Need Help Comparing Processor Speeds on Older MacBOok Pros

[johnbarnesiii]

Hi guys,

I had a late 2011 MacBook Pro running PT 12.5 that recently went down due to logic board issue. So I bought a mid 2012 MBP to replace it. Everything works and luckily no compatibility issues with either hardware or software.

My question is regarding processor speeds and ram: the late 2011 MBP was 2.4 GHz processor with 8GB RAM, whereas the mid 2012 replacement is only 2.3 GHz but with 16GB RAM.

So my question is: how does one compare this with regards to speed and performance in Pro Tools? Specifically:

How noticeable a difference in the processing speed/power between the two, given there is only .1 GHz difference (and assuming the 2012 processors were somehow better or upgraded from the 2011 - I don’t know for sure)?

Will I notice the .1 less GHz in the 2012 model when using Pro Tools? Or would the added RAM (going from 8-16GB) make up for this slight downgrade in processor speed?

Also, if I were to find a 2.7 or 2.6 GHz MBP of the same mid 2012 model and exchange it, would I see a noticeable difference in performance in Pro Tools between the 2.3Ghz version we just acquired?

Thanks for any insights!

[johnbarnesiii]

Thanks Rob! Would I see much difference in Pro Tools performance if I got the exact same 2012 MacBook Pro but in 2.6 Ghz instead of 2.3? Or would it be negligible?

Originally Posted by Robruce

If staying on PT 12.5 is imperative, suggest you research compatibility and system requirements specific to PT 12.5 at Avid and find the best/latest used Mac you can afford that will run 12.5

Staying with what works can be great.

Running the same same Mid-2012 MBP 2.3 Ghz MBP here, now under Mojave and PT 2019. Extra 8G Ram for a total of 16 - not Apple approved.

The 2.3 is NOT an approved processor for any PT version but has been productive here for 8 years through various versions and OS.

But it does hit the CPU ceiling more often than it used to, and it's generally less stable with later PT versions. It'd likely work better under PT 12.5.

Insight-wise, do consider Apple's new M1 processor it's an enormous leap in power vs. heat - game changing with a great price point. You'd most likely have to upgrade PT though.

There are some stunning results on YT while running Logic. Pro Tools is not yet approved on M1 machines, but when it is, it will offer much more processing headroom with Apple's low power, lower priced M1 chip. It might be time to upgrade if you can.