Newer 15" MBP 15" vs. Older 15" MBP with Anti-glare Screen

[Shotgun OS]

Hi, I'm looking to upgrade to a new Macbook Pro for my senior year at college. I have a Core 2 Duo Blackbook that is in dire need of replacement because it's just not cutting it anymore.

I have narrowed my decision down to two 15" computers:

1) A current 15" base model for 1700$ with education discount and
2) A February 2011 refurb with a high-res antiglare screen for 1679$

The specs on these two are very similar, except the current base model has USB 3.0 and the Intel HD 4000/Nvidia GF GT 650 combo, compared to that of the refurb without USB 3.0 and Intel HD 3000/Radeon HD 6750M, but which has the higher res antiglare screen.

My main question is, realistically, will there be a notable difference between the 4000/Nvidia versus the 3000/Radeon?

I'm a graphic designer and plan on doing more intense video editing. My basic use is to have usually no less than 7 apps running, with several of those being Adobe Suite apps. Will the 4000 combo offer noticeable performance increase over the other?

The 1700$ would seem like a no brainer because its the newest model for roughly the same price with newer 3.0 USB tech (plus a 100$ giftcard for student purchase), but I really think the antiglare 1680 x 1050 resolution would be greatly appreciated. I dislike glossy screens and don't find them as accurate for color matching, which I need in design.

So, is there notable difference between the graphics? I plan to have this computer for the next 4-6 years, and I know USB 3.0 will become standard, so which would you choose and why?

 

[biggles3500]

Try and save up the extra $90 and get a new machine with the hi res antiglare and upgraded graphics, considering your going to use it for up to 6 years.

 

[jg321]

Try and save up the extra $90 and get a new machine with the hi res antiglare and upgraded graphics, considering your going to use it for up to 6 years.

This. These things last forever, and if you don't want the hassle of selling it, you're gonna be stuck with it for a while, so spend the extra cash and get the best you can afford.

 

[thekev]

I'm a graphic designer and plan on doing more intense video editing. My basic use is to have usually no less than 7 apps running, with several of those being Adobe Suite apps. Will the 4000 combo offer noticeable performance increase over the other?

The number of apps it can run is more affected by ram. I would personally max that out at 16GB. Just make sure you test it first if you're buying third party ram. Adobe Suite is mixed. Photoshop technically benefits from the gpu, but in practice not so much. Illustrator, indesign, meaningless. Premiere can leverage CUDA to accelerate playback. After Effects uses CUDA to accelerate the raytracer that was added in CS6. CUDA is unavailable with the AMD card. The 2012 also has usb3, which I think is worth noting. It would make a difference with external drives of sufficient speed.

I have a 2011 model. I wouldn't necessarily get rid of it for a 2012, but if I was buying today, it would definitely be a 2012. Glare can be annoying and distracting considering your uses. The rMBP has a very nice display if ambient lighting is very well controlled. It's not of the same quality as some of the higher end desktop displays, but it's one of the nicest I've seen in a notebook. I'm not commenting on resolution, just color reproduction and viewing angles. Otherwise an antiglare version is a good idea. The glare can be annoying either way, but the cMBP is much more irritating in that regard. View them in the Apple Store prior to purchase and you'll see my point. You have to picture yourself trying to edit video on that.

Also quite a lot can change in 4+ years.

 

[Shotgun OS]

The number of apps it can run is more affected by ram. I would personally max that out at 16GB. Just make sure you test it first if you're buying third party ram. Adobe Suite is mixed. Photoshop technically benefits from the gpu, but in practice not so much. Illustrator, indesign, meaningless. Premiere can leverage CUDA to accelerate playback. After Effects uses CUDA to accelerate the raytracer that was added in CS6. CUDA is unavailable with the AMD card. The 2012 also has usb3, which I think is worth noting. It would make a difference with external drives of sufficient speed.

I have a 2011 model. I wouldn't necessarily get rid of it for a 2012, but if I was buying today, it would definitely be a 2012. Glare can be annoying and distracting considering your uses. The rMBP has a very nice display if ambient lighting is very well controlled. It's not of the same quality as some of the higher end desktop displays, but it's one of the nicest I've seen in a notebook. I'm not commenting on resolution, just color reproduction and viewing angles. Otherwise an antiglare version is a good idea. The glare can be annoying either way, but the cMBP is much more irritating in that regard. View them in the Apple Store prior to purchase and you'll see my point. You have to picture yourself trying to edit video on that.

Also quite a lot can change in 4+ years.

I ended up getting the newest (non-retina) MBP with the hi-res anti-glare screen. Still running on stock RAM but I haven't hit many hiccups so I'm waiting on it for awhile.

Also, this thread is nearly a year old. I bought it back in August.

 

[thekev]

I ended up getting the newest (non-retina) MBP with the hi-res anti-glare screen. Still running on stock RAM but I haven't hit many hiccups so I'm waiting on it for awhile.

Also, this thread is nearly a year old. I bought it back in August.

Oh I missed the date on the OP. Spambots probably necroed it, as there are genuine posts from yesterday. I'm glad it's working out well.

 

[jg321]

Also, this thread is nearly a year old. I bought it back in August.

Good job you followed our advice!