MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD MAC OS X
MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD FULL
MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD WINDOWS

According to the overall score achieved in the 3DMark benchmark, the standard model runs about half as fast. The difference between these processors is considerable, but the Radeon HD 6750M graphics card here gains an even bigger lead over the 6490M in the standard MBP15. Compared to the MacBook Pro 17 with practically identical hardware, the results are virtually the same. Only in the 3DMark06 CPU test did our model end up in the lower half of notebooks equipped with a 2720QM (but above 2630QM-based notebooks).

MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD WINDOWS

Compared to other Windows notebooks, the sleek aluminum MacBook Pro manages to rank in among the best of them. Compared to the entry-level 15' MacBook Pro with a 2635QM quad-core CPU, our laptop here runs 4-16% faster in processor-focused benchmarks. In our Windows benchmarks (Windows run via BootCamp), the Core i7-2720QM got to flex its muscles and impress us quite a bit. The final distinguishing factor between the two MBP15 versions is the hard drive: In the case of the 2.2 GHz model at hand here, a larger 750 GB HDD takes care of all your storage needs.

MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD MAC OS X

Since Mac OS X does not currently support AES, this becomes a moot point. Finally, the CPU in place here has two more Sandy-Bridge-core features not available in the standard model: VT-d virtualization and AES functions. Even the on-board graphics card in this laptop can reach a slightly higher turbo clock rate of 1.3 GHz than the one mounted on the 2 GHz i7-2635M CPU of the standard model. On top of that, the Core i7-2720QM in place here runs at a 10% higher base clock rate and 14% higher maximum turbo clock rate. There's a great deal of characteristics that separate the model in review here from the standard model: 480 shaders instead of 160, a 128-bit memory bus instead of 64-bit one and 1GB of GDDR5 RAM as opposed to the 256MB of the starter model. The more powerful Radeon HD 6750M in place here really stands out compared to the small entry-level 6490M graphics card found in the 2 GHz MacBook Pro (MC721LL/A).

The 2.2 GHz MacBook Pro 15 (MC723LL/A) has inherited the inner workings of the large MacBook Pro 17. For info about the the MacBook Pro 15 Early 2011 with a higher-resolution matte WSXGA+ display, check out this comprehensive review. You can find details about the glossy WXGA+ display in this review. Upgrading to the higher-resolution screen has no benefit as far as the color space goes. Once again, Apple shoots for the sRGB color space, which it covers fairly well.

Nevertheless, the standard display here shines with a good average screen brightness of 227 cd/m² and an appealing contrast ratio of 619:1.

MACBOOK PRO 2011 HARD DRIVE UPGRADE SSD FULL

Apple does offer the option of upgrading to a high-quality WSXGA+ display (1680x1050), but for the extra cost it still doesn't reach the pixel count of true full HD, which might come as a disappointment particularly to film buffs and professional photo/video editors. Still, the MacBook Pro doesn't stand too proud compared to sharper full-HD displays. At a resolution of 1440x900 pixels (16:10), the display that comes standard here gives you a bit more work space on the screen than the typical HD format (1366x768). We first take a quick look at the display. The following review is dedicated first and foremost to the laptop's performance, system noise/heat as well as battery life-that is, an analysis of what effect the more powerful hardware in place here will have. If money isn't too much of an issue, upgrading the CPU to a 2820QM (+100 Euro), the memory (8GB for +200 Euro) or-if you're really feeling adventurous-the hard drive (512MB SSD +1,100 Euro) is fully within your range of options.įor a discussion of the sections 'Case', 'Connectivity', and 'Input Devices', please refer to our review of the identically built MacBook Pro 15 Early 2011 with a 2635QM CPU and an AMD HD 6490M graphics card. Given an upgrade to a higher-resolution WSXGA+ display, the price climbs another 100 Euro for the glossy-screened version and 150 Euro for the matte display (review here). At a price of 2,149 Euro, this version costs a handsome 400 Euro more than the entry-level model we've already reviewed. To supplement the review of the starter model with an Intel 2635QM CPU and an AMD HD 6490M graphics card, we now dive into a thorough inspection of an otherwise identical model, however this time with a more powerful hardware configuration consisting of an Intel i7-2720QM Sandy Bridge CPU and an AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card.

After it became apparent that there was some undesirable downsampling of the CPU in Apple MacBook Pro notebooks at times when the highest level of performance was needed, we decided to take a closer look at the various configurations of the new generation of MacBook Pros.

Macbook pro 2011 hard drive upgrade ssd