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Refurb Macbook Pro. Nvidia Vs ATI

F

FederalBmx

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 26, 2008
45
0
Hey, ive posted here before and you guys were a great help in my macbook vs mbp debacle. well im buying a refurb macbook pro and i was wondering which one is better? does the proc speed jump improve performance that much?

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
15.4-inch glossy widescreen display
2GB memory
120GB hard drive
6x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight camera


Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display
2GB memory
160GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera

my main concern is the graphics card difference. I do plan to use windows sometimes on my mac for work (CAD/CAM stuff). Is there a big difference in graphic card capabilites/specifications?

Not sure where i got this info but remember reading the hdd is nonuser changeable. Will i be able to buy a big hdd for the macbook pro to upgrade? If so what is the maximum hdd size i can put in?

Thanks in advance for all your guys help!
 
The Nvidia GPU is definitely better than the X1600.
You likely won't notice the slight difference in the processor (2.33 vs. 2.4). The 2.4 model will address 4GB of RAM, the 2.33 model a max of 3.3GB of RAM. You'd likely notice the RAM difference over the processor specs.

The MBP HDD is not considered as user-replaceable by Apple. Some people here say it will kill your warranty. Others suggest that as long as you're careful, your warranty will be fine. In other words, HDD replacement is up to you.

I can't remember the refurb prices off the top of my head, but the price difference between those models is, what, $100? If it were me, I'd go for the 2.4. The extra HD space, slight processor increase, SR platform, and better GPU are worth it.
 
so if i put a new big hdd in would it void the warranty? could i go to an apple store and have them do it to stay in warranty? one reason i want a mac is ive heard good things about the warranties and such.
 
HD replacement in these 'books is not difficult if you have a steady hand and can follow these detailed instructions. At least, it's nowhere near as hard as it was with the 15" TiBooks (2001 or so).

If you think you'd have trouble with the following instructions, then take it to an apple authorized service center.

http://www.richardsnotes.org/archives/2006/12/26/macbook-pro-hard-disk-replacement/

As for warranty, here is the official word from Apple.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=13946

In short, as long as you don't mess anything up, it will not void your warranty. If you break something and it can later be traced to your hard drive installation, it will void your warranty.
 
thanks guys. once again this site has been a good source of friendly help and advice!
 
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