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Very impressed with 2012 MBP - non-retina

Only just seen this thread and it is exactly my plan.

From Apple:
Non-Retina MBP 15" with HiRes Glossy
(wanted antiglare but didn't like the look of the silver bezel, so opted for glossy with plans to put a film matte protector on it)
2.3GHz i7
4GB Ram (to be upgraded)
500GB 5400RPM HD (to be upgraded)
512MB 650 (This is the only thing I'm slightly concerned about)

From Amazon:
- Matte Film
- Speck Satin Seethru Case Black
- Samsung 830 256GB SSD
- 16GB RAM

I plan to purchase the Optibay Converter in the next 3 months once I save for a higher capacity SSD, and later on down the line (when 16GB sticks come out and aren't ridiculous prices) I am safe in knowing I can upgrade to 32GB.

The whole retina 'non-upgradable' put me off big style. The fact it omits 50% of the laptop connections is also crazy. Its only plus is the HDMI port as standard. It doesn't even have an optical bay!!

Anyway.. I can't wait for mine to arrive at the door and I definitely know I've made the right decision, despite paying a tiny bit more than a lower end Retina model. My only concern is whether the 512MB GPU is going to be enough for 3+ years..
 
@Dazmanuk , seems like a nice build. I however have never heard of a "matte" screen protector though for laptops? Are they as hard to put on and useless as ones for say an iPhone etc? Does it actually significantly stop shine without hindrance on the awesome display?

On your question about whether the 512mb dedicated graphics will do 3 years, I am still using my MacBook late 2007 (see sig) and it still does fine. Inbuilt intel graphics on the CPU do **** house compared to 2012 laptops but it still does me perfectly fine in what I use it for... Almost 5years on without an SSD. I produce videos and other graphics on it still haha.

Depending on your use, unless you are doing super intensive video/graphic work it will last way longer then 3years.
 
Completing a Custom Build on cMBP

So I just signed up for this forum and this will be my first ever Apple purchase, outside of an iPod. I'm excited because I am into photography and programming so this will be a huge upgrade from what I have now.

As many of you have, I have been attached to these forums for the past week trying to make the decision between the rMBP and the cMBP. Originally, I was so excited about the retina but after researching a bit I am a bit concerned and very frustrated. However, I think I am beginning to be convinced to get the cMBP and do some personal upgrades.

So, to all of you that have done these types of upgrades (i.e. 16 GB RAM, SSD or Hybrid drive, optibay) how difficult is it to DIY. Do you have any suggestions or advice when doing it. I know its a general question but all responses are greatly appreciated for this newcomer.

Can anyone post a comprehensive list of what exact products they used to upgrade their cMBP. I'm sorry if I'm asking a similar question to what has been posted but its a great great help. Thanks!
 
If you want upgrades....

On a budget:
Crucial M4 512 (now 349.00)

Rich:
Samsung 830 512 (now 699.00)

Ram
OWC 16 gigs (169.00)
Transintl 16 gigs (147.00)

Newertech USB 3 to esata adapter (24.99)

Video geek
Lacie thunderbolt esata hub (199.99)
you can plug displays drives and all kinds o' ***** into this bad boy.
 
Hi, looking to replace my mid-2009 13" macbook and can't decide on the high-end 13" or the base 15".

I really like the size of the 13" although would have liked to have seen the screen resolution upped to 1140x900. Also I'm not sure about the intel HD 4000 IGP, especially for playing something like civilisation V. Does anyone have any experience of what the performance is like of this system?

As for the 15" looks like a really nice system, but is bigger and a bit more awkward to carry around. It's also a bit more expensive than I'd like to pay. Having said that, do you think it's worth while baying the bit extra for the higher-res BTO screen.

Thanks for any help :)
 
Malcs said:
Hi, looking to replace my mid-2009 13" macbook and can't decide on the high-end 13" or the base 15".

I really like the size of the 13" although would have liked to have seen the screen resolution upped to 1140x900. Also I'm not sure about the intel HD 4000 IGP, especially for playing something like civilisation V. Does anyone have any experience of what the performance is like of this system?

As for the 15" looks like a really nice system, but is bigger and a bit more awkward to carry around. It's also a bit more expensive than I'd like to pay. Having said that, do you think it's worth while baying the bit extra for the higher-res BTO screen.

Thanks for any help :)
Click to expand...

I have the high-end 2012 13" and couldn't be happier with it. If you do like the 13" form and can live with a slightly lesser resolution, then it can't be beat!
 
MasterMacBook said:
@Dazmanuk , seems like a nice build. I however have never heard of a "matte" screen protector though for laptops? Are they as hard to put on and useless as ones for say an iPhone etc? Does it actually significantly stop shine without hindrance on the awesome display?

On your question about whether the 512mb dedicated graphics will do 3 years, I am still using my MacBook late 2007 (see sig) and it still does fine. Inbuilt intel graphics on the CPU do **** house compared to 2012 laptops but it still does me perfectly fine in what I use it for... Almost 5years on without an SSD. I produce videos and other graphics on it still haha.

Depending on your use, unless you are doing super intensive video/graphic work it will last way longer then 3years.
Click to expand...

Hi mate,

It's exactly like a phone/ipad protector, but just fits over the glass screen. I think they're alot easier to put on vs phone ones. But yeah there's quite a few out there actually ranging from £5 per film to £30 per film. I guess the higher price ones are of a higher quality, but the main thing for me is to just get the glare down slightly. There are lots of reviews on youtube. I don't really do any Photo/Image rendering or need it crisp. In honesty, I would have got an AG screen if it had a black bezel around it.. but the silver just doesn't do it for me.

Thanks for your info on the GFX- I'll be using it for sysadmin/dj/music production.. I just don't like not having something and needing it :p I'd prefer to have it and not need it! I'll give it a go anyway as soon as i get it!
 
tmf91 said:
So, to all of you that have done these types of upgrades (i.e. 16 GB RAM, SSD or Hybrid drive, optibay) how difficult is it to DIY. Do you have any suggestions or advice when doing it. I know its a general question but all responses are greatly appreciated for this newcomer.
Click to expand...

You'll find guides for Optibay-type expansion fairly easily, video, pdf, etc. I performed it on a 3 year old 2008 MBP (upping the RAM to 8GB too) and it felt like a new computer. The process was very easy, although setting up the symbolic links is a bit fiddly from a software point of view.

I am finding the spinning disk of my new cMBP a real climb down. Sure, my FCPX issue was probably a dodgy FX plug-in, but when the system is maxed out by an app like FCPX, menus and switching apps gets unbearably slow. I haven't noticed these slow downs at all for the last year with my C2D MBP (upgraded with SSD boot drive and media HDD).

My advice for new MBP buyers is to avoid spinning disks, as they are an archaic bottleneck in today's speedy computers. I will have to wait for at least a year if I want to go the Optibay route, or maybe less if I can get a cheap, big SSD to use as a single disk. Can I swap the boot drive without messing with my warranty?
 
tmf91 said:
So, to all of you that have done these types of upgrades (i.e. 16 GB RAM, SSD or Hybrid drive, optibay) how difficult is it to DIY. Do you have any suggestions or advice when doing it. I know its a general question but all responses are greatly appreciated for this newcomer.
Click to expand...

Once the bottom plate is off, changing the HDD/SSD and the memory is as easy (if not more) easy than any desktop or notebook that I've ever built/upgraded. Apple did an amazing job making these aspects of this generation of MBP user-serviceable.

The only caveat that I found with the process it that once all the bottom-plate screws are removed there are still two clips holding the bottom plate on. These clips are right in the middle of the bottom panel, and the only way to disengage them was to gently lift the panel (from the hinge edge) until the panel pops-off. Make sure to 'pop' them back on when replacing the panel.

tmf91 said:
Can anyone post a comprehensive list of what exact products they used to upgrade their cMBP. I'm sorry if I'm asking a similar question to what has been posted but its a great great help. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I replaced the HDD with a 256GB Samsung 830 SSD (MZ-7PC256). It is basically what Apple use as their "own brand" SSD in the rMBP. It is also one of the most highly regarded SSDs in its own right. It comes in three versions; bare, notebook, and desktop (suffix on the product code 'b', 'n', or 'd' respectively - i.e. MZ-7PC256N for the notebook kit). It is irrelevant which of these is used as the drive is identical and you don't need any brackets or spacers to mount it in the MBP. Read the Samsung 830 thread and make sure you are ok with the TRIM and firmware situation before you take this route.

For my RAM upgrade I used Crucial's 16GB kit (CT3301561). This kit uses exactly the same timings and speeds as the standard Apple RAM, and Crucial guarantee compatibility with the 2012 cMBP. It is 1.35v RAM (versus the more common 1.5v). Though the Ivy Bridge CPU in the 2012 cMBP can - in theory - use either 1.5v or 1.35v RAM, the rMBP (which uses the same CPUs as the cMBP) definitely uses 1.35v RAM, and it appears the cMBP also uses the 1.35v variety (though this has yet to be 100% confirmed). The more reputable manufacturers (Crucial and OWC) are supplying 1.35v upgrade RAM for the cMBP, and less voltage means less heat, so 1.35v is probably the safest choice. If you decide you are ok trying 1.5v you can get RAM with faster (than standard) timing from Corsair (and others).
 
Last edited:
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Once the bottom plate is off, changing the HDD/SSD and the memory is as easy (if not more) easy than any desktop or notebook that I've ever built/upgraded. Apple did an amazing job making these aspects of this generation of MBP user-serviceable.

The only caveat that I found with the process it that once all the bottom-plate screws are removed there are still two clips holding the bottom plate on. These clips are right in the middle of the bottom panel, and the only way to disengage them was to gently lift the panel (from the hinge edge) until the panel pops-off. Make sure to 'pop' them back on when replacing the panel.


I replaced the HDD with a 256GB Samsung 830 SSD (MZ-7PC256). It is basically what Apple use as their "own brand" SSD in the rMBP. It is also one of the most highly regarded SSDs in its own right. It comes in three versions; bare, notebook, and desktop (suffix on the product code 'b', 'n', or 'd' respectively - i.e. MZ-7PC256N for the notebook kit). It is irrelevant which of these is used as the drive is identical and you don't need any brackets or spacers to mount it in the MBP. Read the Samsung 830 thread and make sure you are ok with the TRIM and firmware situation before you take this route.

For my RAM upgrade I used Crucial's 16GB kit (CT3301561). This kit uses exactly the same timings and speeds as the standard Apple RAM, and Crucial guarantee compatibility with the 2012 cMBP. It is 1.35v RAM (versus the more common 1.5v). Though the Ivy Bridge CPU in the 2012 cMBP can - in theory - use either 1.5v or 1.35v RAM, the rMBP (which uses the same CPUs as the cMBP) definitely uses 1.35v RAM, and it appears the cMBP also uses the 1.35v variety (though this has yet to be 100% confirmed). The more reputable manufacturers (Crucial and OWC) are supplying 1.35v upgrade RAM for the cMBP, and less voltage means less heat, so 1.35v is probably the safest choice. If you decide you are ok trying 1.5v you can get RAM with faster (than standard) timing from Corsair (and others).
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for your help here. I've been looking into the Samsung thread that you posted. It is a little concerning but I will continue to do my research. With that said, how does your MBP perform with the setup that you described?
 
tmf91 said:
Thanks so much for your help here. I've been looking into the Samsung thread that you posted. It is a little concerning but I will continue to do my research. With that said, how does your MBP perform with the setup that you described?
Click to expand...
It is very subjective (and will depend heavily on what you are presently using), but this cMBP is - by far - the fastest and most responsive notebook I've ever used. It is even faster than my Xeon X3450 based workstation.

I don't game, so I can't comment on that, but with the SSD the cMBP boots near-unbelievably fast, and applications start like turning on a light-switch. I haven't compiled any large projects on it yet, but I get the impression that nothing I'm doing is even slightly taxing it.

The HDD is a real bottleneck, and an SSD is a necessary upgrade. I was going to reuse an Intel 320 I had in my old notebook, but I'm glad I moved to the Samsung 830 (which is Sata III).

SSD firmware updating is not a common occurrence; I have only needed to update the firmware on the Intel 320 once. The Samsung 830 is now quite mature, so as long as the drive has the latest firmware when you install it, it is highly unlikely you'd have to pull it out to update it. The TRIM situation will be the same for any third-party SSD you install, though I get the general impression (from reading these SSD threads) that the 830 responds well to the mod to enable TRIM, whereas it can be problematic on some other drives. Personally I'm going to run without it until such time as any - potential - performance loss becomes apparent.
 
tmf91 said:
So I just signed up for this forum and this will be my first ever Apple purchase, outside of an iPod. I'm excited because I am into photography and programming so this will be a huge upgrade from what I have now.

As many of you have, I have been attached to these forums for the past week trying to make the decision between the rMBP and the cMBP. Originally, I was so excited about the retina but after researching a bit I am a bit concerned and very frustrated. However, I think I am beginning to be convinced to get the cMBP and do some personal upgrades.

So, to all of you that have done these types of upgrades (i.e. 16 GB RAM, SSD or Hybrid drive, optibay) how difficult is it to DIY. Do you have any suggestions or advice when doing it. I know its a general question but all responses are greatly appreciated for this newcomer.

Can anyone post a comprehensive list of what exact products they used to upgrade their cMBP. I'm sorry if I'm asking a similar question to what has been posted but its a great great help. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I did RAM and SSD upgrade on my 2012 MBP right out of the box.

16GB Corsair Vengenance RAM
512GB Crucial M4 SSD with 0309 firmware(I suggest not to upgrade to 000f firmware)

DIY is pretty easy, just get philips #0 screw driver and Torx T6. You will done in less than 15 mins.
 
Just and update and a question/idea

Regarding my set up:
2012 15" MacBookPro 9,1 - 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 - Memory: 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3 Corsair - Vengeance - 750GB Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid hard drive - Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB - High-Resolution 1680x1050 Anti-Glare Display

My experience in the 2 weeks that I have had the 2012 MBP has been excellent. I have been doing all kinds of things to try and max it out and crash it and I have not been able to crash it or get beach balls. My overall temps when I am running the hell out of it are still consistently 20 degrees cooler than my 2011 MBP. The Corsair Vengeance RAM is operating perfectly and presenting no issues, so get it and save some money, but if you "have" to spend more and be part of the cool kid club, then get the OWC version of the RAM.

IDEA: I got to thinking that if I was to get a 128GB USB 3.0 flash drive and I could edit off this and output to. Then basically just give the drive back to the client where they have all of their original footage as well as the finished video. I kinda am thinking of trying this out to see how well it would do.

USB 3.0 (5Gbps)
Thunderbolt (10Gbps)

Plus, a USB 3.0 flash drive (cost about $140) sure makes for a nice external hard drive replacement (if you can stay within the 128GB), considering the size it would be super simple to port around instead of an external hard drive for the same $140 (granted with 1TB). Just a portable alternative, considering the overall size of a flash drive.
 
Crucial M4 512GB SSD with firmware 000F runs flawlessly on the new cMBP 2012 15". Mine is the 2.6 i7 model.
On my former MBP13 late 2011 firmware 000F was a NO-GO!
 
I've already filled two thirds of a 750 GB HDD so I'm going to have to wait for 750 GB or 1 TB SSD drives to become available/affordable before I get the screwdriver out. (or I need to sort out my local audio / photo libraries...)

Perhaps going to 16 GB now will reduce the number of beachball moments until then?
 
Quick question, i have recently got into a hobby with photography, and video. Whats a good macbook to get for video and picture editing. Thanks in advance
 
dazmanuk said:
Only just seen this thread and it is exactly my plan.

From Apple:
Non-Retina MBP 15" with HiRes Glossy
(wanted antiglare but didn't like the look of the silver bezel, so opted for glossy with plans to put a film matte protector on it)
2.3GHz i7
4GB Ram (to be upgraded)
500GB 5400RPM HD (to be upgraded)
512MB 650 (This is the only thing I'm slightly concerned about)

From Amazon:
- Matte Film
- Speck Satin Seethru Case Black
- Samsung 830 256GB SSD
- 16GB RAM

I plan to purchase the Optibay Converter in the next 3 months once I save for a higher capacity SSD, and later on down the line (when 16GB sticks come out and aren't ridiculous prices) I am safe in knowing I can upgrade to 32GB.

The whole retina 'non-upgradable' put me off big style. The fact it omits 50% of the laptop connections is also crazy. Its only plus is the HDMI port as standard. It doesn't even have an optical bay!!

Anyway.. I can't wait for mine to arrive at the door and I definitely know I've made the right decision, despite paying a tiny bit more than a lower end Retina model. My only concern is whether the 512MB GPU is going to be enough for 3+ years..
Click to expand...

I'm in the same position as you, trying to convince myself in getting the base non retina MBP, however the graphics card 512mb is holding me back. I don't plan on doing much gaming on an external monitor with a higher resolution but I don't want to take out that option. Originally I had planned to get the previous gen MBP with the 1gb amd 6770m, but looking at the benchmarks and seeing that it's being outperformed by systems with gt 640m I just can't seem to get that either.
 
dazmanuk said:
From Apple:
Non-Retina MBP 15" with HiRes Glossy
(wanted antiglare but didn't like the look of the silver bezel, so opted for glossy with plans to put a film matte protector on it)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend going for a glossy legacy-pro 2012 model with a matte film over it.

The thing is that with the legacy pro, there's a distance between the front glass (which has a certain thickness) and the actual screen. If you put the matte layer on that, it will make the screen blurrier. The more distance between the matte layer and the actual screen the more the image will blur. Compare it to a frosted window: If you hold up a letter to it on the other side you can make it out, if you hold it up behind the window a foot away you may just be able to see the outline of it if you're lucky.

With displays you want them to be crispy sharp so the best place for that matte layer is to be right on top of the display screen itself, not a glass pane over it. With a retina screen it may work better because the front of the LCD is the same as the front glass.
 
There are still many advantages to the 1680x1050 matte display -- for one, Photoshop and Lightroom still look ALOT better than on the Retina Display

Microsoft Office Looks better

And many other non-retina enhanced apps look better on this display as of currently. It's still not a bad machine at all.
 
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