A university student calling themselves a “broke Harvard undergrad” while showing off a computer setup loaded with older and newer Apple hardware is bound to take some ribbing from social media on various levels. But today’s data-science number-crunching setup makes impressive and thrifty use of newer and older gear, including a 2023 M3 MacBook Pro, a 2013 “trash can” Mac Pro and a 2018 Intel MacBook Pro, plus a 2021 iPad Pro and a PlayStation 5 console.
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M3 MacBook Pro and trashcan Mac Pro crunch data-science numbers in ‘broke Harvard undergrad’ setup
Redditor and Harvard data science student HuBidenNavalny (“HBN”) showcased the secondhand setup in a post entitled, “Broke Harvard undergrad setup for data science.”
“Most of this stuff is secondhand from eBay, oriented around processing a lot of data,” they said. They also defined the Mac Pro modifications: “Upgraded RAM and disk (with an adapter), and added a donated eGPU from the CS department to fix the common GPU failure issue.”
The renewed 16-inch Apple laptop features an M3 Pro chip, 36GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage. Space black color.
And here’s how they listed the impressive gear generally:
- Desktop machine: 2013 Mac Pro (modded trash can Xeon E5)
- Laptops: 2023 MBP 16-inch (M3 Pro/18GB/512GB), 2018 MBP 15-inch (i7/16/256), 2021 iPad Pro 12.9 inch
- Gaming machine: PS5 with plates changed to pink (also highly recommend getting the DualSense Edge controller).
- Main monitor: Older Alienware 25 inch
- Vertical monitor: Some free Dell one that came free with my used PS5.
- Headphones: B&O [Bang & Olufsen] Beoplay Portal
And they added this about the interesting keyboard: “Logitech Pop Keys. Super childish keyboard ngl (it’s got a devoted emoji row) but it was $30 used at a local thrift shop!!”
But how is this a budget setup for a ‘broke’ student?
And you better believe commenters had a field day with a Harvard student claiming poverty while sporting tons of setup gear. Somebody even called HBN a “knob” (which, as derogatory British slang derived from small change and referring to a male appendage, isn’t nice). Here are a few of the comments:
- “Bro’s got a desktop, 2 laptops, an iPad, a PS5 with and 2 monitors, and a headset, and is saying ‘broke.'”
- “‘My daddy took my $2k/mo stipend away’ kind of broke.”
- “Also, ‘Harvard undergrad.’ Humble bragging at its finest.”
But to all the comments dissing HBN’s post title, they had a pretty reasonable response.
“I pay for basically none of it,” they wrote, mentioning their working-class background and comprehensive financial aid that helps make Harvard cheaper for many students than some state schools. “I also received $1,500 from the school to buy a computer, and another $1,000 from a local real estate group for tech expenses, which covered basically the entire setup.”
And of course, little or none of the gear is actually new, and some of it’s downright old. That still-useful trash can Mac Pro is 11 years old, for example.
Use cases for all those Macs
“Mind elaborating your use case for each of the Macs mentioned?” asked a commenter. “Curious to know what you’re doing with a pre-historic Mac Pro and an older MacBook Pro when you’ve got your new one.”
So HBN listed the ways they use the machines.
“I use my newer MBP for most things, like more serious coding and classwork. The Mac Pro is just for super casual stuff, and the most stress I ever put on it is running RStudio and some light photo editing. It’s the default web browsing device,” they said. “The older MBP is for field work — I often have to be outdoors with a device (due to my part-time job and experimental thesis), and I’d rather not break my nicer device for simple data collection.”
They added they could reign in hardware use, though they have reasons not to.
“I could definitely consolidate, but there’s a few reasons I haven’t. I didn’t get rid of the old MBP because I got offered less than $200 for it, and I rationed that the utility was higher than that (as it’s still functional),” they said. “The Mac Pro was super cheap (sold to me at $100), and it also solves the problem of having to switch cables constantly. My HDMI ports are all taken up (by my PS5/Switch), so having a device with native DisplayPort just saves me a few minutes every day (and maintains much better quality — chaining/splitting two HDMIs made the input lag awful). Plus, I wanted a device to clutter without having to worry about file management.”
Quibbling over M3 MacBook Pro size
“What made you decide to take the 16-inch vs the 14-inch?” asked a commenter, who mentioned they found typing more comfortable on the smaller one.
“Personal preference, really,” HBN replied. “Portability is not really a concern for me, as I don’t travel often. I also do a ton of split-screen work (e.g. coding assignment on the left, VSCode on the right) and having more screen size makes it a little more convenient. Plus, I came from using a 15inch before, and thought I would benefit from more and not less.”
“If I had to pay for it myself though, I’d probably just go for a [MacBook Air] 15-inch with upgraded RAM,” they added. “But they gave me a stipend earmarked only for a computer, and so I wanted to spend all of it.”
Shop these items now:
The renewed 16-inch Apple laptop features an M3 Pro chip, 36GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage. Space black color.
Computer gear:
- 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro
- 2013 Mac Pro
- 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro (Intel i7)
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- PlayStation 5
Input devices:
Audio:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually suffice). Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
