The M3 MacBook Pro Is a Rip-Off for Most People (Here's What to Buy Instead)
A deep dive into Apple MacBook Pro (M3 Chip).
Let's cut through the Apple marketing: The base M3 MacBook Pro is a $1,599 trap for suckers who think they need a "Pro" label.
I've been testing laptops since the PowerBook G4 days, and Apple's current lineup is designed to upsell you into overpaying. The M3 chip is a beast, but they're selling it in a chassis that's identical to last year's model with a price that makes zero sense for anyone who actually looks at the specs. I almost lost a client presentation because the base 8GB RAM model choked on Chrome with 15 tabs and a Zoom call—it started swapping like crazy and the whole UI froze for 30 seconds. In 2024, selling a "Pro" machine with 8GB of RAM is borderline criminal.
The RAM Scam & The Real Competitors
Apple's biggest sin is the non-upgradable RAM. Want 16GB on the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro? That's $1,799. Want 32GB? That's $2,199. Meanwhile, a Dell XPS 15 with an Intel Core i7, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD is regularly on sale for $1,699. The M3 is faster in some tasks, but for real multi-tasking, RAM matters more. And don't get me started on the hidden annoyance: the notch. After two years, macOS still doesn't properly handle full-screen video around it—I was editing a timeline in Final Cut and the playback controls kept hiding behind the damn thing.
Gaming? Forget It
Apple talks a big game about GPU performance, but the reality is trash for gamers. The M3's ray tracing is neat in benchmarks, but the library of native games is a joke. Try running Baldur's Gate 3 on it—you'll get medium settings at 1080p while a $1,500 Windows gaming laptop with an RTX 4060 runs it at high settings, 1440p. The MacBook Pro's thermal design is excellent, but it's wasted when developers ignore the platform.
💡 Pro Tip: Never buy the base 8GB/256GB configuration. If you're set on a Mac, get the M3 Pro chip with at least 18GB RAM—it's a much better value. For Windows users, wait for Black Friday sales on the Dell XPS 15 or ASUS Zenbook Pro; they often drop $300-$400 below MSRP.
The Data: How They Really Stack Up
| Feature | MacBook Pro 14" (M3, 16/512) | Dell XPS 15 (i7, 32/1TB) | Framework Laptop 16 (AMD, 32/1TB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,799 | ~$1,699 (sale) | ~$1,899 |
| CPU/GPU | Apple M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU) | Intel Core i7-13700H, RTX 4050 | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, Radeon 780M |
| RAM (Upgradeable) | 16GB (Soldered) | 32GB (Upgradeable) | 32GB (Upgradeable) |
| Storage (Upgradeable) | 512GB SSD (Soldered) | 1TB SSD (Upgradeable) | 1TB SSD (Upgradeable) |
| Battery Life | 18-22 hours (Killer) | 8-10 hours | 10-12 hours |
| Repairability | Trash (AppleCare or bust) | Moderate | Beast (Modular design) |
The Verdict
Buy the M3 MacBook Pro only if you're a macOS developer, a Final Cut Pro editor who needs the battery life, or someone who values silence and build quality above all else. For everyone else—students, business users, gamers, or anyone on a budget—it's a rip-off. Get a Dell XPS 15 for better specs at a lower price, or a Framework Laptop 16 if you care about repairability. The base M3 MacBook Pro is for people who don't read the fine print.
