Late 2015 MacBook Pro slow with photo software; M5 upgrade?

Ru-Bear wrote:

8gb ram not much free space. Using OM workspace because it’s free and have OM1 camera.

I have some older Macs, including a 2015 iMac with 8 GB RAM, plenty of free space on internal SSD. I have never used OM photo software but can run Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom on that Mac, they do run but are very slow compared to even a 2019 MacBook Pro, and a newer Mac is maybe 10x-20x or more faster.

The problem with 8 GB RAM is that it is quickly used up for any photo processing activity, which means the Mac pages to disk (virtual memory) intensively. If you have a slow internal drive or are low on disk space, this will slow things to a crawl.

The M5 MacBook Pro comes presently only in the 14-inch model, which is not equipped as well as the 16-inch models. I think the M4 Pro or M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros may be faster than the M5 14-inch depending on configuration, but one might want to look at benchmarks online to verify or confirm that. I don't know what OM software does but I assume it has functionality like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, in which case you will want the fastest computer you can afford, at least 24 GB RAM (36 GB would be better), and enough disk space to always have a lot of free space as these photo software package use up a great deal of "scratch space" when running. My daughter just got a new MacBook Pro M4 Max with 36 GB RAM and 2 TB internal SSD, she runs a photography business and uses the Adobe photo software suite continuously.

As a graphic designer and amateur photographer myself, here is my advice.

First, I would probably upgrade to a new machine. I'm impressed that you are able to work on any kind of high-resolution images with your 2015 MBP, especially with only 8gb of RAM. I second the opinion that you want the fastest thing you can afford.

If you're going to get a new MBP, do not skimp on RAM or internal storage. I would also study the chip speeds to help you make a decision--I usually end up getting the middle-of-the-road option, but for this last machine, I went with the Max option because it wasn't that much more expensive. Or maybe I had to get the faster chip to get more RAM?

In my opinion, these three things--RAM, internal storage and chip speed--will give your device the most longevity. Congrats on achieving 10 years with your current setup! I expect you'll keep the next machine for 10 years. Keep in mind that everything these days has some AI component that requires hardware to run. Cameras will only get more capable, producing higher resolution images, and those files will take up space on your internal storage.

I have an MBP M1 Max (2022) with 32gb RAM and it's still very capable. I can have all the Adobe apps running at the same time: Ps, LrC, Ai, InDe, font manager, along with the usual email, browser with bunches of tabs, Excel, and Word docs, and it doesn't lag at all. If I could update the SSD on my current setup, I would be happy, but unfortunately, that's not an option. Right now, larger internal storage is the only reason I'm even thinking about a new machine.

I've never used the OM software, but I did use Nikon's software for a while. Meh. I drank the Adobe kool-aid long ago however, and am a subscription-paying idiot. I love Lightroom Classic's editing interface and its photo organization capabilities. I also use Topaz and Luminar Neo occasionally, both of which have some AI components that run locally, as does the latest version of Photoshop. They are all memory-hungry these days.

I ramble, sorry. Good luck with your decision! I hope I was able to help.

Even if second hand, do look for at least the Pro-level chip, 32gb of RAM and At Least 1T internal storage. (I don't know why they even sell 512gb SSDs in these things. By the time you get all your applications installed you've used up half the storage.)

If you decide to purchase new, and you don't want to wait for the M5 pro or max, then if it were me, I would definitely get the most RAM and internal storage I could afford. That is non-negotiable.

Re Luminar Neo, it's good at certain things. There's a new feature that lets you add fog, which is really cool for some landscapes and looks very natural. The interface is much different than my beloved LrC, so I'm still figuring things out. Both Luminar Neo and Topaz Studio have the ability to increase resolution, as does Photoshop, which comes in handy for some older images taken on lower-resolution cameras. But you have to pay attention so you don't lose any details. Each app does it differently. They all have their good and bad features. Everyone retouches to their own taste. It's all a matter of preference.

What are the specs of your Late 2015 MBP? CPU; RAM; type, size & free space of the system drive; etc.

FWIW, OM Workspace has a reputation for being brutally slow and its use of the GPU is buggy. Why are you even using it?

under 20 percent FREE (not just "Available") on the boot drive can slow any Mac dramatically.

Apple no longer considers 8GB real RAM acceptable, and NO new Macs are sold with that little RAM.

Ru-Bear wrote:

I have a late 2015 MacBook Pro , which I’ve owned from new. There are photo software like OM workspace that is so slow now loading and editing. I don’t use multiple screens. I understand technology has moved on from intel to silicon. If you could afford a brand new would you go directly to M5. Any help as always much appreciated.

2015 is one thing the macOS is the other...(?)

if in doubt about compatibility for your third party app—search the developers website or contact their: Support/Help/FAQ/Known issues/compatibility/updates…

Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support

Contact a third-party vendor - Apple Support

see vintage and obsolete:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624