Is it worth upgrading a MBP 13” (mid-2012) model?

[tivoman]

My 8 year old MBP is slowing down and most likely is due to that it only has 4 GBs of ram and the original HD (not a SSD).

I only use this laptop for the following:
- Excel spreadsheets (creation)
- Transfer DSLR photos/videos
- Backup photos/videos to the cloud
(Like to back them up by folders)
- iTunes server (movie/TV in house streaming)

My device usage is:
1. IPhone 12 Pro Max
2. iPad Pro 12.9” (2020)
3. MBP 2012

Any recommendations on a good place to purchase memory and a SSD would be appreciated.

TIA

 

[makinao]

Short answer: YES!

Longer answer: As long as everything else is working (screen, ports, trackpad, etc), an SSD and RAM upgrade will give a dramatic boost in performance, and years more of service. Possibly beyond the completed transition to Apple Silicon. That's what I'm planning.

 

[ww1971]

My 8 year old MBP is slowing down and most likely is due to that it only has 4 GBs of ram and the original HD (not a SSD).

I only use this laptop for the following:
- Excel spreadsheets (creation)
- Transfer DSLR photos/videos
- Backup photos/videos to the cloud
(Like to back them up by folders)
- iTunes server (movie/TV in house streaming)

My device usage is:
1. IPhone 12 Pro Max
2. iPad Pro 12.9” (2020)
3. MBP 2012

Any recommendations on a good place to purchase memory and a SSD would be appreciated.

TIA

it depends what you intend to use it for. If you want to use a mac m1 system for simple things your best bet is to get a system with 8 gb ram / 256 gb sdd If you are a 3D Graphic Designer or video editor then a system with 16 gb ram / 512 go SDD is a better bet. It depends on what you want to use it for

 

[ght56]

Yes, I think a SSD and RAM update is worth it given the system meets your needs. How much SSD space do you need? You can get a 256 GB SSD for 25 bucks.

 

[circatee]

I have a MacBook Pro 2012, with 4GB memory. I know how to upgrade the memory, and actually have the modules, too.
But, are we saying we personally can upgrade the hard drive (easily), too?

 

[dukebound85]

I have a MacBook Pro 2012, with 4GB memory. I know how to upgrade the memory, and actually have the modules, too.
But, are we saying we personally can upgrade the hard drive (easily), too?

yes, its easy on the classic non retina. Any 2.5 sata drive will do

 

[makinao]

I have a MacBook Pro 2012, with 4GB memory. I know how to upgrade the memory, and actually have the modules, too.
But, are we saying we personally can upgrade the hard drive (easily), too?

Yup. Just 1) clone your existing HD to an SSD in an enclosure using CCC, 2) open up the MBP and replace the HD with the cloned SSD. Done. Just search youtube for instructions.

 

[Simon89]

On my previous late 2011 13" MBP, it cost me approx. £35 for 16GB of RAM and £40 for a 256GB SSD which I cloned from the HDD so I didn't lose any data.

Super easy to do and it's probably worth changing your thermal paste if you're confident as it'll be as dry as chalk by now.

 

[flottenheimer]

If you can afford it, I'd go for a new MacBook Air.
8 years is a very long time in tech.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

With that usage, and if the old machine seems like it's on it's last leg, I'd go for either an MB Air or - if you don't need portability - the new Mac mini with a wireless keyboard and trackpad.

 

[circatee]

Based on a few responses so far, I was about to start researching new hard drives for my MacBook 2012; I already have two 4GB memory modules to install. But, just noticed that Big Sur would not run on it.

Based on OS lifecycle, might be best to invest in the future; if funds are available...

 

[clueless88]

Based on a few responses so far, I was about to start researching new hard drives for my MacBook 2012; I already have two 4GB memory modules to install. But, just noticed that Big Sur would not run on it.

Based on OS lifecycle, might be best to invest in the future; if funds are available...

Looking at the cash outlay for a newer laptop versus the cost of a 250-500 GB SSD and 8 or 16 GB RAM to me it is a no brainer to upgrade the 2012 MBP. The mid 2012 13" MBP is very easy to DIY upgrade/replace components, and with an SSD and 8-16GB RAM it will load much faster than with the original set up. On the other hand, the newer MBPs, MB Airs are not upgrade friendly or possible. 8 years may be a long time in tech years, but looking at the OP's usage, the 2012 machine should serve him well for many years.

I had "inherited" the identical laptop (offspring gave me his dying device with cracked screen after he graduated college) and installed a 500 GB samsung 860 evo ssd and 8 GB used ram from eBay and am pleased with its performance. Am able to run Catalina on it (latest officially supported OS for the MBP 2012 13"), since BS just launched, Catalina should be supported by Apple for a while. Am thinking of loading Mojave just to experiment with some 32 bit programs.

Please note that depreciating assets such as electronics and especially vehicles are NOT investments. They are pure expenditures--pursuing bleeding edge devices does not add to your personal wealth. Contentment will (ooh, too much Dave Ramsey).

 

[ght56]

Based on a few responses so far, I was about to start researching new hard drives for my MacBook 2012; I already have two 4GB memory modules to install. But, just noticed that Big Sur would not run on it.

Based on OS lifecycle, might be best to invest in the future; if funds are available...

It is very inexpensive to upgrade and you don't really need Big Sur. You can get a 256 GB SSD for 25 bucks. If nothing else, it makes sense to upgrade it to have as a second computer should your primary need service or malfunction.

 

[circatee]

Looking at the cash outlay for a newer laptop versus the cost of a 250-500 GB SSD and 8 or 16 GB RAM to me it is a no brainer to upgrade the 2012 MBP. The mid 2012 13" MBP is very easy to DIY upgrade/replace components, and with an SSD and 8-16GB RAM it will load much faster than with the original set up. On the other hand, the newer MBPs, MB Airs are not upgrade friendly or possible. 8 years may be a long time in tech years, but looking at the OP's usage, the 2012 machine should serve him well for many years.

I had "inherited" the identical laptop (offspring gave me his dying device with cracked screen after he graduated college) and installed a 500 GB samsung 860 evo ssd and 8 GB used ram from eBay and am pleased with its performance. Am able to run Catalina on it (last officially supported OS for the MBP 2012 13"), since BS just launched, Catalina should be supported by Apple for a while. Am thinking of loading Mojave just to experiment with some 32 bit programs.

Please note that depreciating assets such as electronics and especially vehicles are NOT investments. They are pure expenditures--pursuing bleeding edge devices does not add to your personal wealth. Contentment will (ooh, too much Dave Ramsey).

I hear you loud and clear.

 

[justashooter]

If you read my other posts you will see I am very much an advocate for keeping the 2012 MacBook Pro 13 running. For around $100 for 16 GB ram (I bought a 16GB kit used in ebay for $38) and a 500GB SSD (I use the Crucial MX500 series, you can get them for around $60 now) and you will love the speed, mine boots in about 20 seconds. It's like a new machine. I'm a freelance photographer, so it gets a lot of Photoshop editing thrown at it. A little video now and then (30 second to 3 minute stuff).

Makinao has it right, use CCC to clone your drive to the ssd, boot from the external SSD just to confirm it is working correctly, then install the SSD inside the MBP. Done. The only other thing I have had to do to mine is replace the internal SATA cable, but that is only a $7 part and also quite easy to do.

I've stopped at Mojave on this MBP, I still run some 32 bit apps and it runs problem free. That is a big + in my book!

Installing the SSD:

Upgrade/Replace the Drive in a 13-Inch MacBook Pro

Step-by-step videos for the 13-inch MacBook Pro (Unibody, Mid 2012).

eshop.macsales.com

Installing SATA cable:

Hard Drive Cable Install Video

Step-by-step videos for the 13-inch MacBook Pro ("Unibody", Mid 2012).

eshop.macsales.com

 

[trevpimp]

Whichever you're comfortable with

I would need to change my MacBook within 3-5 years or so it all depends which your comfortable with

 

[vince22]

Based on a few responses so far, I was about to start researching new hard drives for my MacBook 2012; I already have two 4GB memory modules to install. But, just noticed that Big Sur would not run on it.

Based on OS lifecycle, might be best to invest in the future; if funds are available...

2012 13" Mid MacBook Pro not officially supported with Big Sur but it runs exceptionally well including stock 802.11n Wifi.

 

[MacCraig Pro]

Upgrade it!

My wife still runs a 13" mid-2012 purchased refurbished in 2015 and its an exceptional machine. I recently put a 240gb Crucial SSD in it to replace the old 500Gb HDD and it is running beautifully on Catalina.

I nearly got one to replace my aging 2011 until Big Sur was announced that it wouldn't support the mid-2012, which set me on a path of finding a suitable replacement.

 

[applefan19]

Based on a few responses so far, I was about to start researching new hard drives for my MacBook 2012; I already have two 4GB memory modules to install. But, just noticed that Big Sur would not run on it.

Based on OS lifecycle, might be best to invest in the future; if funds are available...

I'm in a similar boat. I have a mid-2012 MacBook with 2017 upgrades due to failures. However, the software is not supported and I cannot do some remote tasks for work from home because of that. I am likely going to give in to some Black Friday sales!

 

[Fishrrman]

One more "YES" for upgrading it.

My advice:
Get a 2.5" SATA SSD. It doesn't have to be "the fastest". I suggest you "buy for price", I like Crucial and Sandisk.

Get ONE 8gb DIMM module, and replace the "topmost" 2gb DIMM while you have the back off to replace the HDD.
This will give you 10gb of installed RAM, as much as you'll ever need.

Also:
BE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS for the job.
Phillips #00 driver
TORX T-6

Go to ifixit.com to see the replacement guide.
This is an easy job, and ANYONE can do it in about 20 minutes. The hardest part is removing the screws holding the back plate on, and replacing them later on.

You didn't tell us how large the original hard drive is.
I'd get an SSD the same size or larger.
Then, you can just "clone over" the contents of the old drive to the new SSD.

I'd suggest either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper for the cloning.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days.
This will cost you nothing.

One more thing:
I suggest you buy one of these:

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

tinyurl.com

Put the SSD into it FIRST, and connect it to the Mac.
Use disk utility to erase/format the SSD.
Then use CCC or SD to "clone over" the internal drive BEFORE YOU OPEN UP THE MACBOOK.
This way... if something doesn't go right... YOU STILL HAVE A WORKING MACBOOK.

Once you do the clone, now you can boot with the option key to invoke the startup manager, and boot from the SSD while it's still in the external enclosure.

This way, you can test it to be sure it works.

If it's "a good boot", NOW is the time to shut down, open the MacBook, do the drive/RAM swap, and close back up.

Then, set the Startup Disk to the new SSD, and you should be done.

Put the OLD drive into the enclosure.
It can still serve as your backup drive, or extra storage.

 

[Marior182]

One more "YES" for upgrading it.

My advice:
Get a 2.5" SATA SSD. It doesn't have to be "the fastest". I suggest you "buy for price", I like Crucial and Sandisk.

Get ONE 8gb DIMM module, and replace the "topmost" 2gb DIMM while you have the back off to replace the HDD.
This will give you 10gb of installed RAM, as much as you'll ever need.

Also:
BE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS for the job.
Phillips #00 driver
TORX T-6

Go to ifixit.com to see the replacement guide.
This is an easy job, and ANYONE can do it in about 20 minutes. The hardest part is removing the screws holding the back plate on, and replacing them later on.

You didn't tell us how large the original hard drive is.
I'd get an SSD the same size or larger.
Then, you can just "clone over" the contents of the old drive to the new SSD.

I'd suggest either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper for the cloning.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days.
This will cost you nothing.

One more thing:
I suggest you buy one of these:

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

tinyurl.com

Put the SSD into it FIRST, and connect it to the Mac.
Use disk utility to erase/format the SSD.
Then use CCC or SD to "clone over" the internal drive BEFORE YOU OPEN UP THE MACBOOK.
This way... if something doesn't go right... YOU STILL HAVE A WORKING MACBOOK.

Once you do the clone, now you can boot with the option key to invoke the startup manager, and boot from the SSD while it's still in the external enclosure.

This way, you can test it to be sure it works.

If it's "a good boot", NOW is the time to shut down, open the MacBook, do the drive/RAM swap, and close back up.

Then, set the Startup Disk to the new SSD, and you should be done.

Put the OLD drive into the enclosure.
It can still serve as your backup drive, or extra storage.

My original MBP came already with two 4gb RAM modules. Could I upgrade one or two to have either 12 or 16 GB of RAM? Thank you!

 

[vince22]

My original MBP came already with two 4gb RAM modules. Could I upgrade one or two to have either 12 or 16 GB of RAM? Thank you!

i've purchased 2 sets of this 16gb 4yrs ago for my kids 2012 13" Mid MBP and guaranteed to work.

16GB Memory Upgrade for MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini

Upgrade your pre-2013, non-retina MacBook Pro with up to 16GB of RAM. Memory is also compatible with 2011-2015 iMac and 2011-2012 Mac mini.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[justashooter]

My original MBP came already with two 4gb RAM modules. Could I upgrade one or two to have either 12 or 16 GB of RAM? Thank you!

Yes. Throw an 8gb in it and it will run fine. I buy used chips on ebay (just make sure you are getting the right spec chips) Be patient and you can get 2 8gb chips for about $42. But 8-12gb in that machine for regular use is fine. If you are editing photos or especially video, 16gb would be prefered.

 

[jav6454]

Yes it is and get the M2 13" MBP.

 

[Marior182]

i've purchased 2 sets of this 16gb 4yrs ago for my kids 2012 13" Mid MBP and guaranteed to work.

16GB Memory Upgrade for MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini

Upgrade your pre-2013, non-retina MacBook Pro with up to 16GB of RAM. Memory is also compatible with 2011-2015 iMac and 2011-2012 Mac mini.

eshop.macsales.com

I've got another one for you. Between upgrading the 2012 13" MBP that I was asking earlier or upgrading an early 2014 11" MacBook Air with 4gb 1.4GHz Intel core i5 dual core? Thank you in advance!