Every 15" Retina MacBook Pro compared 

Clearly the best macbook on this list is the one with the retina display

I just wanted to thank you for all of your macbook performance vs value comparisons (this one and several others). They are informative, objective, comprehensive, concise and have professional production quality. Your videos have been a key resource in my research for a good quality used macbook. Thank you for the time, effort and experience it clearly took to create them.

As an entry level programmer, I will say the best MacBook Pro 15 is the late 2013 without the graphic card version. It runs cooler, no need to worry about graphics issue at all and cheaper as well.

I would love to see this video EXCEPT on the 13” MacBook ‼️👍

Absolutely cracking video, just what I was looking for. Top job my friend 👍

i watch your channel to keep my goal on buying one of those someday for college, keep the great work Luke! Greetings from Tijuana Mexico!

thanks for this. this is the exact video I was looking for

Thank you for making this video! The graphics failed in my early-2013, so I replaced it with the 2019, and my parents have the 2015 model. I think we have the BEST of both generations, very lucky.

Watching this in the future and thank you sooo much for this video!

Your videos are really helping us bro for the budget am now convinced

The 2015 is the model I recommend to almost anyone looking for a used MacBook Pro.

Thank you so much for your help Luke!, I’ll go definitely for the 2015 15inch MacBook Pro retina with dedicated graphics. All of this information is gold, Keep it up Bro! You’re BIG!

Fantastic video! Right, what I need!! Thanks a lot!

Excellent video, as always 👍

Great video! I'd love to see vids like this one for the MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Mini and maybe even iPhone, too...

Hi! I love your videos and am even more inspired every time I see them.

Luke... i love you. You are my motivation to look for older iMacs, Mac Pros and MacBooks and work on them. after 6 months I am completely in the Apple ecosystem. Really i love the way you present information I love how you seem to really are into the Apple products. ( As long as they come with included monitor stand...) I just wann to thank you for this RU-vid channel. Greetings from Germany!

You make awesome videos man! I love macs too :)

It's awesome that you've included some info about cons like specific problems with this macbooks. Great video! (rocking on mid 2012 retina with upgraded ssd to 960gb but soldered 8gb ram ;__;)

I've been using a 2014 13" and it has worked really well for me despite the fact that it was the base model. I just upgraded to the new 14", but I still plan on keeping my old one.

thanks a lot . this video came right on time for me . picked up a mid 2014 dual graphics one for 700$

this is very useful thank you!

Excellent video my man. Mid 2014 15-inch 500gb, 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7, 16gb 1600 Mhz DDR3, Intel Iris Pro 1536MB. Still going strong. Batter replaced once, screen replaced due to mass issues. Replaced rubber boots not very long ago. These machines are built to perform over time. Started using an ultra wide monitor for a desk setup, and it performs well. I can tell that it is working hard, but doesn't seem to be overworked. Hopefully it can continue to stay strong as I use it more at home on the monitor now than I do remotely.

Very good presentation. I am going to buy a Mac following your advice. Thanks for your great work!!!

Nice video man

Great video. Love the research

Hey Luke, Thank you for your great content. I love You

You and Dave Lee are the best!

My old 2012 15” retina still going 💪! 😃

Really good comparison! I've got a mid 2015 15" with Dual Graphics, and for the reasons you stated, I haven't upgraded. You also forgot to mention that the storage upgrade from the 2014 to the 2015 model was huge, the SSD was 3x the speed, meaning everything feels snappier, and the boot/load times were much faster. The 2016/2017 models really were a downgrade in many ways, for the reasons you stated, but also, the 16/17 models had worse battery life, and although the highest end 460/560 GPU's were faster, they actually would perform worse over extensive loads, due to thermal throttling, which you didn't get to nearly the same extent on the 2015 model. Add the fact that the touchbar still has software issues, the speakers on the 16/17 models were prone to failing, and the palm rejection on the trackpad didn't work very well, I'd go for the 2015 even if it were the same price. I think I'll be waiting for the rumored 16" 2019 model to come out before I upgrade!

I have a 2016 13"MBP and have never had a single issue with the keyboard. A few weeks ago I noticed what looked like a swollen battery problem (trackpad wasn't as "clicky", laptop wasn't sitting flat, etc), checked online, my model wasn't covered for free replacement. Took it to my local Apple certified repair shop and they fixed for free anyway - and of course I got the newer keyboard thrown in. Win!

Mid 2015 is the way to go.

This is good video that I will be back to several times. I have a 2012 MacBook Air that I am looking to replace because the display stopped working. It biggest task is viewing and editing a fairly large Photo library as we are scanning years of photo to make a complete set. Thank so much.

Hey, Luke great video. What about making a video comparing and contrasting the imac 21.5 or 27 inches. Although this is very informative for the MacBook community what about creating a video for the desktop series. I really like to tinker with the older iMacs desktops. I hope you take this into consideration. I will be looking forward to seeing this video. Thanks again for all your valuable information.

Hoarding isn’t healthy Luke... But, Apple is delicious

My favorite is the 2014 15 inch retina macbook pro, and I still love it to this day

i know you're a very mac channel but i'd love to see more iPad content now with iPadOS having more mac-like features and the checkm8 bootrom exploit that will allow installing linux and windows arm on iPads

Great video! Can you do something similar with Air models?

Hey i argued with you on ur comments section it was about an older mac being able to do evrrything a modern laptop can i was wrong im using a 2011 macbook pro and its great just wanted to apolgize

Thanks! Your video makes me reconsider getting a new MBP15 ... as my mid-2014 is still performing pretty well actually, besides a slightly swollen battery affecting the track pad (always using ext. trackpad & KB anyways) ... but let's see what's up with things to come like the rumored 16" ... and maybe some interesting upgrades for the 13 (14?) " line :D

wow your video are amazing! greeting from italy!

omg, this vedio is the most helpful one for me to choose.

thanks very helpful guide

Great video! I just bought 2015 retina 15' with 2 graphic cards for 600$. I love this Mac book and I am not trying to spend 1000$+ on laptop lol

Good video Luke. What did you do with all those MacBooks after?

Would you consider making a video attempting to remove the anti glare coating completely from one of the og retina's?

Great review. im looking for some advice. I own a 2013 15" retina MacBook Pro with 8gb ram. And I'm debating buying a 2015 15" with 16gb ram cheap from a colleague. The 2013 has a 500gb hard drive and dual graphic (Nvidia/ intel hd) and the 2015 has a 250gb hard drive but the graphics is only Intel iris Pro. When I do novabench test the GPU score is better on the 2013. I thought it would be a slight upgrade at least but now I'm starting to think it's actually a downgrad. Any thoughts on this as an upgrade? Thanks

I have waited for this video for a long time, so I can get the best retina MacBook pro 💻 whilst being on a budget

when you said wakie wakie i was in love with you

I enjoy your videos but have a question. With all the Mac's you own do you use the same ID and password on each devise? I thought we are only allowed to authorize 5 computers. THX

Thank you Luke...you inspired me to buy an IMac on eBay...I was a bit nervous...but did my research...ended up with a 2011 27 inch in perfect condition for $350...very happy

Nice one !

Hi Bro, my brand new 15” i7 6 core 2019 is having heating issue at blank space on top of the touch bar. Even replacement did not help me much. Am I stuck with wrong model? Please suggest...

2:58 It’s actually Quad-core switched to Hexa-Core Dual-Core were used on 13-inch Macs and switched to Quad-Core on 2018 model.

I bought my Early 2013 MBP with i7 and 16gb ram in 2014 for €1400 (new price was €3000). Honestly, the thing has been proven super fast en reliable. I still use it as my daily computer and don’t want to replace it. Machine is more than 6 years old and still top notch! I also bought an 2014 13” MBP last week that i use in office. Can tell that with an i5 and Iris graphics it is a but slower than my 15”, bit the form factor wins for going to meetings.

Took your advice in 2022 and picked up a fully maxed out late 2013 15 inch and the thing kept up with my intel imac. Its a great HD video editing workhorse, and will be an exciting and dirt cheap companion to my new apple silicon desktop once I decide which one to get. Oh yeah it was 250 bucks warrantied and upgraded. Helluva deal!

I have a Late 2013 MBP 15 inch with dual graphics and my 2018 MBP 15 inch and love them both! One thing that could have been said with the 2016+ is the MUCH improved speakers :)

3:11 😂😂 I’m dead

This is really a great video, on every level! Well done

One thing I wish you covered in this video is ports. I know it is important to me, to my wife, and to anyone I talk to. Because we all hate dongles, and adapters, it is a pain. It is quite common to find oneself in a situation where you have a bunch of adapters but not the right one, etc. In fact, the reason I bought a late 2013 Macbook Pro 15 inch in 2019, was because I wanted USB and SD card slot, as I am a hobbyist photographer. I love Apple products with exception of ports selection. Take for example a DELL laptop that I use at work. it is several years old, but it has 2 USB A ports, 2 USB C ports, HDMI port, SD card port, and even Ethernet port (plus some other optional port bay). It is the best of all worlds, I can charge through USB-C (same as my 2021 Ipad Pro), Can connect newer things via USB-C, older things via USB-A, and even use SD card slot. SD card slot can also be used in a crunch as an extra storage device. If there is a Macbook Pro model that has a combination of all the ports, please let me know, Ill buy one. But you did not cover ports. I have heard that Apple might possibly bring back some of the ports in the new macbook pros, but I am not holding my breath for it.

mid 2012 upgrade 1To. 16GB from factory. 8 years now. Lovely machine

According to your mentioning about 'sweet spot', should I change from my 2014 to mid 2015?

Hey Luke, could we see a surface laptop 3 13.5" i5 and a baseline MacBook pro 13" comparison?

Nice vid yo🗣🗣‼️‼️

I personally have an early 2013 15" with the 2.7GHz i7 and 512GB SSD. I bought it broken on eBay for $200, replaced the uppercase (keyboard and battery were bad) and the display. Now I have a really nice MacBook Pro for under $400 and I couldn't be happier! Much better than my 2012 MacBook Air!

Nice Job

for mid-2014, are you on latest OS? isn't it slow? cause newer software forced upgrades

Hi Macbook 2015 15" screen cracked, must I get the exact 2015 screener replace or these screens are the same as those of 2013, 2014?

2019 i7 (basic configuration)... Love it! 💚👍

NICE Video! I a have a Mid-2015 and i want tu upgrad to 2018 or 2019. Today i don't really know which (15 Inch)

do the newer MacBook pros suffer from screen issues (staingate) or only the ones from 2013-2015?

The sweet spot is the 2013-2014 MacBook Pro… with dual graphics. Decent performance for not a whole lot of money and they’re only beaten by the faster chips in Apple’s 2018-2019 lineup. The Retina model that stands out in the bunch is the A1398 with dual graphics. Hands down, the best Retina laptop Apple made.

Still running a mid (late?) 2014 15 inch with Nvidia 750M GPU. This thing is outstandingly reliable, by far the best MacBook Pro I've owned until now. I've had absolutely zero (yes 0 !) issues with it. It is not blazing fast of course for 2019, but still fast enough. I will clearly skip the 2016-2019 generation for the obvious reasons we all know, giving high hopes for the upcoming 16 inch model for upgrade. Great video, thanks!

I use the 2014 15 inch macbook pro and I have never been disappointed

Hey i have a Macbook pro with a busted screen, but it still works. Should I go through the troubles of repairing it or save for a new Macbook next year

Excellent

I have the mid 2014 with dedicated graphics and it is such a master piece, such a reliable computer, ssd super fast, even faster that some new versions present on some pc's. As for performance, I cannot complain, it delivers. Excellent keyboard, not extreme temperatures as the newest models.

Anyone know a good review comparing the 1019 eight core 15 inch GPU options. Really tempted to do a CTO and sell my iMac.

Hey Luke would you recommend a mid 2015 MacBook Pro 2.5ghz amd R9 M370X I found one for $450 ? Cycle count 289 and I thought it was a stellar price for it and great value for money but should I get it and do you think it will fair well in 2020 ?

How much did you spend on all of these MacBook Pros?

Hi Luke million dollar question have you ever tried to upgrade cooling fan on any MacBook Pro I can’t find anything on line about it or any products for that upgrade

So I recently purchased a late 2016 MacBook Pro 15inch loaded for $400 was it a good value for the price and is it good in 2023?

i do video editing and i want to get the 2015 model. Pls which one should i get that have highest graphics card for the 2015?

Excellent video, thanks! Managed to get myself late 2013 model in excellent condition for only £170. Im using it as more of a glorified web browser, so it should hopefully last me for years to come.

today I was given a 2013 15" MacBook Pro for FREE! the display is funky and I was told "it just stopped working"... I cracked it open to find no SSD, is that normal? Im waiting for a charger to see if anything will work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I bought a 15" Late 2013 MBP new in March 2014 and it's still doing every thing I want from it. I bought a new battery pack from iFixit 2 years ago but the original batteries are still just above 90% so I have not changed them yet. These MB's are far to expensive for me since I retired so I am hoping this model will last a while yet.

i need the mid 2015 Macbook pro with the highest graphics card, how do i know the highest when purchasing?

Am still using my MacBook pro retina mid 2012 since then. Almost 10 years, the battery has degraded significantly to only 60% capacity, I have to plug to use most of the time like a desktop lol. Besides that everything else works perfectly! Can't wait to finally go out to replace the battery when the lockdown is over in Vietnam

I got a 15in 2017 i7 16Gb RAM, 2Tb SSD and the 560 for only 100 bucks, only issue was an expanding battery + I got a second 2017 13in with an EFI lock that I sold cheap and paid for my Apple battery repair (they replaced basically everything but the screen for 199). Did I get a good deal?

2015 MBP best of its time. Followed by the 2019. Cant wait for the M1X model though!

Luke you mention that the 2015 and earlier versions have upgradable SSD’s, can you do another how to video on that please? I really want to upgrade my 2015 mbp to a 1tb nvme SSD but I’m worried I’ll lose my data / photo library or worse, completely brick my MacBook Pro

great great video.

Hey Luke, here in the Toronto area the MacBooks have skyrocketed in pricing. I can't get over it but the 2016 models15" models are selling for around CAD $2200 and that is redonks. I am saving up for a 2019 model, hopefully I will have one before the end of the year

Does anyone know what 15-inch Retina Macbook Pro screens are compatible? I'm looking to replace my retina display for my mid-2014 15-inch Macbook Pro.

I had a mid 2014 i7 for 6 years, I had to wait for the 2019/20 16" before I moved....

best channel ever support

I am looking at buying a MacBook Pro 2015, 15", 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, and running a second monitor (32" 1440p) using the AMD Radeon R9 M370X GPU with either the Intel Iris Pro (1536 MB) or Intel Iris Pro 5200 which is better for video editing and all out screen performance?

with your advice from watching your channel I purchased a late 2013 model with 512 ssd 16 gb ram and DG for 650 GBP from ebay, It is my fist macbook and apart from past experience with an iPad air, iPods and various iPhones, I have never used a mac, my plan was to get a capable mac at a good price as I plan to go to uni in 2020 and they only use iMacs so I need to learn how to use the mac os, and you have helped me greatly, many thanks!! I also plan to buy the 16 inch macbook when its released and I have my student discount XD so the 2013 mbp will become a back up or my travel mbp, also could you do a few vids on mac tutorials to help me and other mac noobs find the best apps and what the mac equivalent are for pdf viewers, Microsoft office are and how to install third party programs like VLC, handbrake, calibre etc many thanks again, keep up with the vids!!

Anyone any idea when the next models of MBP/iMac/Mac Mini/iMac Pro will arrive?

Love to see 13” pros video