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Feb 2013 15' rmbp model - is it still worth it?

C

ccyu

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 26, 2014
4
0
Hello everyone :)

As a long time pc user, my 5 year old pc is on its last legs, and I'm looking to get my first rmbp after a lot of deliberation, mainly the referb 15' 2.4/8/512 , 2.4/8/256 models. I have a limited budget of around $2000 cad (hs student, coming out of my pockets - parents are extremely cash strapped and I don't want to ask for anything more as they already do so much/ I have a stable part time job for 2 years already and have been saving up) , and anything above baseline 15' late 2013 is unfortunately too much for me, so its the reason why I'm turning to referbished older models.

Do I get the 256gb model and get external storage or just the 512gb?

I have no qualms about older software as long as its suitable to my needs; surfing, gaming (heaviest game would be tf2), general movie marathons connected to an external monitor, and some music dj-ing (just for school dances) + light video editing.

So, is a early 2013 model worth it? Will it last me 4 years?( intel 4000 worries me) From the research I've done, the feb model would suffice for my needs, as its great compared to standard pc laptops already, but is the baseline late 2013 pro more worth it? Or, is a late 13' upgraded/if I can find a referb until I hit my price limit suitable for my needs? I like my screen space though and wouldn't mind lugging it around :D

Thanks in advance for your opinions + advice :) !

P.S. I have a cousin in the states who can get me the referb model and bring it over (so I can save more money) but shes coming in a week so we need to make that decision now.
 
ccyu said:
Hello everyone :)

As a long time pc user, my 5 year old pc is on its last legs, and I'm looking to get my first rmbp after a lot of deliberation, mainly the referb 15' 2.4/8/512 , 2.4/8/256 models. I have a limited budget of around $2000 cad (hs student, coming out of my pockets - parents are extremely cash strapped and I don't want to ask for anything more as they already do so much/ I have a stable part time job for 2 years already and have been saving up) , and anything above baseline 15' late 2013 is unfortunately too much for me, so its the reason why I'm turning to referbished older models.

Do I get the 256gb model and get external storage or just the 512gb?

I have no qualms about older software as long as its suitable to my needs; surfing, gaming (heaviest game would be tf2), general movie marathons connected to an external monitor, and some music dj-ing (just for school dances) + light video editing.

So, is a early 2013 model worth it? Will it last me 4 years?( intel 4000 worries me) From the research I've done, the feb model would suffice for my needs, as its great compared to standard pc laptops already, but is the baseline late 2013 pro more worth it? Or, is a late 13' upgraded/if I can find a referb until I hit my price limit suitable for my needs? I like my screen space though and wouldn't mind lugging it around :D

Thanks in advance for your opinions + advice :) !

P.S. I have a cousin in the states who can get me the referb model and bring it over (so I can save more money) but shes coming in a week so we need to make that decision now.
Click to expand...


check this video out , it may help you in your decision http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATKDuQOQw9k
 
Look if your eligible for student pricing.

The mid-tier 13" should have you covered for your current needs. That said, what do you plan on doing in the next years? Are you going to university, if so what will you be studying? If it's anything in engineering/computer science/media, the 15" might be justifiable.

The HDD size is really dependent on how much stuff you have and how you handle it. But it sounds to me like you should be ok with 256GB and archive the rest on an external drive (along with a back up of the mac's drive).

If you're not eligible for student pricing, I'd certainly go with a refurb model (sometimes the refurb deals are even better than the deals you get with student pricing). You save a few hundred bucks to get a model that's a few years old but the performance is still there. There's not much difference between the all the 15" retina MBP invariable of year.

IMHO, you're looking at the difference between a 2k$ computer and a 1.5K$ computer. Obviously the 2k$ computer is faster and nicer to work on because of the big screen, but it sounds to me like the 1.5k$ computer would get the job done in your case.
 
paolo- said:
Look if your eligible for student pricing.

The mid-tier 13" should have you covered for your current needs. That said, what do you plan on doing in the next years? Are you going to university, if so what will you be studying? If it's anything in engineering/computer science/media, the 15" might be justifiable.

The HDD size is really dependent on how much stuff you have and how you handle it. But it sounds to me like you should be ok with 256GB and archive the rest on an external drive (along with a back up of the mac's drive).

If you're not eligible for student pricing, I'd certainly go with a refurb model (sometimes the refurb deals are even better than the deals you get with student pricing). You save a few hundred bucks to get a model that's a few years old but the performance is still there. There's not much difference between the all the 15" retina MBP invariable of year.

IMHO, you're looking at the difference between a 2k$ computer and a 1.5K$ computer. Obviously the 2k$ computer is faster and nicer to work on because of the big screen, but it sounds to me like the 1.5k$ computer would get the job done in your case.
Click to expand...

Since you have budget to work on, refurb rMBP is the way to go. If I were you I will not consider early 2013 model instead late 2013 because it is running on Haswell processor better performance in terms of speed and better battery efficiency. 8/256 is good and consider external storage. Hope this will help you.
 
Mcguyver said:
Since you have budget to work on, refurb rMBP is the way to go. If I were you I will not consider early 2013 model instead late 2013 because it is running on Haswell processor better performance in terms of speed and better battery efficiency. 8/256 is good and consider external storage. Hope this will help you.
Click to expand...

I have owned both a March 2013 and March 2014 model. Both with maxed out performance and drive size options. You will not notice a difference unless you are into heavy video transcoding, and the difference is slim. The 2014 has a little longer battery life, but the 2013 is no slouch. The 2014 will feel a bit snappier, that PCE SDD storage is insanely fast (Black Magic 1GB/s), wireless is noticeably snappier (Time Machine backup to time capsule is quicker) but you need a current generation Airport extreme or Time Capsule to take advantage. Transcoding and like processing is just a bit quicker on the 2014, noticeable but perhaps not that significant. Disk intensive process are much more responsive. The LG screen was perfect on both machines. The 2014 runs a tad cooler to the touch but the fans spin faster (6000 rpm vs 4000rpm according to iStat).

My advice is get the early 2013 refurb with 512 GB SSD (that will be a samsung SSD). You will be very happy, it is a wonderful machine. Whatever bugs were in the 2012 were corrected in early 2013 along with a little speed boost.

I don't know what is meant by older software, both machines run 10.9.3 and there is no difference in software versions.


These pages indicate a ~10% performance increase for video transcoding type workflows:

http://www.barefeats.com/rmbpc1.html

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1681479/
 
Last edited:
Hi ColdCase, thanks for sharing the link. I was referring to the hardware not the software. I am aware that both can run on the latest OS 10.9.3....the rMBP late 2013 (Oct) is running on Haswell processor whereas the rMBP early (Feb) 2013 is running on Ivy Bridge processor. The later model is a improved model (late 2013) compared to early 2013 (Feb). Well, either one is still a great machine. My suggestion is just a personal reference, moreover if you want to buy the early 2013 it will be a refurbish one but the late 2013 is still in store and you have a choice of new or refurb. Considering that the this guy is a new Mac convert and a budget to work on. Of course your advice is a great advice too and the link was informative. Cheers!:)



ColdCase said:
I have owned both a March 2013 and March 2014 model. Both with maxed out performance and drive size options. You will not notice a difference unless you are into heavy video transcoding, and the difference is slim. The 2014 has a little longer battery life, but the 2013 is no slouch. The 2014 will feel a bit snappier, that PCE SDD storage is insanely fast (Black Magic 1GB/s), wireless is noticeably snappier (Time Machine backup to time capsule is quicker) but you need a current generation Airport extreme or Time Capsule to take advantage. Transcoding and like processing is just a bit quicker on the 2014, noticeable but perhaps not that significant. Disk intensive process are much more responsive. The LG screen was perfect on both machines. The 2014 runs a tad cooler to the touch but the fans spin faster (6000 rpm vs 4000rpm according to iStat).

My advice is get the early 2013 refurb with 512 GB SSD (that will be a samsung SSD). You will be very happy, it is a wonderful machine. Whatever bugs were in the 2012 were corrected in early 2013 along with a little speed boost.

I don't know what is meant by older software, both machines run 10.9.3 and there is no difference in software versions.


These pages indicate a ~10% performance increase for video transcoding type workflows:

http://www.barefeats.com/rmbpc1.html

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1681479/
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
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