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Which 15" MBP should I Get??

C

Cedthebeast

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 29, 2011
18
0
Hi guys, I'm on the verge of buying my first macbook pro. Now I decided to go with either the 15" high end or low end, but I can't decide..

List of things I will use it for specifically:
-Internet
-School stuff
-Gaming like (LoL, Dota 2, Star wars old republic coming out in dec.)
-Some personal video editing for youtube reviews and some creative videos
-Photoshop
-Watching videos
-And using it almost every single day


I know I can upgrade ram and get some ssd hard drives later (does it void the warranty? I hope not..) And I just can't see if I should spend the $400 more...

So which would I get? Please help!
 
I'd go with the low end 15". It will do everything on your list.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the replies. I would prefer the refurbished one since it is cheaper and it has better specs than the lower end one, except I'm not a fan of "refurbished" items.
 
If this were the February 2011 models, I would have said high end due to the 256MB 6490M. But the current refresh made the base 15" model an awesome value. A 512MB 6750M is a very decent mid-range GPU but I wouldn't let gaming performance be a major factor.

Even the 1GB 6770M in the high end model won't do a much better job when coming to current games, the MacBook Pro just isn't designed to be a powerful gaming machine.

Buy the base 15" and save $400, and use that towards a SSD or more RAM in the future. That $400 will be a GIANT performance boost with the SSD and RAM, much better spent than towards a GPU that will give you 2 or 3 more fps in a game and a 5% CPU speed bump.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Well hopefully im able to game on maybe some low settings on current games? Haha.

Anyways my next dilemma is choosing between the:
1) 15" mbp refurbished early 2011 high end
Or
2) 15" mbp low end late 2011

Its the same stuff but more dedicated graphics in the refurbished and a 7200 rpm hdd, but the problem is that it is refurbished..-_-

I dont like the idea of refurbished, but there is a 100$ difference with the refurbished beingg cheaper. I'm trying to buy it online
 
Definitely not a LATE 2011 high-end.

Between the Late 2011 low-end and the Early 2011 high-end, go with the Early 2011. More VRAM for the same price.

Apple refurb = Certified new, when it comes to Macs, it doesn't matter if it's refurbished or not as long as Apple's the one approving the refurb status.
 
Cedthebeast said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Well hopefully im able to game on maybe some low settings on current games? Haha.

Anyways my next dilemma is choosing between the:
1) 15" mbp refurbished early 2011 high end
Or
2) 15" mbp low end late 2011

Its the same stuff but more dedicated graphics in the refurbished and a 7200 rpm hdd, but the problem is that it is refurbished..-_-

I dont like the idea of refurbished, but there is a 100$ difference with the refurbished beingg cheaper. I'm trying to buy it online
Click to expand...

have u ever bought a refrbished product?
 
Nothing apple refurbished, but my experience with refurbished isn't so good, since my old laptop died on me about a year and 2 months, but it was a gateway. I also had a friend with a refurbished toshiba laptop that died in 6-8 months. So even with Apple's track record, I'm still a little iffy.
 
I'm considering a refurb early-2011 low end MBP. From my understanding, refurb Macs don't have a bad rep. I also think that right now they just might be some perfectly good off the factory ones from before the update.
 
The refurbished Macs might as well be new. In fact, I've read elsewhere that Apple uses the refurbed outlet to move slow inventory at a lower price point. I have bought one MBP from the Apple refurb site, and it was in perfect condition. Same warranty as well, and if you're worried about it, you can get the same Applecare you get with a new one. Only real difference is the box.
 
spagthorpe said:
The refurbished Macs might as well be new. In fact, I've read elsewhere that Apple uses the refurbed outlet to move slow inventory at a lower price point. I have bought one MBP from the Apple refurb site, and it was in perfect condition. Same warranty as well, and if you're worried about it, you can get the same Applecare you get with a new one. Only real difference is the box.
Click to expand...


Opening an Apple product is epic.

I love that box...
 
Even the low end refurbished early 2011 will suffice. Even a mid 2010 high end would be more than enough. And it would save you lots!
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Won't the refurbished one have a lower battery life cycle?
 
Refurbished early high end

dakine17 said:
Higher end early 2011!
Click to expand...

I am looking at an early 2011 high end 15". It has th3 6750M video chip with 1 GB VRAM. I plan to eventually put a SSD in next year if prices drop some more and another 8 GB of RAM this year.
 
I would try to find and get early high end MBP 15 inch...

As long as the price is good....

All the refurbished models come with new battery.
 
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