2012 MBP 15-inch — Configuring

Be sure to first read the introductory page comparing to the Retina model.

Get it all set up with dual internal drives and 16GB as an MPG Pro Laptop.

Recommended config for photographers or videographers

• 16GB memory.
• 2.6/2.7 GHz CPU (2.3 GHz OK for smaller digital files)
• 480GB 6G SSD
• 960GB 3G SSD for users needing more space.
• 2 X 480GB or 2 X 960GB internal drives for really big storage.
• External 480GB or 960GB OWC Mercury Elite Pro Mini USB3 for external backup and/or overflow storage (hard drives models also OK).

Advanced users might want dual internal drives; this is possible with the OWC Data Doubler (by removing the optical drive). See the test results.

The 2.7 GHz CPU option

The 2.7 GHz CPU option adds a < 4% increase in clock speed over 2.6 GHz, along with an 8MB on-chip cache vs 6MB.

In most cases, this will be a barely-noticeable difference. Users with any budget limits are far better off putting that money into 16GB memory and/or a larger or faster SSD.