M1 Pro (32GB) vs base M4 (24GB) in 2026 for a design student — is the upgrade worth €400–500?
Hi everyone,
I’m about to start university next year in either Communication Design, Product Design, or possibly Film.
I’m currently deciding between two refurbished options:
MacBook Pro 14” M1 Pro (32GB RAM, 512GB SSD, excellent condition) — €1150
MacBook Pro M4 base model (24GB RAM, 1TB SSD, premium grade) — €1600
My workload will likely include Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Figma, and potentially Blender / video editing depending on my course.
From my research:
M4 base is significantly newer, more efficient, and has better CPU performance
M4 also gives me double the storage, but slightly less RAM and a less “pro” GPU setup
My main question is:
In 2026, is the M4 base actually worth ~€400–500 more in real-world creative workflows, or is the M1 Pro still the better value machine for a design student?
I’m trying to balance performance, longevity, and value — not just benchmarks.
Would really appreciate advice from people using either machine in creative work.
Thanks!