Watch this before buying a 2015 MacBook Pro in 2024.

Рет қаралды 19,882

7 ай бұрын

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!
Thanks for watching.
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Пікірлер: 132

@adriancarabajal7115 7 сағат бұрын

Very good review, thanks.

@volodinandrew 2 ай бұрын

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)

@adityadarekar5497 7 ай бұрын

I love my Mid-2015 15” MBP. Installed OCLP Sonoma on it and it runs so smooth ❤

@ColinsCity 4 ай бұрын

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

@adityadarekar5497 4 ай бұрын

@@ColinsCity True

@JaiThaiPsychic 4 ай бұрын

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

@Wuerazal 3 ай бұрын

Did u have any issue like abnormal function or else? After Sonoma upgraded

@adityadarekar5497 3 ай бұрын

@@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.

@RichWithTech 6 ай бұрын

Where is that river at the end of the video? Looks beautiful. Feel better soon bro!

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

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.

@mrrobotto3321 2 ай бұрын

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.

@joshm264 7 ай бұрын

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

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

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.

@joshm264 7 ай бұрын

@@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

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

@@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

@joshm264 7 ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltd it's doable with fresh paste, fan curves, and a thermal pad mod, but it still doesn't have enough graphics power

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

@@joshm264 yeah the greatest bigger MacBooks always have powerful graphics. Still, you’ve got yourself a nice bedside machine.

@rwdplz1 3 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 3 ай бұрын

Hell yeah, very decent machine. The speakers always impressed me on the 2015s so I’d lean towards them being blown out.

@Alex.Hilman 6 ай бұрын

You deserve more subs anyways! I like your crisp voice and your accent! 👍🏻♥️

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

Much appreciated!!

@amysbees6686 5 ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltd You speak beautifully! Clear and concise.

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

@@amysbees6686 that’s very kind. Thank you!

@Mbro-dq2do 6 ай бұрын

Im running Sonoma on both my 2015 Macs. It runs perfectly. Open Core Legacy

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

You love to see it!!

@iamsokyut 10 күн бұрын

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.

@ColinsCity 7 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

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.

@SwissCottages 4 ай бұрын

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?

@montaguebarnabasltd 4 ай бұрын

@@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.

@ColinsCity 4 ай бұрын

@@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 :)

@lucaspintooc 13 сағат бұрын

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

@lucaspintooc 13 сағат бұрын

i know my use is the most niche but i’m considering

@Sam_Fall Ай бұрын

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!

@montaguebarnabasltd Ай бұрын

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.

@Wuerazal 3 ай бұрын

I still have MBP 15" 2014 with iGPU version, got it when cc battery still 170 original, the issue only staingate

@montaguebarnabasltd 3 ай бұрын

You can remove the stains! Use mouthwash, and a soft cloth. Look it up if you’re unsure. It’s a killer tip

@Wuerazal 3 ай бұрын

@@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

@Kartal_exe 5 ай бұрын

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 😎

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

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.

@RichWithTech 6 ай бұрын

Cool summary, do any of them have 32gb RAM?

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

Thank you. Unfortunately all 16GB RAM.

@OLskewL 5 ай бұрын

Is it normal for the charger to get very hot? Either on the pin end or the brick, or both?

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

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.

@adeyinkaisrael695 6 ай бұрын

Should i get this or i should get a windows PC with the same spec? For graphics Design

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

If the specs are the same, I’d choose the MacBook. More options for OSes and it’s portable.

@laxen00 5 ай бұрын

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

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

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.

@laxen00 5 ай бұрын

@@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

@hrishvedhsunil9984 5 ай бұрын

Hello iam planning to buy this macbook for graphic design is it worth to buy now, as i cant afford m1

@montaguebarnabasltd 4 ай бұрын

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.

@ProGamER__801 Ай бұрын

Should we go for macbook pro 2015 i7 or lenovo thinkpad t480s ?

@iamsokyut 10 күн бұрын

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".

@petertiberiust3171 6 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

Might need a re-paste? If you need a better graphics chip, it’s gotta be the AMD, unfortunately.

@amysbees6686 5 ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltd Does the Radeon R9 (if I have that correct) "run hot"?

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

@@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’.

@muzammilshareef1951 7 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

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.

@iamsokyut 10 күн бұрын

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.

@ProGamER__801 Ай бұрын

Is it good for bachelor level programming in 2024 ? And battery ?

@montaguebarnabasltd Ай бұрын

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!

@ProGamER__801 Ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltd what about lenovo thinkpad 480s ? My budget is little bit low ?

@AltairIV9 15 күн бұрын

Not all GHz are the same.

@gesadelasere2668 2 ай бұрын

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

@montaguebarnabasltd 2 ай бұрын

2015. That’s the one I would go for. Best of luck!

@gesadelasere2668 2 ай бұрын

Thanks man Subscribed!@@montaguebarnabasltd

@peterdrought9334 5 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

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!

@woodroofguy 5 ай бұрын

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.

@shivadas7655 4 ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltdI’ve never had a MacBook before, but I use davinci resolve. Does it not work on the 2015 Mac book at all?😬

@montaguebarnabasltd 4 ай бұрын

@@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

@kyletaggart 6 ай бұрын

Nice video friend!

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking a look :)

@amysbees6686 5 ай бұрын

@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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

@@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.

@amysbees6686 5 ай бұрын

@@montaguebarnabasltd Good to hear!

@user-pp3dl8id7r 5 ай бұрын

When it is no longer supported next October,, what to do then?

@montaguebarnabasltd 5 ай бұрын

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.

@tfejulienewmar 3 ай бұрын

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

@montaguebarnabasltd 3 ай бұрын

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

@tfejulienewmar 3 ай бұрын

@@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

@montaguebarnabasltd 3 ай бұрын

@@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.

@tfejulienewmar 3 ай бұрын

@@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

@montaguebarnabasltd 3 ай бұрын

@@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.

@JaiThaiPsychic 4 ай бұрын

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.

@montaguebarnabasltd 4 ай бұрын

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.

@JaiThaiPsychic 4 ай бұрын

Which is the best online to shop for apple products best price? I thought backmarket is the best from people reviews.

@montaguebarnabasltd 4 ай бұрын

@@JaiThaiPsychic 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.

@lululu6102 7 ай бұрын

Just don’t buy any Mac with an Intel chip, buy a M1 air instead.

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

Different users, different needs. Of course the newer chips are better for most, though.

@Robin-sq3be 7 ай бұрын

Early

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

Come back later buddy

@davidjames6295 7 ай бұрын

Don’t buy a 2015 MacBook Pro in 2023 buy a m1 MacBook Air

@montaguebarnabasltd 7 ай бұрын

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

@steph4356 5 ай бұрын

€300 vs €800?

@kellyd1910 5 ай бұрын

@steph4356 the guys a joker smh

@arcin1514 5 ай бұрын

Nah macbook pro 2015 is SSD upgradable 🥸

@RadOpsTV 3 ай бұрын

Absolutely false. Buy the 2015’s I have 3 of them. You WONT need the M1 or M2.

@Alex.Hilman 6 ай бұрын

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 ☹️

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

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.

@Alex.Hilman 6 ай бұрын

@@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 😂)

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

@@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…

@Alex.Hilman 6 ай бұрын

@@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!🔥

@montaguebarnabasltd 6 ай бұрын

@@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.