Buying first MBP, processor,RAM, hard drive help

aerodyne · Sep 18, 2011

Hi,

Brand new to macs and thinking of buying a MBP 15inch for uni,

I will be using it for general use but will need it to run my CAD programs for my course like AutoCAD, Revit, 3dsMax and maybe some photoshop.

was planning on getting the 2.2 standard i7 model, but,

-would it be worth getting the 2.3 processor upgrade?
-would that have a big effect on the battery life?

I am probably going to get the RAM upgrade to 8GB to help run the programs, would you guys reccommend it?

with the hard drive, does the solid state drive a replacement for the standard hard drive or addition to it? (such a newb question I know) is it worth getting one?

Also with the display would it be worth getting the high res anti glare display upgrade?

Hope you guys can help me out? any thoughts or comments would be greatly appriciated

Thanks

alexwillard · Sep 18, 2011

Extra RAM certainly wouldn't go amiss when running cpu heavy applications.
The solid state drive would indeed be a replacement for a standard HDD however i think it is possible to replace the optical disk drive with an secondary hard drive however this is dependant on your uses.
I would say that you should only get the anti-glare display if you are working outside a lot.
In terms of the other things you've asked i am probably not knowledgeable enough to comment on it.
-Alex

CrimsonRequiem · Sep 18, 2011

You won't notice a .1 ghz difference unless you are running a side by side benchmark.

aerodyne · Sep 18, 2011

alexwillard said:
Extra RAM certainly wouldn't go amiss when running cpu heavy applications.
The solid state drive would indeed be a replacement for a standard HDD however i think it is possible to replace the optical disk drive with an secondary hard drive however this is dependant on your uses.
I would say that you should only get the anti-glare display if you are working outside a lot.
In terms of the other things you've asked i am probably not knowledgeable enough to comment on it.
-Alex

thanks for your thoughts,

could you possibley explain what you mean with possibley replacing the optical disk drive?

TomTomTuning · Sep 18, 2011

This is what I recommend...

If you can wait a little longer, there are rumors saying there might be a processor bump soon.
Reader about it here: Apple May Processor Bump MacBook Pros in 2011 - Mac Rumors

Also, Id recommend getting the RAM upgrade from a 3rd party site. NewEgg, MacSales or transintl. It's WAY cheaper this way
(MacSales/OWC has 2x4GB=8GB for $67.00. Apple charges you $200.00)

I got the High-Res Anti Glare display on my 2010 i7 MBP and I like it. I would at minimal get the High-Res but the anti glare is up to you. My iMac has the glossy display and I think I like it more. It's all personal preference.

Now as far as the solid state HD goes... There is no doubt about it, they perform way better then a traditional drive but they are still expensive for the size you get. I would just stick with the 750GB drive it comes with. You could always swap out your super drive for a SSD later on... (but this could void your applecare).

aerodyne · Sep 18, 2011

CrimsonRequiem said:
You won't notice a .1 ghz difference unless you are running a side by side benchmark.

Thanks CrimsonRequiem, i know this is stupid question but what do you mean by a side by side benchmark?

thanks

TomTomTuning · Sep 18, 2011

aerodyne said:
thanks for your thoughts,

could you possibley explain what you mean with possibley replacing the optical disk drive?

Take this kit for example: OWC OWCDDMBS6E240 DIY Kit: Data Doubler + 240GB... in stock at OWC

You open up the MBP and remove your optical drive (CD/DVD Super Drive).
Then you use the "OWC Data Doubler" bracket and install a SSD drive where your old Optical drive is.
So you'll have two hard drives in your MBP.
You can run your OS and Application from the SSD and all your lather storage needs on the regular SATA drive.

The downside is you won't have an optical drive. But you can always get a slim USB one, like from the MacBook Air. If you really needed one.

aerodyne · Sep 18, 2011

TomTomTuning said:
This is what I recommend...

If you can wait a little longer, there are rumors saying there might be a processor bump soon.
Reader about it here: Apple May Processor Bump MacBook Pros in 2011 - Mac Rumors

Also, Id recommend getting the RAM upgrade from a 3rd party site. NewEgg, MacSales or transintl. It's WAY cheaper this way
(transintl has 2x4GB=8GB for $88.00. Apple charges you $200.00)

I got the High-Res Anti Glare display on my 2010 i7 MBP and I like it. I would at minimal get the High-Res but the anti glare is up to you. My iMac has the glossy display and I think I like it more. It's all personal preference.

Now as far as the solid state HD goes... There is no doubt about it, they perform way better then a traditional drive but they are still expensive for the size you get. I would just stick with the 750GB drive it comes with. You could always swap out your super drive for a SSD later on... (but this could void your applecare).

Thank tomtomtuning, would getting a ram upgrade from a third party void the warrenty? as i was thinking of getting a 3 year warrenty apple care package as i dont want to void the warrenty after spending about £1800 on a MBP

with regards to waiting, i would need to buy one soon to get my 15% student discount so i dont know if its worth waiting for the bump in the processer

TomTomTuning · Sep 18, 2011

You can upgrade the RAM, Hard Drive and Battery with out voiding the AppleCare warranty.

aerodyne · Sep 18, 2011

TomTomTuning said:
You can upgrade the RAM, Hard Drive and Battery with out voiding the AppleCare warranty.

thanks tomomtuning for all your help, is it difficult to install the parts (im abit of a novice when it comes to laptops)?

also would it be better to get the basic one 2.2ghz i7 then just buying 3rd party RAM and SSD and upgrading it myself?