MacBook Pro - Should I Buy Now OR Wait?

BigLeviathan on 31/03/2017 - 22:25
Last edited 31/03/2017 - 22:28

Hi,

I have been using Macbook pro since 2011 (early 2011 model) and it started to play up (looks like logic board issue): https://goo.gl/photos/S6WBz92hmx2Lqt9Z8

The issue is intermittent, when the machine is cool, it is working as expected, but as soon as it is hot, I am not able to boot up.
I have tried everything including replacing HDD, reinstall MacOSX, as well as SMC reset and safe-mode and single-mode boot.

I went to Apple store, unfortunately, they don't have the replacement part; and due to this, I have been thinking to buy a new MBP.

For your reference, I use my mac for running VMs (sometimes running 2 x VM at the same time - work related); thus I need a powerful MBP (16GB memory minimum); at the same time, I want to use this for playing game occasionally.

Does anyone know whether Apple will release a new MBP anytime soon? OR should I just buy whatever available on Apple store now

Note: it'll cost me +/- $5000 for

2.9GHz processor
16GB memory
1TB PCIe SSD HDD
Radeon Pro 460 4GB video card
MBP with touchBar and touchID

I know the cost is rather expensive, but consider my previous MBP experience (+/- 6 years lifetime), I think this will be a good investment for the next 5 years or so.

Thanks for your response

Poll Options

  • 7
    Buy MBP now
  • 7
    Buy MBP later
Computing

Comments

  • Diji1 on 31/03/2017 - 23:08
    +1

    logic board

    That's motherboard when we aren't speaking er .. Apple.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:13

      Yes :)

    • kywst on 01/04/2017 - 10:29
      +1

      It's reasons like this that Apple has me shaking with rage.

      Stop being pretentious little shitbags and fall in line with the rest of the industry ffs.

      Apple fanbois attack!!!

  • KitchenSink on 31/03/2017 - 23:25
    +1

    Damn, that sucks about your screen. You should of been entitled to a repair for free if it falls between purchase date of Feb 2011 to Dec 2013. But yeah since Apple doesn't have the part I guess that puts you in a tough decision.
    https://www.apple.com/au/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

    If you really need it, buy it now. The 2016 models are only 5-6 months old and refurb units are starting to show up on Apple's Refurb store (only the 13 non touch models, but i guess the 13" and 15 " touch bar models will start to show soon).

    I've had my Macbook Air since 2011 and its starting to run really hot and sluggish, but I'm gonna wait until the newer models for possible 32GB RAM upgrade with the newer CPUs. The newer models aren't expected until a Spring release but no one knows. Maybe Apple would update them during the WWDC in a few months but I doubt it since its mostly a developers conference.

    Also the 2015 models are still a good buy if you can find one somewhere.

    • Cheap Charlie on 01/04/2017 - 00:11

      Whats wrong with the OPs screen?

      • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:23

        I went to Apple store (genius bar - which I praise for their courteous, kind and fast help).

        They run further extensive video test (not the usual apple hardware test we have on our laptop, looks like a special AST (Apple Service Toolkit?) software ; unfortunately the video test result has passed, and I cannot reproduce the issue on-site; luckily I recorded on my phone to show them.

        They said, it is more likely a motherboard (logic board) issue; on which unfortunately they are no longer have the parts, as it's been 6 years.

        According to them, after 5 years, Apple recycle its parts.

        The options I have is either:
        - Repair it to third-party Apple authorised repair center
        - OR buy brand new MBP
        - OR try to manually increase the fan speed to ensure it is not overheated (I have just installed "Fan Control", let's hope this resolve the problem)

      • KitchenSink on 01/04/2017 - 00:26

        look at the OPs link. The graphics card is going haywire and not displaying the output correctly.
        Its a graphics card issue and cannot be replaced unless you replace the motherboard.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:30

      Thanks for the info re: WWDC as well as refurb option, this will definitely helps me making the decision

  • Cheap Charlie on 01/04/2017 - 00:15
    +2

    Note: it'll cost me +/- $5000 for

    2.9GHz processor
16GB memory
1TB PCIe SSD HDD
Radeon Pro 460 4GB video card
MBP with touchBar and touchID

    Are you tied to MacOS?
    Thats one hell of a premium to pay for MacOS over windows?

    • [Deactivated] on 01/04/2017 - 00:21
      -1

      Its not just the OS you pay for.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:29

      I grew up with Windows and noticed with MacOSX it is somehow easier to use; every time I do O/S upgrade, there is no need for me to mock around with the 'driver / install-reinstall pre-req software, such as .net framework etc'

      Somehow I'm inclined to Mac now…although Mac-related seems more expensive than Windows…plus Mac games is not as good as Windows one (especially locked down with specific video card)

      Sure, there are some quirk things with Mac, for instance:
      - no hibernate option (to save battery when not in use)
      - no 3G/4G internal SIM option (my Lenovo Thinkpad for work has one and this is awesome, no more protruding USB dongle)
      - Only has thunderbolt ports; which requires me bring converter to display image over VGA/HDMI

      • [Deactivated] on 01/04/2017 - 01:14
        +2

        i just sent from mac to windows, it hook me 45 min to install windows + the drivers for the hardware, they all update automatically when i need and ive had 0 issues.
        this is an epic waste of 5K

    • klaw81 on 03/04/2017 - 12:25

      +1 The top-end MBP is a very nice bit of gear but it's a massive rip-off. Unless you absolutely need OSX, there are comparable alternatives that are both much cheaper and vastly more powerful.

  • altomic on 01/04/2017 - 00:17

    Looks like the GPU needs a reflow. easy enough to do.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:24

      I suspect I need soldering to do it?

      • altomic on 01/04/2017 - 00:43
        +1

        No soldering
        Basically get a hot air gun, and heat up the GPU for a couple of minutes to melt the ball grid beneath and allow the GPU to settle, thus gaining better contact. I suspect it needs that as a change in temp marking the start of graphics problems is one of the hallmarks for a reflow/reball. Plenty of YouTube vids around. I use to do it with Ibooks all the time. I'd get them cheap And "broken", I'd remove the motherboard , apply heat gun, reassemble , profit.

  • [Deactivated] on 01/04/2017 - 00:22
    +1

    OP, talking to the guys at the Apple store, and they aren't keen on the touchbars, apparently it really affects battery life.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 00:24

      Ah…interesting, I just found that the new MBP touchbar/ID is not easy to replace the HDD/SSD too…what a bummer…

      • KitchenSink on 01/04/2017 - 00:40

        yeah nothing's really replaceable/upgradable with any of the new models. Everything's soldered onto the motherboard from SSD, RAM, CPU, GPU. iFixit has a teardown of them.
        https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Ba…

        When you buy a macbook, buy it with all the upgrades you need because you won't be able to upgrade in the future unless you buy a new one. Also you should also invest in AppleCare too with these models.

        • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 03:32

          Argh, you spent $5000 but won't be able to replace the parts yourself…sigh typical Apple…although their software is solid though….

  • nubzy on 01/04/2017 - 09:31

    MBP is crippled with its lack of ports and last gen tech inside. Not a wise way to spend your money unless you are devoted to Mac OS. A Lenovo from the business grade (T or X series) will last just as long and are built tough, not cheap either but a lot cheaper than MBP.

  • penfold1251 on 01/04/2017 - 10:32
    +1

    I find this site useful for guessing whether a new model is around the corner:
    https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Retina_MacBook_Pro

    If you can wait, the second generation of Apple hardware seems to be worth waiting for. Think iPhone 4/5/6 vs 4S/5S/6S. The MacBooks are similar - same look but upgraded internals.

    For example, the (first generation) Mid-2012 Retina 15" I use can only do 4K@30Hz but the newer models (by just 6-12 months) can do 60Hz.

    Maybe the next update to the MacBook Pro will address some of the complaints about older CPU family, RAM limits, etc…

  • shortblack9 on 01/04/2017 - 14:04

    I had the same issue. I took my early 2011 Macbook Pro into Apple because I found out that they had a warranty repair program on these due to the motherboard/logicboard issue (it's actually the video card that is causing the problem). At some stage it will overheat and you will have a nice black screen permanently.

    have a look at this https://www.apple.com/au/support/macbookpro-videoissues/

    You might have remedy via fair trading if the issue has been ongoing for the life of the system.

    They no longer make parts for it so it is no longer a "supported system". But that doesn't mean their responsibility for selling a faulty product has disappeared.

    • BigLeviathan on 01/04/2017 - 20:33

      Thanks for your response.

      When did you send your MBP?

      Yes, I have checked that page, before visited Genius Bar; unfortunately the offer ended in Dec 2016.

      Genius Bar said to me that Aus warranty law is rather a grey area, as the warranty valid for 'reasonable amount of time'; but if I really wanted to go to court with Apple, Apple might says, 6 years is a reasonable amount of time (furthermore, I purchased it in 03/2011 too).

      Reasonable amount of time in VIC

      How much time is ‘reasonable’?

      This will depend on the circumstances and the type of goods. For instance it:

      • would be reasonable to expect that tyres for a new car will be available for a number of years after its purchase
      • may not be reasonable to expect that spare parts for an inexpensive children’s toy are available at all.

      This guarantee does not apply when…
      A manufacturer does not have to meet the guarantee on repairs and spare parts if they advised the consumer in writing, at or before the time of purchase, that repair facilities and spare parts would not be available after a specified time.

      If wanted to send a letter to rectify this, where do you think I should address this? Specific apple store? or through Apple feedback

      • shortblack9 on 01/04/2017 - 23:45

        I took mine into Apple on 23 December 2016.

        If you have documentation that your laptop was substandard and you can prove that it was not working properly throughout the 6 years you have owned it, then you are entitled to a remedy. You need to put your evidence together and make a case with apple. If they refuse, then go to Fair Trading in VIC.

        • BigLeviathan on 02/04/2017 - 12:49

          Wow so lucky yours still covered by then :)

          The thing is, my issue is intermittent happening, thus the genius bar could not confirmed whether it is the same with what the warranty program says, although her gut feel is, this is hardware problem.

          Funny enough on Friday, when I posted this original message, the mbp works for more than 6 hours, so strange…

        • shortblack9 on 02/04/2017 - 16:51

          @televisi: I had the same problem and that's why it took me so long to get it fixed (I took it several times). You need to persist and you need to make sure you document each and every time it has been having issues (dates and times). Then take that to Apple and ask for a remedy.

        • BigLeviathan on 02/04/2017 - 22:27

          @shortblack9: sorry, what do you meant took long to get it fixed? I thought Apple will fix it straight away, consider you are still under warranty exchange program?

        • shortblack9 on 03/04/2017 - 17:20

          @televisi: sorry for the late reply.

          My laptop started having problems within 1 year. I went to Apple several times before they fixed it late last year.

        • BigLeviathan on 03/04/2017 - 18:36

          @shortblack9: ah…that make sense then for them to fix it…Thanks for your responses so far

  • BigLeviathan on 04/04/2017 - 06:41

    If I buy MBP from grey market, will it be honored by Apple for warranty (will Apple knows the date I purchased the laptop)?

    As I heard some retail (such as Kogan) has "activated" the laptop a year beforehand, here

  • punk000 on 14/05/2017 - 17:10

    According to the crowd at macrumors.com, the MacBook Pro has a release cycle of about 320 days. Its been ~200 day since their last update, so its down to if you need it right now, else wait til August / Sep

  • Freshie on 30/05/2017 - 03:53

    Bump.
    Does anyone have any rough idea how much the price of the macs will go down once a new version is announced?
    There's refurbished 2016 touchbar 15" MBP's for 3059 atm. But with the new versions predicted to be announced next week, I'm not sure if it's worth holding off for an extra month

    • squinly on 30/05/2017 - 11:27

      From the Mac Rumors front page: "Apple has updated its online store to indicate that 15-inch MacBook Pro orders placed today are now estimated for free delivery between June 6-8 in the United States, coinciding with its Worldwide Developers Conference next week. "

      The Aussie Apple store is showing 7th to the 9th for the Macbook Pro 15" models. Next day delivery for 13". Does that mean if we order a 15" Pro today we actually get better specs delivered after the announcement?

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