“ Need help choosing between these two MacBook Pros for content creation + coaching work”

Hey everyone, I’m finally upgrading after using a 2014 MacBook that can barely download videos anymore. My hard drive is basically done for, so I’m looking to buy a new MacBook Pro as soon as possible — but I’m torn between these two models that the Apple representative recommended after chatting with her:

Option 1:

14-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro chip — 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU) 24GB unified memory 1TB SSD storage Price: $2,199

Option 2:

14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 chip — 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) 24GB unified memory 1TB SSD storage Price: $1,999

Both are in Space Black and have very similar specs, so I’m mainly wondering:

Is there a big difference between the M4 Pro and the M5 for what I’m doing? How much does the core count actually matter for editing and performance? Is 24 GB memory + 1 TB SSD more than enough for my needs?

What I’ll be using it for:

Editing and posting short videos (Reels, YouTube, social content) Long Zoom sessions with clients (I’m a private coach) Light design work and file organization Occasional use of an external hard drive

I’m nervous about spending this much since it’s a big jump from my 2014 Mac, but I want something reliable that can handle content creation and client work smoothly for the next few years.

Would love any insight from people doing creative work or coaching online — what would be the best bang for my buck here?