2012 13" MBP: Worth upgrading to SSD and max RAM?

[fiveightandten]

I have:
13" Mid 2012 MBP 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7.
750 GB HDD
8 GB RAM

Main uses:
Web browsing, PS CS6 light photo editing, Aperture editing, Logic Pro multitrack recording, some Final Cut video editing. I'm in a band, so I use it to take care of recording demos, making videos, website stuff.


The computer runs fine, but it's not quite as snappy as it was on the older OS versions. I was thinking about maxing the RAM to 16GB and putting a 750GB SSD in. This would cost, say, $270 at Crucial. Is this worthwhile, or will the 2.9 GHz i7 start to become a hinderance any time soon? Do you have any other recommendations for RAM and SSD sources?

 

[harryb2448]

It may be as snappy as it was, the problem the world of the 'net is going faster, and computers need faster processors, better graphics etc. Notebooks have rather limited power. By that a 2013 iMac with a 3.5GHz i7 processor has a GeekBench Test Score of 13.141, compared to your i7 less than a year earlier of 6,194, The iMac up to 4GB graphics and the MBP up to 1GB shared main memory. of course you cannot hump an iMac to your gigs, so it is a matter of compromise. Your MBP can handle up to 16GB of memory, reported as 8GB at the time of sale. 2 x 8GB modules will make a difference, and definately an SSD will do likewise. Suggest popping over to OWC web site and check out both.


https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro

 

[fiveightandten]

It may be as snappy as it was, the problem the world of the 'net is going faster, and computers need faster processors, better graphics etc. Notebooks have rather limited power. By that a 2013 iMac with a 3.5GHz i7 processor has a GeekBench Test Score of 13.141, compared to your i7 less than a year earlier of 6,194, The iMac up to 4GB graphics and the MBP up to 1GB shared main memory. of course you cannot hump an iMac to your gigs, so it is a matter of compromise. Your MBP can handle up to 16GB of memory, reported as 8GB at the time of sale. 2 x 8GB modules will make a difference, and definately an SSD will do likewise. Suggest popping over to OWC web site and check out both.

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ssd/owc/macbook-pro

Thanks for the reply. I checked out the OWC SSDs. I'm admittedly out of the game and not familiar with them. They are significantly more expensive than the Crucial SSD. I'm fine with the 750 GB I have, and it's a bit jump between their 480 GB and 1 TB, with no middle ground.

Yeah, a desktop really isn't an option for me. At this point, it's a question of upgrading this MBP to get a few more years out of it, or just riding it out as it sits. Do you think the shared RAM and CPU are going to be a bottle neck with an SSD and maxed RAM in there? Or is it worth a few hundred bucks?

 

[harryb2448]

One thought. Are you making a few bucks for the gigs and paying tax? If so, consider getting a tax agent onside as a new MBP may well be tax deductible with around 40% depreciation p.a..