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Buying an older macbook pro

T

theroarer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 3, 2015
5
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So I need a "new" laptop, and for audio production an apple notebook would reduce a lot of my stress. I can't afford a new one, so I was thinking of grabbing an older one where I can install a ssd and more ram would be best for the money, but I don't know which models allow for that.

Could anyone point me in the direction of which macbook pro to look for?
 
All 2011 and non-Retina 2012 models allow for installation of conventional SSDs and RAM. You'd be best served with a 2012 because (1) they aren't susceptible to the widespread GPU problems that some 2011 models have, (2) Bluetooth 4.0, and (3) USB 3.0.
Both 2011 and 2012 models will take up to 16 GB 1600MHz RAM.

I would advise against a 2010 as they won't be able to take advantage of the full speed of modern SSDs due to their lack of SATA 6 Gbps.
 
Thank you very much for the reply, a 2012 non-retina is it!

Is there a ton of difference between getting a a 13" and a 15"? Is the 13" still susceptible to the gpu issues?

Edit: My craigslist has 2012 baseline macbook pros going for well over 700+... Should I just grab a refurb from the apple store? How are the 2014 macbook airs? They seem very common on the refurb store.
 
Last edited:
theroarer said:
Thank you very much for the reply, a 2012 non-retina is it!

Is there a ton of difference between getting a a 13" and a 15"? Is the 13" still susceptible to the gpu issues?

Edit: My craigslist has 2012 baseline macbook pros going for well over 700+... Should I just grab a refurb from the apple store? How are the 2014 macbook airs? They seem very common on the refurb store.
Click to expand...

- A 13" will be significantly less powerful. 15" has a quad-core CPU, while the 13" has a dual-core.
The 13" isn't susceptible to the issue, since it only affects certain discrete GPUs, and the 13" doesn't have a discrete GPU - which also means its graphics capabilities are inferior to the 15"'s.
Whether these performance differences will actually make a difference to your usage is another matter.

As mentioned, though, the graphics issue only applies to the 2011 non-Retina MacBook Pros. the 2012 non-Retina models are safe. See this MacRumors article and Apple's article on it. All affected models are eligible for free repairs, though.

I can't really offer any specific buying advice on prices and sellers.
I'm sure the 2014 Air is fine - quite good even - but I don't have any direct experience. For that, you should perhaps consult the MacBook Air forum.
 
Thanks for the help.

I am on the wrong forum to ask for help on the air. I think I might just try to grab an 2014 refurb of the MacBook Pro retina. It makes no sense to pay 90% of the cost of a newer macbook vs one from many moons ago.
 
I would advise against a 2010 as they won't be able to take advantage of the full speed of modern SSDs due to their lack of SATA 6 Gbps.
Click to expand...

Although that's true, my 2010 MB Pro 15 inch with 240 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM, flies like a fighter jet. I'm not sure what the speed difference is between SATA 2 and SATA 3, and I really don't care. All I know is that my Macbook boots up almost instantly, and loads just about everything I throw at it (Photoshop, Office, etc.), in mere seconds.

I went up to the Apple store the other day to look at the new MacBooks and wasn't real impressed with their speed. Sure, they're faster, but it's like milliseconds over mine. I'm mean, seriously, I could take my Macbook up to the Apple store, put in on display as a sales demo, and other than the screen being a non-retina screen, no one would be the wiser.

So, my advice is to not be afraid of a 2010 Macbook Pro. Get it, load it up with RAM and an SSD and you'll be just fine. And you'll have a little money left over in your pocket to take your girl out to dinner.
 
This is really encouraging news. A lot of the 2010 MacBooks are cheaper. I will look into, thank you!
 
I will be using an interface, so I should be okay in that regard. Thanks!
 
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