I am currently using an early 2011 13" MacBook Pro as my daily driver and recently have been experiencing overheating issues to the point where parts of the hinge clutch cover were starting to peel off. As a result, I replaced the hinge clutch cover, removed/reapplied thermal paste, and dusted the fan/vents with marginal improvement in temperature. The machine runs fine and fairly quick for my needs (web browsing with youtube) but websites on chrome with embedded video often brings the temperature jumps up to between 85 to lower 90 degrees C (browsing on reddit for example the temp would run between 70 and 80). I'm wondering perhaps if this is a sign that an upgrade is in order or if I can get away with using my current laptop for a few more years. Here are the detailed specs for my current setup:
2011 13" MacBook Pro running OS X El Capitan Version 10.11.6
2.3 GHz i5
8 GB RAM
1 TB SSD
As a potential upgrade I am looking at a model for what I think is a decent price at $899:
2015 15" MacBook Pro
2.8 GHz i7
AMD Radeon R9 M370X, Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
16 GB RAM
1 TB SSD
I'm looking to see if that is a worthwhile upgrade for 4 to 5 years of use. I was looking at the 2020 MacBook Air but I've read a lot of heating issues with it and the base model only comes with 8 GB RAM. Again, my main use would be for web browsing with video on the couch, so I'm not sure if a 15" model would be too big even if it weighs the same as my 2011 13". I think I would be pretty excited about upgrading to a retina screen, as well as a newer processor and 16 GB RAM. If I do decide to keep my current setup, is it worth it to spend $84 to upgrade my RAM from 8 GB to 16 GB to make it last a couple of years longer? I honestly think that age/outdated processor is the reason why my macbook is overheating and don't think more RAM will help. Thanks in advance for your input!
2011 13" MacBook Pro running OS X El Capitan Version 10.11.6
2.3 GHz i5
8 GB RAM
1 TB SSD
As a potential upgrade I am looking at a model for what I think is a decent price at $899:
2015 15" MacBook Pro
2.8 GHz i7
AMD Radeon R9 M370X, Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200
16 GB RAM
1 TB SSD
I'm looking to see if that is a worthwhile upgrade for 4 to 5 years of use. I was looking at the 2020 MacBook Air but I've read a lot of heating issues with it and the base model only comes with 8 GB RAM. Again, my main use would be for web browsing with video on the couch, so I'm not sure if a 15" model would be too big even if it weighs the same as my 2011 13". I think I would be pretty excited about upgrading to a retina screen, as well as a newer processor and 16 GB RAM. If I do decide to keep my current setup, is it worth it to spend $84 to upgrade my RAM from 8 GB to 16 GB to make it last a couple of years longer? I honestly think that age/outdated processor is the reason why my macbook is overheating and don't think more RAM will help. Thanks in advance for your input!
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