How to get the best MacBang for the MacBuck
I recently upgraded my computer and wanted to make sure I was getting the best performance for the price.
Of course, there are other considerations. In my mind, portability and extensibility are the next two most important. On the extensibility side, I know the Apple haters will make their arguments. But I am deeply and happily in the Apple ecosystem with no plans to leave.
If you’re an Apple hater, this analysis still might interest you, but I am not here to debate Linux vs Mac OS vs Windows. I’ve been a power computer user for 44 years now and you’re not swaying me back to Windows or Linux.
Methodology
At first, I wanted to analyze every Apple computer for the past decade. But that quickly added too many variables. And this is a Medium article, not a dissertation (I’ve written one or two of those).
What I ended up doing was finding a list of multi-core benchmark scores for about 100 different Mac models. Then I culled this list just to the ones currently (March 2025) for sale on Apple’s website. I recorded the list prices along with the benchmark scores and plotted them.
On the chart above, the top-left corner (low price, high performance) is the best bang-for-the-buck and the lower-right is the worst (highest price, lowest performance).
The pattern became much clearer when I looked into what model each computer was.
Results
Closest to the top-left were the Mac Minis. This makes sense. They don’t come with a screen, a battery, and other accessories that are packed into some of the other models.
For a similar price, you can get a lower-performing iMac. Here, you’re paying for an amazing screen, a keyboard, and a mouse or trackpad. And, as you can see, sacrificing some performance.
If you’re willing to pay a little more, you can gain portability, a fantastic screen, incredible battery life, and land yourself in a higher-performing MacBook Pro. This was the route I took.
Note: while the MacBook Pros are the highest-performing on the chart right now, this fluctuates as new models come out. And I didn’t have benchmarks for the latest Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra which, I believe, would be the highest performing Mac to date.
If extensibility is really critical, a Mac Pro (what I have benchmarks for) or a Mac Studio, which may be even better power-per-dollar, is the way to go. But notice how the Mac Pros are not currently more powerful than the MacBook Pros, yet cost about double.
That’s the price you pay in the Mac world to be able to open up your machine.
For me, as with many power-users I know, I prefer to take my power on the go.
Forgive me for not having benchmarks for MacBook Airs.
Let me know what you choose in the comments.
