This is a question commonly asked on forums around the web. If you have an older Mac, then you can spend a little money now to make your Mac faster and better at running the latest OS and apps. Or, you could spend more money and completely replace your old Mac with a new model.
There are several factors to consider when deciding between an upgrade or a new Mac.
How important is it to you to have a fast, powerful Mac?
Even if you update your Mac, how soon will you need to replace it anyway?
What is your budget?
Let’s take a look at each of these factors. Hopefully, this will help you decide whether to upgrade or buy a new Mac.
There are several factors to consider when deciding between an upgrade or a new Mac.
How important is it to you to have a fast, powerful Mac?
Even if you update your Mac, how soon will you need to replace it anyway?
What is your budget?
Let’s take a look at each of these factors. Hopefully, this will help you decide whether to upgrade or buy a new Mac.
How important is it to you to have a fast, powerful Mac? Copy locked files with robocopy using b parameter.
What do you do with your Mac? On the one end of the spectrum, you may use your Mac to run your own business, doing graphic design, app development, business planning, at whatever your business does. On the other end, you could only use your Mac for simple personal tasks, like emailing friends and shopping online.
Ask yourself this: Do you earn some or all of your income through things you do on your Mac? Would a faster Mac help you earn more money? If a faster Mac would help you accomplish more in a day, then the answer is yes. But by how much?
This could be the deciding factor, without having to think of anything else. If having a fast Mac would help you earn more, accomplish more, or succeed more, then a small step like an upgrade probably isn’t a smart move. It makes sense to always have a fast, recent Mac. Spend the money and get a new Mac.
On the other hand, if having a faster Mac is simply a luxury, because you don’t use it for work, but only personal tasks, then whether to upgrade or buy new depends on your budget. You’ll still get some benefit from optimizing your personal time, but it may or may not be worth the money.
Ask yourself this: Do you earn some or all of your income through things you do on your Mac? Would a faster Mac help you earn more money? If a faster Mac would help you accomplish more in a day, then the answer is yes. But by how much?
This could be the deciding factor, without having to think of anything else. If having a fast Mac would help you earn more, accomplish more, or succeed more, then a small step like an upgrade probably isn’t a smart move. It makes sense to always have a fast, recent Mac. Spend the money and get a new Mac.
On the other hand, if having a faster Mac is simply a luxury, because you don’t use it for work, but only personal tasks, then whether to upgrade or buy new depends on your budget. You’ll still get some benefit from optimizing your personal time, but it may or may not be worth the money.
Even if you update your Mac, how soon will you need to replace it anyway?
MacBook Pro models from 2013 or later. In the case of Catalina that includes all the old-style Mac Pro models, pre-'trash can'. Read: macOS Big Sur vs Catalina: Will it be worth the upgrade? I recently upgraded the battery in an old MacBook Pro, which restored its running life back to how it was when it was new. But finding out what kind of upgrade you can carry out, and then getting.
As an example, let’s say it is 2017 and you have a 2012 MacBook Pro. You are considering an upgrade that includes a new solid-state hard drive to replace the old disk drive. You are also considering adding new memory. The total cost would be about $500, including professional installation. A new MacBook Pro would cost you $1,800.
So we’ve established that you are using your MacBooks for about 5 years before feeling they are getting old. That’s $360 per year. The upgrade will cost you the equivalent to 1.7 years. Let’s say 2 years. So you spend $500 and push back your next Mac purchase two year.
The downside is that at the end of the life of your current MacBook it will be 7 years old. Sure. the drive and memory will be new, but the processor, logic board, ports, screen and other parts will be very old, probably considered “vintage” according to Apple. Likely they will no longer support the latest macOS release, and the latest versions of some apps. So you have two more years, but you won’t be working at the same level as you would with a new Mac during those years.
So we’ve established that you are using your MacBooks for about 5 years before feeling they are getting old. That’s $360 per year. The upgrade will cost you the equivalent to 1.7 years. Let’s say 2 years. So you spend $500 and push back your next Mac purchase two year.
The downside is that at the end of the life of your current MacBook it will be 7 years old. Sure. the drive and memory will be new, but the processor, logic board, ports, screen and other parts will be very old, probably considered “vintage” according to Apple. Likely they will no longer support the latest macOS release, and the latest versions of some apps. So you have two more years, but you won’t be working at the same level as you would with a new Mac during those years.
What is your budget?
This is the biggest question, and one people often leave out when asking for advice online. Your financial situation is obvious to you, but not to others. Do you make $250K per year, have a second vacation home and high six-digits in your bank account? Do you make $40K per year, rent, and have virtually no savings? Something in between?
If you go out to eat every day, fly business class when you can and drive a nice new car, then you should probably don’t need to be putting off buying a new Mac by upgrading your current one. But if you need to stretch your dollar, then an upgrade could be a good way to do it.
You’ve got to weight this factor with the first two questions. If money is tight, but a faster computer will help you earn more, then you will want to prioritize it over other things. If you have plenty of money, but only use your Mac to email friends a few times per week, then an upgrade may be all you need right now.
If you go out to eat every day, fly business class when you can and drive a nice new car, then you should probably don’t need to be putting off buying a new Mac by upgrading your current one. But if you need to stretch your dollar, then an upgrade could be a good way to do it.
You’ve got to weight this factor with the first two questions. If money is tight, but a faster computer will help you earn more, then you will want to prioritize it over other things. If you have plenty of money, but only use your Mac to email friends a few times per week, then an upgrade may be all you need right now.
Other Factors to Consider
So let’s say you decide to upgrade. You add memory and an SSD to your Mac. But the screen is still 5 years old. The processor, logic board, GPU, keyboard, everything else is 5 years old. There is a risk that something could go wrong with one of the original parts, making your upgrade useless. If the screen goes bad at year 6, you only ended up getting an extra year out of your Mac for the cost of memory and an SSD.
Also keep in mind that the version of macOS that you can run is determined by the processor and logic board of your Mac. Upgrading memory and an SSD will not allow you to load a new version of macOS that isn’t compatible with your machine. So you may get two more years with your Mac, but during those two years you may have to run an older macOS and perhaps older versions of some apps.
Also keep in mind that the version of macOS that you can run is determined by the processor and logic board of your Mac. Upgrading memory and an SSD will not allow you to load a new version of macOS that isn’t compatible with your machine. So you may get two more years with your Mac, but during those two years you may have to run an older macOS and perhaps older versions of some apps.
Consider Doing Neither, For Now
Another option is to save the money you would have used to upgrade your current Mac, and put that toward a new Mac next year. If your budget is tight, and you don’t use your Mac for work, then ask yourself whether you can get by for a little while with your current Mac. After all, if you spend money on an upgrade now, those improvements will only last for the life of your current Mac.
Summary
In most cases it makes more sense to buy a new Mac instead of upgrading your current one. Over the long run you will be using a fast, modern Mac most of the time and be able to use the latest macOS and software.
In some cases, if your budget is tight or you don’t use your Mac for income-earning tasks, then you may want to stretch your dollar by upgrading your Mac and keeping your current Mac for a couple more years. But you should also consider not upgrading and putting the money toward a new Mac in the near future.
In some cases, if your budget is tight or you don’t use your Mac for income-earning tasks, then you may want to stretch your dollar by upgrading your Mac and keeping your current Mac for a couple more years. But you should also consider not upgrading and putting the money toward a new Mac in the near future.
When you upgrade to macOS Catalina, you get more of everything you love about Mac. Experience dedicated apps for music, TV, and podcasts. Smart new features in the apps you use every day. And Sidecar, which lets you use iPad as a second Mac display. Best of all, upgrading is free and easy.
Chances are, your Mac can run macOS Catalina.
Mac computers with Metal-capable graphics processors (GPUs) can upgrade to macOS Catalina.
Make sure you’re ready to upgrade.
Before you upgrade, we recommend that you back up your Mac. Then, if your Mac is running OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later, you can upgrade directly to macOS Catalina.
Upgrading is free. And easier than you think.
Upgrading from macOS Mojave?
Go to Software Update in System Preferences to find the macOS Catalina upgrade. Click Upgrade Now and follow the onscreen instructions to begin your upgrade. If you don’t have broadband access, you can upgrade your Mac at any Apple Store.
Upgrading from an older version of macOS?
If you’re running High Sierra (10.13), Sierra (10.12), or El Capitan (10.11), upgrade to macOS Catalina from the App Store. If you’re running Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8), you will need to upgrade to El Capitan (10.11) first. If you don’t have broadband access, you can upgrade your Mac at any Apple Store.
- OS X 10.9 or later
- 4GB of memory
- 12.5GB of available storage (OS X El Capitan 10.11.5 or later)*
- Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
- Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.
For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS Catalina:
- MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)
Siri
Requires a broadband internet connection and microphone (built-in or external). Midi keyboard software.
Hey Siri
Supported by the following Mac models:
How To Upgrade Old Macbook Pro To Ssd
- MacBook Pro (2018 or newer)
- MacBook Air (2018 or newer)
- iMac Pro
Dictation, Voice Control, and Voice Memos
Requires a microphone (built-in or external).
Spotlight Suggestions
Upgrade Old Macbook Pro To El Capitan
Requires a broadband internet connection.
Gestures
Requires a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse.
Force Touch gestures require a Force Touch trackpad.
VoiceOver gestures require a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, or Magic Trackpad.
Photo Booth
Requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built-in or external), or USB video class (UVC) camera.
FaceTime
Audio calls require a microphone (built-in or external) and broadband internet connection.
Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built-in or external), or a USB video class (UVC) camera; and broadband internet connection.
Apple TV
High Dynamic Range (HDR) video playback is supported by the following Mac models:
- MacBook Pro (2018 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (2019) with Pro Display XDR
Dolby Atmos soundtrack playback is supported by the following Mac models:
- MacBook Air (2018 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (2018 or newer)
Sidecar
Supported by the following Mac models:
- MacBook (2016 or newer)
- MacBook Air (2018 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (2016 or newer)
- Mac mini (2018 or newer)
- iMac (late 2015 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017 or newer)
- Mac Pro (2019)
Supported by all iPad models with Apple Pencil support:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (6th generation or later)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
Continuity Camera
Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 12 or later.
Continuity Sketch and Continuity Markup
Requires an iPhone with iOS 13 or an iPad with iPadOS.
Handoff
Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 8 or later.
Instant Hotspot
Requires an iPhone or iPad with cellular connectivity, a Lightning connector, and iOS 8.1 or later. Requires Personal Hotspot service through your carrier.
Universal Clipboard
Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 10 or later.
Auto Unlock
Supported by Mac models introduced in mid 2013 or later.
Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later or an iPhone 5 or later.
Approve with Apple Watch
Supported by Mac models introduced in mid 2013 or later.
![Upgrade a macbook pro Upgrade a macbook pro](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QmmN_HBQcCE/maxresdefault.jpg)
Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 6 or later or an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 13.
Apple Pay on the Web
Requires MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, an iPhone 6 or later with iOS 10 or later, or an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later.
Phone Calling
Apple macos sierra release date. Requires an iPhone with iOS 8 or later and an activated carrier plan.
SMS
Requires an iPhone with iOS 8.1 or later and an activated carrier plan.
Home
Requires an iPhone with iOS 12 or later and a configured Home app.
AirDrop
AirDrop to iOS and iPadOS devices requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector and iOS 7 or later.
AirPlay
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AirPlay Mirroring requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).
AirPlay for web video requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).
Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires a Mac (2012 or later) and an Apple TV (3rd generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.
Time Machine
Requires an external storage device (sold separately).
Power Nap
Supported by the following Mac models:
- MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
- MacBook Pro with Retina display (Mid 2012 or newer)
- Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017)
- Mac Pro (Late 2013 or newer)
Boot Camp
Allows Boot Camp installations of Windows 10 on supported Mac models.
Exchange Support
Requires Microsoft Office 365, Exchange 2016, Exchange 2013, or Exchange Server 2010. Installing the latest Service Packs is recommended.
Windows Migration
Supports OS X 10.7 or later and Windows 7 or later.
App Store
Available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries and regions.
- Apple Books
- Apple News
- App Store
- Automator
- Calculator
- Calendar
- Chess
- Contacts
- Dictionary
- DVD Player
- FaceTime
- Find My
- Font Book
- Home
- Image Capture
- Launchpad
- Maps
- Messages
- Mission Control
- Music
- Notes
- Photo Booth
- Photos
- Podcasts
- Preview
- QuickTime Player
- Reminders
- Safari
- Siri
- Stickies
- Stocks
- System Preferences
- TextEdit
- Time Machine
- TV
- Voice Memos
- Activity Monitor
- AirPort Utility
- Audio MIDI Setup
- Bluetooth File Exchange
- Boot Camp Assistant
- ColorSync Utility
- Console
- Digital Color Meter
- Disk Utility
- Grapher
- Keychain Access
- Migration Assistant
- Screenshot
- Screen Time
- Script Editor
- Sidecar
- System Information
- Terminal
- VoiceOver Utility
Upgrade Macbook Pro 2011
- Arabic
- Catalan
- Croatian
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong)
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- English (Australia)
- English (UK)
- English (U.S.)
- Finnish
- French
- French (Canada)
- German
- Greek
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Indonesian
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Malay
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Slovak
- Spanish
- Spanish (Latin America)
- Swedish
- Thai
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Vietnamese