I have a base first gen 15" rMBP mid-2012. The 256gb isn't cutting it. I want a 1tb drive. At OWC I can get just that. But is it worth it? I'm also considering selling the MBP and my rMB and getting a 13" rMBP with a 1tb drive and 16gb of ram. I'm thinking the cost would be similar between the two options. What would you do?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
2012 rMBP - Worth upgrading?
- Thread starter Eric8199
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If space is the only issue then try getting some slim memory card or USB. I know samsung has a 128gb or 256gb super slim usb stick that might work
Transcend Jetdrive Lite 330. Adds up to 256gb in the SD slot. It was a lot cheaper last year. But it work great. http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=0ETA2PXE5RZATJ7VH0RZ
[doublepost=1457235760][/doublepost]Actually, the one I listed above is for the 13" Retina. Here is the link for the 15" Retina.
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=12R04AH6MBSJWTE8QZJV
[doublepost=1457235760][/doublepost]Actually, the one I listed above is for the 13" Retina. Here is the link for the 15" Retina.
http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet..._UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=12R04AH6MBSJWTE8QZJV
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
If all you need is more space, upgrade the SSD.
If you're looking to consolidate two different computers to something smaller, the 13" rMBP is a decent compromise, but still a step down from the 15" you have.
I have the 2012 rMBP model and looking to wait it out until some amazing update comes through for me to justify the purchase. Mac (256GB SSD) is running great so far with awesome battery life still and can't complain!
SD slot won't work. I'm a journalist and take a ton of photos. I'm constantly using the SD slot. I have external drives, but I hate using them. They're a hassle. Don't mind them for backing up, but they're no good to me for storing everyday files.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
You have a loaded question, in your OP.
First can you live with the smaller form factor? Going from 15" to 13" will be an adjustment.
Secondly, do you need 16GB of ram, you don't state your usage but most people can easily live with 8GB of ram.
Finally if it were me, I'd not look to put a lot of money into a 4 year old computer at this stage.
I know you don't like external drives, but have you looked at the tiny and very portable external SSD drive that Samsung makes? Comes in various capacities, including 1 TB and 2 TB.
I have begun to look at those, yes. It is a consideration. The problem with externals is I'm mobile all the time. It's impossible to forget an internal drive. It's always there. But the external is another story. Don't get me wrong, even with a 1tb drive, I'll still use an external drive too. But it won't have essential things on it like the situation I am currently in.
The original rMBP is still a solid machine, so I wouldn't hesitate to upgrade it. In your case, it comes down to trade-offs.
Advantages to keeping:
Bigger screen.
Quad core vs dual core processor (more total processing power.)
Discrete GPU with CUDA cores.
Advantages to swapping:
Lighter weight, smaller form.
Much faster SSD.
Better battery life.
More RAM (if more RAM is needed)
Slightly faster single core performance ("snappier.")
Newer Thunderbolt (which includes newer DisplayPort version.)
I would personally upgrade the 15" because I value its advantages more.
Advantages to keeping:
Bigger screen.
Quad core vs dual core processor (more total processing power.)
Discrete GPU with CUDA cores.
Advantages to swapping:
Lighter weight, smaller form.
Much faster SSD.
Better battery life.
More RAM (if more RAM is needed)
Slightly faster single core performance ("snappier.")
Newer Thunderbolt (which includes newer DisplayPort version.)
I would personally upgrade the 15" because I value its advantages more.
I thought about doing the same thing as you but a cheaper and faster route. You can get a msata adapter and use an industry standard drive like the 850 evo msata which is much faster and more reliable with its modern controller and 3d NAND instead of the crappy and outdated sandforce controller that OWC uses. However,I'm Getting rid of mine when the skylake rmbp 15 comes out. The dgpu in our 2012 rmbps is a ticking time bomb with no real permanent fix.
What all are you using your storage for? If media takes up a lot of your storage, the SD card would still be a good option. You could take it out while you transfer your pictures from your camera's SD card, then put it back in when you're finished. You can get an extra 128GB of storage for only about $60-70 by doing this, and save your money to get a new MacBook Pro when it's a huge upgrade. You're barely going to notice a difference now besides the extra internal storage.
OP, there's lots of great comments here helping you decide and they're all great IMHO. I have that same Mac but with a 512GB SSD for my small company - but it's now a backup, and I'm using the newer late-2013 rMBP with a 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM. I bought a few of the JetDrive SD drives at the time but they were only a stopgap. But...
There's one newer product here that you should take a look at that isn't listed here that's getting rave reviews online - TarDisk's Pear drive. I would have gone for one of those drives if they'd existed at the time.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_bl_sr?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=TarDisk.com (direct link, no hinky kickback stuff here...)
and added a decent USB SD card reader (they're cheap). 99% of my company's work is in the field.
We're not photographers, but we take and email a lot of digital images each day for logging contractor progress. Some of our older Macs are getting a second lease on life with a Pear drive - I have to admit that it was far more cost-effective to install a Pear drive than fork over far more money for a newer rMBP. They actually work, and I'm an old, jaded Mac owner... We plug SD cards into a decent card reader, so that addresses your need for an SD reader IMHO...
There's one newer product here that you should take a look at that isn't listed here that's getting rave reviews online - TarDisk's Pear drive. I would have gone for one of those drives if they'd existed at the time.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_pdt_bl_sr?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=TarDisk.com (direct link, no hinky kickback stuff here...)
and added a decent USB SD card reader (they're cheap). 99% of my company's work is in the field.
We're not photographers, but we take and email a lot of digital images each day for logging contractor progress. Some of our older Macs are getting a second lease on life with a Pear drive - I have to admit that it was far more cost-effective to install a Pear drive than fork over far more money for a newer rMBP. They actually work, and I'm an old, jaded Mac owner... We plug SD cards into a decent card reader, so that addresses your need for an SD reader IMHO...
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Yeah, maybe the SD drive is the way to go after all. I really like having the SD slot though. Problem is that I have about 60-70 GB free on my computer. All I have are programs, my dropbox which is less than 5gb, and essential files. Mostly it's programs eating up the space though. I do a lot of video, which currently I do off a 1tb Lacie Thunderbolt/USB 3 drive. If I put the files on the computer and then on the drive it's an extra step. And I know it's being picky, but then I have a third step of deleting the original file, because moving from the SSD to the external or SD drive copies it, it doesn't actually move it.
So I guess what it comes down to is there are solutions, they're just not as easy as simply having a big internal drive.
However, if you guys don't think I'm going to notice much of an increase between the mid-2012 to a new one, there's probably no point in upgrading. Especially if you think the 13" will be that big of a downgrade. So maybe it is worth looking at upgrading the internal drive, which seems to be only a little more expensive than the other options.
I do appreciate all the help and suggestions. I'm still checking the thread, so keep offering them if you have them. That's why I posted here, because I'm sure others have contemplated the same things.
I really love the rMBP, I'm just trying to figure out what the best value will be for me. If I put a $500 drive in this and sell it next year, I won't get my money out of the drive. But if I keep it for a couple more years, I will. Decisions, decisions. Apple will make it a lot easier if they make a big change to the form factor.
The other thing that's keeping me from switching is I really prefer the old mechanical trackpad to the force touch one on the rMB. I've gotten used to it, but I still find the original more reliable.
So I guess what it comes down to is there are solutions, they're just not as easy as simply having a big internal drive.
However, if you guys don't think I'm going to notice much of an increase between the mid-2012 to a new one, there's probably no point in upgrading. Especially if you think the 13" will be that big of a downgrade. So maybe it is worth looking at upgrading the internal drive, which seems to be only a little more expensive than the other options.
I do appreciate all the help and suggestions. I'm still checking the thread, so keep offering them if you have them. That's why I posted here, because I'm sure others have contemplated the same things.
I really love the rMBP, I'm just trying to figure out what the best value will be for me. If I put a $500 drive in this and sell it next year, I won't get my money out of the drive. But if I keep it for a couple more years, I will. Decisions, decisions. Apple will make it a lot easier if they make a big change to the form factor.
The other thing that's keeping me from switching is I really prefer the old mechanical trackpad to the force touch one on the rMB. I've gotten used to it, but I still find the original more reliable.
The extra steps barely take any time, though, since the copying runs in the background. But if you really want to skip those steps, you could also buy an SD to USB adapter and put your camera's SD card in that. That way you never have to remove the SD card from your laptop and you can transfer the files from your camera's SD card straight to the laptop's SD card without ever putting them on the Mac's SSD.
This is obviously not as elegant as just having a bigger SSD, but it's a whole lot cheaper than buying a brand new laptop, especially a MacBook Pro where extra storage costs hundreds of dollars more each time you double the storage.
And that's exactly why I'm sticking to my 2012 MacBook Pro that has the DVD drive; swapped for another secondary drive. Plus I get a matte finish screen instead of that mirror on the 'retina' display.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
OWC have some upgrades that are decent and internal so you don't have to fiddle with an sd slot SSD: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Air-Retina/Apple-MacBook-Pro-Retina-2012-Drive-Internal-Flash