I was going to purchase my Macbook Pro today that ive been wanting since I was in the 7th grade (currently finishing my last semester of my second year in college.)I Didnt yesterday because I wanted to wait for feedback, etc. Though, it seems as if the base 15 is a stupid choice because of the graphocs card. Can I have more feedback on this? I dont game much. At most, id play Starcraft 2 but thats about it. Im a console gamer. Because this is such a big commitment, im more so concerned with longevity and I want the card to last. Ill have the computers for atleast the next two years.
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2011 15inch base NOT worth it?
- Thread starter dw3bb10
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I recommended getting the next model up - you may or may not use that power right off the bat, but chances are you will use it in the future.
True. Base 15" model is definitely not worth it. The graphics card will hold you back so much with the quad core processor. Just get the 15" top of the line or 17".
I also meant to note that I have enough cash for the base, but not necessarily 400-500 more for the high end.
The base 15" is more than adequate unless you're doing lots of gaming... which you've said you're not, as you have a console for that.
So, is it worth spending an extra $400 just for a graphics card you won't use and a 0.2GHz-faster processor?
IMO, no.
People who warn you that you "might" use the graphics card in the future are deluding themselves. Unless you plan on going into 3D modelling or something graphics-intensive, the 6490 will be just fine. People are still getting on fine with Powerbook G4s from 2005, which have nowhere near the graphical prowess of the new 15". And people are buying the 13" Pro in droves, even though it has inferior graphics to the 15".
In closing, if you can afford to splurge and get the high-end 15", do it. It's a better machine, without a doubt. But you'd be just as happy with the base model, and you could spend that extra $400 on more RAM and/or an SSD, which will give you way more real-world performance gains than an upgraded graphics card you're not going to take advantage of.
Lastly, if you're thinking about the high-end 15", then consider the 17". I built the 15" the way I'd want it (high-res antiglare display), and that spec is only $150 less than the 17"... at that point, you may as well just pony up a little more for the 17".
So, is it worth spending an extra $400 just for a graphics card you won't use and a 0.2GHz-faster processor?
IMO, no.
People who warn you that you "might" use the graphics card in the future are deluding themselves. Unless you plan on going into 3D modelling or something graphics-intensive, the 6490 will be just fine. People are still getting on fine with Powerbook G4s from 2005, which have nowhere near the graphical prowess of the new 15". And people are buying the 13" Pro in droves, even though it has inferior graphics to the 15".
In closing, if you can afford to splurge and get the high-end 15", do it. It's a better machine, without a doubt. But you'd be just as happy with the base model, and you could spend that extra $400 on more RAM and/or an SSD, which will give you way more real-world performance gains than an upgraded graphics card you're not going to take advantage of.
Lastly, if you're thinking about the high-end 15", then consider the 17". I built the 15" the way I'd want it (high-res antiglare display), and that spec is only $150 less than the 17"... at that point, you may as well just pony up a little more for the 17".
If you look at the benchmarks the dif b/w the low end and high end is measured in mere seconds on most tasks. I don't know anything about any games b/c I don't play them except on my iPhone and iPad, but for general use I always buy the low end 13 and 15" models (yes, one of each) and am never disappointed. They are more than adequate for video editing, business applications, etc. I do make a few mods like putting in a SSD or 7200RPM driver. Last time I didn't put in additional RAM though -- stayed w/ stock 4GB.
I'm sure wow cranks - I have the MBP 2011 2.2 w 6750m
Crysis runs like butter -
Elder Scrolls Oblivion at 1440x900 maxed - runs great fluid
Heat is basically no issue at all - they really fixed it.
Battery time when playing games such as these is about 2 hrs !!!!! (Which is awesome!!)
I'm running it on my 2010 13" (see signature) and it runs super smooth. I have the display settings cranked to the max and I don't notice any problems. running 60 fps constantly. Not sure how much of an impact the SSD has on that, but it's a powerhouse for me.
Cranks is a good thing, right? If you have the 2.2 that means you have the high end one, I am getting the 2.0 lower end one, which I hear is a lot worse..
Cranks is a very good thing..... very good. I'm amazed at how fast I now can play games.
On the Mac side. The Macbook Pro is just as fast (if not faster) as my Mac Pro 2008 2.8 - 8 core. The Mac Pro has the GTX285 in it... but thats still quite a bit more powerful than the MBPs 6750m processor and thats the only area I see it faster.
But the base model comes with the AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5, not the 6750 that the upgraded model comes with. Will this make a huge difference?
I feel like the base model will be fine, but theres threads saying its not worth it, etc etc, and its kinda scaring me.
WoW, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2 when it comes out.
WoW has been playing fine for me on my MBA, so I don't know why I'm even so worried.. I just want to know how significant of a boost the upper end 15" is. This computer is actually a replacement from Apple, so I don't know if I can do anything about it, but I'm thinking about asking if I can pay the difference for the upgrade.
Dragon Age 2 will definitely benefit from the increased graphics of the 6750m... I instantly went for the best graphics because once you get it you cant upgrade and the way games are going they need the better GPU and 1gb memory .
I sent them an email asking if its possible to upgrade to the upper end for the 400$ difference.. I tried calling but I think he was out of the office now, since he said 9 EST I think. I hope they don't get pissed that I asked if I can pay for an upgrade since it is a free replacement
SC2 and Civ5?
Does anyone know if StarCraft2 and Civ5 will run on the new 13 inch MBP? Gaming isn't my main use of the laptop, but my 3 year old MB doesn't have the graphics power to play either.
Since I'm unlikely to go to school again (law school) after this, I figure it's as good a time to buy a replacement as any and get another use of the edu discount.
Does anyone know if StarCraft2 and Civ5 will run on the new 13 inch MBP? Gaming isn't my main use of the laptop, but my 3 year old MB doesn't have the graphics power to play either.
Since I'm unlikely to go to school again (law school) after this, I figure it's as good a time to buy a replacement as any and get another use of the edu discount.
I sent them an email asking if its possible to upgrade to the upper end for the 400$ difference.. I tried calling but I think he was out of the office now, since he said 9 EST I think. I hope they don't get pissed that I asked if I can pay for an upgrade since it is a free replacement
I think Apple would be happy to do this. I'm sure they make more money when a customer buys the 2.2 as opposed to the 2.0. Letting you pay to upgrade is free money for them.
True, they're already paying for the 1799 base 15, so I don't see why they wouldn't want me to pay more for an upgrade. I just feel kinda weird asking to pay $400 to upgrade to the better one, since its like spending $400 for that computer.