I'm buying a 15" MBP with hi-res screen for my son for his graphic design studies. A refurbished Oct 2011 model (2.5GHz Quad-core Intel i7) costs $1829. A new one will cost $260 more (after the student discount and $100 gift card you get with purchase of AppleCare on a new MBP). I wonder if it's worth it to buy new? I understand the difference will be a significant difference in power and speed that will really be helpful for design applications? Seems like it's not that big a price break on the refurb, though it would be nice to save what I can, I'm wondering if buying new will make up for the price difference not just in performance but in longevity?
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refurb or new MBP?
- Thread starter barigood
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I got a late 2011, 2.2 quad core and 6750m(512vram). Never been happier. The only thing that's missing is the usb3.
Thanks! Here's what I know about the refurb followed by specs for the new one (most of which is gibberish to me!):
Processor
2.5 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
Cache
6MB shared L3 cache
Memory
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory 1and AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Hard disk drive2
750GB Serial ATA @5400 rpm
Optical drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Wireless
Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)3 Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology
Expansion
One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio
FaceTime HD camera; Thunderbolt port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI (requires adapters, sold separately)
Stereo speakers with subwoofers, omnidirectional microphone, audio line in minijack (digital/analog), audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog)
NEW:
2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Thanks VERY much!
Processor
2.5 GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7
Cache
6MB shared L3 cache
Memory
4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; supports up to 8GB
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory 1and AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Hard disk drive2
750GB Serial ATA @5400 rpm
Optical drive
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Wireless
Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n specification)3 Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology
Expansion
One Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), one FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps), one SDXC card slot
Video and Audio
FaceTime HD camera; Thunderbolt port with support for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI (requires adapters, sold separately)
Stereo speakers with subwoofers, omnidirectional microphone, audio line in minijack (digital/analog), audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog)
NEW:
2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Thanks VERY much!
Also... I realized that I had only my son's word for what is "required" for graphic design applications so I emailed his advisor to ask about minimum requirements. If I can go with a less powerful refurb and save 30-50% then that will definitely be worth my while. As it stands, the refurb I'm considering is only about a 15% savings, so that's why I'm on the fence about it. If anyone reading this is a graphic designer or knows about the demands of design programs, I'd love your opinion on this! Thanks again...