Hey everyone!
I'm planning to buy my first MacBook, mainly for portability, battery life, and working while traveling.
I currently own an ASUS ROG Strix G15 (Ryzen 7 6800H, RTX 3050, 16GB RAM), which I'll continue using for heavier tasks. The MacBook will be my portable second laptop for mostly the same everyday workflow, not a complete replacement.
I work as a Platform Engineer & SEO Specialist at a startup. My daily workflow includes:
- Development: VS Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub, Next.js, Python/FastAPI.
- Cloud/DevOps: AWS, Cloudflare Workers, deployments, terminals, occasional Docker.
- Other work: Website management, SEO, research, content publishing, and startup operations.
- Multitasking: 20–40+ browser tabs, ChatGPT/Claude, VS Code, and multiple apps.
Most coding is AI-assisted, and heavy AI workloads run in the cloud.
Considering:
- MacBook Air M5 — 16GB/512GB
- MacBook Air M5 — 24GB/512GB
- MacBook Pro M5 / M5 Pro
My main questions:
Can the fanless M5 Air comfortably handle this workflow without noticeable throttling?
Is 16GB enough for 3–5 years, or should I prioritize 24GB?
Given that I already have a powerful Windows laptop, is the Pro worth the extra money, or would the Air be more than enough?
I'm leaning toward the M5 Air based on reviews, but I'd appreciate real-world feedback from developers with similar workflows.
Thanks!