A refurbished high end 2011 15" or a high end 2012 13"?

[Zwikker]

Alright guys which one would yall recommend? I am an Engineering student who uses Autocad, Solid and pro eng a lot. I also have an external monitor at home so size doesn't matter at this
Point.
Which one would you recommend to me?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mikeo007]

The 15" for sure. The 13" offers nothing over it.

 

[Zwikker]

Thanks bud. The other question mark I have is that 15" is just too big of a laptop for me. It's a really tough question to resolve for me at this point.
There's already outdated refurbished computer with good specs
And On the other side there's a brand new computer for the same price as refurbished one.
Tough call

The 15" for sure. The 13" offers nothing over it.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

Outdated after a year? Pfft, i don't think so. These things soldier on for many years.

 

[mikeo007]

If your doing anything with graphics, the GPU in the 13" is going to piss you off. It is just junk compared to a dedicated GPU like the 15" comes with.

 

[Zwikker]

If your doing anything with graphics, the GPU in the 13" is going to piss you off. It is just junk compared to a dedicated GPU like the 15" comes with.

Good point. Well I think it's better for me to go with 15" then.

What do you think of this deal? Do you think it's a good one or I can find one cheaper later on? http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD318LL/A

 

[Mojo1]

If your doing anything with graphics, the GPU in the 13" is going to piss you off. It is just junk compared to a dedicated GPU like the 15" comes with.

The Intel HD4000 is a very capable GPU depending on what apps you are using.

I suggest using Google to find some test results before you make up your mind.

 

[oddsratio]

I've heard the same thing about the HD 4000 being a nice improvement over the previous generation, but the discrete GPU is still a great option to have.

 

[mikeo007]

The Intel HD4000 is a very capable GPU depending on what apps you are using.

I suggest using Google to find some test results before you make up your mind.

In terms of integrated GPUs, the HD4000 is a decent performer.
But almost all current integrated GPUs are just terrible.

The HD 4000 performance is below dedicated GPUs from 3 generations ago. That does not bode well for software that requires any sort of intensive 3d rendering.

It's fine for everyday use and accelerating 2D interfaces, but for 3D, it's still an underpowered integrated GPU.

 

[Mojo1]

As I wrote previously, it all depends on what you are doing with the MBP. I don't do 3D rendering so that is a non-issue in my case. The OP may be disappointed with the HD 4000...