MBP 15 more bang for buck w/ new "late '13" v new "mid '14"?

They are the same dimensions, weight, etc. The newer one has a different numbered I7 chip (both are Haswell), but I looked up the comparisons and the experts say they are essentially the same performance wise. It looks like I can spend less money on the late 2013, get an NVIDIA card thrown in, etc., etc. I am not a computer expert. Has anyone else grappled with this issue, and what did you decide? I am close to pulling the trigger, but can't decide. Thanks.

Too much information in the thread title…and that info is confusing how it's written. A thread title should be short, sweet, and concise. Leave the details for the "body" of the post.

- If I understand things correctly…you're comparing a "Late 2013" 15" MBP to a "Mid 2014" 15" MBP. Is this correct?

- Since Apple is only selling the newest model (2014)…where are you purchasing the "Late 2013" 15" MBP from?

- There are usually multiple 15" MBP models in each generation when they are sold by Apple. So what exact "Late 2013" model are you talking about…and what exact "Mid-2014" 15" MBP are you talking about. We need exact specs of each to do a proper comparison/evaluation.

* Nick

Sold new by MacMall, same price for either
$2,299.00 sold for $2,249.99
newest model w/ upgraded processor

15.4" MacBook Pro with Retina display, Quad-core Intel Core i7 2.8GHz *processor), 16GB RAM, 256GB PCIe-based flash storage, Intel Iris Pro Graphics, Two Thunderbolt 2 ports, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, 8 hour battery life, OS X Mavericks
4980HQ Haswell
4.46 lbs., 0.71" H x 14.13" W x 9.73" D
No NVIDEA card, but faster processor, and the newest model, but only 256GB SSD.


ME294LL/A late 2013 $2,599.00 sold for $2,249.00 The OLD model

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display - Core i7 2.3 GHz - OS X 10.9 Mavericks - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB flash storage - no optical drive - 15.4" 2880 x 1800 - NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M / Intel Iris Pro Graphics - 802.11ac - keyboard: English
The NVIDIA has 2 gb of memory, like the new ones.
4850HQ Haswell
NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M and Intel Iris Pro 5200
4.46 lbs., 0.71" H x 14.13" W x 9.73" D

Between these two, one has a significantly faster processor (2.3 vs. 2.8) but half size SSD, the other has the NVIDEA card added and 512GB SSD. I do plan to stream movies and watch youtube, but besides that I don't know why I need the NVIDEA, or are those good reasons to want it? On the other hand, faster is always better in computing!

Is there something about the NEW models that makes them better than the OLDER, late 2013 models?

Here's another choice for $50 more:
$2,399.00 sold for $2,299.99
Newest model
2.5, 512, 16, NVIDEA

Thanks for the details…that helps a lot.

The 2014 model is only about 7-8% faster. If it were me (for the same $$$$)…I would go with the 2013 model (dedicated graphics hardware & 512gig of storage).

- Nick