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Buy a 13" MacBook pro now, or later?

M

mossme89

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 2, 2009
596
131
I'm going to be getting a MacBook Pro 13" sometime in the near future. I really value graphics performance, and i believe the Nvidia 9400M is great for what i will be doing (probably some recent games, quality on Low-Medium, target framerate 15 FPS+).

I've been hearing a lot of news about Apple (possibly) dropping Nvidia. I know this is all rumors and speculation, but i will not buy a MacBook pro without a decent graphics processor (then it would basically be the same as my current laptop).

Should i wait and see what will happen with all this by November, or buy now knowing that i will be getting a great (for me) graphics processor? If Apple does pull off this crap move (hypothetically) i don't want to have to hunt down a 13" MacBook pro from this revision thats still on the market.
 
Buy when you need a computer... and don't look too far forward or backward

Make the best decision you can with the information you have at the time and then don't second guess yourself with information you didn't have

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Thanks for answering guys.

I'm probably going to be using final cut, and playing COD4 and GTA IV. I'm coming from an FX5200 and a GMA945 so 15 FPS on a decent graphics game, like those I mentioned, can seem heavenly.

I pretty much just want to be able to play modern games on whatever I get. People say the 9400 sucks, but they are probably more hardcore gamers. I consider myself to be a casual gamer (maybe gaming 4-5 hours a week).
 
Don't base your buy off of a rumor. Even if Apple changed graphic cards it wouldn't be for some time in the MBP line. It would be next year at the earliest and take a lot of work from Apple (and it would come from an internally re-designed MBP, not just a typical bump in processor speed/hard drive capacity).
 
iBookG4user said:
You may want to take a look at barefeats to get an idea of how the 9400 performs.
Click to expand...

Thank you iBookG4user. I looked at those tests butvi noticed how they were all run on high settings. I looked at some YouTube vids of COD4 and GTA and I've pretty much determined that I would be happy with low-mid graphics settings for the game. The intel gma945 has made me pretty desperate. Let me just be frank and say exactly what I am looking for in a GPU.

1. It can run the games: in other words, get to a 3d playable map without crashing

2. Atleast a below average frame rate on low-mid detail settings: I've figured out that I have played games with framerates as low as 10, and as for the detail, even low beats what I can play now by 10X

3. Future support: in other words, I can play the majority of new games for 3-4 years (refer to 1 & 2)


I guess you could say I'm looking for a GPU to cover the bare basics
 
mossme89 said:
I'm going to be getting a MacBook Pro 13" sometime in the near future. I really value graphics performance, and i believe the Nvidia 9400M is great for what i will be doing (probably some recent games, quality on Low-Medium, target framerate 15 FPS+).

I've been hearing a lot of news about Apple (possibly) dropping Nvidia. I know this is all rumors and speculation, but i will not buy a MacBook pro without a decent graphics processor (then it would basically be the same as my current laptop).

Should i wait and see what will happen with all this by November, or buy now knowing that i will be getting a great (for me) graphics processor? If Apple does pull off this crap move (hypothetically) i don't want to have to hunt down a 13" MacBook pro from this revision thats still on the market.
Click to expand...

invest on a XBox 360 or PS3. with a 9400m, GTA IV will not be anywhere close to playable. get a laptop that's good enough for your needs, and save the money for a dedicated console
 
MacMini2009 said:
Just buy now. No one exactly knows what Apple will do.
Click to expand...

This...

A refresh could come in as little as 4 months, or it can be 8 or 9 months away. No one knows what the hell Apple is thinking or what they will do.

Personally, a 13" MBP with the 2.53 GHz CPU, and a 512MB 9600M GT would be the perfect laptop. I think I'd easily get 4+ years out of that configuration. Maybe they'll add a dedicated GPU on the next iteration of the MBP.

If I didn't have much of a need for a GPU, the 2.53 GHz 13" MBP is the perfect model. I'm absolutely in love with that one, but, I need a GPU with dedicated vRam. So, I continue to wrestle with the thought of the refurbished late-2008 15" MBP that is 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR3 ram, 320GB hard drive, and 512MB 9600M GT video card. It's $1449, but officially only supports 4GB DDR3 ram, where the new models can address 8GB DDR3 ram.

.
 
MacDawg said:
Buy when you need a computer... and don't look too far forward or backward

Make the best decision you can with the information you have at the time and then don't second guess yourself with information you didn't have

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
Click to expand...

Agree; if you need a computer buy one now and if you merely want a computer, well maybe wait until the next updates, and if finance is an issue, then buy a refurb as TsuaSai has suggested.

iBookG4user said:
If the current one fulfill all your needs then buy it now.
Click to expand...

Agree

Cheers and good luck
 
Try to wait for September release of Snow Leopard. You'll get that for free
and likely have some hardware upgrades too.
 
skye12 said:
Try to wait for September release of Snow Leopard. You'll get that for free
and likely have some hardware upgrades too.
Click to expand...

No point in waiting so you can save $10....not to mention if you buy now, you get a free ipod touch and printer.
 
DOUGHNUT said:
invest on a XBox 360 or PS3. with a 9400m, GTA IV will not be anywhere close to playable. get a laptop that's good enough for your needs, and save the money for a dedicated console
Click to expand...

I looked into those consoles in the past, and dont get me wrong they are great consoles, but i am going into college in 2 years and would feel much buyers remorse buying a console. My goal is to buy a Mac Laptop that feels very portable. The MacBook Air is out of the picture because that is an overpriced minimalistic computer. The 13" MacBook pro is perfect for me because it combines great performance with a netbook-like size and feel.

Also, it would be beneficial to be able to play decent games. I worry about a dedicated GPU because i have heard of overheating issues and faulty components in 9600GT's and 8600's. And what happens when those break down? I've heard dedicated GPU's have a shorter lifetime than integrated because they use more energy and power.

I still have 2 years before college (i'm going to be a Junior). I probably could wait to buy for another year and a half but I get this gut-wrenching feeling when thinking about possibly buying a MacBook with an integrated Intel processsor, Intel has never been more than mediocre when it comes to GPU's.
 
Wait

If your unsure, don't buy out of fear, if they switch to intel, then get a refurb nvida .

I goofed up and got one recently and I had intended to wait on the upcoming sales tax holiday, but I thought it was too good a deal to pass up, now I am wishing I had waited. If college is 2 years away for you they could have some much better stuff by the time you go to school.
No sense in jumping the gun on it.
 
If you truly need it now, then buy it now. If you don't, then wait until you do.

Agree with the previous poster about waiting to see what the next generation brings if you can afford to do so, and having the choice between a refurbed (now current model) and the new model at that time.
 
Buy it!!!!!!!!!!


I love mine and it is the first aluminum MacBook the new one is better so buy one...
 
I'd buy it now*, It's only recently had an upgrade. The next thing will be Snow Leopard, but that's cheap to update.

As posted earlier if you buy now you can get an iPod/Printer (probably education only though - if you work for a living you get no reward).

*if I had the cash
 
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