rMBP Late 2013 to 2017 rMBP

[Kovahk]

Hi !

I'm currently sitting on late 2013 rMBP, maxed out (2,6 Ghz, 16GB, 1TB SSD), and generally, the computer is still OK, but I feel like 4 years is enough. I am using it daily, sometimes including weekends, around 8-12 hours (yes, owning a company is a b***). Battery is week, around 75% now.

Workload itself is not big, I'm handling big excel files + emails, sometimes gaming (well, not that much, since 750m is outdated). What I need to add is that I travel a lot, 2 times per week @Airplane and battery life + weight is an important factor for me.

Do you think it's worthwhile to change to maxed out 2017 and stick with it for next 4 years, or just forget the gorgeous design and use what I have now ? If I switch, I will definitely be wanting to use eGPU, as I have a GTX1080 somewhere around that's not used (and selling my Alienware R4 17).

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

Get your battery replaced and save the money till you need a new computer. If your current one is 'OK', you won't notice any perceivable speed increase in a new one, you would notice a large dip in your bank account however.

Sounds like you're just bored of your current machine and contemplating getting something new? Nothing wrong with that per se, but you'll be debating for hours going around in circles on threads, being really indecisive; as you don't actually need a new one...

Then 2 years could go by and you discover that it's super important to be portable and not carry around an eGPU, and Apple release a newer model with a suitable GPU for you, and you're kicking yourself you upgraded now and didn't wait.

That's my unbiased advice anyway. Otherwise if you want a new one, then go buy it. Only you can determine if it's a worthwhile purchase after all.

 

[Kovahk]

Get your battery replaced and save the money till you need a new computer. If your current one is 'OK', you won't notice any perceivable speed increase in a new one, you would notice a large dip in your bank account however.

Sounds like you're just bored of your current machine and contemplating getting something new? Nothing wrong with that per se, but you'll be debating for hours going around in circles on threads, being really indecisive; as you don't actually need a new one...

Then 2 years could go by and you discover that it's super important to be portable and not carry around an eGPU, and Apple release a newer model with a suitable GPU for you, and you're kicking yourself you upgraded now and didn't wait.

That's my unbiased advice anyway. Otherwise if you want a new one, then go buy it. Only you can determine if it's a worthwhile purchase after all.

You're probably right. Thing is, that if I would *really* need a new one, I wouldn't probably even bother with posting a thread about it

 

[ElderBrE]

I'm in the same exact situation as you, but with the added that I took it to Apple for a screen repair (staingate) and they ended up replacing the battery and keyboard part... SSD is at 93% life, geek bench scored seem to say new CPUs aren't really much faster... so basically, it would be to upgrade to have a few nice new things but nothing major and I'm pretty much sitting on a new computer (from 2013).

I decided to keep it until there's a worthwhile upgrade as this one will pretty much do what a new one would. Maybe in two years, when the eGPU things have taken off, or whatever.

 

[benboy12]

Hi !

I'm currently sitting on late 2013 rMBP, maxed out (2,6 Ghz, 16GB, 1TB SSD), and generally, the computer is still OK, but I feel like 4 years is enough. I am using it daily, sometimes including weekends, around 8-12 hours (yes, owning a company is a b***). Battery is week, around 75% now.

Workload itself is not big, I'm handling big excel files + emails, sometimes gaming (well, not that much, since 750m is outdated). What I need to add is that I travel a lot, 2 times per week @Airplane and battery life + weight is an important factor for me.

Do you think it's worthwhile to change to maxed out 2017 and stick with it for next 4 years, or just forget the gorgeous design and use what I have now ? If I switch, I will definitely be wanting to use eGPU, as I have a GTX1080 somewhere around that's not used (and selling my Alienware R4 17).

I was in the same situation you are in except my late 2013 model wasn't maxed out and I don't game on mine. I was getting to a point where my battery would be almost maxed when I went to bed, and if I didn't put it on the charger that night, it would be at 50% the next morning. I wasn't noticing a ton of slow downs, but I would occasionally experience some instances where it seems like it would freeze up. I think the financially responsible decision would have been to spend the $200 for a new battery and carry on. However, I didn't want to spend the money on an aging MacBook, and I enjoy new tech, so I decided to take the plunge and order a 2017 TB 13 inch MBP. Also, while no one can predict the future, it seems like we will only see marginal updates to the line for the next couple of years (I think people are estimated that Cannonlake would be available for MBPs sometime in 2019). My plan is to trade in my old MBP at Best Buy to go towards some external monitors, keyboard, etc.

I received my new MBP pro yesterday. I will say that even though on paper the size differences seem marginal, it feels quite a bit smaller and lighter in my hand and in my lap. I feel like this will be much easier to use during travel (I travel a handful of times a year for work and pleasure). I actually like the new keyboard a lot. Performance wise, I ended up doubling the amount of RAM I had previously, and my processor has a 25-30% higher clock speed. Whether or not I will see real world gains remains to be seen. However, I like the fact that I have a brand new MBP pro that is quick and I know will last me for the next 4+ years. Also, I receive a discount through the company I work for, which helped offset the cost a little bit.

I think a lot of it depends on your financial situation. If you have the disposable income and want a new MBP, I don't think you would regret making the purchase. However, if you are in a situation where you really need or want to watch what you spend, I bet you would be fine for the next couple of years with a new battery.