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Thinking of selling my Mac Mini and 13" rMBP to get a 15" rMBP

S

SVTmaniac

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2013
457
996
Hello everyone, I've been the proud owner of a late 2012 Mac Mini with 2.3 quad core i7 16GB of Ram and a 256GB SSD for about a year now. Around December of last year I also picked up my first Macbook Pro, a mid 2012 13" retina version with 2.5 dual core i5 and 8gb ram with a 128GB SSD. I have the mini connected to a Thunderbolt display and I absolutely love both machines.

I am a photographer and I do most of my main photo editing on the Mini and I use the rMBP when I travel and just for casual web surfing and whatever. My problem is that lately I find myself doing way more photo editing on my rMBP just because I love the screen and it's convenient to sit on the couch and work on stuff instead of going in to the office. While I love the 13" rMBP for it's portability, it is a bit underpowered for what I do. It's ok in Lightroom but once I move to Photoshop CC and start using multiple layers and plugins it really starts to show it's weakness in the processor department.

I've been thinking lately of selling both machines and picking up a refurb 15" rMBP with 2.3 quad core i7, 16GB ram and at least a 256 SSD and preferably the 650M dedicated GPU. I would keep my Thunderbolt display that way when I want to do heavy editing I can just plug the rMBP in to the display and go to town and when I want to be mobile I can just unplug and work from the couch or on the road. This gives me the same processing power that I currently have in the Mini with the ability to go mobile plus the advantages of the dedicated GPU.

I think I can get just enough out of the two machines to cover the one 15" rMBP if I shop around, I'm just wondering if this is a good idea? It does scare me a little to only have one machine in case something happened to it whether it breaks, gets stolen or who knows what. Is there any other downsides you can think of that may make me reconsider this move? I know the 15" isn't nearly as portable as the 13" but I think I can live with that aspect.

I was also curious how the 2.0ghz quad core i7 stacks up against the current 2.3 in my mini? I know the Haswell is slightly faster and offers better battery life, but I also know that would mean I would have to skip the dedicated GPU and go with the Iris Pro, again not a huge deal but I would like the dedicated GPU to be able to game every now and then.

Thanks for any help and advice in advance.
 
I think you should do it.

The MacBook Pro Retina 15" from Early 2013 has Ivy Bridge quad-core, potentially 8GB (I think you should consider the 16GB) and a 256GB SSD. The ports it has available will allow you to connect a ThunderBolt display, trackpad and full sized keyboard to it but also maintain full connective attachments. But doing it now would give you the best bang/$ because eventually the Early 2013 models will sell out and you'll be forced to either get an Iris Pro base or upgrade to the 750M model.

You will be downgrading slightly on the GPU but the 650M in the Retina 15" is actually an overclocked 660M and performs on par with a 670MX but with less VRAM.
 
I agree i'd sell and get the 15".
For a while I had a Mac pro and a Macbook pro and actually found it a bit of a pain in the rear, found myself using the Mac pro rarely then having to move files about and maintain 2 machines. Being able to do everything on a laptop is just so conveninent and can only help with workflow etc. I just love working on a Macbook.

From what I can see the 15" Mac pro will be a lot more powerfull than your current Macbook and it will be more powerfull than your mini so I cant see how you can lose really.
 
If you do sell it just get an external monitor for your MBPr 15". That way you'll have a laptop and a "desktop"
 
Hieveryone said:
If you do sell it just get an external monitor for your MBPr 15". That way you'll have a laptop and a "desktop"
Click to expand...

Yes I'd be keeping my Thunderbolt display.

----------
Essenar said:
I think you should do it.

The MacBook Pro Retina 15" from Early 2013 has Ivy Bridge quad-core, potentially 8GB (I think you should consider the 16GB) and a 256GB SSD. The ports it has available will allow you to connect a ThunderBolt display, trackpad and full sized keyboard to it but also maintain full connective attachments. But doing it now would give you the best bang/$ because eventually the Early 2013 models will sell out and you'll be forced to either get an Iris Pro base or upgrade to the 750M model.

You will be downgrading slightly on the GPU but the 650M in the Retina 15" is actually an overclocked 660M and performs on par with a 670MX but with less VRAM.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I definitely we have to get a 16gb model as my Mini has 16GB right now and some of the panoramas I shoot have over 30 raw files in them and they can get very large.

Crugga said:
I agree i'd sell and get the 15".
For a while I had a Mac pro and a Macbook pro and actually found it a bit of a pain in the rear, found myself using the Mac pro rarely then having to move files about and maintain 2 machines. Being able to do everything on a laptop is just so conveninent and can only help with workflow etc. I just love working on a Macbook.

From what I can see the 15" Mac pro will be a lot more powerfull than your current Macbook and it will be more powerfull than your mini so I cant see how you can lose really.
Click to expand...

The ones I'm looking at have the same 2.3gh i7 processor and 16gb ram as my Mini so the real benefit will be the dedicated GPU and the portability of it. Basically I'll be taking the best of both of my systems and consolidating it in to one system.
 
Yeah, I think you should go for it! I also do a lot of photography work and doing anything on a laptop is way more comfortable and intimate than on a desktop. I just ordered a High end 15" and I'm really curious if I will abandon my desktop and only use it for gaming... I don't know
 
I think laptops and photography go hand in hand. The boost in power and GPU is a plus since the Mini has not been updated and you gain mobility with the laptop.
 
maflynn said:
I think laptops and photography go hand in hand. The boost in power and GPU is a plus since the Mini has not been updated and you gain mobility with the laptop.
Click to expand...

The 15" versions I'm looking at have the exact same specs of my Mini except for the fact that they have the GPU which will be nice. I'm just afraid that I'll miss my Mini once I sell it and my 13" to get the 15" If only they made a quad core i7 13" I'd be set.
 
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