Best bang for the buck MBP (upgrading on a budget)

[proverbs]

Hello,

I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could give me some advice.

My MBP is finally dying, and I need a replacement soon. Unfortunately, it came at a time where I am not in such a great financial position. I am going to start a new business venture, and my computer will be something I use several hours a day for work. I will mostly be using it for Adobe CS6 and web page editing, but I might be doing a little bit of SolidWorks.

I was looking in the range of $950-$1550 (used on eBay), depending on the best bang for the buck. On the low range of $950-$1050, I can find a used, low end, mid-2014 13" MBP (8gb RAM, 128 SSD). On the high range of $1500-$1600, I can find a used, low end, mid-2014 15" MBP (16gb RAM, 256 SSD). I was looking into these because they are the latest models and have retina screens, but I noticed I can find some bargains on the 2011-2013 models. Would you guys say that I should look into the older retina models for a better bargain? If I could save a hundred bucks on getting a 2012 model, would this be a better choice for the long run? Would you guys recommend a certain model that is the most cost efficient?

Thanks so much for reading my post!

 

[nirvanemesis]

Typically with the 15" you get a better performance:money ratio. I would also suggest looking at the late 2013 models because the only difference between 2013 and 2014 is a miniscule 0.2 Ghz difference and increased RAM for the default model in 2014. If you could only save a hundred bucks getting a 2012 though, I would just get a newer model though, as there were some good performance and efficiency gains in Haswell.

 

[proverbs]

Thanks for the input nirvanemesis! I'm definitely leaning towards a 15" model.

And I guess the Haswell chipset was a big improvement on it's predecessors and would be worth the extra money. I know that the late-2013 and mid-2014 both use this chipset, so maybe I should stick with these two.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I would look for late-2013 models in the Apple refurbished store. They're a little less expensive, and they've been checked over and had any problems fixed. With eBay you just never know.

 

[proverbs]

Thanks for the tip KUguardgrl13! I'll definitely look into that also.

 

[Natzoo]

The late 2013 are amazing, i have the 15" with GT 750 but if you do it, i recommend to get the iris pro only and look on macmall and b&h photo, and also apple refurb store.

 

[Qaanol]

13″ for $1,159
15″ for $1,489
Those are the best bang for the buck.

 

[proverbs]

Thanks guys, I'll look into those options.

I think I'll be scouring around for the late-2013 base 15" model. So far, it seems to be the most bang for the buck.

 

[steveyo]

What about finding a refurb 2014 model?

Also the 2015 update is probably just around the corner too!

 

[SkimMilk168]

yup, refurb end 2013 and mid 2014 should serve you well.

 

[proverbs]

I went with the late-2013 15" 8gb 256gb. I was debating on whether to go with a 16gb, but I couldn't afford the $150-250 price increase. Overall, I'm happy with the purchase. Thanks for your input!