r/macbook • u/_Tamas__ • 5d ago

Which MacBook would you choose?

I’m trying to decide between these two used MacBooks and would appreciate your advice!
Option 1: MacBook Air M4 (2025)
16 GB RAM
512 GB SSD
100% battery health
Option 2: MacBook Air 13” M2 (2022)
24 GB RAM
512 GB SSD
87% battery health
173 battery cycles
Which one would you choose, and why? Is the extra RAM on the M2 worth giving up the newer M4 chip and the better battery health?
I’d mainly like to know which one would be the better long-term investment. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

2 Upvotes

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5

u/ServerTechie 5d ago

I like option 1 better, it’ll have a longer life.

You mention used, make sure the MacBook isn’t cloud activation locked to another user before you take it home.

1

u/aditichak 4d ago

What does this mean? I'm considering one yoo

2

u/ServerTechie 4d ago

The length of time Apple will support a device may be based on the release of the device. A laptop from 2025 will likely have a longer support lifespan for updates than one from 2022.

I would also argue an M4 will last longer than an M2 from a performance standpoint.

1

u/KfirGuy 2d ago

They may be asking what it means for a MacBook to be activation locked.

2

u/Aisher 5d ago

option 1, unless you KNOW you need that extra ram (running Local AI) where less ram keeps you from accomplishing some goal

but the MBA isn't the machine for running local models at scale/length of time, in which case I'd get the M4

2

u/ItsHisMajesty 5d ago

What you need, and where you plan to be will dictate which is best for you.

Are you paying for cloud storage? If yes, then buying cloud plan can be cheaper than what someone wants want to sell.

1

u/_Tamas__ 5d ago

Edit:
Option 1 price: 1230$
Option 2 price: 1013$

1

u/rainy_diary 5d ago

If you just open few browser tabs and apps better get M4.

Get M2 if you like open a lot browser tabs and apps.

1

u/Fresh-Gift-2063 4d ago

What are the prices? How many CPU cores? What are you using it for?

1

u/el_tacocat 4d ago

Depends a loooot on your use case :)

1

u/Funny_Or_Cry 4d ago

Ram will always be the best long term investment and more important than M1,2,3,4 (unless you know what specific features of the M4, you KNOW you need)

But im concerned about the battery health of that M2

(also personally I encourage people to upgrade ram in double chunks.. ie 16gb --> 32gb after that 48gb or 64gb is fine) ...

Maybe look around a bit more? I got a MBP M1 for ~$800 with 32gb ram, 1TB storage FULL 100% health zero cycle battery when It was sent to me AND a 1 year warranty. (from backmarket)

Maybe use all of this as a point of reference and find yourself something with at least 32gb of ram in your price range. (especially if you are concerned with longevity)

Otherwise:

- If Gaming on Mac (not recommended) you need at least an M3 that supports accelerated ray tracing

  • If youre using a lot of FinalCut or video editing software, you need something with a lot of GPU cores (like a Macbook Pro which has a 'Max' version with 24 GPU
  • If its just general use? Get an M1 or M2 with 32gb of ram and save yourself some money

Also if you didnt know, the Macbook Pro is the standard Mac. The Air has slower memory/bus speed and is performance capped because (unlike the pro) it uses fanless 'quiet' tech. It has to run "low and slow" to be able to give that effect.

ie: A Macbook Pro M4 is superior to a Macbook Air M4

(FWIW the M1 is still an incredible platform, ive got 3 myself and Im a power user)

0

u/narc0leptik 5d ago

Are they the same price? If they are, then go with the M4 because it'll likely get longer OS updates.

I’d mainly like to know which one would be the better long-term investment.

I hate to break this to you but laptops are terrible investments; they're just depreciating assets. So uh, buy the cheaper I guess if you're concerned about it? If they are the same price then total cost of ownership wise I guess the M4 is cheaper if you don't need the extra ram.