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

Mid 2012 MBP 13" i5 running a bit slow

L

luke71933

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 17, 2012
63
0
Hi,
So my macbook was running slow and i formatted it (after 18months in use). Now after a few months from format it started to run a bit slow, safari 2 to 3 bounces and even 4 sometimes. What is happening to my $1299 mac? I paid that money so the machine won't run slow and would be usable for at least 4 years . I am not ready to upgrade to a new macbook now just only after 20 months. Should I upgrade to sad and 16gb ram or is it the cpu which is making everything slow? Will this machine be usable for 2 to 3 years more if I do SSD and Ram , it will cost me around $300. I am planning to start using Xcode and swift to develop iOS apps in the future too.

Thanks
 
The HDD is the slowest part of your computer. Apps will launch much faster with a SSD. The CPU in your MBP is fast enough to last a couple more years, although the GPU is probably showing it's age by now.
 
luke71933 said:
Hi,
So my macbook was running slow and i formatted it (after 18months in use). Now after a few months from format it started to run a bit slow, safari 2 to 3 bounces and even 4 sometimes. What is happening to my $1299 mac? I paid that money so the machine won't run slow and would be usable for at least 4 years . I am not ready to upgrade to a new macbook now just only after 20 months. Should I upgrade to sad and 16gb ram or is it the cpu which is making everything slow? Will this machine be usable for 2 to 3 years more if I do SSD and Ram , it will cost me around $300. I am planning to start using Xcode and swift to develop iOS apps in the future too.

Thanks
Click to expand...

The non-upgradable parts of your machine (CPU etc) are still very valid. The HHD is what is slowing you down. Your first step should be to upgrade to an SSD. Depending on what your usage is, you may also see an increase in performance with a ram upgrade.

Everyone always yells for more ram, but it really depends on usage. If you are just using Safari, Word Processing, iTunes, or pretty much anything other than heavy video/photo editing or virtual machines, you won't really benefit from more ram.

The SSD is going to make it feel like a whole new machine. Again if your usage permits, go ahead and upgrade the ram. But if you don't do heavy multitasking, you don't need it.
 
What about the gpu? I don't want to upgrade to an SSD and then the GPU will slow me down. If I upgrade to an SSD I want this machine to still be usable by 2017. Then Ill pass it on to my parents/sister and Ill buy a new one.
 
luke71933 said:
What about the gpu? I don't want to upgrade to an SSD and then the GPU will slow me down. If I upgrade to an SSD I want this machine to still be usable by 2017. Then Ill pass it on to my parents/sister and Ill buy a new one.
Click to expand...

The machine will most definitely still be usable by 2017. Apple still sells the machine. You have nothing to worry about. Upgrading to SSD will give that machine a whole new life. I did it to my friends wife's mid 2012 and the difference was astounding.
 
luke71933 said:
What about the gpu? I don't want to upgrade to an SSD and then the GPU will slow me down. If I upgrade to an SSD I want this machine to still be usable by 2017. Then Ill pass it on to my parents/sister and Ill buy a new one.
Click to expand...

The GPU isn't upgradeable, but for daily tasks, HD 4000 should suffice.

And you should upgrade to an SSD. Watch it boot up in just 11 seconds, along with instant app launching.

As long as you don't expose it to moisture or use it roughly, it'll last for a long time.
 
I have dropped my macbook once but still working perfectly just some scratches and the lower case has bended out of shape, i think ill buy a new lower case. The screen rounded edge became not rounded anymore but still not bad and you can't see it if you don't know about it
 
luke71933 said:
I have dropped my macbook once but still working perfectly just some scratches and the lower case has bended out of shape, i think ill buy a new lower case. The screen rounded edge became not rounded anymore but still not bad and you can't see it if you don't know about it
Click to expand...

That shouldn't cause your machine to slow down AFAIK, I'd say as others had posted, upgrade to an SSD that will give you the most bang for your buck.

You don't say how much ram you currently have but I don't think you need 16GB. 8GB is a nice amount to ensure good performance now and in the future.

Those are the only components that can be upgraded on your MBP, newer ones are even more locked down and un-upgradeable :/
 
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