Base model Macbook Pro is it fast enough?

[fitgirl]

I just bought the base model new Macbook Pro 2.0GHZ 8GB RAM 256 SSD, I don't do any major editing or game playing just mostly surfing, email, iMovie, and some photoshop, is the base model going to be ok? and is it fast enough? I have heard people on here saying that it's the weakest link which made me kind of sad.

 

[aiyaaabatt]

I just bought the base model new Macbook Pro 2.0GHZ 8GB RAM 256 SSD, I don't do any major editing or game playing just mostly surfing, email, iMovie, and some photoshop, is the base model going to be ok? and is it fast enough? I have heard people on here saying that it's the weakest link which made me kind of sad.

Dude, its overkill for you.

 

[fitgirl]

Dude, its overkill for you.

Guess that means that it's good enough lol, my main concern is that ram, I want my Mac to last me at least 5-6 yrs and want to make sure that 8GB of ram will get me there, I hear of people getting more ram in order to futrue proof their machine.

 

[T-Bob]

In 5-6 years 8GB will not be the limiting factor *unless* your usage changes in that time.

During that time other aspects will make the machine much less appealing, its slow speed, body, weight, battery life, screen etc compared to the latest and greatest.

 

[LaravelNick]

Guess that means that it's good enough lol, my main concern is that ram, I want my Mac to last me at least 5-6 yrs and want to make sure that 8GB of ram will get me there, I hear of people getting more ram in order to futrue proof their machine.

RAM is soldered onto the logic board, so you can't upgrade after purchase.

 

[jcmendes]

O ordered the same machine , and the same propose of you.

it´s enough, don´t worry. Last 4-5 years.

There are mbp 2009 with 2 and 4G run mavericks. Ok 2G is limited...but 4g and 866hz.

 

[Kristine]

Your setup is fine.

 

[fitgirl]

Here's the thing also, I had the previous early 2013 15" base model 2.4GHZ 8GB RAM 256 SSD with the discrete graphics, I returned it within the 14 days in order to get the latest base model and I'm just worried that this new base model is a downgrade.

 

[fitgirl]

Your setup is fine.

I kind of feel that it's a downgrade fromt the early 2013 that returned to get t his one.

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In 5-6 years 8GB will not be the limiting factor *unless* your usage changes in that time.

During that time other aspects will make the machine much less appealing, its slow speed, body, weight, battery life, screen etc compared to the latest and greatest.

Would upgrading to a 2.3 or 2.6GHZ be wise or would it barley even make a difference?

 

[joe-h2o]

Based on your proposed use pattern, it will be absolutely fine for you.

All the naysayers on here who say you absolutely *NEED* 16 GB of RAM are just not accurate - that amount is overkill for all but the most hardcore users (i.e., people who use a VM regularly, or some other heavy lift task where large amounts of RAM are needed).

For the bulk of computer users who use email, web surfing, watching videos, light gaming, word processing, even light video editing, 8GB of RAM is totally fine and will be for a few years to come.

Also, the difference between the CPU options is also minimal - if you were going to spend on an upgrade, put it towards the cost of increasing the SSD size. The size of the storage is going to be the limiting factor for most people who keep the machine for longer than 3 or 4 years, so it's worth making that as big as you can reasonably afford at this point.

 

[T-Bob]

I kind of feel that it's a downgrade fromt the early 2013 that returned to get t his one.

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Would upgrading to a 2.3 or 2.6GHZ be wise or would it barley even make a difference?

There should be more benchmarks out soon. If you are doing intensive multi thread operations like encoding video then the speed might make some difference. If you never do this then doubtful, it is pretty powerful already.

 

[Benk3350]

I'm running an 09 2.26 dual core macbook pro with 4gb of RAM and I can do all the things in your thread that you said you want to do. The base model of the new MBP will be overkill for you. I can even do basic to medium final cut pro tasks and photoshop on the machine. And its almost 5 years old. You're fine for sure.

I'm upgrading to the new 15" now and it will be overkill for me and work for 5-6 more years most likely.

 

[Kristine]

I kind of feel that it's a downgrade fromt the early 2013 that returned to get t his one.
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Would upgrading to a 2.3 or 2.6GHZ be wise or would it barley even make a difference?

If you honestly feel like you have downgraded, and want to spend the extra dollars (if it will truly make you happy), then return your current model and purchase the higher-end model. Another member cannot really make the decision for you. At the end of the day, it is your money and you will be using the computer each day.

I sold my last generation 15" rMBP and have no problems going for the 2GHz model (I have no need for the dGPU).

I think the problem with this forum is that it is too easy for people to get carried away by what other people are buying/need. Basically, don't confuse your needs with those of someone else.

 

[fitgirl]

I'm running an 09 2.26 dual core macbook pro with 4gb of RAM and I can do all the things in your thread that you said you want to do. The base model of the new MBP will be overkill for you. I can even do basic to medium final cut pro tasks and photoshop on the machine. And its almost 5 years old. You're fine for sure.

I'm upgrading to the new 15" now and it will be overkill for me and work for 5-6 more years most likely.

Are you getting the base model as well?

 

[zombiedave]

Enjoy what you have. And don't read this forum too much! people really are going overkill on spec.

 

[fitgirl]

If you honestly feel like you have downgraded, and want to spend the extra dollars (if it will truly make you happy), then return your current model and purchase the higher-end model. Another member cannot really make the decision for you. At the end of the day, it is your money and you will be using the computer each day.

I sold my last generation 15" rMBP and have no problems going for the 2GHz model (I have no need for the dGPU).

I think the problem with this forum is that it is too easy for people to get carried away by what other people are buying/need. Basically, don't confuse your needs with those of someone else.

You are totally right, when I first got it I was really happy with it but when I came here and read some people saying that it's a downgrade and that it's a weak link machine it made me feel kind of bumbed out and since this is my first Macbook I'm not exactly that knowledgable on it.

 

[Kristine]

You are totally right, when I first got it I was really happy with it but when I came here and read some people saying that it's a downgrade and that it's a weak link machine it made me feel kind of bumbed out and since this is my first Macbook I'm not exactly that knowledgable on it.

Enjoy what you have. And don't read this forum too much! people really are going overkill on spec.

+1

I have been a member here since 2003 (switched to a new account in 2005 for personal reasons), so almost 11 years. This scenario is common every 'refresh' with new members (and some 'not-new' members). It is especially easy for this to happen if you are not tech-savvy (so you are only going on what other people are saying, not your own knowledge). Many years ago, I too was easily caught up with 'I must only buy the best'. Most longterm members will not be affected by what other members say or purchase and purchase solely on what they need and within their budget.

You really should be happy with what you have - it is a powerful computer and will more than suffice for your intended use. But like I said before, it is your money, and your choice.

 

[fitgirl]

+1

I have been a member here since 2003 (switched to a new account in 2005 for personal reasons), so almost 11 years. This scenario is common every 'refresh' with new members (and some 'not-new' members). It is especially easy for this to happen if you are not tech-savvy (so you are only going on what other people are saying, not your own knowledge). Many years ago, I too was easily caught up with 'I must only buy the best'. Most longterm members will not be affected by what other members say or purchase and purchase solely on what they need and within their budget.

You really should be happy with what you have - it is a powerful computer and will more than suffice for your intended use. But like I said before, it is your money, and your choice.

Thanks I feel better now and I sure cannot afford the highend model lol, in your opinion do you think my machine will last me 5 yrs at least? I don't plan on upgrading for awhile.

 

[aiyaaabatt]

Thanks I feel better now and I sure cannot afford the highend model lol, in your opinion do you think my machine will last me 5 yrs at least? I don't plan on upgrading for awhile.

Really, its hard to predict software demands 5 years from now.

Since the base 15'' was the only model in your budget, just don't think about it and be happy with your purchase. 8gb, in all likelihood, will last you 4-5 years no problem. You may start to "feel" the age of your macbook at around year 4 or 5... but it will certainly last you until then.

 

[Orr]

I just bought the base model new Macbook Pro 2.0GHZ 8GB RAM 256 SSD, I don't do any major editing or game playing just mostly surfing, email, iMovie, and some photoshop, is the base model going to be ok? and is it fast enough? I have heard people on here saying that it's the weakest link which made me kind of sad.

An Air is overkill for those uses.

 

[Meister]

I am not sure why every one of these posts mentions "email" and "listening to music" as one thing they need their macbook for.

All you need for email is an internet connection and any computer.
An AMD486 with 4mb of ram and 100mb of hd was fine for emails and music in 1993 it probably still works now for that.
Nothing changes in that regard. Today every half-ass phone plays music and does email.

By the time any macbook isnt good for these basic tasks any more, cyborgs will rule the planet and we will all be dust.

I am not sure if all of these posts arent just trolls or kids with lots of cash and no sense.

I am more of a hardcore user than 99,9% of the adult population. I spend 10hours a day on my mac and I personally wouldve gotten the 4gb\128gb model. The only reason i went for 8/256 is that for 200,- extra i couldnt say no to double ram and ssd.

 

[KPOM]

I just bought the base model new Macbook Pro 2.0GHZ 8GB RAM 256 SSD, I don't do any major editing or game playing just mostly surfing, email, iMovie, and some photoshop

It should be fine. Remember, it has a quad-core processor. You can do all those tasks today on the dual-core 13". As for 5-6 years out, it's hard to say, but it's doubtful a slightly faster processor and 16GB would make that much of a difference in 2018 or 2019, and not enough to justify the additional cost now. We'll be 3 major CPU architectures on at that point. Apple tends to support new Macs for 4 years in terms of OS upgrades.

I tend to get the base models now (or as close to base as possible). In percentage terms they tend to keep most of their value. I got the 13" with the 2.4GHz processor and 8GB RAM with 256GB SSD mostly because I needed the storage.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

The only reason people are referring to the base model as a downgrade is because it no longer has a dGPU. Here's the thing, though: Iris Pro is at most 20% slower than the 650m (and the gap is closer in some situations, with Iris Pro sometimes winning in compute tasks). Unless you're a serious gamer (or need the best possible 3D performance for some other application) this is not even worth thinking about.

As far as CPUs, the late 2013 model is faster than the early-2013 model at each tier. It also should use less power (on average) to deliver that performance due to the Haswell low-load optimizations.

You absolutely do not need 16GB for your usage (even 8 is probably overkill, but it gives you headroom to do things like leave 40 tabs open if you want). And in general don't think too hard about 5-6 years down the road, because the reality is that tech moves so fast that you'll be wanting to sell and replace before then regardless of how aggressively you upgrade this machine.

Example: I have a desktop I built about 5 years ago now (give or take... it was a Q9650 if you want to pinpoint when that was released). I've replaced it since, but it was really top of the line for the time: That CPU, a GTX 285, 8GB RAM. Let's check out some Geekbench scores:
http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=✓&q=q9650

This thing gets its butt handed to it by the lowest tier MBA. From 2011. Just something to think about.

 

[fitgirl]

The only reason people are referring to the base model as a downgrade is because it no longer has a dGPU. Here's the thing, though: Iris Pro is at most 20% slower than the 650m (and the gap is closer in some situations, with Iris Pro sometimes winning in compute tasks). Unless you're a serious gamer (or need the best possible 3D performance for some other application) this is not even worth thinking about.

As far as CPUs, the late 2013 model is faster than the early-2013 model at each tier. It also should use less power (on average) to deliver that performance due to the Haswell low-load optimizations.

You absolutely do not need 16GB for your usage (even 8 is probably overkill, but it gives you headroom to do things like leave 40 tabs open if you want). And in general don't think too hard about 5-6 years down the road, because the reality is that tech moves so fast that you'll be wanting to sell and replace before then regardless of how aggressively you upgrade this machine.

Example: I have a desktop I built about 5 years ago now (give or take... it was a Q9650 if you want to pinpoint when that was released). I've replaced it since, but it was really top of the line for the time: That CPU, a GTX 285, 8GB RAM. Let's check out some Geekbench scores:
http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=✓&q=q9650

This thing gets its butt handed to it by the lowest tier MBA. From 2011. Just something to think about.

I actually tested this out and opened 40 tabs and 8GB is more then enough so I'm now good with that, my other question now is will 256 SSD flash storage enough? or should I think about upgrading to 512 SSD?

 

[zI INFINITY Iz]

I actually tested this out and opened 40 tabs and 8GB is more then enough so I'm now good with that, my other question now is will 256 SSD flash storage enough? or should I think about upgrading to 512 SSD?

Only you know how much storage you need, we don't. Just look at how much stuff you got and how much GB's that would take. Since you are asking this question, me feeling says you don't need the 512GB.