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Is it more "dangerous" to get the dGPU option?
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There is no publicly available longterm data on reliability of various MBP models, so your question cannot be answered empirically. Any answer you are going to get here are purely subjective opinions based on preferences and intuitions of the forum members. It might help you in making a chice, but I doubt that many of these opinions have scientific merit.
All that I can tell you is that the only statistical survey available so far was done in 2009. According to it, around 17% of Apple notebooks are concluded to fail within 3 years of ownership. While this survey is outdated, there is no reason to believe that the things have changes significantly. A conservative projection would put survivability of a premuil-level laptop at around 50% within 5 years of ownership.
All in all: if you want your laptop to last many many years, the single most significant factor is LUCK.
All that I can tell you is that the only statistical survey available so far was done in 2009. According to it, around 17% of Apple notebooks are concluded to fail within 3 years of ownership. While this survey is outdated, there is no reason to believe that the things have changes significantly. A conservative projection would put survivability of a premuil-level laptop at around 50% within 5 years of ownership.
All in all: if you want your laptop to last many many years, the single most significant factor is LUCK.
One school of thought would say that the dGPU model has additional components and they are just another part that can fail. Of course, this same type of thinking leads to people like my uncle who buy stripped down pickup trucks or econoboxes with hand crank windows instead of power windows and rubber mats instead of carpets.
I'd get the model with the dGPU and enjoy.
That's why you get Apple Care.
Is the deal urgent? I would look towards a refurb since you can almost feel the new rMBPs coming to an Apple store near you.
I wanted to get the dGPU model as well but seeing it to be a lousy performer in games, I decided to pass on it.
Is the deal urgent? I would look towards a refurb since you can almost feel the new rMBPs coming to an Apple store near you.
I wanted to get the dGPU model as well but seeing it to be a lousy performer in games, I decided to pass on it.
It is well known that a lot of the hardware failures in 15 inch macbook pros (and many other makes of computer besides) have been down to dGPU, so yes you are more likely to have issues with your computer if you buy one with a dGPU
I agree with Samuelsan above.
Case in point is "RadeonGate". It affects only computers with discrete GPU's.
Those with on-board graphics are still chuggin' along.
My opinion only, and it's based on my observation only, but over the long term the Macs which seem to "last the longest" without problems are those that are more "towards the base line" insofar as options are concerned...
Case in point is "RadeonGate". It affects only computers with discrete GPU's.
Those with on-board graphics are still chuggin' along.
My opinion only, and it's based on my observation only, but over the long term the Macs which seem to "last the longest" without problems are those that are more "towards the base line" insofar as options are concerned...