15" MBP resale price in 2 years - is it worth bumping up specs?

[sbn]

I'm gonna buy the new 6 core 15 inch MBP soon.

My plan is to keep it for 2 years and sell it, to buy the 2020 model then.

I'm currently working fine with 512 GB SSD and 16 GB RAM. BUT since I have the option of bumping up from 16GB/512GB/2.6 GHz to 32GB/1TB/2.9 ghz, and paying around 33% extra, I started thinking whether it was worth it.

I don't know if the next year's macOS will consume a lot of more resources - making me wish i bought those extra RAM etc. Software tends to grow its needs as soon as the hardware becomes more powerful.

But on the other hand. How much extra can I expect with regards to the resale price in two years?

I took a look at some 2nd hand 2016 15" MBPs, and the prices were almost the same no matter if it was 2.7 or 2.9 ghz, 512GB or 1TB etc. - so the ones who bumped up the specs might have lost all that money.

BUT - a few years ago, the default premium option was like 2.3 ghz/8GB/256GB. Now it's 2.6 ghz/16GB/512GB.

What if we, in two year have a default premium option of 32GB/1TB/2.9 ghz?

Then I guess that a 2 year old 32GB/1TB/2.9 ghz machine will look more attractive, since the specs look like the current premium model, where 16GB/512GB/2.6 GHz might look like the default baseline model.

How will that affect the resale price?

I hope for some comments from people with experience in selling/buying used macs Thanks in advance!

 

[maerz001]

You never got back the money for the higher specs.
Just buy what you need now. And in 2 years no way that macOS will need 32GB. Maybe in 20years

 

[hectorvs]

You never got back the money for the higher specs....

I can confirm this.

If the plan is to resell in a couple of years, I would get the base model (maaaybe upgrade the SSD to 512gb if needed). That will retain the best value.

Unfortunately that's how the market is, even buying AppleCare+ on the machine won't give you a higher resell value.

Edit:

To add to the argument, if someone has $2000k + to spend on a computer, they're probably looking at the newest models (which will potentially be similarly powered than the upgraded past version).

 

[sbn]

I know that my net loss is higher, if I buy a more expensive laptop and sell it later - of course.

But while the default premium config might be good enough for me, it'd be nice with the extra CPU,RAM and SSD.

Min main considereation is the 33% price increase - if I can expect that the resale price would be 0-5% higher in two years, those 33% extra will feel just like burning cash... But if I can expect a relatively higher price, it would feel a little less stupid to pay for bumping up.

Do you guys have any idea how it would affect the resale price, in numbers? Are we talking 0-5%, 5-10%, 10-20% or more? (probably not more, from what I understand...)

 

[alex0002]

All upgrades will cause you to lose money, but I suspect that the worst upgrade value is the CPU. It's already pretty good and no one in the second hand market wants to pay more for a few % faster.

Perhaps you'll get some of your money back by increasing storage. I'd certainly pay more for 512GB over 256GB, but I suspect most other things aren't a priority for buyers.

 

[pat500000]

Who wants to buy a used mbp that can’t be upgraded?

 

[maflynn]

Who wants to buy a used mbp that can’t be upgraded?

Lots of people, the resale market is still very strong for macs.

 

[cambookpro]

Base models always have the best resale value in percentage terms.

There's no way macOS is going to need anything near 32GB in the foreseeable future. They're still selling a Mac mini with a dual core CPU and 4GB RAM.

Buy what you need, not what you think someone else might need a couple of years down the line. It's never worth it.

 

[Sterkenburg]

As other people have said, buy the upgrades only if you need them now, as you generally won't get back the money when you sell the computer. Although there's a strong resale market for MBPs, people looking to purchase a used laptop are usually hunting for a reduced price, not for the highest specs.

If your plan is to sell and upgrade within 2-3 years, the base model usually gets you the best bang for the buck.

 

[pat500000]

Lots of people, the resale market is still very strong for macs.

Once that computer fails? After warrenty?

 

[Naimfan]

Burning cash to upgrade unless you need those upgrades.

Look at ebay sold items - you'll see how little upgrades add (aside from ssd/storage, which do add more).

 

[cambookpro]

Once that computer fails? After warrenty?

That's the risk you take when buying used. It doesn't stop the market for used iPhones, iPads, etc. - which also can't be upgraded - being pretty large. Plenty of people will accept some risk for a far lower price.

 

[sbn]

Once that computer fails? After warrenty?

The same when you buy a used car.

The main difference is that a computer usually does not wear down the same ways as a car. And if you can get a nice laptop for 50% of the original price, you can also afford a repair or two, if 10% of the laptops you buy, should fail...

 

[pat500000]

The same when you buy a used car.

The main difference is that a computer usually does not wear down the same ways as a car. And if you can get a nice laptop for 50% of the original price, you can also afford a repair or two, if 10% of the laptops you buy, should fail...

That’s the problem. It doesn’t have repairability once warrenty is over.