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Should I buy MBP 15” 2014 in mint condition?

S

Scarrus

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 7, 2011
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As the title says - I’ve found a 2014 MBP 15” in mint consition and I’m thinking about buying it.

I have powerfull(ish) Lenovo Legion that I use as my daily driver and I’ve been longing to own a Mac again but am unwilling to drop the money on a new 16” MBP at the moment / I’m still kind of saving up for it.

I know this machine is old and what the CPU and rest is kind of capable of. I’m looking to use it for web browsing, e-mails, Photo and Video library management, social media, some YouTube from time to time and perhaps a bit of coding, although I might do that on my Legion.

It has 16 Gb of Ram and 512 Gb of storage which I know are upgradeable and it would cost me ~ 350$. As said, it’s almost never been used and looks like new.


Am I crazy 😁 or should I just pull the plug?
I have to mention, it’s not THAT much money to me, but still, it’s money 🤪

LOL
 
I have a 2016 i7-6700HQ with 16GB and using an NVMe for OS on MSI lappy. I use Linux on it and it runs fast and cool with a cooling pad. Your Mac has an i7-4770HQ (mot much older) so I think you might be pleased with it for your purposes. I just received a 2010 iMac and am impressed with what Apple does with the hardware/software mix.
 
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I don't think it is worth it unless you are willing to upgrade the laptop yourself (hardware and software).

Here are some issues with the 2014 MacBook Pro 15" that you are going to run into:
  1. Worn-out Battery - You'll either have to live with short run-time or replace the battery with a non-OEM battery that can't handle high cpu load and lasts less than a year. ($100 for the replacement kit and then $50-$80 per year for the battery replacement)
  2. You can upgrade the SSD on that model, but it will cost you at least $200 for 1TB.
  3. The last operating system that your system supports is MacOS Big Sur, which is end-of-life and is only getting some, but not all security updates. You can use OpenCore-Patcher to upgrade to a newer version of MacOS, but you need to be knowledgable on how to install it and deal with the bugs that come with it. You could extend the use of MacOS on that laptop for 2-3 years if you stretch it. Otherwise you can install Linux on it and you'll be good for as long as you can replace the battery or some other component doesn't fail.
So if you are willing to put up with the above, then go for it, otherwise save up for a different machine.
 
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Scarrus said:
As the title says - I’ve found a 2014 MBP 15” in mint consition and I’m thinking about buying it.

I have powerfull(ish) Lenovo Legion that I use as my daily driver and I’ve been longing to own a Mac again but am unwilling to drop the money on a new 16” MBP at the moment / I’m still kind of saving up for it.

I know this machine is old and what the CPU and rest is kind of capable of. I’m looking to use it for web browsing, e-mails, Photo and Video library management, social media, some YouTube from time to time and perhaps a bit of coding, although I might do that on my Legion.

It has 16 Gb of Ram and 512 Gb of storage which I know are upgradeable and it would cost me ~ 350$. As said, it’s almost never been used and looks like new.


Am I crazy 😁 or should I just pull the plug?
I have to mention, it’s not THAT much money to me, but still, it’s money 🤪

LOL
Click to expand...


You'd be buying a Mac that, at best, can run the latest version of macOS 11 Big Sur and the latest version of Windows 10. The former is only supported until Fall 2023 while the latter is only supported until Fall 2025. If you have a particular fondness for the 2014 model, then sure, makes sense to get it. But I'd say that you're better off pursuing something newer - a 2019 16" if you have to have Intel (there are very few Intel MacBooks that make sense to get going into 2023 when it comes to longevity of any significance), or either a MacBook Air or 13" MacBook Pro with the standard M1.
 
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It sounds like it depends mostly on how much you long to be on a Mac just for the sake of being on a Mac. If you're sure waking up to a not-current version of macOS instead of Windows each day with would really improve your life until you're able to buy the new Mac you're saving for, then I'd say go ahead.

(I don't know whether you require a laptop, but I'd also mention that if your criteria are frugality and just using a Mac for now, you can probably find a Mac mini with an SSD from 2012 or 2014 that can run Mojave or Catalina for 100-200 USD.)
 
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Scarrus said:
As the title says - I’ve found a 2014 MBP 15” in mint consition and I’m thinking about buying it.

I have powerfull(ish) Lenovo Legion that I use as my daily driver and I’ve been longing to own a Mac again but am unwilling to drop the money on a new 16” MBP at the moment / I’m still kind of saving up for it.

I know this machine is old and what the CPU and rest is kind of capable of. I’m looking to use it for web browsing, e-mails, Photo and Video library management, social media, some YouTube from time to time and perhaps a bit of coding, although I might do that on my Legion.

It has 16 Gb of Ram and 512 Gb of storage which I know are upgradeable and it would cost me ~ 350$. As said, it’s almost never been used and looks like new.


Am I crazy 😁 or should I just pull the plug?
I have to mention, it’s not THAT much money to me, but still, it’s money 🤪

LOL
Click to expand...
That machine will be collector edition. For functionalities - as mentioned by others here - I am not sure it will be functional and fit your purpose.
Some comments on “pristine” look laptop:

- take a look at keyboard. If it has been oily it has been used quite sometimes.
- take a look at battery, check its cycle and %health. Also, usually with > 5 years, battery began swelling which push the keyboard area. Check also this.
- prepare budget for battery replacement (most likely) and SSD (nice to have)
 
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Thanks for all the comments.
I’d have gotten a 13” MBA but the screen size is just too small for me. I need at least 15”.

Yes, the laptop looks ad though never been touched. The keys show no usage, neither does the trackpad and/or the case and screen for that matter.

Of course, this is going a light use machine, something I think an Intel quadcore can still handle for at least a few years.

I’ve been also thinking about waiting for the rumored 15” MBA but that isn’t even a sure thing yet and if it costs somewhere in the same ballpark as the 16” MBP, say ~500$ more or so, then I’ll just get the MBP 😛

EDIT:

Just to specify, my Lenovo is also a laptop and I don’t use Desktops anymore as I moved a bit during the last year and I also travel somewhat and I love the convenience in just being able to take your computer with you anywhere.
I also do some gaming but only on console(PS5) nowadays. I’m not going back to full desktop gaming, it’s too much a hassle imo.
 
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RumorConsumer said:
You would be a thousand times better off getting a 2020 MacBook Air M1. Or a 2020 Mac mini M1 running Jump desktop for remote usage without a monitor. You'd add like $350 and you could get something awesome. Do not invest in that 2014 tech.

Example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/325474639534?hash=item4bc7ccdeae:g:QdMAAOSw7ZtjplVm&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA4CDY34MnQXOGAvuxvtVgaaR8NNhGV76gT6VFeU47uh1uS/3G9BJXi57vkcMqUaleeZSNlylQ2LzwaBntHFSPC2OuotvAPz6iPzXjC7rjGcQLsZTqHRY/V8yl+6wiIx7uXIoOQu8N251oUVHecBo6NC92OgstQEQId5cQ3pPnujXAPzuZ9Ny8ExYLSKOb/k/SRSB0ThB4Ok7l8IQSzUZ2u/88PPUZTtlKNdlw1aQSjyTmB1Wcs7Gg3D5voUGesVkxx/wNBPAdo7Pk+pr60rrj9x1s8ygTUHZpCZ+m5GYtACui|tkp:Bk9SR5TU-OerYQ&LH_BIN=1
Click to expand...
I think OP mentioned, 13” is too small and he didn’t want to use desktop anymore.
Aside from that, for light usage plus with pristine condition, I will get it. I have some Mac (MacBook and iMac) which still run Mojave and Catalina perfectly.
 
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It's not worth the money and obsolete. Won't get software updates and you will be frustrated soon down the line. I'd hold onto the money to put towards something else (or save up). As mentioned above too there are probably better newer models for that price range too.
 
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Not the same but similar situation. I still have my 2015 MBP 15” after buying an MBP M1pro 14” and haven’t decided what to do with it. It still does the basic stuff, a 1TB SSD, and my wife could use it. But, when I think of the used prices for an MBA M1 and how capable they are going into the future… Cheap, or 'free' [in my case, unless selling and applying that to a newer M1] is tempting, but factoring in age, OS updates, compatibility with other newer devices, and of course just speed, the newer computers are the way to go. The cheap or savings will just be an extra cost in the not-too-distant future. The one thing that I can say as a positive for the 15”, even comparing it to the 14” or a smaller MBA 13” is that the extra screen size is noticeable and it's still a nice-looking display.
 
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That’s a thing, isn’t it. A machine like this still fully runs Windows 10 and not badly at that. Win 10 also happens to be a fully supported OS by MS so basically you still have full support for a machine like this on the Win side whereas Apple considers this machine from the stone ages basically.
 
The fact that it looks mint is worth about $20, IMO. Not more than $50.

Looks matter little, function is most important.

If the battery is in good shape (doubtful), that would be worth about another $50 (Worth is not the same as cost).

So I wouldn't pay more than $100 over the price of an average condition one.
 
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In a word, no. Unless you are a collector or get some thrill from vintage devices etc.

It was a long long time during which I also wanted / needed the 15” size not the 13”, but I made it work with the 13” until after many years I was only very recently able to afford the extra $1000 basically for the 15 (now 16”) size.
You can do as I did and get 15“ PCs that only last a year or so and have tons of hassles, or just save up until you can get a 16” refurb as I did for about $2000, unless enduring a 13” air or similar for $900-ish is an option. It was hard to get and spend that much for me, but totally worth it ultimately, as it’s used and enjoyed for work and other stuff daily.
 
For what the OP wants to do a 15" 2014 MBP is perfectly adequate. I'm typing this on an almost identical but even older 15" Late 2013 MBP.
Of course an M1 is better but it's many times the price & a MBA isn't an alternative when the OP specifically mentions that they want a 15" screen.
 
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