13" 2012 MBP vs early 2011 15" MBP refurb

[sheedyxx]

Hi guys, upgrading from my mid 2010 2.4ghz white macbook with 4gb ram next week. I cant decide which machine to buy, these are my options:

New 2012 Macbook Pro 13 inch base model with HE discount (£850/$1320) and upgrade the ram to 8GB and 256GB SSD

Refurb early 2011 Macbook Pro 15 inch, 2.0ghz, high res anti glare screen (£1099/$1710) and upgrade the ram to 8GB and 256GB SSD

I can comfortably buy the 13 inch with my savings and just about afford to buy the refurb model. I want a powerful machine that is going to stand the test of time 2 or 3 years down the line and maybe have some resale value when the time comes to upgrade again. How do you guys think both machines will run with and without the ram and ssd upgrades and how much more will I notice the power of the quad core processor when doing moderately heavy graphic design work.

The advantages of buying the 13 inch model is the 3 year warranty, it's cheaper and brand new but the raw power of the 15 inch on paper and the high res anti glare screen appeals to me. Basically, which machine would you guys go for and what is an apple refurb macbook's battery life like? Cheers

 

[fleawannabe]

I wondering the exact same thing. Please someone but in some insight. I do not do a lot of power hungry stuff so I do not need the quad core but I do like the bigger screen. I will take it to school sometimes but I am not flying around all the time so I do think the 15 will be too big. The only plus to the 13 is the savings of 382 dollars, slightly more portable and USB 3.0

Does the new MBP 13 have the new asymmetric fan?

 

[FastEddiebags]

You can still get applecare on a refurb and its battery is the same battery as a new mbp. Apples refurbs are pretty much new computers, just 1 gen older.

 

[fleawannabe]

You can still get applecare on a refurb and its battery is the same battery as a new mbp. Apples refurbs are pretty much new computers, just 1 gen older.

How has your MBP 15 been running, any heat issues or loudness of the fans? These are my only two concerns with the 15

 

[The Tuck]

Personally, I would get a 13" but I just really like that form factor. I totally wish the 13" came in an anti-glare version because I would get that. But it comes down to a matter of preference. Which is more important to you - the faster machine or the anti-glare screen?

Tuck

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Personally, I would get a 13" but I just really like that form factor. I totally wish the 13" came in an anti-glare version because I would get that. But it comes down to a matter of preference. Which is more important to you - the faster machine or the anti-glare screen?

Tuck

I would also say that in terms of "future-proofing" It's better to go with USB 3.0. More and more external hard drives and USB flash drives will be using USB 3 and the resale value will be greater for the 13" down the line, I think.

 

[FastEddiebags]

How has your MBP 15 been running, any heat issues or loudness of the fans? These are my only two concerns with the 15

Honestly, I love it. Yeah the fans kick up when you use the gpu intensively but I had an 08 mbp so Im used to it and the noise doesn't really bother me. Other than that, this thing is a beast of a laptop and I love the hi-res screen.