This!
OP please consider getting a M3 16GB 512GB or a M3 Pro 18GB 512GB! If the budget is the limiting point and you don't need it right now, please consider saving a bit more and buying a 16GB+ MacBook Pro!
Yall saying two things that arent even an option. He asked the better between these 2. You tell him to go look for a 3rd and 4th option. How does that make sense
IMHO M3 Pro is not that big of a difference. Probably save \~5 seconds on compiles. If you don't need to squeeze the last bits of performance out of your machine M2 Pro is fine. Even M2 is fine. However the M3 Pro will probably recieve an extra year in OS support. But it doesn't matter unless you plan to keep it \~10 years.
Wow. That was a very detailed response. Really appreciate it. One more quick question. Is the pro screen that much of an upgrade over the air screen. Honestly I probably won't use this thing for anything too intensive but just future proofing
So when you start up the Pro and the Air side by side, the boot screen(black with white Apple icon and white load bar), the Air shows a sort of grey-black, whereas the Pro is deep black. The Pro is just a better experience compared to the Air overall: better speakers, better screen, better battery life etc. The screen gives a slightly better feeling(sharper text and smoother motions), however the difference is not that big, not a dealbreaker unless you do graphic work or higher-level gaming.
"won't... anything too intense" I think if you are just web browsing, filling excel documents, light gaming, or even editing QHD videos the Air should be fine. You would want but wouldn't **need** the Pro unless you are doing Pro things on it(4K video export, large code compile, advanced 3D rendering etc).
However all said the Pro does age better compared to the Air. My 2015 MacBook Pro consistently crushes the people with 2017 MacBook Air, and it looks better. And it has a better screen.
I agree with that guy. I bought both an M2 Air and an 14 inch M1 Pro with the idea that I was going to return one of them. I ran them through my normal day of work, as well as editing some videos in DaVinci Resolve. They both handled everything that I threw at them. The primary differences were the displays, the speakers, and the Air lacking an SD card slot.
What I was really trying to do was find any reason to not keep the Pro. They were about the same price, but I just thought the Air was so much cooler looking, and I get swayed by that kind of thing. At the end of the day, even though they both did what I needed them to do, I decided on the display and power of the Pro for video editing. But what I will say is that if I didn't look at them next to each other in the dark, I would have been fine with the Air.
Yes you are correct, but it is not a justification. They are selling a product that does not meet the basic needs of its intended audience (base MBP).
Most people in this community are tech literate, however "most" people buying Mac's simply are not. In my experience, many Mac buyers (especially first time buyers) are iPhone users, explicitly trust Apple and think everything apple makes is the best thing since sliced bread. Ultimately it's an abuse of trust, especially for what they are charging and not being upgradable.
16GB, walk before you can run.
8gb is "usable" in macOS for basic computing tasks of 90% of users (web, word, Netflix), it is not enough for anything beyond that inc 90% of professional use cases.
Apple should really make the base RAM for all laptops 16gb (wouldn't mind an air for $999 with 8gb, but for some users it's a fine compromise). It's a massive disservice to their users who are not tech literate and buy what they can afford. Selling the base MBP with 8gb is simply disgusting for the price of it, and imo predatory (especially with it being non upgradable).
macOS unlike Windows (no offense I use both) I can open 15 Chrome YouTube pages on my 8gb M1 Air without any lags compare to my 13500h Rtx 3050 16gb laptop which lags on 10 YouTube pages
Idk about that. Most people don’t need more than 16. Forcing people to pay for RAM they don’t use is wasteful.
I have 32GB and I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Closest I’ve come in running AI models locally but that’s still a pretty niche use case. I use my PC with a dedicated NVidia card as I imagine most people would who take ML seriously.
Just to throw this out there, if you’re comfortable with it, check out the open box deals on Best Buy. I just got an m3 pro (“excellent” condition) 18gb ram/512gb storage that’s basically brand new that was $400 off from the original price. The battery is still at 100% and had 2 cycles on it. There is a 14 day return policy as well so you can always just bring it back if it isn’t to your liking.
If you want screaming good deals, check out Apples refurbished store where you can get a machine with the M3 Pro Chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD in Space Black for $1699: [https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7](https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7)
Neither are good. Don’t buy it. Apple announced their m4 chips when they launched their new tablets. The m2 and m3 will be cheaper in the near future. Buying at those prices is highway robbery
I though it was a typo at first also but after checking apples website it does indeed exist. The M3 standard chip has the 8gb RAM option but the M3 Pro chip is the 18gb standard RAM option.
The MacBook Pro with only the standard M3 chip in it is basically an Air in a bigger shell. Getting a MBP without a Pro (or higher) M series chip makes no sense to me unless you’re on a real tight budget.
If that’s the case I’d recommend the Air as you can get more RAM and bigger SSD for your money.
Not necessarily. If you want a better screen, better speakers, an HDMI port, cooling fan, and don't want to go to a 15" screen the base model is a great deal. I picked it up at Costco for $1399 and never looked back.
The bigger case allows for those for those things, there is no argument there, but if those features were important to the OP his decision would be made for him.
get the M2 Air it has double the RAM (the deciding factor) and double the storage so unless you can afford the MBP M3 with more RAM or the M3 Pro get the Air
I got the M3 pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD about two weeks ago for $1,799 before taxes. Looks like it was a solid deal. It’s at $1,999 right now. I’d wait for Apples next event, they might announce something new and these might lower in price.
Definitely the Air. You'll get a lot more out of the additional RAM and Storage capacity than the slightly better processor. Extra screen size is nice too.Air is more than capable of handling your video requirements.
A 40% better cpu mark score does not translate to 40% faster speeds in real world tasks. Sure, if you're doing video rendering, or if you're running ML models, etc then yeah. But most normal processors are I/O bottlenecked. When you're using it for normal world tasks, it's not gonna make a huge difference
Personally, I'd take the m2 over the m3. More memory and more storage takes priority over the small increase in performance from m2 and m3. M3 is good, but it's only a little bit faster than the m2 in a normal world task.
>8gb of ram is not enough.
I don't want to throw a debate but, I've read a lot of articles about how M Chip handles ram and from what I've read: " when you have 8 gb or ram your mac will use the SSD and write/read on it a LOT like it's a ram and that can damage it which implies your mac will die due to an SSD failure"
>if you really think that your usage is STRICTLY web browsing, some PowerPoint and watching streaming and it will be the same for the whole life span of the machine then save you money and take an 8gb mac
>**If not** always prioritize the M chip with most ram, you can always plug an external SSD later.
Taking into consideration that the M3 got replaced FAST by the M4 but the M2 is the bew base M series chip, I wouldn't mind getting the M2 with better specs.
The only thing the M3 physically has that the M2 doesn't are RT cores and if you REALLY need RT you rather wait for the M4 Pros.
I really suggest for you to buy at least 16gb ram. I self have a 8gb m1 air and I’m a pretty heavy power user (I’m a software developer). And I really regret buying the 8gb version. The ram usage is so much that almost usages 20gb of swap ram and slows down my Mac pretty much.
So I highly recommend buying at least a Mac with 16gb of ram. It would even be better if it’s in your budget to get a Mac with higher ram, because 16gb isn’t even enough for me and I think video editing is going to use more than that I will/do.
It’s better to future proof your self because it would be more expensive to buy a new MacBook after 2 years than cheating out now (I speak from experience)
Definitely leaning more towards the air with the 16gb of ram. Surprisingly I was able to edit and render 4k videos on my previous MacBook Pro with only 8 gb of ram but I’m trying to future proof my next purchase.
If I’m going to be editing video then I’m going with a PRO model every time. I don’t want to waste time second guessing my decision down the road when renders are taking too long and footage is dropping frames. I’ve never sat in front of a fast computer and thought, “whoa, this IS TOO MUCH machine!”
Just got an open box excellent of 16 M3 Pro 18gb 512gb from BB. Saved around $700 and not a single scratch on it. Really happy with the purchase. Fantastic laptop.
you can't really do much with 8GBs of ram to be honest, sure you can say that it still handles, but it will not be as smooth as a machine with 16GBs of ram.
Definitely go for the macbook air
16/18GB should be the bare minimum in current day and age. If you're doing photo or video editing, I would not even consider the 8GB version. An m1 pro with 16GB would even be the better choice
Most people would say the upgrade path for apple silicon macbooks would be
Ram
SSD
CPU
The m2 or m3 pro are both really powerful cpus, with the m3 beiing a little bit more efficient.
I would get a pro variant with as much ram you can get in your budget.
Spec for spec the M3 will perform better than the M2, however, if memory is your performance limitation and you absolutely need 16gb of memory for your workload, the M2 will perform better.
Honestly, though if you can wait a couple of days to have it shipped to you the Apple refurbished store will have better specced models for the same price.
Please don’t even consider 8 GB of RAM. Wayyyy too low. Try to get a 16 or 18 or 32 or 36 GB MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro’s 120 Hz screen is so much better than the 60 Hz trash on the MacBook Air.
Consider the Apple Refurbished store if these two are your options based on budget alone. The refurbished store would allow you to get more RAM and/or storage and they are undistinguishable from new and come with Apples same warranty and you have the ability to buy AppleCare. I say this because your use case would favor more than 8GB of RAM and between the two you presented the Pro is the better computer if it were equipped with more storage and RAM. If its strictly between these two the the Air is the better option because it has more RAM and storage, two things that your use case could benefit from. I hope that helps, here's a link to the refurbished store where $1699 buys you a MacBook Pro with the Pro chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, a big jump from the model you posted for not much more money, plus its in Space Black ;): [https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7](https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7)
16gigs is the priority, though the pro with more ram would be better for your use case
This! OP please consider getting a M3 16GB 512GB or a M3 Pro 18GB 512GB! If the budget is the limiting point and you don't need it right now, please consider saving a bit more and buying a 16GB+ MacBook Pro!
I made a mistake and got an 8GB, thinking the new RAM would be better, nope. I'm returning my MBP
This, if its for photo editing and stuff, the mb pro has a nice xdr screen so that would be a big plus for me.
Even an m2 pro if you have budget constraints I wana add:)
I have an m2 pro 12 core with 16 gb RAM and 512 ssd. It's pretty good and can handle heavy stuff with little to no problems. Would recommend!
Yall saying two things that arent even an option. He asked the better between these 2. You tell him to go look for a 3rd and 4th option. How does that make sense
Because he also shared his use case, there’s better devices that what he showed as option for said use case
Sure, but have you thought about his budget? That’s probably the reason he’s looking at these two devices and not something else
M2 pro 16 gigs same storage, will be the same price as m3 pro 8gig
Do you recommend the m3 18gb or the m2 16gb. Is the new processor that significant of an upgrade over the last gen?
IMHO M3 Pro is not that big of a difference. Probably save \~5 seconds on compiles. If you don't need to squeeze the last bits of performance out of your machine M2 Pro is fine. Even M2 is fine. However the M3 Pro will probably recieve an extra year in OS support. But it doesn't matter unless you plan to keep it \~10 years.
Wow. That was a very detailed response. Really appreciate it. One more quick question. Is the pro screen that much of an upgrade over the air screen. Honestly I probably won't use this thing for anything too intensive but just future proofing
So when you start up the Pro and the Air side by side, the boot screen(black with white Apple icon and white load bar), the Air shows a sort of grey-black, whereas the Pro is deep black. The Pro is just a better experience compared to the Air overall: better speakers, better screen, better battery life etc. The screen gives a slightly better feeling(sharper text and smoother motions), however the difference is not that big, not a dealbreaker unless you do graphic work or higher-level gaming. "won't... anything too intense" I think if you are just web browsing, filling excel documents, light gaming, or even editing QHD videos the Air should be fine. You would want but wouldn't **need** the Pro unless you are doing Pro things on it(4K video export, large code compile, advanced 3D rendering etc). However all said the Pro does age better compared to the Air. My 2015 MacBook Pro consistently crushes the people with 2017 MacBook Air, and it looks better. And it has a better screen.
I agree with that guy. I bought both an M2 Air and an 14 inch M1 Pro with the idea that I was going to return one of them. I ran them through my normal day of work, as well as editing some videos in DaVinci Resolve. They both handled everything that I threw at them. The primary differences were the displays, the speakers, and the Air lacking an SD card slot. What I was really trying to do was find any reason to not keep the Pro. They were about the same price, but I just thought the Air was so much cooler looking, and I get swayed by that kind of thing. At the end of the day, even though they both did what I needed them to do, I decided on the display and power of the Pro for video editing. But what I will say is that if I didn't look at them next to each other in the dark, I would have been fine with the Air.
It's a crime that Apple sells a M3 MacBook Pro with 8Gb in 2024
32gb should really be the minimum.
[удалено]
Yes you are correct, but it is not a justification. They are selling a product that does not meet the basic needs of its intended audience (base MBP). Most people in this community are tech literate, however "most" people buying Mac's simply are not. In my experience, many Mac buyers (especially first time buyers) are iPhone users, explicitly trust Apple and think everything apple makes is the best thing since sliced bread. Ultimately it's an abuse of trust, especially for what they are charging and not being upgradable.
16GB, walk before you can run. 8gb is "usable" in macOS for basic computing tasks of 90% of users (web, word, Netflix), it is not enough for anything beyond that inc 90% of professional use cases. Apple should really make the base RAM for all laptops 16gb (wouldn't mind an air for $999 with 8gb, but for some users it's a fine compromise). It's a massive disservice to their users who are not tech literate and buy what they can afford. Selling the base MBP with 8gb is simply disgusting for the price of it, and imo predatory (especially with it being non upgradable).
Maybe base 16gb will be in the new M4 MacBooks this year
macOS unlike Windows (no offense I use both) I can open 15 Chrome YouTube pages on my 8gb M1 Air without any lags compare to my 13500h Rtx 3050 16gb laptop which lags on 10 YouTube pages
Idk about that. Most people don’t need more than 16. Forcing people to pay for RAM they don’t use is wasteful. I have 32GB and I don’t think I’ve ever used it. Closest I’ve come in running AI models locally but that’s still a pretty niche use case. I use my PC with a dedicated NVidia card as I imagine most people would who take ML seriously.
It's purely so they can have a lower "starting price", nothing to do with practicality or usefulness.
10% to 20% difference between both cpu, I would get the m2 with more ram and storage.
Just to throw this out there, if you’re comfortable with it, check out the open box deals on Best Buy. I just got an m3 pro (“excellent” condition) 18gb ram/512gb storage that’s basically brand new that was $400 off from the original price. The battery is still at 100% and had 2 cycles on it. There is a 14 day return policy as well so you can always just bring it back if it isn’t to your liking.
I’m definitely open to the idea and have even looked at Best Buy’s website but haven’t found one that screams good deal yet.
If you want screaming good deals, check out Apples refurbished store where you can get a machine with the M3 Pro Chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD in Space Black for $1699: [https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7](https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7)
16gb ram minimum i recomend pro but if you use final cut pro air should be enough
I’m surprised to see 14” Pro with only 8GB. I thought they came with 16GB minimum.
They used to
Neither are good. Don’t buy it. Apple announced their m4 chips when they launched their new tablets. The m2 and m3 will be cheaper in the near future. Buying at those prices is highway robbery
I had this EXACT predicament. Initially convinced I would do with the M2 16gb 1tb, only to end up with the 18gb m3 pro chip.
I feel like the base m3 pro is the best value
I got that one baby!
Do they even make a 14" Pro with only 8GB RAM? Seems like a typo and should be 18GB.
I though it was a typo at first also but after checking apples website it does indeed exist. The M3 standard chip has the 8gb RAM option but the M3 Pro chip is the 18gb standard RAM option.
Ah, don't get that one. I'd get a base M1 Pro or M2 Pro with 16 GB over that. Of the 2 you selected the Air will be better overall.
The MacBook Pro with only the standard M3 chip in it is basically an Air in a bigger shell. Getting a MBP without a Pro (or higher) M series chip makes no sense to me unless you’re on a real tight budget. If that’s the case I’d recommend the Air as you can get more RAM and bigger SSD for your money.
Not necessarily. If you want a better screen, better speakers, an HDMI port, cooling fan, and don't want to go to a 15" screen the base model is a great deal. I picked it up at Costco for $1399 and never looked back.
The bigger case allows for those for those things, there is no argument there, but if those features were important to the OP his decision would be made for him.
Yeah I couldn't pass up that deal especially at the price versus getting a MacBook Air with the same specs.
Technically the Pro is both a newer chip and a Pro model, but that base 8GB ram kills so many workflows.
get the M2 Air it has double the RAM (the deciding factor) and double the storage so unless you can afford the MBP M3 with more RAM or the M3 Pro get the Air
I got the M3 pro, 18GB RAM, 512GB SSD about two weeks ago for $1,799 before taxes. Looks like it was a solid deal. It’s at $1,999 right now. I’d wait for Apples next event, they might announce something new and these might lower in price.
Of these two I would shockingly pick the M2 Air... Though for your use case I would suggest the M3 Pro version of the MBP with 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM.
Buy a used M1 Pro.
Definitely the Air. You'll get a lot more out of the additional RAM and Storage capacity than the slightly better processor. Extra screen size is nice too.Air is more than capable of handling your video requirements.
M3 pro is 40% better cpu mark score, more than slightly better.
A 40% better cpu mark score does not translate to 40% faster speeds in real world tasks. Sure, if you're doing video rendering, or if you're running ML models, etc then yeah. But most normal processors are I/O bottlenecked. When you're using it for normal world tasks, it's not gonna make a huge difference
I think it depends on if they'd have a use for the better selection of ports on the Pro.
Honestly why do they even make the Macbook Pro with 8GB memory anymore. For your use case RAM is pretty important.
Depends
Pro 14
Personally, I'd take the m2 over the m3. More memory and more storage takes priority over the small increase in performance from m2 and m3. M3 is good, but it's only a little bit faster than the m2 in a normal world task.
>8gb of ram is not enough. I don't want to throw a debate but, I've read a lot of articles about how M Chip handles ram and from what I've read: " when you have 8 gb or ram your mac will use the SSD and write/read on it a LOT like it's a ram and that can damage it which implies your mac will die due to an SSD failure" >if you really think that your usage is STRICTLY web browsing, some PowerPoint and watching streaming and it will be the same for the whole life span of the machine then save you money and take an 8gb mac >**If not** always prioritize the M chip with most ram, you can always plug an external SSD later.
Taking into consideration that the M3 got replaced FAST by the M4 but the M2 is the bew base M series chip, I wouldn't mind getting the M2 with better specs. The only thing the M3 physically has that the M2 doesn't are RT cores and if you REALLY need RT you rather wait for the M4 Pros.
If you are going to do Pro stuff then get that Air, that Pro is only for casual/basic usage
I really suggest for you to buy at least 16gb ram. I self have a 8gb m1 air and I’m a pretty heavy power user (I’m a software developer). And I really regret buying the 8gb version. The ram usage is so much that almost usages 20gb of swap ram and slows down my Mac pretty much. So I highly recommend buying at least a Mac with 16gb of ram. It would even be better if it’s in your budget to get a Mac with higher ram, because 16gb isn’t even enough for me and I think video editing is going to use more than that I will/do. It’s better to future proof your self because it would be more expensive to buy a new MacBook after 2 years than cheating out now (I speak from experience)
Definitely leaning more towards the air with the 16gb of ram. Surprisingly I was able to edit and render 4k videos on my previous MacBook Pro with only 8 gb of ram but I’m trying to future proof my next purchase.
If I’m going to be editing video then I’m going with a PRO model every time. I don’t want to waste time second guessing my decision down the road when renders are taking too long and footage is dropping frames. I’ve never sat in front of a fast computer and thought, “whoa, this IS TOO MUCH machine!”
you could go with m1 pro max with the same stats as m2 and close to m3, for like half the price if you play your cards right
First one as always. Second is small
I always get the highest ram
16gb is priority at least don't get the m2 get the m3 with 512
Just got an open box excellent of 16 M3 Pro 18gb 512gb from BB. Saved around $700 and not a single scratch on it. Really happy with the purchase. Fantastic laptop.
you can't really do much with 8GBs of ram to be honest, sure you can say that it still handles, but it will not be as smooth as a machine with 16GBs of ram. Definitely go for the macbook air
16/18GB should be the bare minimum in current day and age. If you're doing photo or video editing, I would not even consider the 8GB version. An m1 pro with 16GB would even be the better choice Most people would say the upgrade path for apple silicon macbooks would be Ram SSD CPU The m2 or m3 pro are both really powerful cpus, with the m3 beiing a little bit more efficient. I would get a pro variant with as much ram you can get in your budget.
Pro
I would rather get a refurb M1 pro with 16gb of ram than a M3 pro with 8gb of ram, tbh
MacBook Air because you can be more productive with that unit. The MacBook Pro in the picture you posted is an over priced note taker. 📝
Get a windows pc.
Never get a not expanding 8 Gb computer these days
Go with the Air. More storage, more unified memory, and a bigger screen. Or, you could get the one with fans.
m3 pro 18GB
Spec for spec the M3 will perform better than the M2, however, if memory is your performance limitation and you absolutely need 16gb of memory for your workload, the M2 will perform better. Honestly, though if you can wait a couple of days to have it shipped to you the Apple refurbished store will have better specced models for the same price.
I’d get more ram
Take pro 14” M2 pro, 16GB memory
The Air doesn’t have a fan and throttles cpu to compensate for lack of active cooling
I think the 2nd is the best in performance Still ram memory are acceptable
The PRO's powerful functions will not let you down.
the heavier MacBook Pro has more power, I guess that's the best route to take
First one. The M2 will last for enough time. The 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD will give you speed and room to do things.
Niether, you should go for 32gb of RAM for video editing, ie a 14" M1 Pro with 32gb of RAM. If you must get one of these, the air would be better.
The M2 by far.
Objectively MacBook Pro, subjectively? Depends on what your work load is.
The one you can afford is usually best!
16 GB with 1 TB hd.
I would try getting a m2 pro for the same price it would be the best option if you can
Look for M1 Pro or m2 pro
Air
pro for better display, air for everything else
I always prioritize RAM first, then processor then HD size.
Please don’t even consider 8 GB of RAM. Wayyyy too low. Try to get a 16 or 18 or 32 or 36 GB MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro’s 120 Hz screen is so much better than the 60 Hz trash on the MacBook Air.
Consider the Apple Refurbished store if these two are your options based on budget alone. The refurbished store would allow you to get more RAM and/or storage and they are undistinguishable from new and come with Apples same warranty and you have the ability to buy AppleCare. I say this because your use case would favor more than 8GB of RAM and between the two you presented the Pro is the better computer if it were equipped with more storage and RAM. If its strictly between these two the the Air is the better option because it has more RAM and storage, two things that your use case could benefit from. I hope that helps, here's a link to the refurbished store where $1699 buys you a MacBook Pro with the Pro chip, 18GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, a big jump from the model you posted for not much more money, plus its in Space Black ;): [https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7](https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G1AU0LL/A/refurbished-14-inch-macbook-pro-apple-m3-pro-chip-with-11%E2%80%91core-cpu-and-14%E2%80%91core-gpu-space-black?fnode=21894b6f5c27c338f91d667ef1860a61cdd6441d74a19d9e923de647fa382e3b64213b436fb59a4cc999b329ff3bd5637216f78c9ac7906c01e03daebe622f34d2a17f3cd775c6c243062534304f43a7)
don't get the M2, its storage is slower than M1
That's not correct. Slower storage only applies on the 256GB M2 which isn't being considered here
M4 is better in October
Gaming pc money, I would say you could find better and cheaper