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2011 MBP Owner Maybe Getting A 2017 MBP?

djdorifto

djdorifto

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 13, 2012
36
22
Melbourne, FL
I bought my refurbished 2011 MBP almost 6 years ago around Christmas time. Upgraded her to 16gigs ram and did SSD before it died (again) from the logic board burning out. I thought the recall that apple did was going to give my MBP around 6 years but sadly it stop working around July this year. She's my workhorse for my photography work. Lately I've been getting back into it my photography work and my PC isn't cutting it with my ****** monitors.

So advice, $155 bucks to fixed my old MBP and probably have it burn up again in a few months or breakdown and get a 2017 MBP Refurbished? How's the reliability of these new MBP? Sometimes I just want to save the 1500 bucks and get a 2011-2012 MBP 17inch big boy. Thoughts?!
 
The 2011 17-inch is prone to the same GPU issues as your current 2011, which I assume is a 15-inch.

The current design is solid, with the exception being the keyboard, which is more prone to issues and annoyances that previous generations. Exactly how prone it is to such issues has become a controversial topic.
 
those things don't effect me much, I used my friend's 2017 MBP and it was stupid nice. Just wanted some more input on reliability on these things if they will last as long as my 11 mbp
 
Any laptop lasting 6 years is a big ask, but it seems to be expected from Apple. No one can tell you what the realistic life expectancy is, just have to base on history. I have a 2016 and I have every expectation it will last as long as my prior’s 7 years. People will speculate why the new versions will last longer or shorter than previous models, but no one really knows. I know I would place my bets on Apple over any PC brand based on history and expectations. There were defects that showed up immediately and within the first year under warranty. Not a whole lot of data beyond that as you would expect.
 
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Don't quote me on that but if I'm not mistaken you need to make sure to receive the 2nd revision of that dreaded AMD GPU. First gen GPUs will all fail sooner or later due to a manufacturing defect that was addressed and fixed in the 2nd revision.

Thus, if you find a reliable repair shop (Louis Rossmann from NYC comes to mind: https://www.rossmanngroup.com/) they can should be able to fix your 2011 MBP for good. You will have to hurry though because from what I've heard these AMD GPUs are getting harder and harder to obtain.
 
thesaint024 said:
Any laptop lasting 6 years is a big ask, but it seems to be expected from Apple. No one can tell you what the realistic life expectancy is, just have to base on history. I have a 2016 and I have every expectation it will last as long as my prior’s 7 years. People will speculate why the new versions will last longer or shorter than previous models, but no one really knows. I know I would place my bets on Apple over any PC brand based on history and expectations. There were defects that showed up immediately and within the first year under warranty. Not a whole lot of data beyond that as you would expect.
Click to expand...

Yeah totally understand. Just wanted to see how they have fared so far, sounds like I may just bite the bullet and get the new MBP.
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mj_ said:
Don't quote me on that but if I'm not mistaken you need to make sure to receive the 2nd revision of that dreaded AMD GPU. First gen GPUs will all fail sooner or later due to a manufacturing defect that was addressed and fixed in the 2nd revision.

Thus, if you find a reliable repair shop (Louis Rossmann from NYC comes to mind: https://www.rossmanngroup.com/) they can should be able to fix your 2011 MBP for good. You will have to hurry though because from what I've heard these AMD GPUs are getting harder and harder to obtain.
Click to expand...


Saw this at the bottom

No 2011 GPUs, no machines older than late 2008.
The 2011 Macbook Pro GPU issue will never be permanently solved due to lack of good chipsets available. These we do not repair. White Unibody Macbooks, the original 2008 Macbook Air, and old Pros with silver keys we do not fix. Some parts are no longer available for, and some are just not economically viable. Feel free to query us before sending it in to figure out if we can help you.
 
OP wrote:
"How's the reliability of these new MBP? Sometimes I just want to save the 1500 bucks and get a 2011-2012 MBP 17inch big boy. Thoughts?!"

The LAST THING you want to do is pick up another 2011 MacBook Pro. The 17" models are as prone to failure as are the 15" ones.

The 2016/17 design MBPro's have their own problems, mainly with the keyboard. They seem to be failing at a very high rate for even new machines. When the keyboard fails, the entire top casing has to be replaced (not "just the keyboard"). This is a $700 repair (if the owner had to pay), but so far, Apple has been picking up the tab. Unfortunately, some owners have experienced more than one failure.

An alternative might be to buy a 2015-design 15" MBPro. These are STILL BEING SOLD NEW by Apple, if you look for them (go to the MBPro 15" page, click the "buy" button, and scroll down to see them). You can also find these as Apple-refurbished.

Yes, they are slightly older tech now. But the keyboards on these won't fail, and they also offer a full complement of legacy ports.
 
Well, looks like we went from "hard to source" to "impossible to obtain" already, didn't know that. You can ask around and see if you still find a repair shop with Rev. 2 AMD GPUs in stock but it looks like you're out of luck on this one.

Fishrrman said:
An alternative might be to buy a 2015-design 15" MBPro. These are STILL BEING SOLD NEW by Apple, if you look for them (go to the MBPro 15" page, click the "buy" button, and scroll down to see them). You can also find these as Apple-refurbished.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure a new 2015 model will be the right choice for him - he needs it for photo editing so a dedicated GPU might be a requirement.

That said I agree with the rest of your post. The newer 2016/2017 models have keyboards failing and acting up left and right faster than you can count. So far Apple has been picking up the tab because they have to - the devices are still in warranty. Once they are out of warranty you're looking at a $500 (nTB) or even $700 (TB) bill each time the keyboard fails.
 
Jeebus, I thought people kept mention the keyboard issues like the aesthetics itself with button quality or feel. ****, may have to hold out then and just find a temp fix for my 11.
 
I have a 2016 and the keyboard on that is fine. It took me a long time to get used to it, mainly because the keys are larger, and I also use a Smart Keyboard on my iPad Pro, which has smaller keys. So, I think a lot of the issues I have are related to the two size extremes. The hard part with the keyboards is getting a feel for how widespread the problems are, and if the improvements to the 2016 model make a big difference. The only ongoing comment I have about the 2016 keyboard is it is definitely louder. I have a light touch so I don't think I am hammering the keys.

I also had a 2011 and I think the upgrade to the 2017 is worth it. The SSDs are faster, the processors are better and the screen is a lot better. I loved my 2011 but don't regret upgrading one bit.
 
I went with the 2017 MBP and am quite happy with it. Keyboard is no problem and everything is faster than I really need. Like you, I tend to use these computers for a long time and I fully expect this one to last six years easily. I don't baby my machines, obsess about batteries or keyboards, or worry overmuch about things. I use the machine heavily for work and pleasure, but I do not edit video or make astronomical calculations either.

I suspect if you move to a 2017 you'll be pleased.
 
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thanks everyone for the replies. I think I may jump on the 2017 MBP, maybe get the 11 MBP fixed and transfer my files and maybe put it up forsale for a few hundred.
 
I don't understand peoples complaints about keyboard. I have both 2017 rMB and MBP 15 and I enjoy the rMB keyboard but the pro keyboard has even slightly more snap in my opinion. Regardless, I love pressing these keys. the 2015 rMB I had wasn't all that great when typing but I used it a lot. the 2017s are wonderful just have an electric air blower cause you'll get a stuck key once in a while. blow it and its back to normal.
 
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bought a 2017 Refurb MBP for 2300. Not bad, almost a grand in savings just like when I bought my 11 MBP. Let's hope this bad boy last as long. I'll remember to up my apple care before it runs out too. Thanks again everyone for the advice <3
 
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I love the 17in MacBook pro. I have an i7 with 16gb of ram and a 1gb SSD. I wouldn't hesitate at all to spend another $150 for this wonderful machine.

I have had to have my logic board replaced once by Apple and have had no issues since.
 
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