Buying Used MacBook Pro. Can 2020 Work For My Needs?

[Lounge vibes 05]

Absolutely, if I buy it I will be happy to share the results. I explained to him several times what version I use, that I intend to use Profile Migration to be up and running with his machine, and that I need to run Mojave... and he said he'd done this several times, no issue. It's definitely an experienced and reputable seller, in fact I don't know how anyone can possibly have 100% feedback with thousands of transactions! There's always someone who complains. So that coupled with the return policy gives me some assurance. Thanks again, really appreciate your concern.

With all due respect, everything you’re saying is ringing tons of alarm bells.
You’re correct, thousands of transactions and a full 100% approval is almost unheard of.
You clearly came here for some advice, that’s what everyone has given you.
If you absolutely need Mojave, no matter what this person tells you, they cannot get Mojave running without some type of hack, trick or virtual machine, and it’s very likely trying to do these things could cause plenty of errors. Remember, the computer you’re looking at still has an Intel chip and a T2 *and* a Touch Bar with Touch ID.
Installing an unsupported version of macOS on that and keeping everything working properly and all security checks in place would be an absolute miracle, and probably a major security flaw Apple should fix right away.
I guarantee you that somewhere in that listing this person is lying.
Now it *is* possible they could have the mid 2019 15 inch MacBook Pro, a different computer from the 16 inch that *can* run certain versions of Mojave, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

Regardless of what “that guy” tells you, generally speaking, the initial OS is the bare minimum OS that can be installed. I believe this is common knowledge in the Mac community. For the 2019 model of the MBP 16, the initial OS can only be Catalina. If you have an extreme need for Mojave, you should consider using an older Mac instead. Even if “that guy” can make the 2019 MBP 16 run Mojave, I think that would be an abnormal hacking method. And honestly, I don't believe it's possible. Even if it were possible, is it worth hacking a Mac that is still on the support list? Think about it.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

If you need a used Mac that can run Mojave and run it well, get a 2018 Mini, equipped to your needs.

That WILL work.

 

[andrewv69]

Hey guys. I am looking to upgrade my 2015 MB Pro, and had a machine like this in mind. https://www.ebay.com/itm/185822090932 I want at least 32 GB of RAM, 2 TB SSD, and as fast a machine as I can get.

The only thing is I need to be able to install Mojave 10.14.6, as it's the latest that support the plug-ins I use in Logic Pro X. Could a 2020 machine work? Or am I looking at 2019 as the latest year?

Thanks for any suggestions on desktops or mac minis... I agree, it's just that I've really come to love being so mobile with my music production, so likely aiming for another MacBook.

be aware you CANNOT INSTALL MOJAVE ON A 2019 16". i was in a similar situation as you and found out the hard way. then again, you'll have to bite the bullet eventually and find new plugins. might as well do it sooner than later, plus it's a significant hardware upgrade.

that being said, it's a solid choice but you MUST get Turbo Boost Switcher and MacsFanControl.

apple's default fan curve and CPU usage is awful. every little task makes it turbo boost momentarily, and it will get uncomfortably warm just from light work.

i have turbo boost turned off 99% of the time - i only turn it on when rendering a video, bouncing a session, or other heavy tasks. turbo boost switcher is free but the paid version is cheap ($10 or less iirc) and makes it convenient to turn on and off. i also adjusted the fans with MacsFanControl (also free). i use a pretty aggressive curve, but i usually have headphones in so it's not a big deal. it starts ramping up fans at 40 C (idle temp) and 100% fans at 80 C. even with full fans, CPU still gets to 90 C with sustained heavy use, but it's much better than apple's curve. the 5500M can get pretty warm, but again MacsFanControl i configured the fans to speed up based on it's temp - start ramping at 35 C, max fans at 70 C. since there's two fans, i just linked them based on proximity to the chips - left fan is linked to CPU, right fan is linked to GPU.

for Windows/bootcamp use you can go into the engery settings and change max CPU speed to 99% - this disables turbo boost. MacsFanControl is available for windows and works the same. just be aware with sustained loads like gaming for many hours, the VRM's have heat issues - not a big problem if the ambient room temp is below 70 F / 21 C, but warmer than that they will eventually overheat and throttle, dropping performance significantly. this usually happens after an hour or two of gaming, probably less time for heavy work that uses both the CPU and GPU. of course you can always circumvent this by plugging in an External GPU.

as long as you use the third party software to control your mac's thermals, it's a great machine. good performance, plenty capable, bootcamp/windows dual boot, great speakers, reliable keyboard, and pretty portable. if you're coming from a 15" it's a similar size but it is a little tight in some backpacks.

 

[ddhhddhh2]

be aware you CANNOT INSTALL MOJAVE ON A 2019 16". i was in a similar situation as you and found out the hard way. then again.....

I totally agree that the 2019 MBP 16 is still a competitive Mac in my opinion. The i9's performance is still pretty good compared to the basic M1 model. The key issue is the cooling, which is unfortunately problematic for this i9 Mac. Apple's default thermal management isn't the best for this 2019 i9, and most of the time the fan speed is based on noise rather than temperature. I use fan control to make both fans work based on CPU temperature, starting at 40 degrees Celsius and gradually increasing, and I set the upper limit at 65 degrees Celsius as an extreme high temperature. This way, the fans run at an average of about 3500 RPM most of the time. Of course, the downside is that you have to put up with a bit of noise, but it's still better than suddenly having the temperature reach a very high level and then having the fans run like crazy.

Also, I never realized that Turbo Boost could be turned off, but I'll set it up when I have time. I'm currently giving this computer to my wife to use, and I believe this will make it a bit "cooler."

If I had to say something about this Mac, I'd say that besides the temperature and fan noise, if they could be effectively controlled within a certain range, the GPU performance not being particularly powerful is probably the only drawback. The 5300, 5500, and 5600 all seem mediocre and can only be considered decent.

Overall, for OP, if you insist on installing Mojave on this machine, regardless of how it's achieved, I don't think it's really necessary. As long as the price is reasonable, this machine is worth considering.

 

[andrewv69]

...the GPU performance not being particularly powerful is probably the only drawback. The 5300, 5500, and 5600 all seem mediocre and can only be considered decent.

it may be mediocre compared to a proper desktop but it's by far the most powerful GPU in an Intel Macbook. I can run most games at 1080p 60fps with a mix of high and ultra settings, some games can even do 1440p 60fps with medium/high. Compared to the GPU offerings on the 15" it's a big improvement, and in a totally different league than the weak integrated graphics of the 13" models.

though the only reason you'd pick a 2019 16" over the new m1/m2 pro/max ones is for the dual boot/x86 capability. the new ones crush it in computing horsepower, they just can't run a lot of windows games and other programs.

at the very least the 2019 16" has EGPU support, I just picked up a used Razer Core X for about $120 usd and will probably throw a 6900 XT in it, plenty of power there.

 

[Christopher11]

Thank you guys, truly and sincerely, for all this info. Agreed about MacsFanControl and I will just plan to use it. Tell me please, how about a 15" to run Mojave then? Like this machine.

 

[Christopher11]

Thank you guys, truly and sincerely, for all this info. Agreed about MacsFanControl and I will just plan to use it. Tell me please, how about a 15" to run Mojave then? Like this machine.

Or how about this 2018 model?

 

[Fishrrman]

"Or how about this 2018 model?"

You DO NOT WANT a 2018 MacBook Pro.
Not under ANY circumstances.

If the keyboard fails -- only ONE key -- it's going to cost you at least $800 to get it fixed.
That's because they have to replace the ENTIRE TOP CASE of the computer.
Even for JUST ONE KEY.

Got it?

I'm going to repeat what I advised you above.
If you MUST have Mojave, get a 2018 Mac Mini.
You might even be able to get one as Apple-refurbished, with a 1-year warranty.

That WILL run Mojave, and Minis are very reliable.

 

[Christopher11]

Guys, tell me please, if I buy this 2017 MB Pro 15 2.9GHZ, can that run Mojave? I get a chunk of money soon, and plan to buy a 2021 MB Pro, until then, I want a machine to replace this ailing 2015 machine. Thanks for any replies. Appreciate it.

 

[Christopher11]

"Or how about this 2018 model?"

You DO NOT WANT a 2018 MacBook Pro.
Not under ANY circumstances.

If the keyboard fails -- only ONE key -- it's going to cost you at least $800 to get it fixed.
That's because they have to replace the ENTIRE TOP CASE of the computer.
Even for JUST ONE KEY.

Got it?

I'm going to repeat what I advised you above.
If you MUST have Mojave, get a 2018 Mac Mini.
You might even be able to get one as Apple-refurbished, with a 1-year warranty.

That WILL run Mojave, and Minis are very reliable.

What about 2017? Does that have less of that key issue?

 

[chrfr]

Guys, tell me please, if I buy this 2017 MB Pro 15 2.9GHZ, can that run Mojave? I get a chunk of money soon, and plan to buy a 2021 MB Pro, until then, I want a machine to replace this ailing 2015 machine. Thanks for any replies. Appreciate it.

Yes, it can run Mojave, but it has the bad keyboard that all the 2016-2019 13 and 15" models have. $649 is far too much money for this.

 

[Christopher11]

Yes, it can run Mojave, but it has the bad keyboard that all the 2016-2019 13 and 15" models have. $649 is far too much money for this.

I see. Thanks man. How about this 2019? Can it run Mojave? It's got 32 GB ram, so until I can get my good one, for 3500.... this might hold me over well enough.

 

[chrfr]

I see. Thanks man. How about this 2019? Can it run Mojave? It's got 32 GB ram, so until I can get my good one, for 3500.... this might hold me over well enough.

Does it have to be a laptop for this stopgap usage? As for OS compatibility, I recommend the Mactracker app where you can look all of them up– it's available for Mac/iPad/iPhone: https://mactracker.ca/

 

[Christopher11]

Thank you. Yeah... I've gotta be mobile at this time. Definitely agree about Mac Pros and Mac Minis... but I've gotta move around often right now.

 

[Christopher11]

Tell me this also please, if a Macbook came with a higher OS installed like Monterey, but I do a profile transfer, either from bootable HD or my current Macbook, would that automatically run on Mojave then? Or does it need to be installed first?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
"How about this 2019? Can it run Mojave?"

NO !!!
That one, too, has the butterfly keyboard.

Fishrrman's rules for used MacBook buying:

DO NOT BUY:
MacBook Pro 13" -- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
MacBook Pro 15" -- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
ALL of these have the disastrous "butterfly keyboards" that are highly-prone to failure. Although Apple has a free replacement program running for 4 years "from new", when that time expires YOU will pay for the repair.
And it's NOT CHEAP -- $750 for even a single key gone bad.
That's because the entire top case has to be replaced... even for a single key failure!

DO BUY:
MacBook Pro 13" -- 2020
MacBook Pro 16" -- 2019 and later.
These have the new "magic" (scissors) keyboards, as did the 2015 and earlier MBPs. These keyboards have been very reliable.

Also:
MacBook Pro 14" or 16" -- 2021 or 2023

 

[Christopher11]

OP:
"How about this 2019? Can it run Mojave?"

NO !!!
That one, too, has the butterfly keyboard.

Fishrrman's rules for used MacBook buying:

DO NOT BUY:
MacBook Pro 13" -- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
MacBook Pro 15" -- 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
ALL of these have the disastrous "butterfly keyboards" that are highly-prone to failure. Although Apple has a free replacement program running for 4 years "from new", when that time expires YOU will pay for the repair.
And it's NOT CHEAP -- $750 for even a single key gone bad.
That's because the entire top case has to be replaced... even for a single key failure!

DO BUY:
MacBook Pro 13" -- 2020
MacBook Pro 16" -- 2019 and later.
These have the new "magic" (scissors) keyboards, as did the 2015 and earlier MBPs. These keyboards have been very reliable.

Also:
MacBook Pro 14" or 16" -- 2021 or 2023

Thanks buddy. Okay, so this 2019 is not okay because it's 15"? They made both 15" and 16" in 2019? I wonder why. That's quite close in size.

 

[chrfr]

Thanks buddy. Okay, so this 2019 is not okay because it's 15"? They made both 15" and 16" in 2019? I wonder why. That's quite close in size.

The 16" got the improved keyboard, which is its main improvement over the 15" 2019. It also may have had slightly better cooling but the difference, if any, is negligible.
As discussed before in this thread, the 16" cannot run Mojave so it too is off your list. Ultimately, it'd seem like taking the money you're looking to spend on this temporary computer and putting it toward upgrading your audio plugins would be the better way to spend your money.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
" Okay, so this 2019 is not okay because it's 15"?"

No again.
It's "not ok" because it has the butterfly keyboard.
You don't want ANY MacBook Pro that has the butterfly keyboard.
A failed key is going to cost you $800 -- for JUST ONE failed key.
Kabish...???

One more comment:
You're going to have to give up on Mojave.
You'll have to find some other workaround.
It is... what it is.

 

[Christopher11]

The 16" got the improved keyboard, which is its main improvement over the 15" 2019. It also may have had slightly better cooling but the difference, if any, is negligible.
As discussed before in this thread, the 16" cannot run Mojave so it too is off your list. Ultimately, it'd seem like taking the money you're looking to spend on this temporary computer and putting it toward upgrading your audio plugins would be the better way to spend your money.

Thanks buddy, appreciate it. My laptop has this terrible problem. Purple color, horizontal lines wash over the screen and I can't see or work when it happens. Seems unpredictable, and progressive. So I've gotta get in another soon. It's just temporary. I'm going to bring it to a local shop today and see if they know what's what. Apparently it can just be a connection issue.