Chalk one up for the rumor mill yet again: As widely predicted over the last week or so, Apple has slipped a few stealth updates into the MacBook Pro line, including upgraded processors, graphics and storage updates. Here’s a look at what’s news.
If you’ve been in the market for a new MacBook Pro, Monday is a great time to buy now that Apple has quietly kicked up the specs in a mid-cycle refresh. According to MacRumors, the updates include juiced-up processors, with many models also receiving refreshed graphics and storage options.
For the 13-inch model, the changes include a move from 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 to 2.4GHz and 2.8 GHz, respectively. You’ll now also have the choice of a bigger hard drive, with the low-end model up from 320GB to 500GB and the high-end model up from 500GB to 750GB.
15-inch MacBook Pro models have received even more changes, with the standard processor ratcheted up from 2.0GHz and 2.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 to 2.2GHz and 2.4GHz options, while the high-end build-to-order model at 2.3GHz is now a 2.5GHz. The formerly high-end Radeon HD 6750M is now featured on the low-end model (but only with 512MB of memory), with the high-end model now offered as a Radeon HD 6770M with 1GB of RAM. The previous 500GB 7200rpm hard drive available as a build-to-order has also been bumped to 750GB at the same speed.
Last but not least, the 17-inch MacBook Pro processor speeds get bumped from the base 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 to 2.4GHz, with the build-to-order model jumping from 2.3GHz to 2.5GHZ, while the graphics card gets kicked up from the AMD Radeon 6750M to the Radeon HD 6770M (still with 1GB memory) and build-to-order buyers now get a 750GB 7200rpm hard drive as an option, up from 500GB previously.
All in all, not a huge difference but more speed, better graphics and additional storage space are certainly nothing to sneeze at. Now if we could only unthaw that credit card we put on ice…
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