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Sold MBA: New rMBP or upgrade 2010 MBP?

M

MSFT

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 14, 2013
63
1
I just got a replacement 2015 MBA 13 (1.6/4/128) after my old one required three logic board replacements in 3 months (!!). Since it is brand new and there are better values out there, I decided to sell it for what I can buy a refurb rMBP 2.4/4/128 for.

But now that I think of it, I also have the option to take my brother's old 2010 MBP 13 (2.4?/4/256 HDD, just had the battery replaced) and upgrade it. Would this be worth upgrading to, say, 8GB RAM and an SSD? I'm a fairly low-density user (think non-art student stuff) and the base MBA has suited me so far. Of course, I would lose out on the retina display, 9+ hour battery life, and USB 3.0, but how would the processor hold up in a few years?

Is it worth the ~$450 upgrade or should I go for the rMBP?
 
Forget the 2010 MBP and the refurb rMBP and get the new 2015 base rMBP. It's $1300 and you can get a 10% off with a mover's coupon from Best Buy. Double the RAM and double the SSD speed of the refurbed 2013 rMBP.
 
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think ~$1200 is more than I want to spend on a laptop right now.

Does anyone still use an upgraded 2010 MBP? How are they doing?
 
I've upgraded my 2010 MBP with 8GB of memory and a 250GB Samsung 840 SSD. It is lickety-split for my purposes (writing, reference libraries, browsing, media, light photo editing - even VMs). For an investment of about AU$170, I'll eke out at least a few more years from this bad boy.

Yosemite admittedly wasn't optimised for the setup (I downgraded to Mavericks very quickly), but this was the case amongst many newer retina models as well. El Cap appears to have righted the ship. Very much looking forward to the final release.
 
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How are you figuring $450 - do you plan on throwing a high capacity SSD in there?

8 GB RAM is about $45-$55 for that model and a standard 256GB SSD will run you about $100 or less. You could end up paying less than $150 to breathe a solid amount of life into it. I have the same model with the RAM and HDD replaced and it's quite speedy even on the Core 2 Duo.

If you need storage, keep in mind you can use a second drive in the optical bay via an adapter kit if you don't care for the optical drive. You can spend another $50-$75 on a mid/high capacity mechanical drive, and $10 for the adapter if you want more internal storage and still be way under your original estimate.
 
Dark Void said:
How are you figuring $450 - do you plan on throwing a high capacity SSD in there?

8 GB RAM is about $45-$55 for that model and a standard 256GB SSD will run you about $100 or less. You could end up paying less than $150 to breathe a solid amount of life into it. I have the same model with the RAM and HDD replaced and it's quite speedy even on the Core 2 Duo.

If you need storage, keep in mind you can use a second drive in the optical bay via an adapter kit if you don't care for the optical drive. You can spend another $50-$75 on a mid/high capacity mechanical drive, and $10 for the adapter if you want more internal storage and still be way under your original estimate.
Click to expand...
How did you find Yosemite on your rig (seemingly identical to mine)?
 
Rusty33 said:
How did you find Yosemite on your rig (seemingly identical to mine)?
Click to expand...

It ran okay, but I don't like Yosemite that much. I find it to be alright. I only run it on my other computers because they shipped with OS versions that I dislike more than it, and I couldn't go backwards.

I love Snow Leopard, and I think it is amazing. I still run it on my 2010 MacBook Pro. It basically does everything instantaneously even with the Core 2 Duo and third party SATA drive running via rev2.
 
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Dark Void said:
It ran okay, but I don't like Yosemite that much. I find it to be alright. I only run it on my other computers because they shipped with OS versions that I dislike more than it, and I couldn't go backwards.

I love Snow Leopard, and I think it is amazing. I still run it on my 2010 MacBook Pro. It basically does everything instantaneously even with the Core 2 Duo and third party SATA drive running via rev2.
Click to expand...

Snow Leopard certainly was king - but I must say that Mavericks is no slouch on this machine by any means...with the added benefit of all the iCloud hoo-ha taboot!
 
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I don't think the integrated graphics in the core duo series MBP is that great. I don't think they can even play 1080P video without stuttering. I could be wrong though. Plus the screen is not sharp. I'm on a 2011 MBP with the same 720P screen as the 2010. When I watch some HD video I see artifact sometimes probably due to trying to fit 1920x1080 pixels into 1280x800 pixels. When you go from a higher res screen to the 1280x800 MBP you definitely see the difference but when you're back on the MBP long enough you again become used to it. I'd definitely get the rMBP for the sharper screen.
 
If a rMBP isn't an option because of cost, just keep the MBA. It's light years better than the 2010 you're considering.
 
MSFT said:
Thanks for the suggestion, but I think ~$1200 is more than I want to spend on a laptop right now.
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Didn't you just sell the Air that Apple gave you?
So you have $800-900 from its sale. Add another $400 from your pocket and you have yourself a nice machine with a high quality screen which your eyes will thank you for. ;)
 
Rusty33 said:
Snow Leopard certainly was king - but I must say that Mavericks is no slouch on this machine by any means...with the added benefit of all the iCloud hoo-ha taboot!
Click to expand...

I have tried Mavericks, but I don't quite like it. They all offer updated features that I could care less about following Snow Leopard, with only a couple that are worthwhile. Just a preference. :)
 
z31fanatic said:
Didn't you just sell the Air that Apple gave you?
So you have $800-900 from its sale. Add another $400 from your pocket and you have yourself a nice machine with a high quality screen which your eyes will thank you for. ;)
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I did just sell the Air, but I can think of many better things to use that money for. I know it's unpopular on an enthusiast board like MacRumors, but it'll be more fun watching a $1000 investment grow from my $300 computer. :) When the time comes--hopefully in a couple of years--I'll pick up Apple's newest Mac and go from there.

I really am a low-resource user. Most of what I do on my personal computer is on Safari, Airmail, iWork, and Office. A souped up 2010 MBP should be just fine.

Dark Void said:
How are you figuring $450 - do you plan on throwing a high capacity SSD in there?
Click to expand...

I"m going to give my brother a couple hundred for the MBP. He took VERY good care of it. Before Applecare expired he had the HDD and battery replaced. The whole thing with upgrades should be about $350-450, depending on if I do the DVD drive, dual SSD "hack".
 
MSFT said:
I"m going to give my brother a couple hundred for the MBP. He took VERY good care of it. Before Applecare expired he had the HDD and battery replaced. The whole thing with upgrades should be about $350-450, depending on if I do the DVD drive, dual SSD "hack".
Click to expand...

Fair enough, if you can lean more towards the $350 and the machine handles your needs I would say that it is better than spending all of what you have on a refurb.
 
Also, Dark Void, where do you find the optical adapter for $10?
 
MSFT said:
Also, Dark Void, where do you find the optical adapter for $10?
Click to expand...

Amazon has it. I forget the brand, but its a top reviewed model. There are more expensive ones like the OWC Data Doubler but I'd just go for the cheaper one.
 
T5BRICK said:
To be totally honest, the Core2Duo processor in the 2010 13" models is a turd.

I'd keep the 2015 MacBook Air, but that's just me.
Click to expand...

+1 for keeping the MBA. The MBA will be light years ahead of the 2010, regardless of RAM and SSD upgrades.
 
Well, I decided the luxury of the rMBP wasn't worth the extra money. I got the 2010 MBP and did all the upgrades, cleaned it out, and now it runs like new. Total cost was about $350. I don't think I even needed to upgrade from 4-8GB RAM. It runs like a top now. Perfect for what I use it for. Thanks for all the advice.

The difference between the 2010 MBP and the refurb rMBP now sits in shares of the ARK Web x.0 ETF (ARKW). How apropos! ;):apple:
 
MSFT said:
Well, I decided the luxury of the rMBP wasn't worth the extra money. I got the 2010 MBP and did all the upgrades, cleaned it out, and now it runs like new. Total cost was about $350. I don't think I even needed to upgrade from 4-8GB RAM. It runs like a top now. Perfect for what I use it for. Thanks for all the advice.

The difference between the 2010 MBP and the refurb rMBP now sits in shares of the ARK Web x.0 ETF (ARKW). How apropos! ;):apple:
Click to expand...
Congrats mate - you'll be enjoying your 2010 for a few years yet I suspect!
 
MSFT said:
I did just sell the Air, but I can think of many better things to use that money for. I know it's unpopular on an enthusiast board like MacRumors, but it'll be more fun watching a $1000 investment grow from my $300 computer. :) When the time comes--hopefully in a couple of years--I'll pick up Apple's newest Mac and go from there.

I really am a low-resource user. Most of what I do on my personal computer is on Safari, Airmail, iWork, and Office. A souped up 2010 MBP should be just fine.



I"m going to give my brother a couple hundred for the MBP. He took VERY good care of it. Before Applecare expired he had the HDD and battery replaced. The whole thing with upgrades should be about $350-450, depending on if I do the DVD drive, dual SSD "hack".
Click to expand...

I realize this is an ancient thread but I was just gifted a 2010 13" MacBookPro and curious about your experience. I'm considering a 1TB SDD and adding 4GB RAM (for 8GB total) for $319. I am somewhat of a power user but have an iMac for the hardcore use. This would be just to give me location independence ; )
 
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