Early 2013 15" vs late 2013 15" maxed - price question

[jhatz]

Hi guys, I know there's ton's of threads floating currently but didn't see a designated comparison of the early and late 15" maxed.

With Apples educational discount, the difference between the base maxed (2.3ghz 512 SSD, designated GPU, 16gb ram) 15" new macbook pro (late 2013) is only $244 more than a refurbished early 2013 15" with the same type of setup (16gb ram and 512 SSD).

I wanted to run CS:GO and things like League of Legends and maybe some newer games with settings toned down.

So in your humble opinions, is it worth it just to get the new one that comes with the software perks, maverick installed, and the newer GPU for the $244 difference after taxes?

Is there something I'm missing? The small difference in price seems worth getting the latest technology.

Quick edit to this post: I noticed there are 2012 versions with 16gb ram with all the same specs but with a 256 SSD instead of the 512 SSD and that makes the price difference a little more worth it (closer to $500 difference). What is the difference in that 2012 version? Did they update anything like portability or size differences compared to the early 2013?

 

[ahhitsalan]

Im interested in this as well! :3

 

[jhatz]

I feel like this is an easy question for you Apple experts out there...quick bump, any thoughts, looking to make a purchase today or tomorrow.

 

[simon48]

You're comparing the new base top 15" and a maxed out last gen top 15" right?

You'd be paying for a lot faster SSD and better battery life. You could wait for AnandTech's review, I'm sure they'll look a this (maybe not the exact models, but very close).

 

[J4B3]

I had the same dilemma. In the end I decided to go with the late 2013 model. This has to last me the next 3-4 years so in the end the $240 difference wasn't worth stressing out over. Also OP, if you have a Discover card, don't forget that you can 5% off Apple.com purchases+$75 quarterly bonus (this sealed the deal for me).

 

[Starfyre]

I had the same dilemma. In the end I decided to go with the late 2013 model. This has to last me the next 3-4 years so in the end the $240 difference wasn't worth stressing out over. Also OP, if you have a Discover card, don't forget that you can 5% off Apple.com purchases+$75 quarterly bonus (this sealed the deal for me).

Whats $75 quarterly bonus? Isnt it just 5%?

 

[jhatz]

I had the same dilemma. In the end I decided to go with the late 2013 model. This has to last me the next 3-4 years so in the end the $240 difference wasn't worth stressing out over. Also OP, if you have a Discover card, don't forget that you can 5% off Apple.com purchases+$75 quarterly bonus (this sealed the deal for me).

The last part of my post added that I found a 2012 model with the same specs, included the 650m of course but just a 256 SSD. So the speed of the SSD is just a little slower? Is that $500 price gap worth it though?

I don't think I have Discover, maybe someone in the family does and I can reimburse. Thanks for letting me know that.

 

[J4B3]

Whats $75 quarterly bonus? Isnt it just 5%?

Starting October 1st through December, Discover is offering 5% bonus cash back on ALL online purchases (store pick-up included) on the first $1,500 spent.


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The last part of my post added that I found a 2012 model with the same specs, included the 650m of course but just a 256 SSD. So the speed of the SSD is just a little slower? Is that $500 price gap worth it though?

IMO, unless you are running programs that require repeated access to the disk (e.g. editing, film, photography, development) you won't notice the disk space speed increase and will probably be happier with $500 in your pocket. For me, it's a splurge (every 5 years) so I went all out on this MBP and can justify the cost.