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MBP 15 or rMBP 15?

J

johnnyyt

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 22, 2013
67
0
i'm in a bit of a dilemma. i was set on buying the 15inch non-retina but after speaking to one of the apple reps, it got me thinking once again. i'm buying this to use for school plus to replace my current laptop so it will be sitting on my table a majority of the time but taken out every so often for schooling.

my intent was to get the base 15 and upgrade the ram and drive to 16gb instead of the 4gb and the 500gb hdd to a 256 or 512gb ssd.
the base rMBP 15 has similiar specs but it has 8gb of ram instead of 16gb.

i'm in school so i also get the education discount here in toronto so the 15 non-retina would go from 1799 to 1699
the rMBP would go from 2199 to 1999.

with that being said, should i spring for the rMBP?
i figured that the amount i'd spend on upgrading the non-retina would equal the price of the rMBP but i would also get the display with it
 
Well you just said you plan to upgrade to 16GB RAM eventually so it makes no sense to get the base rMBP because once you get the base 8GB RAM you can't upgrade it in the future.

Stick to your guns and get the classic.
 
You can't configure the classic MBP with 16GB of RAM.

Also, the cMBP costs more than the rMBP with the same specs.
 
johnnyyt said:
my intent was to get the base 15 and upgrade the ram and drive to 16gb instead of the 4gb and the 500gb hdd to a 256 or 512gb ssd.
Click to expand...

I'd go with option 1 - base mbp, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD via data doubler. Use the cost difference saved from the rMBP for upgrading to a Hi-Res display (not retina, but good enough), and some nice accessories (speakers, mouse, etc). Went this way some months ago, and couldn't be happier.

If you're not a pro designer or photographer, the retina display is nice, but really unnecessary. Think also about its impact on power consumption. Plus, upgrades to a rMBP are basically impossible.

At the pace computers are rendered obsolete, you're better off with more practical solutions. Even when you have money to burn.

MacKid said:
You can't configure the classic MBP with 16GB of RAM.

Also, the cMBP costs more than the rMBP with the same specs.
Click to expand...

I installed 16GB RAM from OWC on my base 15"MBP. Very easy and saved money. Apple's RAM prices are an insult to intelligence.

Optional Hi-Res display is just $100 extra. And it still comes $300 under the base rMBP - enough to pay for the 16GB RAM and a nice SSD with Data Doubler.

cheers!
 
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johnnyyt said:
i'm in a bit of a dilemma. i was set on buying the 15inch non-retina but after speaking to one of the apple reps, it got me thinking once again. i'm buying this to use for school plus to replace my current laptop so it will be sitting on my table a majority of the time but taken out every so often for schooling.

my intent was to get the base 15 and upgrade the ram and drive to 16gb instead of the 4gb and the 500gb hdd to a 256 or 512gb ssd.
the base rMBP 15 has similiar specs but it has 8gb of ram instead of 16gb.

i'm in school so i also get the education discount here in toronto so the 15 non-retina would go from 1799 to 1699
the rMBP would go from 2199 to 1999.

with that being said, should i spring for the rMBP?
i figured that the amount i'd spend on upgrading the non-retina would equal the price of the rMBP but i would also get the display with it
Click to expand...

Get the rMBP with 16GB RAM if it's within your budget. If not, buy a cMBP and upgrade to 16GB RAM yourself.

MacKid said:
You can't configure the classic MBP with 16GB of RAM.

Also, the cMBP costs more than the rMBP with the same specs.
Click to expand...

That's a lie.

Also, the cMBP supports up to 16GB RAM.
 
Really need to look at the pricing between cMBP and rMBP closely. Just to throw it out there; depending on the options you want, the MBPc can be more expense than the MBPr (see attached - like by $550 more expensive). Doesn't make sense; except, the MBPc is obviously on it's way out. I had the same attitude at one point in terms of going with the upgradability of the MBPc, but hey....
 

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bbucy said:
Really need to look at the pricing between cMBP and rMBP closely. Just to throw it out there; depending on the options you want, the MBPc can be more expense than the MBPr (see attached - like by $550 more expensive). Doesn't make sense; except, the MBPc is obviously on it's way out. I had the same attitude at one point in terms of going with the upgradability of the MBPc, but hey....
Click to expand...

Different processor - just so you know.

Also who would pay - 100 for 8GB RAM and 700 for 512GB
 
MacKid said:
cMBP at 2.6/8GB/512 = $2799
rMBP at 2.7/16GB/512 = $2799

Your turn.
Click to expand...

OR

Buy your RAM and SSD from someplace else and save at least $225 and also have an additional 750GB Hard drive and lets say a 5 year warranty on that Samsung 840 Pro 512GG SSD

----------
bbucy said:
They both don't have 3820QM processors?
Click to expand...

no

the retina 2.7 is the 3740QM

the 2.8 which costs an additional $250 is the 3840QM
 
Spink10 said:
no

the retina 2.7 is the 3740QM

the 2.8 which costs an additional $250 is the 3840QM
Click to expand...

Hmmm, your right, the MBPc looks to have a 2.7-8MB cache (3820QM) and the MBPr has 2.7-6MB cache (3740QM). I'll quit trying to make sense of Apple...
 
MacKid said:
cMBP at 2.6/8GB/512 = $2799
rMBP at 2.7/16GB/512 = $2799

Your turn.
Click to expand...

15" cMBP: 2.6/4GB RAM/500GB HD = $1,999
- Upgrade to 16GB RAM: $80
- 500GB SSD: roughly $300

New total: $2,380

15" rMBP: 2.7/16GB RAM/500GB SSD = $2,799

$2,380 vs. $2,799. That's a $419 difference.

You do get a better screen and 0.1 Ghz faster processor. That's up to the OP to decide if he's willing to pay $419 for that.
 
xShane said:
15" cMBP: 2.6/4GB RAM/500GB HD = $1,999
- Upgrade to 16GB RAM: $80
- 500GB SSD: roughly $300

New total: $2,380

15" rMBP: 2.7/16GB RAM/500GB SSD = $2,799

$2,380 vs. $2,799. That's a $419 difference.

You do get a better screen and 0.1 Ghz faster processor. That's up to the OP to decide if he's willing to pay $419 for that.
Click to expand...

+ 750 GB internal drive which you can convert into a external for about $7
 
thanks for all the replies. im still stuck between the two..

i don't know where you guys are getting your pricing from but heres how I'm looking at it:

Classic MBP 15: $1699
2.3ghz i7
4gb ram
500gb hdd
nvidia gt650m with 512mb

upgrade ram to 16gb: $80 (8gb of ram is virtually the same price, if not a few bucks cheaper. i don't need 16gb but since its an option, why not)

upgrade hdd to ssd: 200? (samsung pro 250gb)

TOTAL: 1980


Retina MBP 15: $1999
2.4ghz i7
8gb ram
256gb ssd
nvidia gt650m with 1gb

so back to my original question, would it be worth it to pay a few bucks more to get the retina display, but sacrificing the upgradability and a 500gb hdd
 
nuts not to go retina..

cmbp + aftermark ssd + hi res W student discount =2k
base retina 15 W student discount =2k


200 more if u want 16gb ram, do you even need it?
 
I'm just a college kid who enjoys his rMBP. You don't need to be a photographer to appreciate this machine. Although mainly I just write essays and research, I enjoy the crisper text every time. I get happy knowing how beautiful everything on my screen looks, and how it's much easier on the eyes in the long run. I'm very satisfied and don't regret this purchase, even though it was a hefty impact on my wallet, but I look at this as a long term investment. :rolleyes:
 
Ultra AleM said:
I think 16GB of RAM is completely unnecessary. You won't use more than 6.
Click to expand...

i totally agree but if i'm gonna go out and buy my own ram, and 8gb is practically the same price as 16gb, why not just get 16gb?

as for the rMBP, i wouldn't need to upgrade it because i would just be wasting 200
 
johnnyyt said:
i totally agree but if i'm gonna go out and buy my own ram, and 8gb is practically the same price as 16gb, why not just get 16gb?

as for the rMBP, i wouldn't need to upgrade it because i would just be wasting 200
Click to expand...

Yes. I was saying that because you were scared about the fact you cannot upgrade the RAM on rMBP. When you will need 16GB of RAM the CPU and GPU will be outdated (3-4 years later) so you will have to change the whole notebook. For this reason I think that the fact you cannot upgrade the rMBP is not a con, in your case.
 
You can never have too much RAM. If you do a little bit of video editing or photo editing your computer will be screaming for more memory. Also, the non-retina machine will soon be obsolete. In six months from now you may be wishing you had gone with a Retina. A Mac computer is a big investment; unless you're wealthy and can upgrade once every two years, buy something that will last for a while and that you can grow into. Same thing as with buying a house, always buy slightly larger than you estimate you will need.
 
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The retina display is beautiful. I'm a designer and normally work on larger screens but when I'm out and about I can handle (just about) a 15" display, especially since it's a retina.
Sure, you "don't have to" have it, but why not if you can push the budget a tad further.
 
johnnyyt said:
thanks for all the replies. im still stuck between the two..

i don't know where you guys are getting your pricing from but heres how I'm looking at it:

Classic MBP 15: $1699
2.3ghz i7
4gb ram
500gb hdd
nvidia gt650m with 512mb

upgrade ram to 16gb: $80 (8gb of ram is virtually the same price, if not a few bucks cheaper. i don't need 16gb but since its an option, why not)

upgrade hdd to ssd: 200? (samsung pro 250gb)

TOTAL: 1980


Retina MBP 15: $1999
2.4ghz i7
8gb ram
256gb ssd
nvidia gt650m with 1gb

so back to my original question, would it be worth it to pay a few bucks more to get the retina display, but sacrificing the upgradability and a 500gb hdd
Click to expand...

Definitely think you'll enjoy the rMBP versus the cMBP. As great of a machine as the cMBP is, the Retina is just a much more advanced machine. It's significantly thinner and lighter, the screen looks amazing, the heat dissipation is more advanced, the computer is much quieter, etc. etc. I also love not having a CD drive, though I suppose that's personal preference. I may use a CD drive 10 times a year, so it's definitely not worth lugging around all that extra weight for the few times I need a CD drive. And for when you do, just get an external.

Go with the Retina. The build quality, design, and the screen all are more advanced than the cMBP.
 
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