Choosing a 15in rMBP Configuration

[Cuniac]

So, I have been racking my brain non-stop since Wednesday for what to order. I want the one with the dGPU and with my student discount it will start at $2,299. But I don't know if I should get the CPU bump or not. Ive pretty much settled on the 512, as with after tax it will be about $500 more to get the 1TB.

-So if I get the base rMBP with dGPU after tax its just under $2,500.
-If I add the CPU bump it will add $200 after tax.
-If I did the 1TB with no CPU bump it adds $500 After Tax
-If I did the 1TB with CPU bump it will add $700 after tax.

Granted all off these are plus or minus 10 bucks but I rounded it off. I realty don't think I'll get the 1TB due to a $500 increase in price, even with dual booting I could get an external and partition it for far less. But I don't know if the CPU bump is worth it or not. CPU boss says its a 10% increase but what will that mean in real world tasks, or even to games and is it worth it for the price.

 

[totten76]

Check your current computer, and see how much storage you have used up. You will more than likely have the MacBook for a very long time so I think the 512 is a great choice....there's really no reason for the bumped up CPU, you won't notice a difference. Save your money

 

[Cuniac]

My current CPU has a 1TB 7200rpm in there however, I'm not "replacing" it, so all the photos and music and other junk that take up most of it will not move over. When I checked the size of my applications folder+games+documents really just the stuff I would move, its under 200GB. I figure I'll boot camp 120 of it and that will still leave me about 180GB for the mac. So I "think" (hope) I will be ok.

Your probably right with the CPU, I just cant help but wonder if it will impact my gaming performance at all.

 

[HarryT]

My current CPU has a 1TB 7200rpm in there however, I'm not "replacing" it, so all the photos and music and other junk that take up most of it will not move over. When I checked the size of my applications folder+games+documents really just the stuff I would move, its under 200GB. I figure I'll boot camp 120 of it and that will still leave me about 180GB for the mac. So I "think" (hope) I will be ok.

Your probably right with the CPU, I just cant help but wonder if it will impact my gaming performance at all.

Get the 1TB. You won't regret it because you'll have all the space you need to move everything over and not have the mess of external hard drives.

Don't bother with the CPU. It's nice to have but the 1TB will give you far better feeling.

 

[totten76]

My current CPU has a 1TB 7200rpm in there however, I'm not "replacing" it, so all the photos and music and other junk that take up most of it will not move over. When I checked the size of my applications folder+games+documents really just the stuff I would move, its under 200GB. I figure I'll boot camp 120 of it and that will still leave me about 180GB for the mac. So I "think" (hope) I will be ok.

Your probably right with the CPU, I just cant help but wonder if it will impact my gaming performance at all.

Honestly the GPU will be holding you back much more than the CPU in terms of gaming. But remember the MacBook isn't designed for gaming

 

[Cuniac]

Honestly the GPU will be holding you back much more than the CPU in terms of gaming. But remember the MacBook isn't designed for gaming

Oh I know that lol, I've replied that many times in other forums myself. Its realty just for lite on the go gaming. Nothing major, I have a gaming rig for that. At the same time for the lite gaming if the CPU bump will give any increased FPS it maybe worth it

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Get the 1TB. You won't regret it because you'll have all the space you need to move everything over and not have the mess of external hard drives.

Don't bother with the CPU. It's nice to have but the 1TB will give you far better feeling.

Ya I know but $500 bucks? that's a hard pill to swallow no matter how you cut it. I was considering the CPU as it was just 200 but 500 is painful lol. I may just get the base model. Hell, I suppose I could get it, install everything and if I need more space return it and bite the bullet for the larger one.....

 

[yjchua95]

Oh I know that lol, I've replied that many times in other forums myself. Its realty just for lite on the go gaming. Nothing major, I have a gaming rig for that. At the same time for the lite gaming if the CPU bump will give any increased FPS it maybe worth it

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Ya I know but $500 bucks? that's a hard pill to swallow no matter how you cut it. I was considering the CPU as it was just 200 but 500 is painful lol. I may just get the base model. Hell, I suppose I could get it, install everything and if I need more space return it and bite the bullet for the larger one.....

The reason why Apple SSDs are so expensive is because it's custom-built PCIe SM951-based SSDs, made by Samsung. They're bloody fast (speeds in excess of 1500MB/s).

Either way, you should just get the 2.5/16/512/M370X configuration. There's always external storage.

 

[wct097]

I sincerely doubt you or many other people would be able to tell the difference between the base proc and the $200 higher end proc. I haven't ruled it out for me when I upgrade to Skylake, but I really don't think it is worth the money.

 

[Cuniac]

The reason why Apple SSDs are so expensive is because it's custom-built PCIe SM951-based SSDs, made by Samsung. They're bloody fast (speeds in excess of 1500MB/s).

Either way, you should just get the 2.5/16/512/M370X configuration. There's always external storage.

Ya its a quality SSD no doubt, and I know its not overpriced persay as all PCIe SSD's at this data rate are that expensive. I probably will end up getting the base.

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I sincerely doubt you or many other people would be able to tell the difference between the base proc and the $200 higher end proc. I haven't ruled it out for me when I upgrade to Skylake, but I really don't think it is worth the money.

Ya I know. I cant help but think that its 300Mhz, but that's 300Mhz per core. So maybe it is a bit of a jump. GPUboss says 10% so that's not huge, but depending on whats going on maybe it could add up.. IDK.....

 

[Freyqq]

Ya its a quality SSD no doubt, and I know its not overpriced persay as all PCIe SSD's at this data rate are that expensive. I probably will end up getting the base.

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Ya I know. I cant help but think that its 300Mhz, but that's 300Mhz per core. So maybe it is a bit of a jump. GPUboss says 10% so that's not huge, but depending on whats going on maybe it could add up.. IDK.....

I'd go 512 and get some external storage.

300mhz more isn't much and it will just generate more heat.

 

[dmccloud]

When I got my current rMBP, I went with the maxed out model (1TB, faster CPU) because I wanted to be able to have a decent sized Bootcamp partition and still be able to install certain apps in the machine itself instead of having to carry an external drive with me. Since my main concern was the SSD, it wasn't a big added expense to just get the fully maxed-out model. It also helped that the Apple Store here had them in stock, whereas the 1TB and lower CPU would have been a special order.

 

[ayzee]

Computers get sluggish when you start to fill up the hdd to maximum. I would swallow the pill and get the 1TB drive. If you are keeping It for 5 years, that's $200 / 5 = $40 per year extra for your 1tb drive which is nothing when looking at the overall cost of your machine.

 

[yjchua95]

When I got my current rMBP, I went with the maxed out model (1TB, faster CPU) because I wanted to be able to have a decent sized Bootcamp partition and still be able to install certain apps in the machine itself instead of having to carry an external drive with me. Since my main concern was the SSD, it wasn't a big added expense to just get the fully maxed-out model. It also helped that the Apple Store here had them in stock, whereas the 1TB and lower CPU would have been a special order.

Why not just install Windows in an external SSD over USB? That was what I did and it flies.

 

[wct097]

Why not just install Windows in an external SSD over USB? That was what I did and it flies.

When I see suggestions like this, I can't help but wonder if you actually use your computer as a laptop or if it just sits on your desk all the time.

I have USB drives, and I can't imagine pulling them out every time I needed to work on my computer, or lugging a plugged in USB drive when I have to get up to move from the office to the kitchen or the living room.... and that's just at home. Shut down my VM if I need to walk over to someone else's office or into/out of a meeting? No thanks.

That aside,the economics of buying a SSD to put in a USB enclosure as opposed to buying the 1tb option just doesn't make sense. The 1tb option costs $500 over the 512gb option. A 512gb SSD to put in an enclosure will cost about $450. By the time you buy an enclosure, you're saving under $50 to have the hassle of carrying the USB drive around.

If you need the space.... buy the 1tb option. Don't waste time and money shortcutting.

 

[yjchua95]

When I see suggestions like this, I can't help but wonder if you actually use your computer as a laptop or if it just sits on your desk all the time.

I have USB drives, and I can't imagine pulling them out every time I needed to work on my computer, or lugging a plugged in USB drive when I have to get up to move from the office to the kitchen or the living room.... and that's just at home. Shut down my VM if I need to walk over to someone else's office or into/out of a meeting? No thanks.

That aside,the economics of buying a SSD to put in a USB enclosure as opposed to buying the 1tb option just doesn't make sense. The 1tb option costs $500 over the 512gb option. A 512gb SSD to put in an enclosure will cost about $450. By the time you buy an enclosure, you're saving under $50 to have the hassle of carrying the USB drive around.

If you need the space.... buy the 1tb option. Don't waste time and money shortcutting.

I use it on my 15" rMBP when on the go. The Transcend JetDrive in an external enclosure is so slim and light. Hell, it's probably around 100g or so.

If you think lugging around a plugged USB SSD that's slim and light is an inconvenience...do you even lift?

You also got all the pricing wrong. A 500GB-ish drive isn't anywhere near $400. In fact, the entire kit (drive, enclosure and all) only costs $300.

http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet...7142&sr=8-4&keywords=480GB+transcend+jetdrive

Besides, since the drive is going to be a pure Windows boot drive, even a 240GB variant will do: http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Jet...7228&sr=8-3&keywords=240gb+transcend+jetdrive

That's just $178.35.

Edit: I uploaded pictures to demonstrate it. I mean, it's light and small. I just stuff it into my pocket and just leave the USB cable snaking out of it into the port.

 

[ayzee]

I would always say go with the highest SSD you can afford. It's much easier to manage all your primary data on one SSD.

I also always have a portable SSD permanently Velcro strapped to the back of my MacBook Pro.

Example picture

The seagate drives are good for this as they are really thin

 

[wct097]

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it's the best idea. In my opinion, saving even $200 by going with an external drive is a bad idea. I'd rather have the proper tool for the job rather than shortcutting it and dealing with associated problems.

I can't even get my rMBP to keep a USB drive mounted when it goes to sleep and wakes up. That alone is reason enough not to want to depend on a USB drive.

Carrying it around with the drive plugged in and/or having to shut down the VM and unmount it when you move is just not worth the savings. Even at $200.

I wouldn't even suggest transporting or using a laptop with a USB drive or cable attached. Best case scenario, you risk damaging the cable. Worst case scenario, you risk damage to the port in the laptop.

IMO, external storage is really best used for backups and static data that you don't need on a regular basis.

 

[MBHockey]

Just because you can do it, doesn't mean it's the best idea. In my opinion, saving even $200 by going with an external drive is a bad idea. I'd rather have the proper tool for the job rather than shortcutting it and dealing with associated problems.

I can't even get my rMBP to keep a USB drive mounted when it goes to sleep and wakes up. That alone is reason enough not to want to depend on a USB drive.

Carrying it around with the drive plugged in and/or having to shut down the VM and unmount it when you move is just not worth the savings. Even at $200.

I wouldn't even suggest transporting or using a laptop with a USB drive or cable attached. Best case scenario, you risk damaging the cable. Worst case scenario, you risk damage to the port in the laptop.

IMO, external storage is really best used for backups and static data that you don't need on a regular basis.

Agreed. I got the MBP over a Mac Pro for the portability. if I needed to lug around an external drive for mission critical work I would have gotten a desktop instead.

 

[HopefulHumanist]

I agree that the 1TB would be nice but I myself went with the base $2500 model (used the student discount though). I would love the 1TB but can't justify the $450 upgrade cost. If I did get the 1TB, I'd go for the 2.8 as well, who cares at that point? lol

 

[Cuniac]

hmmmmmmm, so say I do bite the bullet for the 1TB, should I just do the CPU bump to?? Is it really worth it?

 

[entropi]

Its realty just for lite on the go gaming. Nothing major, I have a gaming rig for that.

Well, dump the dGPU altogether then and get a much cooler MBP with longer battery life and less fan noise!

1TB of super fast storage is worth a lot, IMHO. The CPUs are crazy fast at base level already.

 

[HopefulHumanist]

Well, dump the dGPU altogether then and get a much cooler MBP with longer battery life and less fan noise!

1TB of super fast storage is worth a lot, IMHO. The CPUs are crazy fast at base level already.

I'm in the same boat as OP; unsure of which model to go with. I'm set on the base top end model, as of now. My issue with that idea was that if you want 15" and 1TB, you gotta spend $2619 (with Edu discount) vs. $2299. I know the gap is smaller but $320 is still a fair amount extra.

 

[Cuniac]

I'm in the same boat as OP; unsure of which model to go with. I'm set on the base top end model, as of now. My issue with that idea was that if you want 15" and 1TB, you gotta spend $2619 (with Edu discount) vs. $2299. I know the gap is smaller but $320 is still a fair amount extra.

That gap is larger than that. The prices that I have listed in my first post are after tax. So, it starts at $2,299 after tax its $2,489. Then to get the 1TB with no CPU bump after tax is $2,977. That price you had for the $2,619 is just the CPU bump, but in my cart was $2,684 after tax. This is with the EDU discount and the tax in my area of course.

I'm really stuck lol. I want the 1TB, and it will be better for bootcamp. But Just under $500 for the 1TB is rough. I wish I could win 500 somewhere and be done with it haha

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Well, dump the dGPU altogether then and get a much cooler MBP with longer battery life and less fan noise!

1TB of super fast storage is worth a lot, IMHO. The CPUs are crazy fast at base level already.

The battery life would stay the same. CPUBoss shows that it uses the same amount of power for both chip. Though I'm not sure if there would be a heat difference or not.

 

[leman]

In my opinion, there is not much reason to pay for the CPU upgrade. As to the SSD size, it solely depends on what kind of data you need with you at all times. Its a very subjective thing and I doubt that we can answer it for you. Personally, I would not get 1TB for myself. I have been perfectly fine with 256GB over the course of last 5 years and I can't remember a single time where I wished more space. I have ordered a 512Gb version because, well, it was the standard with the dGPU configuration But your needs and usage patterns might be very different from mine.

 

[HopefulHumanist]

I didn't include tax and I'm working with US prices but those are the numbers I got. Yeah, it's a tough choice for sure. It's a bit easier for me because there are no plans for the foreseeable future that will increase my storage needs. My disk now is about 325GB full, leaving a little under 200 GB left.

Only reason I'm even looking at the top end is because I want 512GB. The price difference is negligible because you get an additional $100 off with the top end model.

That makes it the sweet spot for me.