Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacBook Pro2012

R

RRT2020

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 7, 2020
5
0
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Opinions required, for my system:

MacBook Pro(13inch, Mid 2012)

2.9GHz Intel Core i7

16GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk : 2TBSSD

Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB

MacOs X Mojave 10.14

My MacBook Pro is 8 years old, I upgraded it to 16MB RAM and a 2TB SSD drive(Crucial). I upgraded it by myself in October 2019.

The system runs fine without any issue. Physically, it is also in good condition. The DVD drive still works and I could DIY remove the drive and further insert a second SSD(not a priority at all).

Catalina is not suitable for my system, as it is not supported after going through the extensive list provided by Apple.

I would like to ask expert opinion if there is a risk of my system dying out soon(although there is no signs and symptoms yet)?

Dying out soon in terms of no further support for Mojave, and also the hardware of a 2012 MacBook Pro?

I welcome all opinions, comments and suggestions. Thank you.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 920R and RRT2020
This thread had some info:

forums.macrumors.com

I just bought a unibody mid 2012 15 inch 2.6 GHz i7 in 2020. Is the laptop still worth it?

I bought it for 380 bucks including tax & shipping off eBay. Its got 1500 battery cycles. I plan to put in an SSD & 16GB of Ram. I don't plan to put in a new battery. Would this laptop still be worth it today? and how long will it last? I plan to use it for heavy graphic design work, and...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

I have the mid-2012 MBP and it's great.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Expos of 1969 and RRT2020
I have more or less the same 2012 MacBook Pro, with a lesser CPU, 8GB RAM and less SSD space.

Over the years:

1. for some reason my hard drive cable has died twice so I got those replaced

2. once the RAM popped loose (totally my fault)

3. in the last year, sometimes when I move it when it's on, it'll freeze up and I'll have to reboot. This has been the most serious problem

4. a few months back the speakers got messed up for some reason, so I'm running line out audio all the time now.

But for being an 8 year old computer, I think that's pretty darn good. Like vince22 said Catalina will run on it, though I've decided to stay on Mojave. Apple will support the current OS and the two previous ones, so Mojave will be supported even when they move to macOS 10.16. You can stay on Mojave for another year and a half and still get Apple security patches.

I'm waiting to see if the 2020 MacBook Pro models can tempt me to shell out money for them (I've been drooling over the 16 in MBP but it's really expensive and I don't actually need that much powerr). But if they don't, I'll just do what robvas said and run it until it dies, which may not be that far away, but who knows.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RRT2020
I have two 2012 MacBook Pro 13's, although with 2.5GHz I5 processors. 16GB ram, SSD main drive and a OWC data doubler with a second SSD (my dvd's died). Running Mojave (I have some 32 bit programs that don't run on Catalina). Love these laptops. Apple will be supporting the OS for at least a couple more years if their history of supports remains the same.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CooperBox and RRT2020
justashooter said:
I have two 2012 MacBook Pro 13's, although with 2.5GHz I5 processors. 16GB ram, SSD main drive and a OWC data doubler with a second SSD (my dvd's died). Running Mojave (I have some 32 bit programs that don't run on Catalina). Love these laptops. Apple will be supporting the OS for at least a couple more years if their history of supports remains the same.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the insights and information @justashooter
 
I have the 2012 13" (i7 2.9) and 15" (i7 2.3) and both are awesome machines. I have two SSDs in the 15" and both have 16GB RAM. I'm still running them on High Sierra. They are super stable for what I need so I'm not even going to bother upgrading any further unless absolutely necessary. I'll use these until they die.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RRT2020
MacInTO said:
I have the 2012 13" (i7 2.9) and 15" (i7 2.3) and both are awesome machines. I have two SSDs in the 15" and both have 16GB RAM. I'm still running them on High Sierra. They are super stable for what I need so I'm not even going to bother upgrading any further unless absolutely necessary. I'll use these until they die.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for taking the time to extend information :)
 
Difficult to say with older notebooks, I certainly wouldn't invest heavily into it unless the parts can be repurposed. I still have one of the infamous 2011 15" MBP's and it runs great on High Sierra and it's totally stock. If the battery or HD fails I'd likely replace.

Screen Shot 2020-04-14 at 00.32.50.png

Q-6
 
I have an early 2013 13" MBP and as far as I know nothing can be upgraded or replaced. Great machine and it shows what Apple used to be capable of when they cared. If only that was the case these days.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Queen6
justashooter said:
I have two 2012 MacBook Pro 13's, although with 2.5GHz I5 processors. 16GB ram, SSD main drive and a OWC data doubler with a second SSD (my dvd's died). Running Mojave (I have some 32 bit programs that don't run on Catalina). Love these laptops. Apple will be supporting the OS for at least a couple more years if their history of supports remains the same.
Click to expand...
That could almost have been me writing that.....
I too have two mid 2012 13" MBPro9,2 (2.5GHz i5 and a 2.9GHz i7). Along with the mid 2012 15" - which I also use as a daily driver. These were from the 'Golden days' of Apple, and were truly the last of the dependable and fully upragedable unibody MBPros, and in terms of desirability and future longevity could imho be rated alongside top Bordeaux grand crus such as Chateau Petrus or Chateau Margaux - which are indeed also great 'keepers'!:)
Fwiw I've spent some time recently on a colleagues 16" MBPro, and although highly desirable to many users, these will in no way ever go down on record as a highly regarded 'golden' Mac due to their virtual unrepairability, as confirmed by the iFixit shocking, unpardonable score of 1/10. I've told several new owners if they wish to appear 'cool' to sell their new MBPros before the warranty expires. If well-looked-after, the MBPro9,2 or MBPro9,1(15") will still be going strong and running the latest OS's in many years to come, when the current models are sadly declared "non cost-effective to repair".
 
Last edited:
Northern Man said:
I have an early 2013 13" MBP and as far as I know nothing can be upgraded or replaced. Great machine and it shows what Apple used to be capable of when they cared. If only that was the case these days.
Click to expand...
This is a little misleading. Although not in the same top class as the mid-2012 MBP, the early 2013 13" Retina has a number of components that are relatively easy to repair, although that cannot be said of the battery which is very firmly glued to the case, and replacement of which is a pain! It could easily have been designed as a screwed-down unit but Apple obviously wanted to make more money on the aftermarket side.....
Also RAM is soldered to the logic board and cannot be upgraded = terrible, truly unpardonable! And (unlike the earlier MBPro) the SSD on the early 13" Retina has a proprietary drive connector so more difficult & expensive to upgrade.
 
CooperBox said:
This is a little misleading. Although not in the same top class as the mid-2012 MBP, the early 2013 13" Retina has a number of components that are relatively easy to repair, although that cannot be said of the battery which is very firmly glued to the case, and replacement of which is a pain! It could easily have been designed as a screwed-down unit but Apple obviously wanted to make more money on the aftermarket side.....
Also RAM is soldered to the logic board and cannot be upgraded = terrible, truly unpardonable! And (unlike the earlier MBPro) the SSD on the early 13" Retina has a proprietary drive connector so more difficult & expensive to upgrade.
Click to expand...
I've never worked on a 2013 (I have had two 2012 non retinas). I also believed that those early NVMe Apple blades were only replaceable with original parts or overpriced OWC units. Then I saw that a company (Sintech-https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2015-MacBook/dp/B01CWWAENG)
markets the adapters to allow using Samsung (or any normal m.2 blade) blades of your choice, and that this only stopped in 2017 when they soldered them in. I've offered to swap this out for a friend with a 2015 who just can't get by on 128GB. I looked at the video and swapping out the blade is even easier (1 screw inside). But I know that you are right that they've locked us out of other modifications. BTW, off topic, I found a source of batteries for the 2012 MBPs. I used the fairly expensive OWC replacement battery the first time I replaced it. Then after about 3 years, I got a cheap one at Amazon, and it appeared to be identical to the OWC one for about half the price, or 1/3 of an Apple battery. I have my MBP on all day, every day, so three years is about all I can expect, I think.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CooperBox
naerct said:
I've never worked on a 2013 (I have had two 2012 non retinas). I also believed that those early NVMe Apple blades were only replaceable with original parts or overpriced OWC units. Then I saw that a company (Sintech-https://www.amazon.com/Sintech-Adapter-Upgrade-2013-2015-MacBook/dp/B01CWWAENG)
markets the adapters to allow using Samsung (or any normal m.2 blade) blades of your choice, and that this only stopped in 2017 when they soldered them in. I've offered to swap this out for a friend with a 2015 who just can't get by on 128GB. I looked at the video and swapping out the blade is even easier (1 screw inside). But I know that you are right that they've locked us out of other modifications. BTW, off topic, I found a source of batteries for the 2012 MBPs. I used the fairly expensive OWC replacement battery the first time I replaced it. Then after about 3 years, I got a cheap one at Amazon, and it appeared to be identical to the OWC one for about half the price, or 1/3 of an Apple battery. I have my MBP on all day, every day, so three years is about all I can expect, I think.
Click to expand...
Can you pls share what make of battery you purchased from Amazon together with a link? I may be needing one soon. Thanks.
 
www.amazon.com

Temark New A1322 Battery for MacBook Pro 13 inch A1278 (Mid 2012 Early 2011 Late 2011 Mid 2010 2009),fit MC374LL/A MC375LL/A 020-6547-A 661-5229 661-5557

Temark New A1322 Battery for MacBook Pro 13 inch A1278 (Mid 2012 Early 2011 Late 2011 Mid 2010 2009),fit MC374LL/A MC375LL/A 020-6547-A 661-5229 661-5557
www.amazon.com
Here's the link to the one I bought a year ago. Unfortunately, I dumped a 24oz glass of water on my old unit, just after taking off the keyboard cover while cleaning it. It fried instantly, but I got another one at MicroCenter for $430, swapped out my internal drives and max RAM and ditched another Apple DVD burner. I kept the battery, but haven't tested it yet. I am not sure how long it would have lasted, but it was still working fine before the flood. I am as sure as I can be that it is the same battery that OWC sells and that one lasted me almost 3 years for 8-10 hours a day every day. I think you could get a good one or one not so good, but I doubt it will give you less service per $ than others on the market.
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
As long as it continues to work well for you, just keep on using it.

But... start paying attention to "the new stuff that's out there" so you have an eye on what could replace it... if it was to suddenly fail. I doubt it will (these were rugged Macs), but... pay attention anyway.

When the time arrives when you realize that finally you're ready for something new... then you'll already know what you might be interested in.

At that point, either keep the 2012 around "as a spare", or... consider selling it or even donating it to a friend, etc. ...
 
RRT2020 said:
Opinions required, for my system:

MacBook Pro(13inch, Mid 2012)

2.9GHz Intel Core i7

16GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk : 2TBSSD

Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB

MacOs X Mojave 10.14

My MacBook Pro is 8 years old, I upgraded it to 16MB RAM and a 2TB SSD drive(Crucial). I upgraded it by myself in October 2019.

The system runs fine without any issue. Physically, it is also in good condition. The DVD drive still works and I could DIY remove the drive and further insert a second SSD(not a priority at all).

Catalina is not suitable for my system, as it is not supported after going through the extensive list provided by Apple.

I would like to ask expert opinion if there is a risk of my system dying out soon(although there is no signs and symptoms yet)?

Dying out soon in terms of no further support for Mojave, and also the hardware of a 2012 MacBook Pro?

I welcome all opinions, comments and suggestions. Thank you.
Click to expand...

That is not true.. I have a 15 inch non-retina 2012 and it is running Catalina 10.15.4 with no issues and no dosdude tool. You were lied to by Apple as a way for them to force you to by their non-upgradable garbage. Trust me, Tim Cook is not nice at all and really he is hurting apple with closing all this stuff up - we can't upgrade SSD or memory anymore. the 2015 MacBook Pro is the last of the retina upgradable models - stay away from 2016,2017,2018, 16 inch MacBook Pro is nice, but watch pricing as Apple price gouges everything.. Really, I would wait until the PowerPC comes back, sorry ARM processor as Apple will be making ARM MacBook pros soon. I will use the 2015 until that time.
[automerge]1587095583[/automerge]
Fishrrman said:
As long as it continues to work well for you, just keep on using it.

But... start paying attention to "the new stuff that's out there" so you have an eye on what could replace it... if it was to suddenly fail. I doubt it will (these were rugged Macs), but... pay attention anyway.

When the time arrives when you realize that finally you're ready for something new... then you'll already know what you might be interested in.

At that point, either keep the 2012 around "as a spare", or... consider selling it or even donating it to a friend, etc. ...
Click to expand...

I advised the OP to keep it and or consider a 2015 MacBook Pro which allows for SSD upgrades.. anything after that is garbage - paper weights and when ARM comes to Mac, that will be the end of Intel.
[automerge]1587095787[/automerge]
CooperBox said:
That could almost have been me writing that.....
I too have two mid 2012 13" MBPro9,2 (2.5GHz i5 and a 2.9GHz i7). Along with the mid 2012 15" - which I also use as a daily driver. These were from the 'Golden days' of Apple, and were truly the last of the dependable and fully upragedable unibody MBPros, and in terms of desirability and future longevity could imho be rated alongside top Bordeaux grand crus such as Chateau Petrus or Chateau Margaux - which are indeed also great 'keepers'!:)
Fwiw I've spent some time recently on a colleagues 16" MBPro, and although highly desirable to many users, these will in no way ever go down on record as a highly regarded 'golden' Mac due to their virtual unrepairability, as confirmed by the iFixit shocking, unpardonable score of 1/10. I've told several new owners if they wish to appear 'cool' to sell their new MBPros before the warranty expires. If well-looked-after, the MBPro9,2 or MBPro9,1(15") will still be going strong and running the latest OS's in many years to come, when the current models are sadly declared "non cost-effective to repair".
Click to expand...

I will add that the 2019 16 inch is nice.. too far out of my price range. I am a poor Ukrainian from Ukraine and most of us can't afford food. But, anyway.. the 2019 16 inch is nice.. but only for awhile, until ARM MacBook pros come out. The only problem with the 16 inch - you are stuck with what you pay for and to future proof it - need lots of money to do it and with an epidemic like this we are all seeing, no one is going to buy a 64GB 16 inch MacBook Pro.
 
RRT2020 said:
Opinions required, for my system:

MacBook Pro(13inch, Mid 2012)

2.9GHz Intel Core i7

16GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Startup Disk : 2TBSSD

Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB

MacOs X Mojave 10.14

My MacBook Pro is 8 years old, I upgraded it to 16MB RAM and a 2TB SSD drive(Crucial). I upgraded it by myself in October 2019.

The system runs fine without any issue. Physically, it is also in good condition. The DVD drive still works and I could DIY remove the drive and further insert a second SSD(not a priority at all).

Catalina is not suitable for my system, as it is not supported after going through the extensive list provided by Apple.

I would like to ask expert opinion if there is a risk of my system dying out soon(although there is no signs and symptoms yet)?

Dying out soon in terms of no further support for Mojave, and also the hardware of a 2012 MacBook Pro?

I welcome all opinions, comments and suggestions. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I have Catalina on my 2012 MBP and it works great! I don't know what you mean when you say its not suitable for your system. Please explain.

Oh and I applied for a small loan and if I am approved I may upgrade to the 2019 13 inch MacBook Pro. 500GB and 8GB of RAM would be fine for me since I do not do graphics. But then again maybe I should get the 16GB of RAM.
 
Last edited:
No reason why it'll just randomly die.

Also, Catalina will still work on a Mid-2012.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back