MacBook Air M3 (24GB) vs. MacBook Pro M4 Pro (12-core, 24GB) for Quant Finance Studies & Projects – Worth the 600 EUR Price Difference?

[Guest /u/Illustrious_Ebb3324]

Hey everyone,

 

I’m trying to decide between two MacBook models and could use some advice. I’m a student in Quant Finance, using my setup mainly for schoolwork and personal projects. This includes a lot of Monte Carlo simulations for option pricing, reinforcement learning projects at university, and I’d like to dive deeper into quant trading.

 

I’m looking at these two options: 1. MacBook Air M3 with 24GB RAM: Light and portable, which is nice. 2. MacBook Pro with M4 Pro (12-core, 24GB RAM): More powerful, but also heavier and costs 600 EUR more.

 

Another factor is that I like to work with a docking station connected to two external monitors. I’m wondering if the M3 would handle my workload, reinforcement learning projects, and monitor setup well, or if the M4 Pro would be a better long-term choice for smoother performance with simulations, trading workflows, and dual monitors.

 

If anyone has experience with these models for similar tasks, I’d really appreciate any recommendations. Thanks in advance!

 

submitted by /u/Illustrious_Ebb3324

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