I'm trying to save a little money on buying a used MBP

Tech Talk MacOS
#1

Would a 2013 MBP with a 2.6 i7 Processor, 16 GB ram, and an ssd be appreciably slower than a 2017 MBP with a 2.6 i7 Processor, 16 GB ram, and an ssd? I’m looking to save money on buying a used MBP and the older models are selling for cheeper.

#2

You’re gonna hear this a lot when comparing performance and while sometimes it might get old, it’s only asked so much because it’s so relevant to your question.

How are you going to use it? What would be the most demanding situations you’ll use it in? Editing 4k60 videos? Playing a youtube stream while responding to email?

I’ll try and give you an answer without knowing your exact situation by saying for most things there won’t be much difference but for somethings, there really will be. I personally use and have several Macs from the 2000s-2010s that are way older than what you’re considering but I know what each one is capable of and do things that make reasonable demands from each.

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#3

The gold standard of MBP’s are the 2015 units. I would suggest looking into one of those machines.

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#4

MBP 2015 Retina is a great laptop. Just be aware you cannot use sidecar - not supported.

#5

Any pre-retina Mac can be easily upgraded with RAM and SSDs but the retina models have faster RAM and MUCH faster drives.

I spent a lot of time and effort upgrading a 2012 MBP with a pair of 256Gb SSDs in striped RAID for speed, and discovered my 2015 MacBook Air had a MUCH faster drive.

Personally, I would say go with a retina model, the 2015 models are good value, just remember you can’t upgrade anything.

My current Workhorse is a 2015 MBP 15", my Warhorse (it takes the risks) is a 2014 MBP 13" and my Show Pony is a 2019 MacBook Air.

Enjoy!

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#6

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but I’ve already pulled the trigger. I found one on Facebook Marketplace for a great deal. The guy wanted the balance of what he had left to pay for it.

$650
15 inch
2.2 I7
16 GB RAM
256 DRIVE

We met up, I checked it out, and he says it’s got a year and a half left on the Applecare Plus warranty, so that was a bonus!

So far it’s been running like a dream! It’s definitely a good upgrade from my 2012 13 inch MBA 4GB Ram! Although the MBA is still quite capable, the MBP is noticeably faster.

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