Should I upgrade my MBP?

[ChipRivers]

I have a Late 2011 model 13" MBP with 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 processor, and upgraded to 16GB RAM shortly after I purchased it from new.

I love my MBP but it has started to slow up over the past year or two and I have considered upgrading to a newer model several times. However when I have looked at the options, anything with a similar minimum spec as what I already have is a lot more expensive than I paid before, or what I can really justify paying now.

So should I upgrade to a newer model? Is it worth the money?

If I buy a new MBP with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB RAM starting now at £1899.00, what am I getting that I haven't already got? Is a current i7 processor the same as my 2011 i7 processor? I assume if it was a newer faster upgraded processor, it wouldn't be called an i7?

Would I be better of peforming a full factory reset on my existing machine? Am I likely to see any improvement in performance? This is what I used to do in my Windows days on a regular basis, but have never felt that it was needed by my MBP.

 

[robvas]

A new MacBook Pro will have:
Faster CPU
Much faster graphics
Much better battery life
Much better screen
Faster SSD and RAM
Better wifi and features like Airplay/Quicksync
Thinner+lighter


I would add an SSD to your system if you haven't already. Huge upgrade for $100-$150.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Ok, we have the same system. Mine is a hand me down from my son in college and my first Mac. I used to build my own PC's and tweak the crap out of them. I had my head in the case more than in front of the screen lol. I have a hardware upgrade problem.

Anyhow, he pleaded with me to buy him a new MBP. Said his (mine now) didn't hold a charge and it was REALLY slow. I gave in and said fine but I will take your old MBP.

I did not wipe it clean when I got it, I just manually cleaned it up and configured it for me. The battery was depleting quickly and it did seem slow to launch apps and to multi-task. At the time it had 4GB of RAM and a 250gb 5200 RPM HDD.

This was the fall of 2016. I bought a 6000 mAh replacement battery on Amazon for $47. It helped and is much better but I don't really do much battery management tweaks. I keep the screen bright and I have everything (wifi, BT, etc.) turned on. Then when I upgraded to Sierra launching Apps and multi-tasking got unbearably slow. I popped in two new sticks (16GB) of RAM ($77 Amazon) and it solved that. Then about a week later I popped in an 525GB SSD drive ($120 Amazon) and it was like a brand new machine. Absolutely NO bouncing App icons when launching. Microsoft Office apps launch instantly.

I have played with the new MBP's in the Apple Store's a zillion times (to my girlfriends dismay!) trying to see if they are faster than mine. I can not notice a discernible difference doing normal everyday stuff (surfing, photos, Office, iTunes).

I am proud that for $250 I have a MBP on par with a $2700 new model. What you should consider are the things it doesn't have and whether you can live with it. I certainly can.

As noted by Rob:

- No Retina display
- larger unibody form factor
- battery life is better with new models

I am not sure the faster CPU of the new models is a material difference for common everyday apps. CPU's have gotten to the point where they really don't show their stuff unless you are running CPU intensive crushing applications. Better wifi is debatable as you are still a slave to the connection. Airplay works fine for me when I actually use it from my MBP. I tend to stream stuff from my iPhone 7.

Also, I have an i5 and you have an i7 so you should be even better off. Definitely pop in an SDD. They are more expensive at the moment though ($170 for mine). If you aren't happy, you could pop the drive in a USB enclosure and have a nice speedy external.

 

[snaky69]

Buy a SSD, it'll feel like a brand new machine.

i7 is just a name, we're on the 6th or 7th generation of it. Current i7's are faster per clock cycle than what you have.

Whether that'd benefit you is hard to say, since you do not list a typical usage scenario.

 

[MacInTO]

Buy a SSD, it'll feel like a brand new machine.

i7 is just a name, we're on the 6th or 7th generation of it. Current i7's are faster per clock cycle than what you have.

Whether that'd benefit you is hard to say, since you do not list a typical usage scenario.

+1