Hi there, both these units, Apple certified refurbished, cost $929 each (8GB RAM on each). GB multi-thread scores show the i7 is about 20% faster, but I understand PCIe-based SSD are faster than any external storage options. But an additional 128GB storage on the i5 isn't really very much extra. I'm guessing the fastest external storage options will still be much cheaper than what Apple charges for additional storage; are there external options that approach or match the speed of PCIe-based SSD? For longevity, it seems best to go with the i7, in this case? I work primarily with lots of image files (Photoshop) and no gaming.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!