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Thinking of returning my custom 2011 13' MBP for a 15 MBP, advice?

K

ktr29

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 17, 2011
2
0
Hi everyone, I very recently received my custom MBP 13' inch in the mail, and while it is magnificent, I'm underwhelmed with certain areas, and thus have been feeling a little regretful.

My main concern is the size, I am a first time mac user, coming from a 27' inch HP desktop, so the 13' inch MBP is a huge adjustment to say the least and I'm feeling, as I said, a bit disappointed with it. To me, while yes, it certainly has the beautiful features and characteristics of a MPB, it just doesn't have the MBP "feel" to me, as I guess when I tend to invision a MBP I picture the 15' and 17' inch in all their grandiose. The 13' inch just seems and feels like a MBP netbook to me.

Therfor, as I said in the title, I'm thinking of exchanging my 13' inch for a 15' inch, but I could really use some help regarding upgrades as if I do end up exchanging it I want to make sure I'm getting the best investment my money can buy while still serving my purpose. I'm a student and also use my computer for general web things, music, videos, etc. but I spend alot of time on it and really want something solid and long lasting. My spending limit is at the absolute MOST $2600 not including the applecare plan which I'll purchase before the 1 year warranty expires. Naturally I would prefer to keep the lowest cost possible but I want to make sure I'm getting the best for what I need.

Okay, now to finally get down to it, the 15' upgrades: (Again I'm a student, who uses my computer frequently for school as well as leisure)


2.0 GHZ vs. 2.2 GHZ

4 GB vs. 8 GB memory

500GB @ 7200 rpm vs. 750GB @ 5400 rpm vs. 128 GB SSD


Any and all advice is appreciated and welcomed! Thanks soo much!
 
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Do you game much? If so, I recommend the 2.2GHz option not for the CPU speed, but for the better GPU.

Not sure where you got the RAM numbers from, but the options are 4 or 8GB. Definitely go with 4GB. It sounds like you have pretty general uses, so no need for more.

If you get the 2.2 option, I'd go with the 500GB 7200 RPM drive. If you intend to store much of anything, the SSD would get cramped in a hurry. The 7200 RPM drive offers you plenty of space at reasonable speeds.

You can also swap out the RAM and hard drive later if you want.
 
ktr29 said:
2.0 GHZ vs. 2.2 GHZ
Click to expand...
2.0GHz, the extra 200MHz are not really noticeable, unless you want and need the better GPU.

400 GB vs. 800 GB memory
Click to expand...
They only offer 4GB or 8GB as of now. Go with 4GB and use MacSales or Newegg to buy 8GB of RAM for less money.

500GB @ 7200 rpm vs. 750GB @ 5400 rpm vs. 128 GB SSD
Click to expand...
500GB HDD, and if you want to go SSD, also take a look at MacSales or Newegg, as it is cheaper to do it that way.

RAM and HDD/SSD are easily replaceable.
 
alust2013 said:
Do you game much? If so, I recommend the 2.2GHz option not for the CPU speed, but for the better GPU.

Not sure where you got the RAM numbers from, but the options are 4 or 8GB. Definitely go with 4GB. It sounds like you have pretty general uses, so no need for more.

If you get the 2.2 option, I'd go with the 500GB 7200 RPM drive. If you intend to store much of anything, the SSD would get cramped in a hurry. The 7200 RPM drive offers you plenty of space at reasonable speeds.

You can also swap out the RAM and hard drive later if you want.
Click to expand...


Thanks so much for the very fast and thorough reply!

I'm over here laughing at myself (if that proves how tired I am and therefor further excuses my error lol) but yes the 400 GB vs. 800 GB was most definitely a mistake of the fingers/mind! Lol!

I do not game whatsoever, so I will keep that in mind, and also so very true, I can switch out the hard drive if need be. I really do appretiate it though, this is my first experience w/ mac and I just keep getting worried that I'm doing something wrong w/ the upgrades etc.

Also, yes I do not quite understand the SSD hard drive just observed several people here have it and seem to portray it as superior so I was thinking even with the lesser GB's it must surpass the other drives in some shape or form. Glad to know otherwise as that will save me quite a bit!

Thanks, and again, sorry for my little "error" :)!!
 
I have the 2.3 and it's sweet. You don't game much so I would just go for the 2.0 probably. I'm also a student and this computer doesn't feel big at all! i carry it in my bag every single day and it's been great actually. battery is good and it's just perfect imo
 
BTO machines CAN be returned, I'm really impressed with Apple support. They told me I could test out the 15" base model with the BTO high-res for 15 days without a restocking fee. They were really nice on the phone. They've let me return a couple of BTO machines without hassel. They've even let me exchange it for a higher end model.

Back on subject:


I had the 13" MacBook Air and even though it doesn't have high specs, the ssd made it feel like the fastest computer I've ever used, even under Windows 7.

I had previously I ordered the 2.0 GHz 15" with the 6490 graphics card and compared it to the 2010 2.4GHz i5 with the 330m 256mb card...

In 3DMark tests (gaming), both computers scored within a few points of each other (3DMark03, 3DMark06, 3DMark Vantage). Both screens were the high-res screens (which I would highly recommend), and my 2010 booted just as fast as the MacBook Air, but did feel slower at opening applications.

So I returned the Air and the 15" 2.0 and ordered the following:

2.2GHz MacBook Pro 15"
4GB RAM
128GB SSD
High-Res Glossy Display

And with a student discount, came up to about $2250 (taxes in different areas may varry).

I didn't go for the 2.3GHz processor since there wouldn't be a huge improvement over the 2.2GHz (though the 2.2GHz processor does show a great improvement from the 2.0GHz processor). I went with 4GB of RAM because it's less expensive to order from newegg ($82 for 8GB).

I went with the high-res screen because once you go high-res, you'll never go back, unless it causes strain on your eyes, but I've not had a problem since the screens are really nice. I went with glossy because the anti-glare screens makes the computer seem old and dated to me, probably because I've repaired more than 1000 laptops in my time and the glossy ones always seemed newer to me.

I also decided to go with the 128GB SSD since it's only a $90 upgrade with a student discount on the higher end 15" macbook pro. I'll purchase an optical bay in the future for more sotrage, but for now I gotta say:



Wow, just freeking wow! The is the fastest machine I have EVER used, and I build computers for people. 3DMARK tests under Windows are double the score of the base 2011 15" MacBook Pro; and with the 128 SSD, it just flies!

I am thouroughly impressed and am glad I went with my options. I hope this helps you decide on your settup.

Edit: As an extra option, if you do decide to go for the 2.0, you might as well just go for the Late 2010 15" MacBook Pro, they're about $1300 or less on ebay right now in excellent condition and will give you excellent performance, then you could buy a SSD disc and have a really fast computer.
The only reason I updated to the newest one is because I'm an Apple Fan Boy and have to have the latest and greatest.
 
Last edited:
dgitalchaos said:
BTO machines CAN be returned, I'm really impressed with Apple support. They told me I could test out the 15" base model with the BTO high-res for 15 days without a restocking fee. They were really nice on the phone. They've let me return a couple of BTO machines without hassel. They've even let me exchange it for a higher end model.

Back on subject:


I had the 13" MacBook Air and even though it doesn't have high specs, the ssd made it feel like the fastest computer I've ever used, even under Windows 7.

I had previously I ordered the 2.0 GHz 15" with the 6490 graphics card and compared it to the 2010 2.4GHz i5 with the 330m 256mb card...

In 3DMark tests (gaming), both computers scored within a few points of each other (3DMark03, 3DMark06, 3DMark Vantage). Both screens were the high-res screens (which I would highly recommend), and my 2010 booted just as fast as the MacBook Air, but did feel slower at opening applications.

So I returned the Air and the 15" 2.0 and ordered the following:

2.2GHz MacBook Pro 15"
4GB RAM
128GB SSD
High-Res Glossy Display

And with a student discount, came up to about $2250 (taxes in different areas may varry).

I didn't go for the 2.3GHz processor since there wouldn't be a huge improvement over the 2.2GHz (though the 2.2GHz processor does show a great improvement from the 2.0GHz processor). I went with 4GB of RAM because it's less expensive to order from newegg ($82 for 8GB).

I went with the high-res screen because once you go high-res, you'll never go back, unless it causes strain on your eyes, but I've not had a problem since the screens are really nice. I went with glossy because the anti-glare screens makes the computer seem old and dated to me, probably because I've repaired more than 1000 laptops in my time and the glossy ones always seemed newer to me.

I also decided to go with the 128GB SSD since it's only a $90 upgrade with a student discount on the higher end 15" macbook pro. I'll purchase an optical bay in the future for more sotrage, but for now I gotta say:



Wow, just freeking wow! The is the fastest machine I have EVER used, and I build computers for people. 3DMARK tests under Windows are double the score of the base 2011 15" MacBook Pro; and with the 128 SSD, it just flies!

I am thouroughly impressed and am glad I went with my options. I hope this helps you decide on your settup.

Edit: As an extra option, if you do decide to go for the 2.0, you might as well just go for the Late 2010 15" MacBook Pro, they're about $1300 or less on ebay right now in excellent condition and will give you excellent performance, then you could buy a SSD disc and have a really fast computer.
The only reason I updated to the newest one is because I'm an Apple Fan Boy and have to have the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...

Hold on, does your $2250 setup include taxes??? If not, how much did you pay including taxes?
 
Including taxes and shipping, my exact total was $2242.19.

If I put in my parent's zip code for shipping, it would have been about $130 more.
 
Go with 2.2ghz and 128 GB SSD.

upgrade to 8GB ram in future when you have more money
 
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