mid-2012 MBP lifespan?

[parlem]

Hello!

I bought my mid-2012 MacBook Pro (15", high-res matte display) in 2013 and it will soon be ten years old. The Superdrive stopped working several years ago, but I rarely need it nowadays, so no biggie. About 5 years ago I swapped the original HD for a Samsung EVO 1Tb SSD and added more RAM. As you can imagine, it felt like I'd just bought a new machine.

While the fans will occasionally kick off, this computer is still fine for my work needs. However, I am worried about it simply not turning on one day. I know it's not a matter of whether it'll happen, but when. Sooner or later, all computers fail. Of course I have several Time Machine backups and copies of critical stuff on Google Drive and DropBox. But I've begun to wonder whether I should simply buy a new MBP and control the timing of the events rather than "let it happen" and deal with it then, perhaps at a critical time work-wise.

Realistically, how much longer can I expect my MPB to last me? All opinions and personal experiences are welcome. And thank you in advance.

 

[maflynn]

Realistically, how much longer can I expect my MPB to last me

No one can really answer that. It could keep working for an hour, day, month, a year. I also 2012 rMBP, and everything works fine. I'm sure the battery is toast, and it sits on my credenza unused but I did boot it up earlier this year and was surprised it was fully functioning

I will say that it doesn't owe you anything at this point and why take a chance on it failing at a critical time for you. I'd look to replace it.

 

[fxstb2002]

You may want to consider replacing once support for Catalina is dropped.

 

[parlem]

Thank you all for your thoughts. Very kind.

 

[McScooby]

You may want to consider replacing once support for Catalina is dropped.

Support has been dropped, with the last round of updates Catalina was missed. Sure you can use browsers such as Firefox which still get updated, but system updates are no more I fear.

 

[ndouglas]

As someone who held onto and used daily my 2013 MBP until recently, and a 2008 one before that, it’s in my view well worth it to upgrade a 2012 model in 2022. Yes it may still chug along for a while and no, no one can say for how long exactly, but you’ll be relieved when you get something much more recent.

 

[Fishrrman]

It could keep working 1, 2, 3 or more years. Or even longer.
There's no way anyone here can guarantee how long it will last.

If you like it, keep using it.
BUT... KEEP IT BACKED UP REGULARLY.

And... keep your eye on the new MacBook Pros "out there", and which one you would pick IF you needed to replace what you have now on short notice.

 

[mishendr]

You might have a look at "OpenCore Legacy Patcher". It patches MacOS so un-supported Macs can run the newer/newest MacOS. I've got my MacBook Pro 2010 13" (8GB and 500GB SSD) running smoothly on macOS Monterey, Ventura support is still in development. For 2012+ MacBook Ventura is already supported. Its very easy and straitforward! 2012 MacBook Pro seems to be a sweet spot, as for its upgradability, while providing decent performance.

Also, service your MB (yourself, or have it done), like removing dust and replacing heat-paste for the CPU. Electronics break mostly over time because of heating issues. Cooling is key.

 

[arcite]

That laptop is probably worth about $100….. I mean, it’s an antique now. if you have the funds, buying a new Mac, even for $1000 will greatly improve your workflow. Check out a site like OWC, they have great deals on refurbished machines.

 

[ToniCH]

I am one of those advocates of using old macs as long as they do what you expect them to do. My work is pretty much writing, occasional photo editing (camera->web), sales/invoicing/accounting-software, email and web surfing. I can do all that with pretty much any non entry level mac manufactured during last 10 years.

So, a mid 2012 15" with the high res matte display? Yes, one of my favorites. Mine is late production one, made in September 2013. Bought it second hand. Never had any problems with it. i7 2.7GHz, max RAM and a Samsung 1TB SSD. Had a Apple 512GB SSD earlier but after many years the newer generation Samsung is much faster in speed tests, not that I would notice it in my use though. I am still running the original battery but I like the fact I can swap a new one in there in a minute without having to dissolve adhesives etc. like I need to do with the later models.

If one does heavy photo or video editing for living then yes, I understand shoveling thousands for a new machine every few years. But, when it comes to Apple I have noticed that new stuff is not necessarily better, last 10 years or so with MBP's especially have shown that many times. So, I will use mine until its no longer repairable or doesn't meet my needs anymore for some other reason. I do daily CCC-backups and I am not relying on one Mac or even one MBP alone. So, in case of problem swapping computers is a quick job.

If OP will buy a new one I would suggest hanging on to the mid 2012 as a backup-machine. Relying in to one computer alone is not wise as the backups do not offer immediate help you if you cannot drop your files to another machine in work critical situation, when you cannot sit for days or weeks waiting for your only machine to come back from repairs. I saw this frequently when I was in ad agency world in earlier life: free lancers had one machine and when it broke they were screwed as they could not meet the deadlines or complete their assignments at all.

 

[marstan]

Well, I am writing right now on my early 2008 MBP (upgraded with ram and ssd of course). Works just fine for web surfing and it even plays you tube videos just fine as long as I feed it a fast wifi signal. Only reason I haven't upgraded is because I hate glossy screens and real work is done on my desktop. You want a longevity benchmark well here is one.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

I don't have a MBP, but FWIW, my 2012 MBA is still chugging along, and my 2008 iMac stopped booting up only a few months ago. I have the original iPad, and the battery still holds a charge like when it was new. Of course, it can barely do anything except for email and a few other basic apps.

Apple makes some solid hardware. That said, keep everything backed up to the cloud because eventually some key component will fail.