To trade or not to trade...MBP 13" Mid-2012 for 2019 or 2020 MBP

[RaindanceMac]

I have a mid-2012 MacBook Pro 13"
1 TB SSD
16G Ram
2.9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 processor
Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB

I just replaced its battery.

I primarily use for some gaming, misc. office work using both the Apple products as well as MS Office. I also have Parallels loaded to run Windows 10 for anything that specifically needs to run over on that platform. I don't use that much anymore, honestly, but figured if I get back into gaming there's more PC games available on that side.

I've been debating either a 2019 MBM 13" with 8gig RAM (can't we do our own updates on RAM on the newer MBPs?) and 512 gig SSD (same question - can we upgrade the SSD or do you have to go with what they have installed?) or one of the new MBP 13" M1 with either 8 or 16 RAM, and 512gig SSD.

I come close to using the 512 on my current MBP so would have to move stuff over to an external SSD I'm guessing to be safe and keep more space open though honestly don't use a lot of the stuff, I just keep it on my drive because I have plenty of space with the 1TB.

My current MBP still basically runs like a top though I do notice more lag in the typing, some slowing down of scrolling on sites now. I don't know if there's a way to 'defrag' the drives like on Windows machines other than the built-in disk utility program?

So the debate is whether upgrading to one of the newer machines is worth it or not? Retina display would be really nice. Do I need 16gig Ram with the newer machines?

I made the switch from PCs to Macs with this current machine and haven't looked back. My PCs I had to swap out every 3-5 years as they got tired and worn faster and Microsoft machines always seem to develop glitches and quirks. I'm not used to having a machine last 8 years like this and still look and act pretty close to new with the exception of some of the lagging it has started to develop.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[applefan19]

I have a mid-2012 MacBook Pro 13"
1 TB SSD
16G Ram
2.9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i7 processor
Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB

I just replaced its battery.

I primarily use for some gaming, misc. office work using both the Apple products as well as MS Office. I also have Parallels loaded to run Windows 10 for anything that specifically needs to run over on that platform. I don't use that much anymore, honestly, but figured if I get back into gaming there's more PC games available on that side.

I've been debating either a 2019 MBM 13" with 8gig RAM (can't we do our own updates on RAM on the newer MBPs?) and 512 gig SSD (same question - can we upgrade the SSD or do you have to go with what they have installed?) or one of the new MBP 13" M1 with either 8 or 16 RAM, and 512gig SSD.

I come close to using the 512 on my current MBP so would have to move stuff over to an external SSD I'm guessing to be safe and keep more space open though honestly don't use a lot of the stuff, I just keep it on my drive because I have plenty of space with the 1TB.

My current MBP still basically runs like a top though I do notice more lag in the typing, some slowing down of scrolling on sites now. I don't know if there's a way to 'defrag' the drives like on Windows machines other than the built-in disk utility program?

So the debate is whether upgrading to one of the newer machines is worth it or not? Retina display would be really nice. Do I need 16gig Ram with the newer machines?

I made the switch from PCs to Macs with this current machine and haven't looked back. My PCs I had to swap out every 3-5 years as they got tired and worn faster and Microsoft machines always seem to develop glitches and quirks. I'm not used to having a machine last 8 years like this and still look and act pretty close to new with the exception of some of the lagging it has started to develop.

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Similar dilemma. I have the mid-2012, 13” with 8 GB RAM, SSD, and battery replaced a couple years ago. No, you cannot upgrade internals after purchase in the newer models. Looking at 16” Intel vs 13” Intel or M1.

 

[ght56]

I would not trade it regardless because you have a great computer and you won't get much of a trade in value for the non-retina models...it makes more sense to me to keep that system as a backup even if you upgrade.

If you upgrade now, one question you will be faced with is if you want an Intel or an Apple Silicon MacBook Pro. As I am guessing you are aware, Apple is in the process of leaving Intel and going with their own native CPU designs, called Apple Silicon - the first CPU (SoC, technically) being names the M1. They were just released several weeks ago and they do have some major benefits over their Intel versions, such as insanely better performance and insanely better battery life, for example. There are also some downsides, such as no ability to run Windows, limited IO, some software incompatibilities, and limited ability to drive externals, for example. Right now, both Intel and M1 13-inch MacBook Pros are available, although the Intel ones will eventually be discontinued in favor of Apple Silicon offerings. Neither version has user-upgradable RAM or hard drives, as both are a part of the logic board now.