pro — 24GB RAM / 1TB SSD — €2,329

So there's a €410 difference between the two.

These are the actual prices I'd pay after using an Apple student discount and trading in my current MacBook Air M2.

This is a very significant investment for me, so I'm not necessarily looking for the most powerful machine possible. I mainly want to make a purchase that I won't regret.

Ideally, I'd like to keep this MacBook for at least 8 years. I want it to get me through my studies and then continue to be my main computer when I start working professionally, without needing to replace it too soon if my workload increases.

So my main question is:

Is the M5 Pro worth the extra €410 for this kind of workflow and an 8+ year lifespan?

I know the M5 Pro is significantly more powerful on paper, but I'm wondering whether I'd actually notice much of a difference in day-to-day work with Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, photo editing, etc.

What makes me hesitate about the regular M5 is that I'm already spending almost €2,000 on a laptop with a chip that's very close to the M5 in the MacBook Air. It makes me wonder whether I'm mostly paying for the Pro chassis, display and other features rather than significantly better performance.

On the other hand, I don't want to spend an extra €410 on the M5 Pro if most of that additional performance will never be used.

However, since I plan to keep this computer for at least 8 years, I'm wondering whether the M5 Pro would be a better long-term investment and give me more headroom as my work evolves, especially if I end up doing more demanding projects, video editing or After Effects.

Which one would you choose at these exact prices, and why? Do you think the extra €410 is justified for someone who wants to keep the MacBook for at least 8 years and eventually use it professionally?

I'd especially love to hear from people working or studying in graphic design, photography, web design or other creative fields.

Thanks in advance for your advice!