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Upgrading from a 2011 MBP

SigmundJake229

SigmundJake229

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 2, 2013
34
6
Iowa
Greetings!
I have a 2011 15” MacBook Pro with a 2.2 I7 processor, 8gb of Ram and a 750 gb hard drive. It has served me very well. I am considering upgrading to a new MacBook Pro, but am unsure if it is actually “worth the dollars” to upgrade. My MBP still functions, however can not upgrade the OS. Almost every day, I tell it to “remind me tomorrow” about updating the OS.

Would I really notice much difference if I upgraded to a 2018 or 2019 MBP with I7 and 16gb of ram? Granted the HD will be much better (and much smaller). Currently, I use mine for general computer use (as my IPad still can not do everything my MBP can do), some general photo editing and that is about it.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide. Apple did replace the GPU a couple years ago under warranty, but deep down I wonder if it is a “ticking time bomb” and will simply die sooner than later.
 
What kind of tasks do you perform on your MacBook? The SSDs on even the base 13” model are very fast, so anything disk-intensive would be faster. The 15” models are hex-core or up. Plus the Coffee Lake processors are more capable than the 2011 Sandy Bridge chips.
 
I am sure you will also there should be a new line soon "I guess" but if you can't wait, I would check them apple certified refurbished models.


SigmundJake229 said:
Greetings!
I have a 2011 15” MacBook Pro with a 2.2 I7 processor, 8gb of Ram and a 750 gb hard drive. It has served me very well. I am considering upgrading to a new MacBook Pro, but am unsure if it is actually “worth the dollars” to upgrade. My MBP still functions, however can not upgrade the OS. Almost every day, I tell it to “remind me tomorrow” about updating the OS.

Would I really notice much difference if I upgraded to a 2018 or 2019 MBP with I7 and 16gb of ram? Granted the HD will be much better (and much smaller). Currently, I use mine for general computer use (as my IPad still can not do everything my MBP can do), some general photo editing and that is about it.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide. Apple did replace the GPU a couple years ago under warranty, but deep down I wonder if it is a “ticking time bomb” and will simply die sooner than later.
Click to expand...
 
I upgraded from 2011 15" MBP to 2018 last November. It does make a huge difference, as far as my work load.

FWIW, I work with a large WORD files (sometime 10 MB or more), it makes a huge difference on these large files. I also use VM Fusion and use Windows 7 and 10. These also make a huge difference in terms of speed.
 
I appreciate the feedback. Mostly used for “normal” computer tasks, word processing, some photo editing. I haven’t done video editing for a long time, but may in the future. I am not in a huge hurry by any means. I have a tendency to research the heck out of things before pulling the trigger. I have been looking at refurbished on the Apple website. Then I get confused with the different processor choices. He one thing for sure is 16gb of ram. Keep the comments coming, I genuinely appreciate them!
 
I upgraded from a 2011 MB Pro with hard drive to a 2019 one with SSD a few months ago. My 2011 was still working okay but it was slow - just restarting after an update took a long, long time, as did other operations. The new one is definitely snappier and boots up quickly.
 
Hello! So an update...... Went to an Apple Store yesterday and talked with a cocky sales guy who quickly pointed out that he wasn't on commission. I told him about my confusion with I7 vs I9 vs I5. He said an entry level 15" MBP would work just fine. Then he showed me the IMac. Good pricing, but much smaller processors. Cheaper extended warranty, says use the iPad for portable use and iCloud to store common files. Good Idea?
 
SigmundJake229 said:
Hello! So an update...... Went to an Apple Store yesterday and talked with a cocky sales guy who quickly pointed out that he wasn't on commission. I told him about my confusion with I7 vs I9 vs I5. He said an entry level 15" MBP would work just fine. Then he showed me the IMac. Good pricing, but much smaller processors. Cheaper extended warranty, says use the iPad for portable use and iCloud to store common files. Good Idea?
Click to expand...
Your use case can be performed pretty damn well by any relatively decent modern computer and anything with an ssd will make your old MacBook Pro feel as geriatric as it is. To be honest I would go with a 13 inch MacBook Pro or even an air if I was you upgrade to 16gb if you feel like it doesn’t sound like you need it but you will in a few years time (my 2013 with 8gb is still just fine for a similar work load) and up your storage to 1tb It will still be less than a 15 inch in cost.
 
I genuinely appreciate your recommendations! I am looking seriously at a iMac 27” refurbished on the Apple website. It is considerably cheaper than the 15” MacBook Pro and Applecare is nearly 1/2 price. I agree that I don’t really need 16gb of ram now, but in many cases it appears to be a now or never (iMac 21” and I think the Air). Now I am trying to figure out if I should get an SSD or Fusion drive. It is a fun process for sure! I want to get it right the first time.
 
A quick update. I purchased a 27” IMac refurbished from the Apple website. Lightning quick shipping for free (one day). It is equipped with 3.7 I5 processor, 16 GB of ram and a 2 TB Fushion drive. So far, it is beautiful! It looks amazing, could not tell it from new. Purchased AppleCare off eBay for 35.00. I will report how that goes when it arrives tomorrow. Totally happy with the purchase, no buyers remorse at all. It seems to be a solid computer that hopefully will hast many years.
 
Stick a SSD in the laptop, it'll be like buying a new Laptop and way cheaper.
 
Note to anyone purchasing AppleCare from anyone other than Apple. DON'T! I spent 40.00 and got something that has been obsolete since 2009! Apple suggested trying to get a refund from Ebay.
 
‘2011 MBP is still capable of running Catalina, having 16Gb RAM and an SSD. With these upgrades it is a good everyday notebook assuming you dont need excessive calculating/graphics power
 
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