What are the internal differences with the 2011 and 2012 MBP's

[SamIchi]

I'll try to keep this short. My 2011 is dead. Could I buy a 2012 MBP, and swap out the SSD and replace it with my 2011 MBP's HDD.

From what I understand, they are pretty much the same, body wise. I just don't know about the SSD and if that is interchangeable with an HDD.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[davidlv]

Download MacTracker and do a little research.
http://mactracker.ca/
Basically, the 2011 MBP used Sandy Bridge CPUs, with Intel HD3000 graphics, while the 2012 mBP used Ivy Bridge CPUs (5-10% faster?), with the HD 4000 graphics chip. The 2012 models also had USB 3, the 2011s only have USB 2. The non-Retina 2012 models used the same HD drive bay as the 2011s and you can install an SSD 2.5" drive there in place of the HDD. The Retina models used a different interface and all SSDs. (Correct me if I am wrong on that, anybody) soyou can't swap in your HD on those models.
The 2012 MBP came with a 500GB HDD, with 1TB HDD, 256SSD, or 500GB SSD available as options. So you probably could swap in your present HDD, as long as you have the latest version of the OS installed.
However, as long as you are going to be opening the machine up, why not install an SSD? That will really speed up the machine. There are many good SSDs on the market now at reasonable prices. The SanDisk Extreme II looks very good. I have been really happy with the Plextor M5P Extreme. There are many fans of the Samsung and Crucial drives on this forum, but there are many good drives to choose from, and all of them are MUCH faster than the best HDD.

 

[SamIchi]

Download MacTracker and do a little research.
http://mactracker.ca/
Basically, the 2011 MBP used Sandy Bridge CPUs, with Intel HD3000 graphics, while the 2012 mBP used Ivy Bridge CPUs (5-10% faster?), with the HD 4000 graphics chip. The 2012 models also had USB 3, the 2011s only have USB 2. The non-Retina 2012 models used the same HD drive bay as the 2011s and you can install an SSD 2.5" drive there in place of the HDD. The Retina models used a different interface and all SSDs. (Correct me if I am wrong on that, anybody) soyou can't swap in your HD on those models.
The 2012 MBP came with a 500GB HDD, with 1TB HDD, 256SSD, or 500GB SSD available as options. So you probably could swap in your present HDD, as long as you have the latest version of the OS installed.
However, as long as you are going to be opening the machine up, why not install an SSD? That will really speed up the machine. There are many good SSDs on the market now at reasonable prices. The SanDisk Extreme II looks very good. I have been really happy with the Plextor M5P Extreme. There are many fans of the Samsung and Crucial drives on this forum, but there are many good drives to choose from, and all of them are MUCH faster than the best HDD.

Thanks for te info, I'll be sure to check mac tracker from now on!

I have the 750gb drive. I need the space and currently in a bind for time. Thanks for the suggestions though.