Upgrading 2010 MacBook Pro vs. purchasing new one

[Language]

I am debating the merit of upgrading my current mid-2010 13" MacBook Pro versus buying a new 2017 version.

I only really use one software intensive program (no gaming), and the laptop still functions fairly well for a 2010, despite crashing occasionally and being slow at times. It's a bit bulky compared to the new Pro's obviously but I primarily use it at home.

The specs of my current laptop are as follows:

Processor: 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory: 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 320M 256 MB

I am only using 115 GB of a total 320 GB of available storage space.

I would look at upgrading the following:
New battery: $95 USD (NewerTech)
https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAP13MBU65V/

Upgrade to 8GB RAM: $92 USD (Crucial)
http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/macboo...0%29/CT3309355

Upgrade to SDD: $140 USD (Samsung EVO 850 500GB)
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-2-5-I...+evo+850+500gb

From my research, all of the above get very good reviews. Total upgrade cost would be $327 USD for the above, and let's say $450 USD in total if I paid someone to install for me so I don't screw anything up.

With these upgrades, would the laptop function fairly comparably to the new MacBook Pro's on the market? Or would it still lag in speed and performance and would it just make sense to buy a new one?

The specs of the new one I'd be looking at are the following:

2017 13" Macbook Pro:
- 2.3GHz dual-core 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Turbo Boost up to - 3.6GHz
- 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory
- 512GB SSD storage
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640

The cost of the laptop with the above specs on Apple.com is $2,067 USD. I am in the USA therefore am listing all in USD prices.

Would appreciate the advice of those more knowledgeable at this than me, and thank you in advance!

[opendoor]

I wouldn't put $400 into a nearly 8 year old laptop. Even with those upgrades a 2010 Macbook is going to be well behind a modern one in performance, not to mention the screens are so much better on the new ones and that's something you can't upgrade.

I was actually faced with pretty much the exact same decision earlier this year as I had a 2010 Macbook that was having some issues. I opted to go with a refurbished one from the 2015/2016 models (the ones prior to the current ones). The performance and screen are fairly similar to the newest generation and it's so much more convenient having USB, thunderbolt, HDMI, and a card reader onboard compared to only a few USB-C ports and nothing else. The one I got is $1099 when it's available, but they usually get snapped up pretty quickly:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/F...retina-display

Even if want the newest generation I'd consider refurbished; they're essentially identical to brand new ones and carry the exact same warranty. The one you're looking at goes for $1609 from there:

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/G...lay-Space-Gray

[DownhillGoat]

What are you using the computer for?

I upgraded a mid-2010 (albeit 4 years ago) and just sold it this year. With the upgrades you're looking at, it'll still work for basic processes, but I tried running Lightroom and a few other programs and it was pretty bogged down. Opendoor's refurb suggestion is a good one for the price difference.

Don't think you'd be too excited about dumping $500 into yours after you see the results.

[Language]

Thanks guys, appreciate your responses!

[Regular_John]

Just to piggy back on opendoor's suggestion regarding refurbs, they're great deals. And all I've been buying for the last 12-ish years.

You save $200-$300 and get a slightly less nice box, other than that it's the same experience as net new machines.

[BsFaninCGY]

Do you sync an iPhone to this laptop? My fiance has a 2008 MacBook and a little over a year ago she basically got locked out of backing up her phone. It was some combination of the OS/iTunes being too old, and her being unable to update either due to the specs of the computer. I remember looking into it, and there was no way around it. She doesn't use iCloud and wasn't interested in starting, so that may have been an option, but not one she was interested in. So my recommendation is that if you plan on upgrading, know that in a year or two, it might be too old to continue to update certain software, and could have you buying a new MacBook regardless.

[DoubleF]

If you're only using around 115GB, I'd suggest getting the 240GB SSD for around $90 USD or so. A fresh installation of OSX may also help. I also think you should be able to buy that battery replacement for around $45 USD. Both should be available via Amazon. Both combined should be able to impress you in comparison to what you currently have, but not in comparison to a new Apple Macbook. I don't think it's worth adding RAM to the unit 4GB is enough.



Looking at this, replacing a battery/SSD looks pretty easy. Just follow this or other youtube videos and do it yourself. There's so many guides that you shouldn't have a problem doing this even for the first time. The two upgrades for around $150-200 should be a huge breath of fresh air, but not so expensive that it makes way more sense to buy a new laptop.


EDIT: I just noticed on the buy and sell gasman is selling a laptop with similar specs and has upgrades you're looking into. Maybe consider PMing him and ask him how difficult it was to do the SSD swap? The battery swap should be a walk in the park in comparison.