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HELP ME DECIDE: 2011 or 2012 MacBook Pro??

R

ramus88

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 15, 2014
11
0
Hey guys,

A new MacBook user here with limited budget, I have no idea what I want and I wanted your opinions...

I have two choices: Late 2011, 13 inch MBP, 2.4 GHz i5, 8GB, 500GB SATA for 600 dollars

VS.

Mid-2012, 13 inch MBP, 2.5 GHz i5, 4GB, 500GB SATA for 700 dollars.

I don't think I can afford anything higher so I am looking at these two... Is there a significant difference between the two to warrant the 100 dollar difference? i feel like I would need to upgrade the RAM if I get the 2012 version because I would like at least 8GB... I plan to upgrade both hard disks with SSD.

What would be a wiser choice and is the pricing adequate for the machine's worth?

Thank you so much in advance guys.
 
davidlv

davidlv

macrumors 68020
Apr 5, 2009
2,291
874
Kyoto, Japan
ramus88 said:
Hey guys,

A new MacBook user here with limited budget, I have no idea what I want and I wanted your opinions...

I have two choices: Late 2011, 13 inch MBP, 2.4 GHz i5, 8GB, 500GB SATA for 600 dollars

VS.

Mid-2012, 13 inch MBP, 2.5 GHz i5, 4GB, 500GB SATA for 700 dollars.

I don't think I can afford anything higher so I am looking at these two... Is there a significant difference between the two to warrant the 100 dollar difference? i feel like I would need to upgrade the RAM if I get the 2012 version because I would like at least 8GB... I plan to upgrade both hard disks with SSD.

What would be a wiser choice and is the pricing adequate for the machine's worth?

Thank you so much in advance guys.
Click to expand...
That's a tough choice! The older 2011 model has Intel's HD 3000 graphics and the newer model has the next version HD 4000, which is about 30-50% better. However for most users the HD 3000 is enough. Depends on what you will be doing.
The newer model also has USB 3 ports, and that can be a big advantage, and the CPU is newer too, about 5-15% faster.
So, in summary the advantage of the older machines is cheaper and no RAM upgrade is necessary. The advantages of the newer model are slightly better graphics and CPU, but it is more expensive and will need a RAM upgrade. Your call on if that is worth the extra 100 dollars.
 
R

ramus88

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 15, 2014
11
0
Thanks for your reply. My main task will be just doing office stuff, excel, word, etch surfing the web, and for the mother of god, be able to stream 1080p YouTube videos without stuttering....

Yes, the RAM upgrade will be around 100 dollars so I guess it will be 600 vs. 800..... That is quite a difference.

Is 600 for the 2011 MBP listed a good deal? Thank you for your input.
 
Apple fanboy

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,266
53,031
Behind the Lens, UK
ramus88 said:
Thanks for your reply. My main task will be just doing office stuff, excel, word, etch surfing the web, and for the mother of god, be able to stream 1080p YouTube videos without stuttering....

Yes, the RAM upgrade will be around 100 dollars so I guess it will be 600 vs. 800..... That is quite a difference.

Is 600 for the 2011 MBP listed a good deal? Thank you for your input.
Click to expand...

For what you plan to do, both machines are more than enough. Just comes down to how much dollar you want to spend.
 
mojolicious

mojolicious

macrumors 68000
Mar 18, 2014
1,565
311
Sarf London
Apple fanboy said:
For what you plan to do, both machines are more than enough.
Click to expand...
This is true.

But it's also true that if you compare the connectivity of the two models the 2012 is far more flexible and far more future-proof, and the price differential between the two might well be greater if you come to sell it in 2-3 years. USB2 vs USB3 will represent an increasingly significant break in the second hand market.

For non-stuttery Youtube the 2012 model has a superior graphics chip, although I don't know how much memory is assigned in a 4GB set-up.

The 2012 can always have more RAM added at a later date (although 4GB is probably enough for your proposed usage). The 2011 cannot be fitted with USB3, a second Thunderbolt, an Ivy Bridge processor, etc etc etc.
 
maflynn

maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,489
43,414
I'd go with the newer model, but as mentioned both machines will for your needs.
 
R

ramus88

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 15, 2014
11
0
mojolicious said:
This is true.

But it's also true that if you compare the connectivity of the two models the 2012 is far more flexible and far more future-proof, and the price differential between the two might well be greater if you come to sell it in 2-3 years. USB2 vs USB3 will represent an increasingly significant break in the second hand market.

For non-stuttery Youtube the 2012 model has a superior graphics chip, although I don't know how much memory is assigned in a 4GB set-up.

The 2012 can always have more RAM added at a later date (although 4GB is probably enough for your proposed usage). The 2011 cannot be fitted with USB3, a second Thunderbolt, an Ivy Bridge processor, etc etc etc.
Click to expand...

Thank you for everyone's inputs. I guess my last question is, are those good pricings for those models given that they are in great condition?
 
Altemose

Altemose

macrumors G3
Mar 26, 2013
9,189
487
Elkton, Maryland
ramus88 said:
Hey guys,

A new MacBook user here with limited budget, I have no idea what I want and I wanted your opinions...

I have two choices: Late 2011, 13 inch MBP, 2.4 GHz i5, 8GB, 500GB SATA for 600 dollars

VS.

Mid-2012, 13 inch MBP, 2.5 GHz i5, 4GB, 500GB SATA for 700 dollars.

I don't think I can afford anything higher so I am looking at these two... Is there a significant difference between the two to warrant the 100 dollar difference? i feel like I would need to upgrade the RAM if I get the 2012 version because I would like at least 8GB... I plan to upgrade both hard disks with SSD.

What would be a wiser choice and is the pricing adequate for the machine's worth?

Thank you so much in advance guys.
Click to expand...

There is no reason to get the 2011 unless you absolutely needed to run Snow Leopard. Always buy the best computer you can afford is the rule of thumb.
 
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