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

New 2010 15 2.4GHz MBP or get a 2011 2.2

A

anonymouse99

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 29, 2011
143
2
I purchased my first Apple - a new 2010 15 2.4GHz MBP for $1479, standard base config. After reading through internet docs, it seems that it might be a better idea to exchange and get a 2011 2.2 for $500+ more.

Everyone says that I would be better off getting the fastest CPU I can afford to future proof my machine. This makes sense. However, I am very concerned about the heat dissipation issues of the i7 quad core, the freeze issues, and others because the unit is so new. My goal is to not get another machine for at least 5 years, possibly more, but I am also not wanting to deal with fan noise or excessive overheating issues of the 2011 2.2 model.

I intend to use this laptop to do some mac/ios dev - and some occasional video/photo edits. I may choose to run Windows and/or Linux on it using some form of vmware. Will a 2.4GHz i5 MBP do all this?

Thoughts?

Many thanks ;) :)
 
Last edited:
Yes, the 2010 will do those things sufficiently. I have been doing the same things on a early 2008 2.4 C2D without much problems. I now have a 2011 2.3 i7 and love it. It is your finances that will determine what your needs are, but the 2010 will be just fine (just make sure you are happy with it, as that is the end result and not what others think). If your not graphics driven you could get a 2011 13" for close to the same price and the new SB i5 or i7 will be faster than the 2010 (if that is what you are after).
 
squeakr said:
Yes, the 2010 will do those things sufficiently. I have been doing the same things on a early 2008 2.4 C2D without much problems. I now have a 2011 2.3 i7 and love it. It is your finances that will determine what your needs are, but the 2010 will be just fine (just make sure you are happy with it, as that is the end result and not what others think). If your not graphics driven you could get a 2011 13" for close to the same price and the new SB i5 or i7 will be faster than the 2010 (if that is what you are after).
Click to expand...
Thanks squeakr - my biggest concern is reliability for the 2011 units. It sounds like heat, noise are not an issue for you. Is that correct?
 
No, I am not seeing heat issues. It runs cooler than my older 2008. I bought the wife a 2011 13" and she is loving it as well without the issues. Keep it in mind that the people that post here are the mainly mac fanatics and care for and look after their machines dubiously. We represent a small percentage of the owners in the grand scheme of things and people as a rule will only post when they are experiencing issues. For the number that posts problems, those that post nothing or see no issues is exponentially greater. Think how many machines Apple sells and how many have major issues. The numbers are definitely in our favor to be a non-issue. As for heat issues, all laptops running a quad core are going to run hotter no matter then manufacturer, it is the nature of the beast.
 
I'm also using a 2011 2.3 i5 with no issues.

I happened to look last night while I was surfing (nothing heavy) and the CPU was at 38C. Sure, it'll pop up if I do something intensive.. as it should.
 
As others have said, your machine is way more than ready to handle all of your use cases. However, you can't really even begin to compare the 2010 MBP to the current gen.

Sandy Bridge is a phenomenal push forward for multi-threading and really gets you ready for whatever is beyond OS X Lion imho. I ended up buying the same 2.2 GHz for the same reason. There were some amazing deals and refurb machines from the 2010 set, but just not worth the savings I thought.

Check out all my notes and review of the 2011 MBP 15" beast http://bit.ly/fp35F7

anonymouse99 said:
I purchased my first Apple - a new 2010 15 2.4GHz MBP for $1479, standard base config. After reading through internet docs, it seems that it might be a better idea to get a 2011 2.2 for $500+ more.

Everyone says that I would be better off getting the fastest CPU I can afford to future proof my machine. This makes sense. However, I am very concerned about the heat dissipation issues of the i7 quad core, the freeze issues, and others because the unit is so new. My goal is to not get another machine for at least 5 years, possibly more, but I am also not wanting to deal with fan noise or excessive overheating issues of the 2011 2.2 model.

I intend to use this laptop to do some mac/ios dev - and some occasional video/photo edits. I may choose to run Windows and/or Linux on it using some form of vmware. Will a 2.4GHz i5 MBP do all this?

Thoughts?

Many thanks ;) :)
Click to expand...
 
Mine generally runs about 60 C most of the time (but that is with VMWare running Windows 7 running automation process for work, quite processor intensive, Safari with at least 4-5 tabs open, mail, MSN Messenger, and iCal at most of the times).
 
squeakr said:
Mine generally runs about 60 C most of the time (but that is with VMWare running Windows 7 running automation process for work, quite processor intensive, Safari with at least 4-5 tabs open, mail, MSN Messenger, and iCal at most of the times).
Click to expand...
Fair enough, how does this compare to running similar apps on a comparable 2010 dual core? Anyone?
 
anonymouse99 said:
Thanks squeakr - my biggest concern is reliability for the 2011 units. It sounds like heat, noise are not an issue for you. Is that correct?
Click to expand...

Get the 2011. I have had no issues whatsoever in regards to heat, noise or freezing.

I have 15' 2.3 btw
 
2011; I run multiple applications at once, no heat issues, no freezing issues since the update.

Also, +1 on future proofing beyond Lion through Sandy Bridge multi-threading.
 
I have the 2011 15" base model with the 6490 GPU and have no heat or noise issues. When web surfing I am usually at around 40C and the fans at around 2,000 rpm. In a very quiet room with no TV, etc. I can kind of hear the fans when I am web surfing. It is a very faint noise. When I ramp up and do something processor intensive then the temps go up to 60 to 85C but drop down very quickly when I go back to regular tasks. The fans may go up to 4,000 rpm or higher but I still don't notice them that much.
 
A better option would be to keep your 2.4, but spend the $500+ on 8GB RAM (~$100) and a 256GB SSD (~$400). You will feel much more difference than to spend it on "upgrading" to the 2.2.
 
superwoman said:
A better option would be to keep your 2.4, but spend the $500+ on 8GB RAM (~$100) and a 256GB SSD (~$400). You will feel much more difference than to spend it on "upgrading" to the 2.2.
Click to expand...
Thanks! My concerns with the 2.4 are having to upgrade it in 2-3 years, I would like to stretch it at least 4-5 possibly longer. I also don't know if the unit is capable of any sort of video editing.

With the 2011 generation MPB's, I am mainly concerned with overheating and fan noise - I don't know if these can be fixed by simple firmware updates. I don't want to be stuck with a one-of-a-kind MBP's.
 
squeakr said:
No, I am not seeing heat issues. It runs cooler than my older 2008. I bought the wife a 2011 13" and she is loving it as well without the issues. Keep it in mind that the people that post here are the mainly mac fanatics and care for and look after their machines dubiously. We represent a small percentage of the owners in the grand scheme of things and people as a rule will only post when they are experiencing issues. For the number that posts problems, those that post nothing or see no issues is exponentially greater. Think how many machines Apple sells and how many have major issues. The numbers are definitely in our favor to be a non-issue. As for heat issues, all laptops running a quad core are going to run hotter no matter then manufacturer, it is the nature of the beast.
Click to expand...

look up the meaning of the word "dubious"
 
patorioto said:
look up the meaning of the word "dubious"
Click to expand...

I know the meaning, but for your satisfaction, according to Merriam-Webster: questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality. Which is exactly what I meant. We look at everything with a fine tooth comb, figuring that something is wrong or can be improved upon at all times (otherwise we wouldn't constantly be running benchmarks and tearing down to re-do thermal paste, and worry about whether we are getting the maximum speed out of our hard drives, the best battery life, etc). I stand by my statement of dubiously (hence the whole nature of this thread).;)
 
squeakr said:
I know the meaning, but for your satisfaction, according to Merriam-Webster: questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality. Which is exactly what I meant. We look at everything with a fine tooth comb, figuring that something is wrong or can be improved upon at all times (otherwise we wouldn't constantly be running benchmarks and tearing down to re-do thermal paste, and worry about whether we are getting the maximum speed out of our hard drives, the best battery life, etc). I stand by my statement of dubiously (hence the whole nature of this thread).;)
Click to expand...
Thanks squeakr, I am not so much fixated on any benchmarks, etc. I don't need to :D My focus is sort of objective - reliability and convenience, if the unit gets too hot it may shorten the components lifespan. Similarly, fan noise - I don't want to wear anti noise headphones when doing my work. I have had a (Windows) notebook that would get super hot and extremely loud. It died very quickly.

Sounds like these are not major issues with the 2011 units - I basically have to now decide which to buy/keep :D ;) Thanks again!
 
Last edited:
After a million indecisions, ordered a new 2.2 17" 2011 MBP, antiglare, 500 GB 7200 RPM kind. Hopefully this one will last for a while :D

Thank you folks for your help and feedback ;) :)
 
Last edited:
anonymouse99 said:
After a million indecisions, ordered a new 17" 2010 MBP, antiglare, 500 GB 7200 RPM kind. Hopefully this one will last for a while :D

Thank you folks for your help and feedback ;) :)
Click to expand...

Cool. Congrats on your purchase. You'll definitely love your new MBP. :)
 
I ended up getting a 2.3 17" with stock hard drive from my local Apple store - what an amazing piece of hardware.

I am glad I went with a 17" as I need all the real estate I can get without hooking up an external monitor. The AG option is also amazing - especially since I work with my screen facing my room window!

It is not that heavy - I am used to a 14" Lenovo, with an extended 9 hour battery, it feels no heavier than that! Strangely, it feels somewhat lighter than an old, broken PowerBook G4 15 which I received recently.

I have not done anything extensive, other than configure it and surf a bit, but it appears to run silent and does not seem to be heating a whole lot. I did not see a cable to hookup an external DVI monitor, I'll need to check if it should come with one.

Overall - so far so good. If you're deciding between a 15 and 17, try it out in your local store first before buying, I'm glad I did.
 
anonymouse99 said:
I did not see a cable to hookup an external DVI monitor, I'll need to check if it should come with one.
Click to expand...

Cables to hook up the MBP to an external monitor are not included. :( I guess Apple is just too "cheap" to be able to provide a set of free cables. :p
 
Interesting! Now, I did notice that they provide one with a $700 Mac Mini. It would seem that a DVI cable would be a standard accessory with all Macbook Pros.

Go figure :D
 
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