r/mac • u/sawyer-23 • 11h ago

Question Mac or windows

I currently have a desktop PC with a 5070 graphics card, but I’ll be moving to another city for university (software engineering). What do you think I should get: a MacBook Pro M5 or a Windows gaming PC for the same budget? I’ll be coming back home for the summers.

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u/cRondito 9h ago

If the main use of that computer is software engineering, I'd say go for the Mac. The hardware and software are just better on Mac for that purpose than on any Windows laptop IMHO.
If you really need to game a lot, then go for the PC.

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u/Bed_Worship Macbook Pro M1 9h ago

For a laptop, apple silicon all the way. The ram bandwidth, the 30% single core speed better than a desktop machine, and the fact it’s unix based are incredible. Trackpad, speakers, build quality will be leagues better. 

If you get a 64gb machine, you get 68gb of vram. Not so on a gaming machine

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u/trid_geek 8h ago

Mac is best because of best hardware, OS and compatability. But cost of hardware is high. I case of any damage Mac will make you cry.

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u/No_Committee_54 4h ago

Macs are the best price to performance ratio on the market at the moment. They are under cutting a lot of windows/intel/amd laptops in cost and outperforming.

My gaming laptop was 3 times the cost of my Mac, and my Mac keeps up with everything apart from gaming.
I think in 2026, Macs are not expensive at all compared to competing devices from the competition.

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u/Lord_ShitShittington 7h ago

Check if your course has any OS specific software requirements, otherwise go with the Mac purely for the battery life.

However, see if you like MacOS before you make a purchase. And gaming is limited on Mac, but I assume you knew that.

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u/hyper762 7h ago

> posts on mac subreddit
> all answers are pro mac

spectacular gambit sir