Upgrade current MBP or get new MBA?

cww007 · Jul 20, 2011

Hello all,

I currently own a mid-2010 2.66Ghz 13" MacBook Pro and am debating whether or not to upgrade it or go ahead and buy the new MacBook Air. I am a college student so performance is not a necessity but I am a bit of a power user at times via media downloads and the occasional PC game. I want to be able to play games such as the upcoming Star Wars Old Republic or Guild Wars 2. Here are my options:

1. Upgrade my current MBP to 8Gig RAM, and an OCZ Vertex 3 SSD.

2. Forgo my current setup and get one of the new Macbook Airs (13 inch perhaps?).

Again, portability is nice but not a deal breaker as my current 13" MBP is quite portable as is. Budget is not a factor either. Thanks for any help!

linds_15 · Jul 20, 2011

im in the same boat with the same question, i have the 2.4Ghz core 2 duo, would the 1.7i5 be faster then this? both with 4GB ram, i was considering upgarding mine to an ssd and adding some ram but my sister needs a computer so i may pass mine onto her and get a mba

Deckyon · Jul 20, 2011

Tough call. If you say "budget is not a factor" then go for the 15" MBP if you really want to run the games. The new MBPs with the better video cards are near unbeatable.

If it is between only upgrading your current MBP or getting the new MBA, upgrade. You will get a better speed boost from the 8GB RAM alone than even worrying about getting an SSD.

cww007 · Jul 20, 2011

linds_15 said:
im in the same boat with the same question, i have the 2.4Ghz core 2 duo, would the 1.7i5 be faster then this? both with 4GB ram, i was considering upgarding mine to an ssd and adding some ram but my sister needs a computer so i may pass mine onto her and get a mba

I was wondering this too, how do the processors compare?? Also it'd be nice to have thunderbolt technology for when it eventually catches on mainstream.

cww007 · Jul 20, 2011

Deckyon said:
Tough call. If you say "budget is not a factor" then go for the 15" MBP if you really want to run the games. The new MBPs with the better video cards are near unbeatable.

If it is between only upgrading your current MBP or getting the new MBA, upgrade. You will get a better speed boost from the 8GB RAM alone than even worrying about getting an SSD.

This was my first consideration, but I thought that it was a bit too much to be spending on a laptop and that it hindered portability. I've heard and seen in person that the 15" is quite hefty. I'm leaning towards the upgrade now but I've also read that the Airs run games pretty well. Decisions decisions...

StMFA · Jul 20, 2011

Check Youtube periodically. There are a few people out there that will be revieiwng performance of the new MBAs to see how they hold up for these things. theunits3 youtube channel is probably a great place to start. That said I've never used a PC with the Intel HD 3000 chipset, but I've heard its not that great for games. If you are a college student, I'd say an upgrade or the 15in is the best solution.

Deckyon · Jul 20, 2011

cww007 said:
This was my first consideration, but I thought that it was a bit too much to be spending on a laptop and that it hindered portability. I've heard and seen in person that the 15" is quite hefty. I'm leaning towards the upgrade now but I've also read that the Airs run games pretty well. Decisions decisions...

Hefty? Nah. Even the 17 (which I own) isn't what I would consider Hefty. The 15" HP I had before my MBP was a pound heavier and 1/2" thicker OPEN than the 17" is closed.

When it comes to Games, there are very different definitions of games. You have your "flash" and FB games and then you have your high-end shooters and MMOs and the ones you listed fall into the latter category. The Air will not be able to come close to meeting the requirements to make those games look good. you will be on the low end of the minimum requirements (video card is your sticking point) and you will have to run them at minimal resolution just to make them playable.

Deckyon · Jul 20, 2011

StMFA said:
That said I've never used a PC with the Intel HD 3000 chipset, but I've heard its not that great for games.

It is a terrible graphics card for anything outside of simple flash and FB games. The Mac's are generally not gaming machines to begin with, but the MBA would fall even further down the scale when compared to a MBP, especially if you went 2011 MBA to 2011 MBP.