2012 MBP Refurbished Models?

[invictus1218]

I'm trying to decide between two different 2012 MBP (non-retina) models. They are both apple refurbished. I can get the baseline 2.5 i5 model with 4 gigs of ram, or the 2.9 i7 model with 8 gigs of ram for $130 more. Is the i7 worth the price difference?

 

[06tb06]

I'm trying to decide between two different 2012 MBP (non-retina) models. They are both apple refurbished. I can get the baseline 2.5 i5 model with 4 gigs of ram, or the 2.9 i7 model with 8 gigs of ram for $130 more. Is the i7 worth the price difference?

The 8GB of RAM will make the experience feel more responsive than a marginally better CPU.

 

[invictus1218]

The 8GB of RAM will make the experience feel more responsive than a marginally better CPU.

Thanks. So would you keep the cheaper model and just upgrade the ram to 16gb?

 

[06tb06]

Thanks. So would you keep the cheaper model and just upgrade the ram to 16gb?

Personally I would buy the i7 model, use it for a while, then decide upgrading to 16GB. The 8GB is still good for basic tasks, even for light Photoshop use.

 

[MacInTO]

+1 for the i7. I have this model and it is super fast.

 

[Fishrrman]

For $130 more, 8gbs of RAM -and- the i7 CPU is worth the money.

If it's a non-retina, you should also consider adding an SSD yourself once you're satisfied the new Mac is running well.
Cheap, easy install, and a GREAT speed boost.

 

[BrittWentz]

I have the i7 model and it's served me well the last 4 years. Use it for photoshop, illustrator, premiere pro, etc and generally it runs well, but if i keep them open for too long (sometimes days, sometimes hours) then everything starts to lag.

That's why i'm considering an SSD upgrade. Thinking Samsung but honestly i don't know much about SSD's so, what would you recommend? I was hoping not to spend more than $150 as i also have to replace the battery. Also, do the 16gbs of RAM really make much of a difference?

 

[06tb06]

That's why i'm considering an SSD upgrade. Thinking Samsung but honestly i don't know much about SSD's so, what would you recommend? I was hoping not to spend more than $150 as i also have to replace the battery. Also, do the 16gbs of RAM really make much of a difference?

Samsung is a good choice. When I built my desktop PC I used the Samsung EVO 840 drive, but any of the drives are great (840, 850, 960, etc.) -- Samsung designs the entire unit in-house from the NAND (memory) chips to the onboard controller, so these SSDs are of the highest quality.