Apple MacBook Air 13-inch laptop (Early 2014)

This article will help you select the following product categories:

RAM for Mac (Apple) Transcend JetDrive Lite memory cards for MacBook (Apple) SSD for MacBook (Apple)

If you have a different MacBook model, check out the following articles:

Determining the MacBook model.

Determining the MacBook Air model.

To support, service, upgrade, or determine the technical characteristics of Apple products, you often need to know its serial number. How can I find my MacBook Pro's serial number? You can find your Mac laptop's serial number in a variety of ways.

Identifying your MacBook Pro laptop model by model ID, model number, or configuration

You can use your MacBook Pro model ID to find complete information in the tables below.

1. From the Apple menu in the top left corner of your screen, choose About This Mac.
2. Select System Report.
3. Find your model ID in the Hardware area, then match it with the data in the tables below.

If your MacBook Pro won't boot but you still have your packaging or receipt, you can use your marketing model number or configuration information to locate your Mac in the tables below.

1. The model number is a seven character code. The two characters before the slash (/) vary from country to country, but the last five are the same throughout the world. In the tables below, the characters up to the slash are replaced with xx.
2. Configuration information is listed in the following order: screen size/processor speed/RAM size/hard drive size/optical drive type (if your Mac has one).

If your MacBook Pro is custom configured, the model number and configuration may differ from what's shown in the table. Use the model ID to pinpoint your MacBook Pro model.

How to choose a used MacBook. Part 2: models in the budget of 30-60 thousand

Hello!
Last time (last year, yes) we finished on a budget of “up to 30,000 rubles.” What is the best choice for this - or less - amount, read in the first part. And we move on. DISCLAIMER
This series of articles expresses
my personal opinion . Here you will not hear calls to buy the latest new products at any cost, just as you will not find the popularization of show-offs. My goal is to make the most of my money while getting the value I need from my purchases and ignoring marketing stereotypes.

Budget "Student-plus"

What will the market offer
up to 40 thousand rubles?

Well, first of all, of course MacBook Pro (late 2012) with Retina display

, the ancestor of all Macbooks with Retina displays.
We are now talking exclusively about the 13'' model
.
New externally (thin, light, with a laminated screen), but internally - absolutely the same mid 2012. - the same third generation core i5/i7 processor, - the same amount of RAM in the database - only now you can’t add it, it’s soldered on the board . - The SSD now has the PCIe-x2 format, but retains the SATA3 standard from previous generations of MacBook - accordingly, the speeds have remained virtually unchanged. What does this mean for us as end consumers? MacBook Pro (late 2012) Retina turned out to be very controversial.
First of all, because the load on the hardware has increased significantly (high-definition screen), but the hardware itself has not been strengthened.
As a result, the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics simply cannot cope with the graphic load, even in the OS interface. Brakes, lags, slideshows - all this is a normal situation for this model. In essence, this model served as a test run for the new screen and new thin body. This is exactly how she should be treated. Should I buy it?
Personally, I don't recommend it. Although the low price and the magic of the word “Retina” can be very tempting.
My recommendation is that if you have an amount of 35 thousand, find a mid 2012 without Retina
for 30, invest this difference in price into it and enjoy smooth and fast operation.
Yes, you will sacrifice the quality of the matrix, but you will gain in everything else. As for the 15" Retina 2012 device, they still have the same notorious “disappearing” discrete chips, and therefore I don’t recommend this model either.
You need to be very careful when choosing the next model. We are talking about the MacBook Pro 2013 model year.

The peculiarity is that within one year two models with different hardware were released.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, EARLY 2013)

- everything here is as sad as possible.
The hardware has undergone virtually no changes since late 2012, and, accordingly, everything written above applies to this model. The most strange update that changed just one letter in the processor index. I still don’t recommend taking everything, including 15''
- all for the same reason as above.

Models with a Retina screen also have a specific problem - the anti-reflective coating on the glass of the screen began to peel off over time for those who used any chemicals to clean monitors (alcohol wipes, sprays, etc.), and also sometimes from fingers, for example, in the area camera location (method of opening the cover) and on the sides (places for adjusting the tilt of the cover with your fingers). As a result, on many devices on Avito you can see a shabby, torn “edge” of the screen - and sometimes the entire screen can be damaged to an uneven matte state. It looks creepy, but in fact it only causes aesthetic discomfort - if you are familiar with it. There's no need to worry about this. This does not affect the functioning of the display in any way. This is, perhaps, a reason for bargaining.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, LATE 2013)

- and here it will be more fun.
- processors have changed from the third to the fourth generation, - integrated graphics are now Intel Iris, - SSD supports NVMe In general, excellent work on bugs. I will only draw your attention to the fact that the minimum version with 4GB/128GB memory is often found. And if a 128GB SSD may be enough for you, then even for everyday use, 4GB of RAM is already too close
.
I advise you to look for at least 8GB/128GB
.

Total: of all the 13'' models with a Retina screen, I recommend starting with this model

.
Don’t waste your time on late 2012 and early 2013 - these are transitional models. As for 15''
- they were also improved, and
starting from late 2013
they have Iris Pro graphics installed, coupled with discrete nVidia 750M (and higher), along with which
the problem of “video chip failure” has finally sunk into oblivion
.
There are legends that there are versions only on Iris Pro, but I myself have not met such unicorns. In general, starting with this model and newer, you can safely take 15'' models from your hands
(they just cost from 55 thousand...).
The situation with the anti-reflective coating remains the same.
MacBook Air 2013-2014

model year.
I combined them because there is almost no difference in hardware between them, and due to the greatly reduced processor frequency (1.3-1.4 GHz), these devices are suitable for a narrow circle of people and activities. These are good machines, but for their price you can choose a more productive Pro, and at the same time almost not lose in weight and dimensions.
I do not recommend
these models
for this money , this is my personal opinion.

Budget "Major-Basic"

We are talking about amounts of 41-55 thousand rubles.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)

This is a fairly minor update to the model.
The processor remained in the fourth generation, but became a little faster. I personally haven’t come across versions with 4GB of RAM on the used market. In my opinion, this is a polished version of the previous device. What will he “pull”?
I can’t give you any advice about “toys,” but for standard tasks - YouTube videos at 1080p-60fps run practically without heating, just like 4K-30fps.
On 4K-60fps videos it starts to think once every 5-7 seconds. Still, the integrated graphics plus the Retina screen have an effect. Work in photo-video editing will be... normal. But who takes 13'' for serious installation? But any work with the web, tables, graphs, scripts, almost any work with graphics - everything is super. Definitely recommended for purchase!
Probably even more than last year's brother.
The maximum reasonable price for it is 45-47 thousand. Devices with a 15'' screen of this model year are also in perfect order, their 4th generation core i7 is simply amazing. The situation with the anti-reflective coating remains the same
.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)

The crown of our selection.
- SSD with PCIe-x4 standard, - 8GB RAM in the basic version with a frequency of 1867MHz - this is the latest version of the MacBook Pro, which retains MagSafe, full connectors and a glowing “apple”. This is the case when the basic 8GB/128GB version is quite viable
.
If 128GB suddenly becomes not enough for you, then cheaper SSDs from previous MacBook Pros, starting from late 2013 and ending, in fact, early 2020, will be suitable for this model. When installing SSDs from older models here, there will be some difference in reading speed, but in everyday life this is practically invisible at work - I checked it myself on my early 2020. What will “pull”?
About the same as mid 2014, only smoother and faster.
The price for this device is 45-55 thousand rubles
, and varies depending on the condition, configuration and arrogance of the seller.
Definitely recommended
, this is one of the most successful MacBooks of past years.

The same applies to the 15'' version

.
With one amendment, the price for it can reach seventh heaven. There are devices for both 55 and 85 thousand, which are practically the same. This is explained precisely by the great popularity and high reliability of the model, which is why it is still very much appreciated in the secondary market. The problem with the anti-reflective coating persists.
MacBook Air (11-13-inch, Early 2015)

Not bad machines for office tasks.
The difference with Pro 2020 is 1600MHz RAM, lower processor frequency (1.6GHz versus 2.7GHz), more frequent and faster heating (hello, thin body). And everything about it is good, except... the price. For its price, you can take the Pro 13'' 2020 and it will be much more productive hardware with very comfortable dimensions. Air 2020 can be considered under one condition - if you need 11''
. In all other cases, take a closer look at Pro 2020.

MacBook 12'' Retina

In my opinion, a very strange device for a lot of money.
Against the Air 11'', it offers a Retina screen and a passively cooled mobile processor. A kind of iPad in the MacBook world. The price here is not related to performance, but to style and technology, but I wouldn't seriously look at this little guy. Unless I'm a blonde with thin wrists, but... then why do I need a MacBook at all? In general, I don’t see scenarios for him for his 50 thousand rubles.
Although he’s handsome, he’s infectious, you can’t say anything.

Budget "Major-Extended"

Price from 60 thousand rubles and above.

This budget includes 15'' models: - partially from 2013, - the entire 15' model range from 2014 and 2020, and also - all of 2020 and newer. Everything about 2013-2015 has already been said above. I will not say anything about the 2020 models in this series of articles for one reason - I have never used them, and I like to write an article only from personal experience. The last viable options for me are the 2020 MacBook Pro

, because in 2020 it began: “butterfly”, type-C, the impossibility of upgrading SSDs. The lack of full USB, HDMI and MagSafe is very critical for my work.

So, we have discussed all the common MacBook models. I hope that now, having a certain budget, it will be easier for you to decide on a specific model. The next article will tell you how to choose the right Mac from a secondary store, including: inspection, checks, etc.

In the Telegram channel of the blog, I publish two useful techno posts every day - an article and a short life hack “zipper”.
Unobtrusive and helpful. Join us! _______________ I would like to clarify two aspects.
1. The batteries of any MacBook Pro Retina 2012-2015 are very durable.
Depending on the conditions of use, they sometimes survive up to 1500-1800 cycles. When choosing a device, your priority should not be the number of cycles (which may be small), but the current maximum capacity. For 13'' the capacity of the new battery is approximately 6400mAh, and with a capacity of 4000mAh it will give you 4-5 hours of office work. For 15'' the capacity of the new battery is approximately 8500mAh, and with a capacity of 5000mAh it will give you 4-5 hours of office work. We are, of course, talking about original batteries.
We will talk in more detail about the choice in the next article. 2. Contrary to popular belief, the SSD in the MacBook Retina 2012-2015 is quite easily replaced with ordinary inexpensive M2 larger volumes using a penny adapter.
I will also talk about this in detail in another article.

MacBook Pro (13 inches)

Which drive to choose

Cupertino has done everything to make upgrading a laptop drive problematic. The replacement procedure itself is not very complicated; it is more difficult to choose a suitable SSD.

The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air of these generations used SSDs with a specific connector, which differ from most SSDs with an M2 connector.

The upgrade can be done as follows:

▸ find an original Apple SSD of the required size, which was removed from another MacBook. Such discs are very rarely found on sale.

▸ find third-party SSDs with a similar connector. There is more choice here, but the prices are still high. There are several models of the OWC brand: Aura Pro X2 and Aura Pro 6G, Transcend has similar drives: JetDrive 725 or JetDrive 850

▸ connect a regular M2 format SSD drive through a special adapter: this one or this one.

In the first case, it is best to order the necessary components in the USA on eBay . In the second case, a good option would be a model from Transcend; along with the drive, you will receive an adapter for connecting the drive via USB, so you can quickly deploy a backup copy of the system to the SSD before installing it in the MacBook. After the upgrade, you can put the old SSD into the adapter and make it an external USB drive.

If you choose a model from another manufacturer, a similar dock can be purchased on AliExpress.

In the case of an adapter, you should carefully select the model of the adapter itself and the model of the SSD suitable for it. The choice is very large, but you can make a mistake.

Attention! SSDs of different types and sizes are suitable for different models of laptops presented. With the first one, everything is simple: MacBook models up to and including the beginning of 2013 work with mSATA , and newer devices (from mid-2013) require m2 format drives. The physical dimensions of the SSD depend on the specific model. A bar that is too large or wide will simply not fit into the space allotted to it inside the case.

To avoid mistakes, check the storage dimensions for your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air on iFixit .

Only after this, select a new SSD and an adapter for it.

For those who are looking at Transcend drives, a convenient table has been posted on the company’s website. There you can find the right disk model for your laptop.

MacBook Pro (15 inches)

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Articles

• Comparison of MacBook Pro Retina Coolers
• Review and comparison of I/O boards (right I/O board) Macbook Pro Retina
• MacBook Pro Retina 13″
• Comparison and review of the MacBook Pro Retina generation
• Visual review and comparison of MacBook Retina and MacBook Pro
• Review and comparison of the new MacBook Retina 13 2012 and 2013
• Review and comparison of the new MacBook Retina 15 2012 and 2013

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