Watch this before buying a 2015 MacBook Pro in 2024.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ย. 2023
- This is something that comes up a lot with virtually every MacBook. Idk if this'll help, but hopefully my video makes things a bit clearer.
I make videos about older tech - mostly Macs, almost every week. Subscribe and I’ll see you in the next one!
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Very good review, thanks.
i also just bought the same laptop, 2015 macbook pro 15" 2.5 ghz with a dedicated gpu, for $80. of course, there is an issue, the screen is cracked, no wi-fi card and no ssd. so, i just bought a replacement screen, wi-fi card and got a 2tb ssd off ebay. and now, it is back to working. i am actually using this now as i am typing this. the body of the laptop is still in pretty decent shape, no major dents or scratches, the bottom cover is also still looking decent, all the rubber feet are intact, keyboard is still decent looking, same with the trackpad, the battery is only 80 cycles, speakers are both sounding good. i have a 2017 macbook pro but i still prefer this 2015 macbook.
I bought the 2015 MacBook Pro with the Radeon graphics card, upgraded 1TB SSD, with 80 battery cycles (barely used)
It's not just about cycles, it's about the battery quality. My battery has 200 cycles but once it hits 40% battery falls quickly and the screen stops working at 30.
Good info. Now I know I have what was the top of the line. 2.8GHz & Dedicated gpu, 1TB. I paid less than $200 for it last year.
Have a 2.5Ghz I bought new, has the Intel Iris Pro graphics, still works. Just got a 2.8Ghz as a second laptop, it's quite a bit nicer in every way except for the speakers, hoping the speakers are just blown, ordered replacements. Going to make the 2.8 my new main laptop.
Hell yeah, very decent machine. The speakers always impressed me on the 2015s so I’d lean towards them being blown out.
Note that you can use any external full-size Radeon graphics card with this (and any other Intel mac) via thunderbolt and an eGPU case (eg Razer Core X or similar)
which epu you can use with it ?
I love my Mid-2015 15” MBP. Installed OCLP Sonoma on it and it runs so smooth ❤
It's criminal that the 2015 MBP didn't get one more official OS update, i have Monterey on my 2009 17" MBP and it runs smoothly too so based on that i think the 2015 MBP will run quite well on the next few OS updates through OCLP
@@ColinsCity True
Lady, can you teach me how to install Sonoma without messup macbook. I know window but not Mac. I look at youtube. I endedup install and killed macbook
Did u have any issue like abnormal function or else? After Sonoma upgraded
@@Wuerazal Photos app has some bugs even now (Memories tab does not load and crashes). FaceTime Continuity Camera also had issues but its fixed now. Nothing else apart from it.
I bought 2 broken 2015 15" models a couple years ago to build one working unit but back then could only afford a 2.2GHz logic board, and now with Sonoma, I'm really wishing I had spent the extra as I still like to use mine as a bedside laptop. Now that they're getting cheaper, I might buy a logic board bc I still love this thing
They’re honestly peak Intel MacBooks. The glowing apple logo and silver aluminium is iconic. Unless you need the graphics for something specific though, you won’t see much difference in a 2.5/2.8ghz I think.
@@montaguebarnabasltd when multitasking (especially with stage manager on) I can start to see it get choppy, also the Intel iris H.264 decoder heats up more than any of my machines with a dGPU
@@joshm264 oh I see what you mean. Yeah tbh I’ve not used stage manager enough to consider that sort of thing. Having everything on one chip mustn’t be great for heat though
@@montaguebarnabasltd it's doable with fresh paste, fan curves, and a thermal pad mod, but it still doesn't have enough graphics power
@@joshm264 yeah the greatest bigger MacBooks always have powerful graphics. Still, you’ve got yourself a nice bedside machine.
Mine has AMD Radeon, Intel Iris Pro and is 2.8Ghz, when i tell you this is 100 times faster than my windows 10 laptop that i was using up until last December, i really do mean it. I got an incredible deal for this macbook on ebay from a seller in the US, it was $410, import tax and shipping was around $150 and it was still cheaper than the base model from a European seller, it was also Grade A condition too so it looked and felt new.
A beast! Glad to hear it works well for you. Yeah considering they can run windows, there’s not much it won’t be able to do for you.
Hey I have the option right now to buy exactly this one. Currently i am using a 16/512 HP Zenbook (8th Gen) but it gets slow when i open 2-3 chrome profiles with 5-10 tabs open in each one of them.
Do you think this macbook will be good for office work like having 5-10 chrome tabs open at a same time, some sheets + google docs + excel work without making too much of a noise along and can i carry it outside as well for 2-3 hours?
@@SwissCottages I’d double check you’ve got an SSD, as with a hard drive you’re gonna be losing a LOT of speed.
Otherwise that sounds like typical windows slowness unfortunately. Might be worth getting a 2015, but if I were you I’d try and save for an M1. Much more future proofing.
@@SwissCottages Hello, the 2015 Macbook Pro is more than capable for all the things you asked, I have had 10 chrome tabs open in one window and 2-5 open in a second window and everything worked as normal. The best thing to beat the fan sound is to download Macs Fan Control. Battery life will solely depend on the quality of the battery in the macbook but mine with 400 cycles can get 6-7 hours even more if i'm not watching videos on youtube. I have a second macbook, the 2009 17" macbook and it can even do all the things you asked while also dual booting and running Windows 10 which was the reason i bought it. I think 16GB of RAM would be best for the macbook you want to buy, i edit and design lots of artworks on my 2015 macbook pro and even edit 4K video with ease :)
Im running Sonoma on both my 2015 Macs. It runs perfectly. Open Core Legacy
You love to see it!!
Where is that river at the end of the video? Looks beautiful.
Feel better soon bro!
Much appreciated! It’s the river that goes through ‘Tolmin’ a little town in Slovenia. Among the most beautiful places in the world during summer.
You deserve more subs anyways! I like your crisp voice and your accent! 👍🏻♥️
Much appreciated!!
@@montaguebarnabasltd
You speak beautifully! Clear and concise.
@@amysbees6686 that’s very kind. Thank you!
As the proud owner of a fully loaded m1 max 16" (bought on sale towards end of production) i just helped my partner buy one of these from backmarket. They used to have a 2015 13" i5 with 8gb ram and this will be a massive upgrade that will help smoothen the edges of music production and multitasking. Minecraft and tf2 worked fine before, so they'll work even better now, and the 4tb option will give them plenty of space to dualboot windows and play Halo MCC, Borderlands, Portal, etc.
If my 2017 13" i7 could play those games okay, then the Radeon card will surely knock it out of the park, and it means they get to keep all of their normal usb sticks, chargers, etc
@@andrewbreazna excellent choice! Yeah eventually I’d like a 16” Pro. Hope it’ll be worth the money.
I have a Acer Nitro 5 in which I do all my work, editing videos, writing and recording audio. I learned to use a DAW with garageband on a 2013 macbook air i don’t have anymore, and i hate the way all other DAWs work, except logic.
I was thinking of buying a 2019 macbook pro, to swap from the nitro 5, and been considering buying this 2015 one for the USB A port, which is the most important for me, but then i’d stop using the nitro 5 for recording music and using only for editing videos. But knowing that some of them have dedicated graphics makes things much more interesting. It’s crazy i’m now considering ditching a 2016 laptop for a 2015 one
i know my use is the most niche but i’m considering
Firstly, loving the channel! Do the 15" models with dedicated GPUs make the fans kick in sooner compared to the integrated GPU models?
Thank you! It really depends which apps you’re using. There will be more heat generated if you’re using something like Final Cut on a dedicated GPU model. That’s a trade-off though because the performance will be far better!
@@montaguebarnabasltd thank you for the reply. If I’m honest I’m looking for a machine to run retro emulation like OpenEmu, emails and word processing. Not sure whether to go for a base model 15" 2013 with 8GB RAM or go for a 2015 15" with a dedicated GPU. I’m a bit of novice here. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Just needed a cheap MacBook that can do computer things like iPod managing
thanks for this, will the latest 2024 lightroom photoshop and premiere pro work with this macbook pro 2015?
They will. You might need to patch the OS to Sonoma, but the computer will run them. Apple silicon would definitely run premiere pro better though
@@montaguebarnabasltd thank you so much
Hey man!
I have a question for you! How did you manage to get games running on your MacBook Pro?
I have a 2.8GHz, AMD R9, Mid 2015 15” MacBook Pro & I have no clue how to play any games on it!
Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks man!
Hey, so the Intel MacBooks can run Windows through BootCamp Utility. It’s easy enough to get working, maybe look up a guide. Through Windows it’s easy to run most games.
hi i plan to buy a second mbp 2015, but for the mobility reason i plan to buy the 13 inch version (mf8430), what do you think? is the 13 inch version is good? or should i buy the 15 inch instead ? thank you
The 15” is considerably better. Double the CPU cores, a much much better GPU, a more capable machine. If you really value the small size go with the 13” though. Should get the job done.
@@montaguebarnabasltd sorry for late reply, thank you for the advice... i'm gonna think about it... anw nice video you create here... very helpful for me
Cool summary, do any of them have 32gb RAM?
Thank you. Unfortunately all 16GB RAM.
Should i get this or i should get a windows PC with the same spec? For graphics Design
If the specs are the same, I’d choose the MacBook. More options for OSes and it’s portable.
Is it normal for the charger to get very hot? Either on the pin end or the brick, or both?
Pretty warm, but not too hot to touch.
It’s usually because you’re using a non-apple power supply, and they’re not made very well unfortunately.
If you’re using anything other than an 85W charger it can overheat too. 35Ws aren’t made for it, neither are 60W ones.
Erm so theres this 2.2 ghz mac pro i can get under my budget. Im not v techy, but like can i get it upgraded? Like add on a a graphics card? How much will it cost? I aim to do amateur programming.
Mac Pro? Or MacBook Pro? The MacBooks past 2012 aren’t very upgradeable. The graphics can’t be upgraded on any MacBook unfortunately, neither can the CPU.
the only think you can upgrade on these laptops is the ssd. but it uses an apple specific ssd, not the regular ssd you can buy from best buy.
I still have MBP 15" 2014 with iGPU version, got it when cc battery still 170 original, the issue only staingate
You can remove the stains!
Use mouthwash, and a soft cloth. Look it up if you’re unsure. It’s a killer tip
@@montaguebarnabasltd yea it cleared only with "wipes" and microfiber cloth. Then i repaste cpu with TG kryonaut for better cooling system and voila, 37c for iddle temp
Hello iam planning to buy this macbook for graphic design is it worth to buy now, as i cant afford m1
For graphic design it’ll be fine. I would recommend you try really hard to get an M1 Mac though. They’re genuinely unbelievable for the price. My next video is about it.
Hello sir. I'm thinking of buying a 2015 early 13' i7 3.1Ghz 512GB / 16GB macbook pro. I'm going to do all my work in macos and you know we can't crack in parallels. That's why I'm thinking of an intel macbook for bootcamp. Do you think Autocad and Solidworks work on windows at the student level? My country's economy is terrible so it will cost me $500. Also, you know, next to my airpods iphone and iPad, the lenovo laptop doesn't look very handsome 😎
I would recommend you go for the 15” tbh. Higher end GPU is better for the sort of stuff you need it for.
Maybe sell the iPad? Lol.
what egpu you can attach with that?
@@forjustanime3192 plenty. Best to just choose a card, from AMD ideally. Then look up compatibility online! Too many to list tbh
Is it good for bachelor level programming in 2024 ? And battery ?
Bachelor as in a bachelor’s degree…? I would say so. For £500 though you can buy a base M1 MacBook Air. Those will last you about 5-10 years I can guarantee!
@@montaguebarnabasltd what about lenovo thinkpad 480s ? My budget is little bit low ?
Should I buy Macbook Pro 2017 Non touchbar the base model i5 and 8gb 128gb or MBP Mid 2015 i7 2.2ghz?😅 don’t recommend me Apple Silicon I can’t afford it
2015. That’s the one I would go for. Best of luck!
Thanks man Subscribed!@@montaguebarnabasltd
Should we go for macbook pro 2015 i7 or lenovo thinkpad t480s ?
while i also love the lenovo laptops, i prefer the 2015 macbooks. they have a bigger screen plus i love the keyboard on this laptop. as op has said, this is still a very good laptop. i am actually using one now, even if i have a 2017 maccok pro 15".
Did you purchase any
@@jayakumar4633 i actually did buy a 2015 macbook pro 15" from ebay.
Stick with the Intel based GPU option ...it runs cooler.
The Radeon M370x model runs so hot Try watching this video on youtube...I bet your fan is on high before it finishes.
Might need a re-paste? If you need a better graphics chip, it’s gotta be the AMD, unfortunately.
@@montaguebarnabasltd
Does the Radeon R9 (if I have that correct) "run hot"?
@@amysbees6686 honestly the Intel CPUs all run hot as it is. I wouldn’t worry about the heat, as people forget they’re DESIGNED to run at these temps, despite the fan noise sometimes being a little irksome.
It’s well worth getting the boost in GPU performance from the R9, even if it ‘runs hot’.
When it is no longer supported next October,, what to do then?
OpenCore Legacy Patcher is a way of running newer OSes than supported. Lots of info out there, but I’ll try and do a video in the near future on it.
I wouldn't buy a Mac of that age. Things you need to be aware of. 1 year earlier model than what you are reviewing here. Mid 2014 MBP. 2.8ghz quad core I7 with 16gb ram and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB (older graphics card, but it was a 1 year older model). This model can no longer update to the newest versions of OSX (cannot update beyond Big Sur). The problem with this is that many of the newer updates (eg generative fill) to the Adobe Creative suite now require a more up to date version of OSX in order to work. Further, the graphics card is not supported for video editing in Premier Pro meaning you have to run it in software mode (slower). Davinci resolve will not run at all on it (some modules cause it to crash, making it unusable). This is on a machine that was just one year earlier than the ones you are reviewing here. It is only a matter of time before the same thing happens for these, so with a 2015 model, I'm not sure I would want to spend much on it at all (probably wouldn't even buy one of that age unless all you wanted to do was brows the web and write emails). Often you suspect that software is being written to force you to replace the computer.
Since they’re getting on for that decade of age, they’re certainly ageing. I think of all the Intel MacBooks to buy, though, these are the ones. They’re significantly below Apple Silicon’s price, which is why they’re still just about feasible.
A lot of the issues they present can be fixed with easily patched OS versions.
Overall you’re far from wrong, though. Thanks for the comment!
I also have a mid 2014 2.5g quad core i7, but with the base GPU. It’s been my daily driver since new and runs great. The compatibility issues you mentioned are real and have me looking for something newer. It’s a shame. After 10 years though, it was money well spent, and it was a refurbished model.
@@montaguebarnabasltdI’ve never had a MacBook before, but I use davinci resolve. Does it not work on the 2015 Mac book at all?😬
@@shivadas7655 I’m sorry to say I’m really not sure. Haven’t tried it on a 2015 and don’t currently own one to check. Give google a go I’d say… all the best
A1398 2015 mid you will get M1 experience @$ 200 nice
Not all GHz are the same.
Nice video friend!
Thanks for taking a look :)
@montaguebarnabasltd
Very informative! Thank you!
I'm looking to buy one that will easily run the Adobe Creative Suite, along with other social media coordination software.
@@amysbees6686
Thank you. Much appreciated.
If you’re not prepared to drop $600/£500 on a M1 MacBook (doing so is a seriously good move for the future, if you can), then the 2015 15” is what I’d thoroughly recommend.
It’ll be fine with those things for a few years.
@@montaguebarnabasltd
Good to hear!
I use Mac's for music production and the later models sent me crying back to my MBP 2015 15" 😂 it has better ports and a more stable system too. The silicone models and OS updates rendered some of my hardware and plugins unusable, they also crashed or overloaded Logic Pro CONSTANTLY. Slower load times too. They're overrated as hell and terrible for music production. I'm still kicking myself for jumping on the M1/M2 bandwagon
Surprised to hear! As a video editor the transition was the best thing since sliced bread. Still, glad you’re still finding use for your 2015. They’re great machines at times
@@montaguebarnabasltdI was surprised too 😂 it's all well and good demonstrating how many tracks a silicone model can play in Logic Pro X before it crashes... but when it comes to live guitar and drum tracks they perform terribly. I was shocked because I was dumb enough to believe the hype. I think they're for videographers and content creators only. Musicians everywhere are complaining about how much they suck
@@tfejulienewmar interesting. My brother still uses a 2015 and he has no problems. I guess I’ll keep that in mind when recommending macs to people in the future.
@@montaguebarnabasltdin "Rosetta mode" Logic Pro drops in performance around 40%, which is a disaster for live guitar plugins. I was actually shocked because I was made to believe they had magical powers 😂 they don't . They're horrible, absolutely horrible for music. The silicon models also have slower USB and SSD transfer speeds and can't rock multiple screens like the Intel's do. This is obviously gonna be a problem for music production. My MBP 2015: 5% CPU usage in Two Notes Genome, buffer rate at 128. In a silicon model it shot up to 80%!!! Then CRASHED 😂 other plugins outright didn't work at all, or functioned sooooo slowly in Rosetta mode it totally killed my flow. I learned the hard way, when it comes to music intel is still the king
@@tfejulienewmar looked at some stats regarding SSDs recently and I believe the 2020 M1 is on par with the Intel from 2018,19,20. You’d expect an upgrade, but at least it’s not technically slower. The storage on M1 Max and later Macs is genuinely a lot faster though. Very impressive.
Yeah the displays thing comes up a lot. Big issue, and totally under Apple’s control. If they wanted they could have developed machines with far more options for external screens.
I bought 2015 Intel Iris 2.8 no AMD graphic 1TB Macbook Pro. AMD Radeon R9 M370X. $410 Backmarket. Is this the best deal for a 60 years old? I have 2 Window laptops and am a window power user not Mac.
Backmarket prices are pretty average I would say. They’re effectively an online computer store so you’re never gonna get ‘lucky’ there. Looks like a good spec though! I’m sure it’ll be a great machine.
Which is the best online to shop for apple products best price? I thought backmarket is the best from people reviews.
@@GinaZheng BackMarket has a good reputation, and you’re not going to get scammed. For lower prices I always look at eBay and Facebook marketplace. You’ve gotta be careful there as individual sellers are more likely to be dodgy and cause problems, but the prices you’ll find are often 20% lower.
I'll just buy a random macbook pro 2015 with 500gb, if I'll get an amd card, good. If I get the slowest cpu and intel I don't care. It is much faster than my 2006 core 2 duo mac mini and can be closer to my iphone xr in speed. However anything older than 2015. I mean 2011-2014 WILL have GPU issues, so I am not buying those.
@@porehebdkdb1987 2013-14 Pro GPUs are solid. It’s probably worth trying not to get the worst deal for your money on a 2015 lol
@@montaguebarnabasltdWell, my mate used to have a mid 2012 model, and his GPU failed, I looked it up and found that it is some kind of vcore chip failure, and just assumed that the 2013-2014 ones have this issue, but that is probably not the case. Anyway, I got a Mid 2015 model for $300 with dual gpus, 500gig ssd and 367 batt cycles, and it's been great. Thank you for the video though, quite informative.
@@porehebdkdb1987 thanks! Sounds like a really decent deal you got.
Just don’t buy any Mac with an Intel chip, buy a M1 air instead.
Different users, different needs. Of course the newer chips are better for most, though.
Early
Come back later buddy
Don’t buy a 2015 MacBook Pro in 2023 buy a m1 MacBook Air
In theory you’re absolutely right. M1 is still a lot more expensive than the 2015 though - some people don’t have that extra wonga
€300 vs €800?
@steph4356 the guys a joker smh
Nah macbook pro 2015 is SSD upgradable 🥸
Absolutely false. Buy the 2015’s I have 3 of them. You WONT need the M1 or M2.
Great review! But I'm stuck btween buying this MacBook or Asus TUF with core i5 12500H with rtx 3050. I don't know what's my need. I need laptop in general. Music making, video editing, studying... The price of that Asus is almost twice a second handed MacBook pro 2015. On the other hand, once I got an used MacBook pro 2015 with core i7 2.5 ghz and AMD card. It was so choppy sometimes when multitasking and overheating around 70 to 80 degrees! So I returned it to the store where I bought and got disappointed ☹️
Thanks!
If you’re stuck between the two I’d choose the MacBook for its Windows + MacOS options. It’s also saving you a lot of money and is *somewhat* repairable. Saying that, since you’ve tried a 2015 AMD variant, it’s probably better to stay away, considering you didn’t like it? There’s a chance you had
badly thermal pasted chipsets, but bear in mind the 2.8ghz CPU version is NOT gonna be significantly better than the 2.5.
A final note I’d say is windows laptops aren’t great at lasting a long time. Despite the decent specs, you’ll be dropping a lot of value every year, and aren’t able to upgrade that Asus. If you’re gonna spend a lot of money on a windows machine, I’d strongly encourage you to choose a desktop.
@@montaguebarnabasltd Wow! Just Woww! 😲 Nobody never ever had guide me like this! Thanks 😍 I totally agree with you on that dropping value point on Asus. But my only problem with this Macbook pro was the weak performance and choppy behavior during multitasking. Idk if others are like so or not. Also mine will be shut down suddenly while it still has 30 percent charge! Or suddenly jump from 37% to 17% (cycle was 865).
Anyways tomorrow I'm gonna visit a store which wants to sell it for 540$ (2.5ghz with AMD and some scratches of course 😂)
@@Alex.Hilman apologies for the late reply. If that’s a US store that might not be the best value..?
Anyway, hopefully that’s a better 2.5Ghz 2015 than your last!
Edit: also MacBooks are generally good for 800-1000 cycles so the battery you were using was probably negatively impacting the performance, as well as not holding charge properly…
@@montaguebarnabasltd
It's ok☺️
Actually I'm in Iran. He said the laptop is in good condition but Idk how much it is worth generally in the dollar in good condition. He's offering an expensive price.
Thank you so much for your help!🔥
@@Alex.Hilman no worries. I’m not sure what it’s worth, cause even if using dollars, each country places different values on computers due to availability and whatnot.