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Sell MacBook Pro Retina for Mac Mini?

H

hkoster1

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 29, 2012
155
55
The Netherlands
My 1-year old 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina (2.3/16/256) isn't going on the road anymore, but spends its days 24/7 in clamshell mode connected to a Thunderbolt Display.

I'm considering selling it and replacing it with a Mac Mini, probably the next model if it has at least HD 5000 graphics performance.

Comment? Advice?
 
The current 2.3Ghz i7 model can be configured using your own drives to a very high spec.

It's £679 for the spec equivalent of your Macbook Pro (minus the discreet GPU). You can configure it to a 2.6Ghz CPU for £749 and then add a SATA 6Gb/s SSD and upgrade the RAM to 16Gb cheaply yourself and it would be equal or faster than your Macbook Pro.

Once the Mac Mini is updated to HD5000 graphics and newer CPUs, the GPU performance to be much more comparable with your Macbook Pro and the CPU performance will probably have some token increase but not on the level of moving from the i5 to the Quad i7 in Apple's last update.

I only have a 2009 Mac Mini but with an SSD and full RAM upgrade, it's a snappy system that's destinted to be my media centre for years to come once I can afford to upgrade.

I'd wait on getting a Mac Mini. The BTO version of the current Mac Mini is a very capable system but a low-end Mac Pro depending on pricing/performance could be better option and a newer model of Mac Mini could be an even better option.

They regularly have Mac Minis on the refurb section of the Apple Store. I've seen the 2.6Ghz BTO model for £649 before now.
 
The 2013 mini should also (hopefully) bring PCIe storage which will make it all that much sweeter. :D

I feel like the only thing holding my 2011 mini back is the HD3000 GPU, but I don't do anything graphically intensive with it. With the quad-core chip and 16GB ram it's otherwise a powerful little box.
 
I'd stick with the MBP, right now you can use it anywhere in your house, i.e., in the living room, or wherever. The screen is gorgeous, and you have a discrete GPU, that you'll be giving up with the Mac Mini.

I have a mini (along with a rMBP) and its a great computer but the laptop gives you more flexibility that you don't get and since you already own the laptop, I'd say keep it. :)
 
If you know you are not going to use it outside, then sell it to get the mini, maybe you can spend close to 50% of the selling fund and keep the money. A good deal. It is your choice, your money.
 
If you don't travel, laptops aren't a great choice as a primary computer. I'd dump the laptop. Someone will probably pay you a good sum for it.
 
I own a Mini, Macbook Pro 13", 15" retina and a Thunderbolt Display.

I'd keep the Macbook Pro if I was you.
 
Mr. Retrofire said:
The other thing is, that Mavericks Server runs probably on a Mac mini server with 2xSATA III HDD and 1xPCIe SSD.
Click to expand...

3 drives... with the small form factor of PCIe that's definitely possible, but I'd say highly unlikely. But maybe the mini will instead become even minier?
 
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