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New laptop, or upgrades?

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Forcillo
Posts: 3801 - Karma: 3,580
Hey all, so I really need to get my computer's speed up in order to run apps like PS CS6 and FCPX, as my needs have changed and I need a more powerful system. I have a macbook from 2008 or 2009. (yes this is ancient. Keep reading). I can upgrade my processor, software, and memory to appropriate standards for about $450. My question is whether I should just buy a new computer for around $900, or just get these upgrades? Is there something better about just getting a new computer or are upgrades suitable? Thanks.
Mar 5 2013 5:42PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,115
How are you planing to upgrade all of those things in a mbp?
Mar 5 2013 5:55PM
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123+ski
Posts: 2832 - Karma: 581
this is what I'm wondering. Ram is no problem, and I've seen people take out their superdrive to add an ssd to run along with their hard drive, but I haven't seen anything other than that. I'm sure there are some people that do more serious modding, but even that is still highly limited.

What are your currents specs, and what would be the specs of the new laptop if you got it?
Mar 5 2013 6:41PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,115
Yeah you can do RAM and HD but thats really it, everything else is solder together on the mother board, you definitely can't change the processor and graphics cards.
Mar 5 2013 6:46PM
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Forcillo
Posts: 3801 - Karma: 3,580
I guess I didn't think this through. I was under the impression that if you bought it, you could upgrade a processor, from say a 2.13ghz intel core 2 duo (current) to maybe a 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core. I know nothing about computer hardware so I guess I was just under the wrong impressions.
Mar 5 2013 8:01PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,115
With a desktop windows computer yes, its pretty easy to change that stuff but MBPs are really impossible to upgrade.
Mar 5 2013 8:05PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7147 - Karma: 17,506
Even if you could get the processor out, you would be very limited in which CPU you could get to fit in the current mother board. To stick an i5 in, you would need to change the motherboard, which you cant do.

Overall, probably best to start again. $900 will get you an ok windows laptop but if you could save up to arouund $1200 you could get a pretty good windows laptop.
Mar 5 2013 8:08PM
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Forcillo
Posts: 3801 - Karma: 3,580
Do you have any suggestions that would be good for using the aforementioned apps? Just anything with a quad core basically?
Mar 5 2013 9:15PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7147 - Karma: 17,506
I dont know laptops too well, Im a workstation guy.

But basically you can get roughly the same specs for laptops as you can desktops now. Mobile stuff will always be slower and more prone to overheat and will always be more expensive. But if you look around you can find some good desktop replacements.

I would look for a i7 processor, minmum quad core with hyperthreading, at least 8GB of ram 16GB would be good if you use after effects, a dedicated graphics card from Nvidia preferably a 600 series. Hard drive wise having a HDD and SSD would be the best but may be very pricey.

If you go laptop make sure you get a cooling dock, and a spare battery is always nice.
Mar 6 2013 1:22AM
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