So guys, I am planning to buy the MacBook Pro 13-inch Non-Retina for my first laptop ever for producing and stuff.

I am currently running on an i3 1st gen (the cheapest i3 among its category) desktop so it will still be a good upgrade for me..Just need some insight!

So is this still powerful today (If any of you are still using this, or used to) and if this i5 2.5GHz processor still good today?,etc.

Ram and HDD upgrade will be later :D


MacBook Pro 13-inch

• 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display
• 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
  Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
• Up to 7 hours battery life1
• 500GB 5400-rpm hard drive2
• 2.06 kg3

NOTE: I don't need to hear dissing of mac or windows pc/laptop or recommendations. I know i can get an i7 windows laptop for the same price range.

 

This particular Macbook Pro hasn't been updated since 2012... It uses a much older processor architecture compared to the newer retina models. You'll get better performance and battery life on one of the newer machines.

The benefit to one of these older machines is that it was the last Macbook where you could upgrade the internal components yourself. If you did buy one, I would recommend at least 8GB RAM for music production. You could also replace the CD drive with another hard drive, for example, an SSD drive. But for how much that would probably cost you, you may aswell just save up a little more and go with one of the Retina models

It might be worth looking at the Refurbished store on their website.

 

Last edited: Sep 11, 2016

Those MacBooks can be topped with 16 Gb of RAM (two banks of 8 Gigs), which I recommend if you go for it. I have one and I can't complain about performance. However, I don't use a lot of VI and synths. The processor is alright. Not being able to expand the ram is what I don't like about the newer MacBooks.

 

Oh thanks a lot man.. so yes that cd drive, you can put a hdd/ssd on it? Meaning the original hdd + new hdd instead of the cd drive ?

 

Wow..thanks 4 the 16gb..they say about upgradeable to 8gb only.. so if 16 is possible, that would be awesome!

 

I have a 2012 macbook pro (pre retinal), and apple officially states 8GB, but I know many running 16GB no problem (check out OWC...).. but the first thing you do is pull the optical drive and toss in another SSD, (they usually will give you an enclosure for the optical drive if for some reason you need it you can use it usb)...

I TOO like the 2012 and around there models, as you can user access the things, and are not constrained to point of purchase rams and hard drives etc... I am curious what the new releases will hold, and for that reason might wait, and for the additional reason that the prices of the older models on the open market will surely plummet more...

but the system you describe should be pretty good for a laptop machine! (but definitely get an SSD drive... they are getting pretty cheap!)

 

Thanks a lot bro..one other thing..ssd are small size.even the 500hdd is also small..if i use samples, kontakt libraries form an external hardisk..will it effect the performance? I am planning to buy the western digital external hardisk elements 2tb.

 

Get one with an i7 processor, because it's quad-core, enabling mutlithreading in DAWs (i.e. Logic Pro X). And see if the officially- or unofficially-supported amount of RAM might be 16GB or even 32GB. And use an SSD instead of an HDD.

 

The reason I haven't upgraded is because I'm poor, but also because the new specs don't seem that much better. Am I wrong? They are still selling i5s and I have an i7. ????

 

Meh, it's okay. But if you're a creative maestro like me who produces about 380 songs per year, each a logic pro x project containing about 30-175 total audio/midi tracks, then you're probably gonna have some struggles. If you frequently use Omnisphere2 & Spire like me, then you're also gonna be miserable as hell with that thing. Lots of CPU overloads, lagging, crashing, & anal raping thru your mac.
If you're a basic beginner who just wants to throw garageband loops together & consider it an otherworldly masterpiece of divine unseen forces (aka your skills), then I'd say you'll be golden for a while.
I recommend getting 8GB RAM at the very least! Anything less than 8 will be a nightmare. Though I recommend more than 8GB, it should hold you over (for now!)
Also, you should eventually get a desktop mac - like a mac mini. Don't be fooled by it's small size. Basically it's just a desktop computer without the screen. You'll need to go get a monitor or TV set. You probably have an old LCD TV screen hanging around in the basement. Go grab that & clean it off. Even if it's fairly new looking, clean it because sometimes your friends don't tell you what kind of shit you did when you were drunk.
But without further due, I'd say you should just get it. If you don't like it, you can always sell it to some idiot on eBay. But I personally don't think you'll have a problem if you get 8GB or ram.

 

macbook pro 13.3 16gb ram 2 tb ssd. awesome.

 

Before this 2012 MacBook Pro, I had an i7 15" MacBook Pro from 2011. I removed The optical drive, got a caddy and put a second drive in its place. I regret it. I didn't account for the excess of heat. The thing overheated so badly that that video chip got unsoldered out of its socket, and the caddy and the hard drive were molded into one. I just had to trash my MBP. The only good thing is that I got paid $200 for the remains of that laptop. I don't advise anyone to replace the optical drive for a hard drive. However, I have disabled the optical drive in my current MacBook Pro (by unplugging its power lead). That and an SSD drive and battery life gets increased because without the mechanical moving parts, the use of energy is more efficient.

 

Depends of what you want to do with.
But SSD for your OS
and HD 7200 rpm at least for your data ( samples, videos, Irs, presets, user library …) Is far a basics good start.
With my oldy mid-2010 2,66 intel core 2 duo with 16gb of Ram, I can work quiet ok. So with your laptop spec, that could be ok.
Obviously, if you need to have 40 tracks with your session audio at 48000/ 32 bits with lots of process etc … That will began to be critic somehow.
You'll need to do some tweak on your OS to help a bit, but today last daw /plugins versions are asking loads of calcul power from your machine,
so between freezing tracks and so, you could cook your stuff in peace . But the workflow would be damaged quiet sometimes.
cheers

 

But really, put whatever you want on external HDD but Kontakt libraries and OS should definitely run off SSD or at least 7200 rpm HDD

 

Appreciate it. Thanks..

 

wait a minute,

you don't say at what speed is running your current desktop PC i3 CPU and if it is also dualcore (I think all i3 are but you should double check on this, cos I may be wrong),

but my guess is that it probably is running as fast as the i5 from the macbook, maybe even faster,

so beware, you might not see any improvement in term of CPU power, it would be different if it was a quadcore i5.

Also be careful if you take an external HD, what connection will it use : USB2 ? USB3 ? FW800 ?

USB2 is slow, still ok for backup purpose only.
FW800 is a bit better
USB3 is good

Of course you have to know what connections are provided with the macbook or whatever laptop (USB3 the better again).

Hope this helps.

 

Fortunately, the two USB sockets in the 2012 non-retina MBP are USB3.

 

im using a model from 2012. i've upgraded it with more ram and a SSD HD. its running super smooth both in Logic and in Abelton.
Maybe it cant handle as many VST's at a time as my studiopc

but what i've learned from it is that old saying : less is more. self imposed limits can bring the best out in you

 

Last edited: Sep 16, 2016

Yeah I'd probably get 16gb of RAM since memory has become so inexpensive. If it costs your more than a hundred USD to upgrade from whatever GB to 16 GB, I might opt to do it myself since it seems super easy (going to be doing something similar for someone this week) and you'll save a few bucks. Losing screws and static electricity seem to be the biggest drawbacks. Especially if you're dead set on having two HDDs since you are going to have to take it apart anyway since that isn't the way the factory model comes (to my knowledge). Good luck =)

 

I think the i5 is gonna be dissapointing. Try to find an i7