4 ms·

> Even M1 macs (I have one and love it), while powerful, just can’t hold a candle to a workstation class machine Not really true. My M1 Pro is performance-wise

by methyl 4y ago

> Even M1 macs (I have one and love it), while powerful, just can’t hold a candle to a workstation class machine Not really true. My M1 Pro is performance-wise very close to my previous desktop based Ryzen 5900X, but: 1. It doesn't take space on or below my desk 2. Auxiliary screen it provides is useful 3. I can unplug it any time and continue working from anywhere with the same performance, without having to sync up the development environment. Before M1 Macs I would concur, but right now the major reason to pick desktop is Linux availability (which is a subject to change with Asahi), not performance.

vetinari 4y ago
I have M1 (the original) MBP and Ryzen TR2920X desktop (with oddles of RAM, multiple NVMe drives and 10 Gbps networking). The Mac, while significantly better than any Intel laptop I had before, still cannot hold a candle to the desktop, sorry. The desktop is much more power hungry, though.
- TheTon 4y ago
  It depends on your workload and codebase. I have a Ryzen 5600X in my desktop and for C++ work, my M1 Pro is quite a bit faster for clean or incremental builds. The desktop is still useful/required for some of my work (using x86_64 windows with an nvidia gpu) but I default to the Mac for anything that could be done in either place. It also helps that I prefer the Mac tools so it’s not just about the CPU speed. That said, I’d rather find a new job than trade either system for a cloud desktop. I count myself fortunate that I’ve always been in a position to choose my computer and tools.
jackcviers3 4y ago
My System76 laptop with Nvidia graphics is faster than the M1 Pro I have for work, has more cores, and 64G of ram means I can run all my communications stuff and an ide and a compiler and a local k3s and the machine won't break a sweat. However, the battery will drain in an hour and a half doing all that. Performance is definitely not an issue on non-arm machines. Battery life is.

by methyl 4y ago

vetinari 4y ago

I have M1 (the original) MBP and Ryzen TR2920X desktop (with oddles of RAM, multiple NVMe drives and 10 Gbps networking). The Mac, while significantly better than any Intel laptop I had before, still cannot hold a candle to the desktop, sorry. The desktop is much more power hungry, though.

TheTon 4y ago
It depends on your workload and codebase. I have a Ryzen 5600X in my desktop and for C++ work, my M1 Pro is quite a bit faster for clean or incremental builds. The desktop is still useful/required for some of my work (using x86_64 windows with an nvidia gpu) but I default to the Mac for anything that could be done in either place. It also helps that I prefer the Mac tools so it’s not just about the CPU speed. That said, I’d rather find a new job than trade either system for a cloud desktop. I count myself fortunate that I’ve always been in a position to choose my computer and tools.

jackcviers3 4y ago

My System76 laptop with Nvidia graphics is faster than the M1 Pro I have for work, has more cores, and 64G of ram means I can run all my communications stuff and an ide and a compiler and a local k3s and the machine won't break a sweat. However, the battery will drain in an hour and a half doing all that. Performance is definitely not an issue on non-arm machines. Battery life is.