Purchasing a 2012 rMBP - any must do’s?

[Dylan33x]

Hi there, I’m purchasing a 2012 15” rMBP from a coworker today. I know this is a very old model, and I’ve done my research to be sure I want to make this purchase.
I plan on running Mojave on it, and I’m pretty cemented in that choice. Other than opening the back and cleaning out the dust, are there any Must-do things anyone could recommend? In general with buying a used MacBook, or with purchasing one this old. All answers welcome, thanks!

 

[Expos of 1969]

Cross your fingers and toes, light a candle at church and have a plan B

 

[Apple_Robert]

Definitely take a look at the battery and make sure there is no sign of swelling, especially if it is the original battery.

 

[elbowrm]

I'd recommend getting a larger/faster SSD. You could leave the existing SSD as-is and remove it to have as a fallback, and install Mojave on the larger/faster replacement SSD. Here's one source of compatible SSDs (I have no affiliation with MacSales):

Internal Drive Options for MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2012)

Easily find compatible Internal Drive Options for MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2012).

eshop.macsales.com

 

[KaliYoni]

The earlier posters have given good advice. You also could also search around the Web to see if anybody with that model MBP has refreshed the thermal paste on the circuit boards (and to get a sense for how comfortable you would be doing that work).

 

[elbowrm]

also, if you are unable to download the correct Mojave installer from the Mac App Store, do a google search for "macOS Mojave Patcher Tool", it's an easy way to create a bootable USB installer. You'll need a USB flash drive that's at least 16GB in size.

 

[Blowback]

Hi there, I’m purchasing a 2012 15” rMBP from a coworker today. I know this is a very old model, and I’ve done my research to be sure I want to make this purchase.
I plan on running Mojave on it, and I’m pretty cemented in that choice. Other than opening the back and cleaning out the dust, are there any Must-do things anyone could recommend? In general with buying a used MacBook, or with purchasing one this old. All answers welcome, thanks!

Hope the coworker is a friend....

 

[subjonas]

It may encourage you that I’m still using my 2012 rMBP and I’m amazed at how great the performance is. It seriously still runs like it did the day it was new. But it may be due to how I use it. I’ve basically only used it for my work applications—a couple somewhat graphics heavy programs. Very little personal use. And there are periods of time that I barely used it since I sometimes use my workplace’s computer equipment. Also I didn’t load a ton of software on it or update it much. I kept it on Mavericks for most of its life because it was so rock solid. I lost out on some nice features like Airdrop with my iOS devices, but the dependability was worth it. Somewhat recently though I had to update to Sierra for compatibility with some work related hardware. It's still solid except that waking up from sleep takes longer, which used to be instant on Mavericks. Also right before it became obsolete, I had the battery replaced. It greatly improved battery life, but I mostly keep the MBP plugged into power anyway. I would keep using this machine indefinitely (for work), but I kind of want to start using multiple external 4K+ displays which it cannot handle. Also my work software will eventually not be supported on it. (Although, I don’t think my work software will be supported natively on Apple Silicon soon either, so I’m in a potentially non-optimal position.)
But it sounds like you thought through the compatibility issues already. As long as you’re sure you can get good use out of it for a good while, and you’re getting a good price, then I’d say go for it. Hopefully, your coworker took decent care of it. Like others said, I’d just make sure the original battery was or will be replaced. I’ve never done any other maintenance on mine (although when Apple replaces the battery, they also replace the top case/keyboard).