I really need an upgrade. Recommendations?

Hello,

Recently, I've been thinking of upgrading my computer. I've only had it for around a year, but it's just not right for me - especially in the storage department.

Here's the specs of my current laptop:

2017 MBP 13
Intel Core i5-7530U (Dual-Core, 2.3 GHz)
8 GB DDR4
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 (1536 MB VRAM)
128 GB SSD

It's fair to say it's not really that good. And here's what I'm planning on upgrading to:

2019 MBP 16
Intel Core i9-9880H (8-Core, 2.3 GHz)
32 GB DDR4
AMD Radeon Pro 5500M w/ 8 GB GDDR6 (+Intel Iris Plus 630)
4TB SSD

For some reason, I underestimated how much power I would need when I purchased my current laptop. Thoughts on the newer model? Or do I probably need something with still a lot of power, but not this much? I'd be happy to read your thoughts.

What do you mostly use your computer for? Is the upgrade mostly to help run Tane? Do you run a Virtual Machine on the MBP?

Initially I tried TRS19 on my iMac and older MBP. It was my first Trainz experience and I didn't have a clue. Wanting to get more serious about Trainz, I went ahead an built a PC for a LOT cheaper than that MBP you are considering. Know that I am an Apple/Mac guy from the mid 1980's. But I'm glad I built the PC for Trainz. But I was running a Windows 10 VM on my iMac and I really needed a Windows machine for some limited work tasks. I'm just saying, you might want to consider keeping you MBP and building a Win10/PC box for Trainz and other Windows tasks.

Hmm...

While I do run T:ANE, I am also planning on doing some work in Drive, as well as editing some videos in iMovie and (when I have $300 burning a hole in my wallet), Final Cut Pro. I also want to try out running Boot Camp on this MBP (the new one, not my current one). However, seeing as those specs are probably only good if I want to future-proof my laptop, here's what I'm also considering:

Still a 2019 MBP 16
Still an Intel Core i9-9880H (8-Core, 2.3 GHz)
16 GB DDR4 instead of 32 GB
Still an AMD Radeon Pro 5500M w/ 8 GB GDDR6 (+Intel Iris Plus 630)
2TB SSD instead of a 4TB SSD

It is - not even kidding - $1000 cheaper than the Mac I described before. However, that comes with the fact I would have to constantly upgrade. I think it would be better to just build a Win10 machine, like you said, but I've literally never built a PC from scratch and don't really know how much it costs and if it's REALLY worth it to have two storage devices installed onto two different motherboards. I will probably think about it, but I'm not entirely sure.

If you can put a connector into a socket you can build a PC. It's fairly easy. If you ever want to move on to Trainz TRS19 know that the new graphics features won't be available on a Mac. Just read through the many threads in this forum on PC build recommendations. Total cost on my Win10 box was extremely reasonable.

Part of your problem too will be heat. Laptops, any brand, make, or model, will run extremely hot when pushed. When a computer gets hot, this will degrade the performance substantially. This is fine once an awhile, but too much of it over time degrades the components and they become heat sensitive and eventually the computer will crash more and more often.

With that said, I too recommend a decent desktop computer for Trainzing and other intensive work. The cost benefit and reliability are something to consider here given the high cost of laptops to begin with.

Before you buy FCP you should at least try Divinci Resolve. The free version is very powerful and if you find yourself needing the pro features you can upgrade for $300.

William

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/

Your laptop may operate cooler, in a cold room this winter, when you wear a hoodie and gloves.

Buy a fan cooling pad.

My desktop is a $237 HP 64bit slim desktop, with the side panels off, with a small desk fan blowing in the innards, that has no video card, with TS19 installed on a lowly MyBook USB 2.0 external hard drive, and it gets @ 20 FPS.

My other Windows Desktop is an ancient 10 y/o HP m8100n, a lowly GT430 video card, a 1TB disc Hard Drive, 400 Watt Lite Off power supply, 16GB RAM, and it gets @ 20 FPS.

Actually an I7 CPU, 1TB disc Hard Drive, a 1TB SSD, a 2070 video card, a 750 watt power supply, with 32 GB RAM was my choice of a DELL Windows Desktop, $1900

BestBuy has in-store pickup of $1500 - $1800 desktops, that have all the schnazzy bells, lights, and whistles, with lower end specs

I was going to have a DELL desktop delivered, but all our neighbors have had packages mis-delivered to totally wrong address's house number, and the totally wrong streets, in the totally wrong township, seems that deliver drivers can't even read street signs and house numbers.

A neighbor on facebook: "Is anyone expecting a big 5 gallon water cooler, and 5, five gallon jugs of water, that were mistakingly mis-delivered to my house, mis-delivered to the total wrong address, and totally the wrong street" ?

About the cheapest solution would be a
[h=4][COLOR=#007DB8 !important]New Dell G5 Gaming Desktop[/COLOR] with an RTX 2070 GPU and a monitor. Yes it is windows and not apple but N3Vtend to favour nVidia graphics cards and it gets round the heating problem. Realistically any lap top will start to slow its CPU and GPU down as it gets warm.
[/h]
Cheerio John

Holy crap! I didn't expect these many responses! Thank you all for your input. I'll be glad to read all your opinions.

I now do think that I might go ahead and buy/build a Win10 box instead of just buying a laptop. Thanks for all your input.

Some expensive laptops have large vents, and superior fans, but I consider a laptop to be a room air/dust filter, that eventually clogs with dust and lint, and overheats.

It seems that the -$1000, $1000+ price range, you will get what you paid for, as you have to pay for what you get.

A $1500 to $2000 will get you a great Windows desktop PC.

A Windows Desktop can be easily retrofitted and fixed, whereas a laptop is a real problem to disassemble, retrofit, and repair.

If I built my own Windows Desktop I would probably break something, as I don't know what I am doing.

Eaaks! I paid a whole lot less for my PC build. I purchased a used 1060 gpu off a reputable seller on an auction site. Everything else was purchased new with lot's of shopping done for lowest pricing.

Edit: I think my total cost was around $800. I'm very happy with game performance.

1611mac said:

Eaaks! I paid a whole lot less for my PC build. I purchased a used 1060 gpu off a reputable seller on an auction site. Everything else was purchased new with lot's of shopping done for lowest pricing.

Click to expand...

No doubt that you can pick up a fairly once in a lifetime bargain good desktop in the $1000 to $1500 range, or build one yourself from parts for under $1000. I wish I were talented, but I am in many lacking skills.

1611mac said:

Eaaks! I paid a whole lot less for my PC build. I purchased a used 1060 gpu off a reputable seller on an auction site. Everything else was purchased new with lot's of shopping done for lowest pricing.

Edit: I think my total cost was around $800. I'm very happy with game performance.

Click to expand...

https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php

The 1060 benchmarks about 10,000 which is roughly what is a nice minimum for TANE / TS19, an RTX 2070 benchmarks around 16,000 which is very nice for TANE / TS19.

Dell has the 1650 super for $700 which at 9825 is close enough to the 10,000 3D score to be respectable. I'd probably go an i5 minimum which is a bit more expensive but compared to the cost of an 2019 MBP 16 these things are cheap.

If the funds are available I'd go RTX 2070 but that is purely personal and because I don't want to have to look at every asset very carefully to see what the machine impact is. Middleton for laptops will run on just about anything but the content was specially created.

Cheerio John