MBP 17” early 2011

[phongphot]

Macbook pro A1297
Does it upgrade with 8 x 8 16GB ram and can be run window(bootcamp) properly

 

[DeanPSN]

Yes, you can upgrade with 2x8GB RAM and yes, it can run bootcamp well.

 

[phongphot]

Yes, you can upgrade with 2x8GB RAM and yes, it can run bootcamp well.

Thank you very much Dean

 

[grillface]

Macbook pro A1297
Does it upgrade with 8 x 8 16GB ram and can be run window(bootcamp) properly

If you put in an SSD as well it will run amazingly!

 

[Erasmus]

It will run BootCamp well, but it will always use the dGPU. (I'm not sure if newer models will use iGPU or not)

Also, Windows 10 is not supported via Boot Camp on these older models. I'm not sure if there are any hacks you can do to get it working, because I see no reason why it shouldn't work if Apple's software lockouts can be bypassed.

+1 for SSD. At this point, everyone should be using an SSD IMO. I recently installed one in a 2006 MBP, and it runs so much better now.

 

[Audit13]

I recommend not spending too much on the MacBook as its dGPU can fail at any time. The early 2011 and late 2011 15"/17" MacBook Pros were covered by an extended warranty program that has now ended.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

It will run BootCamp well, but it will always use the dGPU. (I'm not sure if newer models will use iGPU or not)

Also, Windows 10 is not supported via Boot Camp on these older models. I'm not sure if there are any hacks you can do to get it working, because I see no reason why it shouldn't work if Apple's software lockouts can be bypassed.

+1 for SSD. At this point, everyone should be using an SSD IMO. I recently installed one in a 2006 MBP, and it runs so much better now.

I tried installing Win10 on my ‘09 17” any number of times and as stated everywhere, could never get it to work. ...which was irritating because I could create a Win10 VM via Parallels on it and it always ran perfectly fine. Then about a month ago, I gave a bootcamp another try, starting with Win7 and upgrading to Win10, and it worked. Afterward, I was able to reinstall Win10 clean on bootcamp.

However, after I grew to loathe Win10’s psycho-zombie systems settings, I switched back to Win7 anyway.

Also the fan ran nearly constantly trying to run win10. 7 runs smoother and lighter.

 

[austinmcguire]

It will run BootCamp well, but it will always use the dGPU. (I'm not sure if newer models will use iGPU or not)

Also, Windows 10 is not supported via Boot Camp on these older models. I'm not sure if there are any hacks you can do to get it working, because I see no reason why it shouldn't work if Apple's software lockouts can be bypassed.

+1 for SSD. At this point, everyone should be using an SSD IMO. I recently installed one in a 2006 MBP, and it runs so much better now.

I recommend not spending too much on the MacBook as its dGPU can fail at any time. The early 2011 and late 2011 15"/17" MacBook Pros were covered by an extended warranty program that has now ended.

Until mine died earlier this year (3 months after the extended warranty program ended), I was running Win 10 on it with no problem. Most of the drivers I needed I could download from the manufacturer. The remaining ones I was able to extract with the latest Bootcamp Assistant and install the individual MSIs.

However like Audit13 points out, at this point the 2011 MacBook Pros are a ticking timebomb, and I would not be using them for anything that I needed to depend on.