My mid-2013 MBA, which I have used for close to 8 years, is near the end of its life. It had served me well as a student in the mathematical sciences -- (rudimentary) numerical simulation, programming, scientific document preparation, basic graphics and video editing. The battery now requires constant charging, one of its USB ports is busted, and there are frequent driver issues with different external devices. I am planning on getting a replacement, with the M1 models being my pick.

The 16GB MBA costs almost the same as the entry level 8GB MBP. The former will have only 7 cores of GPU, and the latter 8. Both have the same storage, but the latter will have a fan.

How does a fanless 16GB MBA compare with an 8GB MBP? Going forwards I might need to use it for more extensive research work (and some 3D graphics simulation), and I don't think I'd be able to replace it in the near future. This purchase will definitely cost me a lot of money, which explains why I'm deliberating so much.

This post has been edited by maximR: Sep 27 2021, 11:26 AM

8GB MBP is enough for you

3d simulation is fine with 8gb ram. m1 will make it better. saw comparison on both not so much different. air 16gb will be better in this case. tho id go for pro.

With 8GB, running any memory intensive apps will cause excessive writes to the SSD. Since the SSD is not replaceable, it will fail eventually maybe in 4-5 years time.

Google online for excessive writes to SSD for M1. Some people reported excessive writes until the SSD almost half dead.

Wait for the next announcement on M1X or M2 in coming weeks ahead.

Then only decide based on the price you can afford.
Current M1 is still buggy to be honest.

I'm also same like u, first Mac is 2013 MBA max spec Early this year upgraded to M1 16GB 8 cores, and i can say there are minor instability with M1.

It really depends on your own personal usage to be completely honest. I have a 16Gb M1 MBA which is my personal laptop and at work, I use an 8Gb M1 MBP (base model). Honestly, for pure office type of work and browser-based work, including light photo editing, I never once felt either one holding me back at all.

I would be more concerned on the support of your 3D Graphics simulation work and other software and their compatibility with Apple Silicon.

get more ram for MBP