As far as graphics I believe they are going the way of the dinosaur, just like optical drives. I have the late 2013 2.3 16 gig 512 SSD with the 750 dedicated card. IS it overkill yes. The current Iris Pro from what I've been reading is just as capable as the old 650. Remember as technology gets better it normally gets smaller and lighter , which is the ultimate goal. IF you wan to upgrade your machine I would only do it if you want the latest and greatest or if you want retina, which in my opinion would be the only reason I would even consider upgrading between the two. Now when and if broadwell comes out next year then that might be a game changer but as for now just worry about if u need or want the better screen, lighter weight, a little better battery life. as I said earlier the only reason I got rid of my 2009 13 was due to wanting a bigger screen. Other than that that machine ran like a tank!