The Evolution of MacBook Pro: Are Older Models Still Worth Buying?
In recent years, the current generation of touch bar MacBook Pros has drawn significant criticism from many people who prefer the older retina models to them. However, there's another option that has been largely overlooked: the even older unibody MacBook Pro models from 2009 to 2012.
Transitioning from Core 2 Duo to Core i Series
The unibody MacBook Pro was Apple's flagship computer during this period, marking a significant transition from Core 2 Duo to faster and more modern Core iSeries processors. For the purposes of this article, we'll be focusing on the most recent model of the unibody MacBook Pro, which is the mid-2012 15-inch model.
A Similar Spec Sheet to the Retina Model
Interestingly, the mid-2012 unibody MacBook Pro has almost exactly the same specs as the first-generation MacBook Pro with a Retina display. The main difference lies in the amount of VRAM - the retina model starts at 1 GB, while the unibody model starts at 512 MB. Both machines start with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650 M graphics chips.
Display and Chassis
While the retina model features a vastly superior display and a thinner, lighter chassis, the older unibody models have some tricks up their sleeve. For instance, the RAM on the mid-2012 retina MacBook Pro starts at 8 GB but remains that way. In contrast, the unibody model I'm reviewing has only started at 4 GB of RAM, making it easy to upgrade to 8 GB with just a screwdriver.
Upgradability and Storage
Another key aspect worth mentioning is upgradability. The retina MacBook Pro's RAM is unfortunately not upgradable, requiring users to upgrade it at the time of purchase. On the other hand, the unibody model's RAM can be easily upgraded to 8 GB or even 16 GB with a simple screwdriver. Storage-wise, both models are also highly accessible - in fact, it was extremely easy for me to upgrade the storage in the unibody model all the way up to 2 terabytes using just a screwdriver.
SSD Upgradability
However, it's worth noting that the SSD on the retina MacBook Pro is proprietary and doesn't allow for seamless upgrades. There are some aftermarket solutions available, but they come at a significant cost - in this case, $400 for only 480 GB of storage. In contrast, upgrading the storage on the unibody model is much more feasible and cost-effective.
Performance
So, how does the 2012 unibody MacBook Pro perform? The model I'm reviewing features an upgraded 2.6 GHz Core i7 processor and 1 GB of VRAM in Cinebench. While it may not score as high as the late 2013 retina model (which scored 614), its performance is still respectable, especially considering its age.
Processor-Intensive Tasks
In terms of processor-intensive tasks, the unibody MacBook Pro holds its own against more modern machines. Its Core i7 processor and 2.6 GHz clock speed make it well-suited for demanding applications like video editing, photo processing, and more.
Graphics Capabilities
However, when it comes to graphics capabilities, the unibody model's NVIDIA GeForce GT 650 M graphics card doesn't stand a chance against the Radeon Pro Series GPUs found in modern touch bar MacBook Pros. Nevertheless, it's still capable of handling most tasks and applications with ease.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the older unibody MacBook Pro models from 2009 to 2012 are indeed powerful and capable computers that hold their own against more modern machines. While they may not have all the bells and whistles of newer models, their upgradability, storage capabilities, and processor performance make them a compelling option for those on a budget or looking for a reliable workhorse.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe current generation touch bar MacBook Pro has drawn a lot of criticism and many people prefer the older retina models to it but what about the even older unibody models are they still worth buying the unibody MacBook Pro was Apple's flagship computer from 2009 to 2012 it's all the transition from Core 2 Duo to the faster more modern core iSeries for the purposes of this video we'll be looking at the most recent model of the unibody MacBook Pro the mid 2012 15-inch this computer started at 1,800 dollars and was on sale at the same time as the first generation MacBook Pro with Retina display interestingly however the unibody has almost exactly the same specs as the retina model apart from the 15-inch starting at 512 megabytes of VRAM while the retina has a gigabyte both machines start with a 2.3 gigahertz quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650 M graphics chips the similarities in the specs are very important here while the retina features a vastly superior display and much thinner lighter chassis the old unibody has a few tricks up its sleeve the RAM on the mid-2012 retina starts at 8 gigabytes but it stays that way while the unibody I have here only started at 4 gigabytes of RAM it was very easy to upgrade it to 8 gigabytes with just a screwdriver note you could just as easily put 16 gigs in this thing the ram in the retina macbook pro is unfortunately not upgradable and has to be upgraded at the time of purchase another very important point is storage well it was extremely easy for me to take the storage in this unit a MacBook Pro all the way up to 2 terabytes with just a screwdriver and it only cost about $70 in the retina MacBook Pro the SSD while upgradable is proprietary so without an adapter or using a genuine or supported SSD you're kind of out of luck there are kids from owz that allow you to increase the colonel storage however at $400 for just 480 gigabytes I don't think it's really on the same level so how does the 2012 unibody actually perform the model I have here is actually a really really nice one this features the upgraded 2.6 gigahertz core i7 and the upgraded one gigabytes of vram in Cinebench it scored a very respectable 598 which is not half bad especially if we compare it to a late 2013 Retina the upgraded one with a has well 2.6 gigahertz i7 that scored 614 the difference in scores is really not that significant and the unibody is more than capable of processor intensive tasks the graphics card doesn't stand a chance against the Radeon Pro Series GPUs found in the touch bar MacBook Pros but it is more than capable of most tasks and few retina MacBook Pros will outperform it the 2012 unibody really is a powerful and capable computer by modern standards despite being 5 years old this whole thing is still kicking and will be for many years to come so thank you guys for watching this video I actually have this 15 inch unibody from 2012 for another video that I'm working on that I'll be posting very soon you can check out the series that I started about flipping MacBook Pros on ebay if you click on the little more information button which is is it on this side I don't know how directions work but it's a it's up there somewhere click it and you'll find the video somehow and make sure you're subscribed and hit the little bell so that you can see the video about how I ended up with this computer and how much money I made off of it and with that I will see you guys in the next videothe current generation touch bar MacBook Pro has drawn a lot of criticism and many people prefer the older retina models to it but what about the even older unibody models are they still worth buying the unibody MacBook Pro was Apple's flagship computer from 2009 to 2012 it's all the transition from Core 2 Duo to the faster more modern core iSeries for the purposes of this video we'll be looking at the most recent model of the unibody MacBook Pro the mid 2012 15-inch this computer started at 1,800 dollars and was on sale at the same time as the first generation MacBook Pro with Retina display interestingly however the unibody has almost exactly the same specs as the retina model apart from the 15-inch starting at 512 megabytes of VRAM while the retina has a gigabyte both machines start with a 2.3 gigahertz quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650 M graphics chips the similarities in the specs are very important here while the retina features a vastly superior display and much thinner lighter chassis the old unibody has a few tricks up its sleeve the RAM on the mid-2012 retina starts at 8 gigabytes but it stays that way while the unibody I have here only started at 4 gigabytes of RAM it was very easy to upgrade it to 8 gigabytes with just a screwdriver note you could just as easily put 16 gigs in this thing the ram in the retina macbook pro is unfortunately not upgradable and has to be upgraded at the time of purchase another very important point is storage well it was extremely easy for me to take the storage in this unit a MacBook Pro all the way up to 2 terabytes with just a screwdriver and it only cost about $70 in the retina MacBook Pro the SSD while upgradable is proprietary so without an adapter or using a genuine or supported SSD you're kind of out of luck there are kids from owz that allow you to increase the colonel storage however at $400 for just 480 gigabytes I don't think it's really on the same level so how does the 2012 unibody actually perform the model I have here is actually a really really nice one this features the upgraded 2.6 gigahertz core i7 and the upgraded one gigabytes of vram in Cinebench it scored a very respectable 598 which is not half bad especially if we compare it to a late 2013 Retina the upgraded one with a has well 2.6 gigahertz i7 that scored 614 the difference in scores is really not that significant and the unibody is more than capable of processor intensive tasks the graphics card doesn't stand a chance against the Radeon Pro Series GPUs found in the touch bar MacBook Pros but it is more than capable of most tasks and few retina MacBook Pros will outperform it the 2012 unibody really is a powerful and capable computer by modern standards despite being 5 years old this whole thing is still kicking and will be for many years to come so thank you guys for watching this video I actually have this 15 inch unibody from 2012 for another video that I'm working on that I'll be posting very soon you can check out the series that I started about flipping MacBook Pros on ebay if you click on the little more information button which is is it on this side I don't know how directions work but it's a it's up there somewhere click it and you'll find the video somehow and make sure you're subscribed and hit the little bell so that you can see the video about how I ended up with this computer and how much money I made off of it and with that I will see you guys in the next video\n"
