best macbook specs for my money & purpose?

I want to buy a Macbook Pro (a 2014 or 2015 model) to run Windows via Bootcamp. This will be my primary laptop and it'll have lots of videos, photos, music, etc occupying a lot of space, so I'll be getting a large hard drive. I'm not a gamer at all.

What's most important when it comes to the RAM/processors for this to run Windows (probably Windows 10) smoothly? Would an i7 Processor be worth the extra ~$200?

As a point of reference, I'm considering buying this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1072842-REG/apple_z0rb_mgx922_13_3_macbook_pro_notebook.html

For my purposes, could I do any better for the money? Would I find a noticeable difference in the speeds of 2.6 GHz i5 version vs the 3.0 GHz i7 version?

Thanks in advance, guys.

 

Do MacBooks come with huge discounts for you? If not there's no reason to get one for your requirements.

 

Windows is not super optimized on MacBooks. Bootcamp is a great tool for software compatibility, playing games, etc. but I definitely wouldn't recommend a MacBook if you're planning to use Windows as your daily driver. MacBooks are also in a bad place for storage right now. They all ship with SSDs which are great for speed (my 13'' rMBP boots like a champ!) but suck for mass storage.

IMO dual-core i7s are a waste of money. If you need the CPU speed you are better off to find a quad-core machine. For the basics, even running many computer games, a dual-core i5 is more than powerful enough to get the job done.

If you want something comparable to a MacBook but plan to run Windows as your primary OS, I would definitely look at the Dell XPS 13 and Asus Zenbook first. Though storage is an issue with most of these machines since vendors have made the jump to lower capacity but faster performing SSDs for their ultrabooks. If you need the storage space, you'd do well to get a bulkier machine that can support two drive bays.

 

Yes, you can buy any Windows-based ultrabook with a Retina-type display.

I purchased the Yoga 2 Pro in my signature brand new for $1000, which is $500 less than the 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina with 256GB of storage. The Lenovo even has an i7 CPU and a touchscreen that my wife and I have been using far more than we originally expected.

 

As a college student, I am entitled to $100 off of any Macbook Pro at Best Buy, but that's not a huge factor.

Honestly, the main reason I want one is that they are indiputably the best laptops, period. If in no other department, this is true for the hardware. I've owned countless Windows based laptops and they've all been manufactured as cheaply as possible (even my current one that was called an ultrabook). I have yet to put my hands on a Windows laptop that even approaches Apple's sturdy industrial design.

Even laptops that are often casually called better than the Macbook Pro get consistently and significantly lower reviews on places like Amazon. It's hard to find a Macbook Pro on Amazon below 4.5 stars, and even harder to find a Windows based laptop above 4 stars.

 

Is this really a fair statement? It sounds like one, but I've read a few articles that claim MacBooks are ironically the best laptops to run Windows. Should I expect a lot of driver problems, and/or slow speeds if I decide to run a Macbook almost exclusively for Windows?


*EDIT*
Here's a a couple of the article's I mentioned:
http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-unequivocally-better-than-os-x-on-apples-new-macbook/
http://www.cnet.com/news/macbook-pro-declared-best-performing-windows-laptop/

 

I bootcamp for gaming compatibility. Had to load my own drivers (fine, the bootcamp tool handles the partitioning which is the real headache). Keyboard and touchpad used to be wonkey but surely there are fixes for that now.

Thermal control is not as good. Mini gets noticably hotter under Windows. Power management is not as good. Both issues that are a bigger problem on laptops then desktops. No touch on Macbooks if that is your thing.

Will not argue Apple build quality, it is why I am an Apple guy. Just IMO Macs are not worth the extra money if you are not going for the experience.

I would not be surprised that Macs run Windows better than some off the shelf craptop. Besides Bootcamp getting you a clean install, new Macs pack superfast SSDs

With just about the same amount of effort as installing Bootcamp, you can optimize your Windows laptop to run just as well.

Or just convert to OS X since you seem sold on Apple otherwise lol

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk

 

Well, in that case, just let us know your budget and how much storage you actually need.

As for the CPU choice, no, it doesn't matter. Save yourself 200 bucks for storage.

 

I just purchased a new 2015 BTO 15" rMBP with maxed out specs and installed Windows 8.1 in bootcamp and it runs beautifully. The only issue I've noticed is that it seems battery performance is less stellar than when running OS X. Due to the change in efi you cannot install Windows 7 in bootcamp so be aware. You can install it in a VM though.

 

I find windows 7, 8.1 and 10 not as optimal on any of my MacBook Pros, or even Mac Pros for various issues, but most are more driver and EFI issues as Apple has never made top end drivers for windows as it is more of a compatability. other issues are you would need OSX installed to receive and install any firmware updates for your system as well, Touchpad is not near as good even with third party drivers and as was mentioned battery life takes a nose dive if you have a dGPU as graphics switching can not happen,

quit looking at the consumer and cheap models, I used to think the same thing for years too. however spend close to the same money and you can actually get a far superior product and support, granted they may not always be as light, as most business models tend to be designed for a far longer lifespan. ( I rely heavily on portable workstations for video and photo editing )

try shopping the business models from HP, Dell and Lenovo with they 3 yr NBD warranties etc. I have youe to find one of the mid to top end models that is not as good or even far better built and more reliable to my stable of MacBook's

 

They are not, take this from a IT professional/Former Gamer that an optimized experience would infer that you have optimal drivers, the reality is that you will not, and don't expect it. Yes things work but you're often last in line to get driver updates. This counts for something especially under the experience umbrella.

I have been unable to update my 750m Window Drivers for the last 6 months, and whenever I try it appears to fail everytime...

 

That first article was written by a college student with not a lot of time under his belt.

My son has gamed on a number of MacBook Pros and he has to use external cooling. My daughter has a Windows desktop for gaming and that is far smoother. If you want to run Windows, get a system designed for Windows.

 

On paper, a Mac running Boot Camp should work and perform identically to a dedicated Windows machine of the same hardware specifications. In practice, though, it's quite a different story. Poor driver support and thermal control are the biggest issues. The keyboard is a pain as well because the Mac Command key becomes the Windows key in Windows. This is annoying if you're working on a MacBook's built-in keyboard because there's only one control key.

MacBook Pros with the discreet GPU suffer much worse battery life because of a lack of graphic switching.

For me personally, the limitations of Boot Camp and advancement of games beyond my hardware's capability (specifically the GPU) have finally gone past the point of no return. I'll be keeping my MBP, but purely for work/productivity since my job requires using a Mac. I'm moving my Windows 8.1 retail license, RAM, and 1 TB SSD to a Zotac Zbox to serve as a gaming/Steam machine. Including a new, smaller capacity SSD for the Mac and cost of the barebones Zbox, I'm out a bit more than $500. Far more cost effective than a PS4 or a new MBP.