MacBook Pro M5 vs M5 Pro for Large Monorepo Development

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I’m looking for advice from developers who work on large TypeScript monorepos and use Cursor heavily.

My typical setup:

  • Large monorepo (Next.js, NestJS, TypeScript)
  • 3+ Docker containers running continuously during development
  • Cursor open all day with AI features heavily used
  • Multiple browser tabs
  • MongoDB, Redis, API services, frontend, etc.
  • Occasional local builds and CI debugging

I’m currently deciding between:

Option 1

  • MacBook Pro with M5
  • 24 GB RAM or more ???

Option 2

  • MacBook Pro with M5 Pro
  • 24 GB RAM or more ???

I’m also still open to Windows if there is a compelling reason, but I’m leaning toward macOS because of battery life, thermals, Unix environment, and overall developer experience.

My main concerns are:

  1. Is 24 GB RAM enough for this workflow in 2026?
  2. How much difference does the M5 Pro make compared to the standard M5 for Docker-heavy development?
  3. Would you prioritize CPU/GPU upgrades or RAM upgrades?
  4. If you were buying a machine today for the next 5+ years, what configuration would you choose?
  5. Any regrets from people running large monorepos and Cursor on Apple Silicon?

Thanks for sharing your experiences and actual RAM usage numbers.

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