2012 MacBook Pro with Sequoia

Another new version of MacOS came out, so it's time to see how well we can run a 2012 MacBook Pro with Sequoia.
MacOS Sequoia was installed with OpenCore Legacy Patcher
OpenCore Legacy Patcher: dortania.githu...
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[@Eevnos]

As always, these reviews are based off my experience and my opinion. If you e done this upgrade already, what’s your opinion?

[@Growler57]

is that my opinion or you opinion or whos opinion

[@JunioX360]

For now, I'll keep my 2012 MBP on Monterey, it's working very well. Thank you for the amazing content, greetings from Brazil (sorry for my English).

[@Eevnos]

That’s awesome! There is nothing wrong with your English and thanks for watching!

[@alisonholloway6726]

Thanks so much for your videos. I just saved my old mid 2012 MacBook Pro from landfill, and my dollars on buying a replacement. I upgraded to 16GB RAM, 750GB SSD, and a new battery and I'm back in the world of MacOS, running Sequoia. I have an i7, and did a fresh install. Works perfectly, although I did have some failures with the Migration Assistant. I manually pulled over the files from the old HDD instead. Your videos are excellent.

[@Eevnos]

Thanks so much, I appreciate the kind words and I'm glad you got it installed. I love how these computers are still going strong!

[@shaunbradford638]

I have my main laptop a 2012 with 12 gigs of ram and sequoia and it’s running I’m also using a solid state driving it too, so it’s absolutely just fine. It doesn’t lag or anything. Does the job for me

[@Eevnos]

Excellent! I'm glad you're happy with it and thanks for sharing.

[@WekaDigitalMediaNZ]

I have the 2012 15 inch MBP with Sonoma installed. I was wondering how long do you think this OS will last if Sequoia is not working too well with the 2012 models.

[@Eevnos]

The rule of thumb is that MacOS versions are usually maintained for 3 years and they provide security patches for the last three versions.

[@yrotsih179]

I gave it a try and it's indeed not good enough, but then decided to go back to Big Sur, since it's the first with the renewed control center. But after installing Opencore Legacy Patcher (2.0.2) when I go to Post Install Root Patch, it shows that there are No Patches Required and it works perfectly fine except for the flickering when watching full screen video's. Do I need to reinstall so I can see available Root Patches or just leave it the way it is? And which MacOS do you recommend on this great machine?

[@TokenTech]

Fun video as always, I love seeing these old macs run new software and being kept alive. I put my mom's 2012 mac on windows 10 with bootkit but will probably move it to linux in the near future... or just buy her a cheap laptop

[@Eevnos]

Linux runs amazingly on these computers. If you don't need MacOS, I would definitely run a linux distro, pretty much any distro works great on these.

[@TokenTech]

@@Eevnos yup, the only issue i ever ran into was the wifi driver but i used an ethernet cord to update after the install and then it worked fine. My mom is more used to windows but i wonder if she would even notice a difference

[@Eevnos]

@@TokenTech There are a bunch of linux distros out there that are skinned to look just like Windows. If all she does is general computing stuff, sh'ed probably never know the difference.

[@1natedoggy]

I upgraded my Mid 2012 13" Macbook Pro to Sequioa and it has never run faster and better then it does now. I previously had Ventura on it but it runs much faster now.

[@masimostevin5811]

I bought my mbp 2012 13 inch one month ago of just 69(nice) euros. It came with original cable, ssd of 128gb and one stick of 8gb of ram. I installed Ventura with your tutorial from 2 years ago(thank you for these tutorials). Super simple. I have never ever tried Mac before and I am still learning Mac OS. I am using it for study, KZbin, simple browsing and duo lingo. I really love it. I have plan to buy caddy for second hdd for just 2 euros, putting that second add in place of dvd drive and installing windows 11 just for Microsoft office if I need it.

[@Eevnos]

That's great! Isn't amazing how good these little laptops still are?

[@megatronskneecap]

I think it may be time to let this thing rest with new OS updates now. Both Ventura and Sonoma will be supported for many years to come though so this still has a ton of life in it.

[@Eevnos]

@@megatronskneecap yeah, as much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with you. I would not recommend upgrading this time.

[@softwelveone]

that's what i'm doing with my 2015 macbook pro 16gigs of ram 516ssd dual graphics... with Sonoma it just works... I also have a 2015 iMac (daily driver)

[@thelifeofdavo.3439]

Just got one as my first MacBook, I binged watched all your videos on this specific model. I think I'll install Monterey or Ventura, I only have 8Gb RAM and an SSD. Keep up the good work on these videos.

[@noodlecat_]

i7 , 16gb ram , 2tb SSD and Blu-ray drive upgraded mid 2012 MacBook 13in here I can confirm that Monterey works far better then Ventura on this device , I believe the limiting factor is the Graphics card , the Extra features Ventura adds just might not be worth the slow down Monterey so far has been really pleasant, minimal graphical slow down , updated modern features , honestly it kinda feels like the windows 10 of MacOS xD Though for sake of speed probably Catilina is the fastest and Big Sur for speed and modern features Hope this helps !!

[@thelifeofdavo.3439]

@@noodlecat_ Really appreciate the tips, if it really does feel like the windows 10 of MacOS then I'm definitely going to install Monterey. Also cause I have an intel i5, it's probably going to be for the best. I need to upgrade to 16Gb Ram too, cause I'm probably going to use this in University next year.

[@noodlecat_]

@@thelifeofdavo.3439 it’s a really versatile device honestly , I just use it as a travel laptop , it’s capable of playing up to Nintendo GameCube games comfortably with OpenEMU and a small 8bitdo controller for pocketablily , the screen is actually a boon in this regards as the games of that era and below were designed for that screen and play pixel perfectly , and it’s basically bullet proof interns of repair and upgrades if by a curse something does fail. Outside of that using it for movies and TV shows due to its large storage potential is pretty amazing compared to later macs or modern laptops. Though if you haven’t already a must have upgrade is definitely the HDD , replacing it with an SSD can easily triple the speed and performance of your machine :’ ) But yeah it’s a great machine that definitely grows on you over time and it’s more comfortable taking around and leaving your more expensive machines at home incase of damage :’ )

[@noodlecat_]

@@thelifeofdavo.3439 Honestly its a really Robust laptop , the only must Upgrade is the HDD Honestly , Replacing it with an SSD Can easily triple your laptops performance and Speed , the Ram to 16GB and it easily keeps up with a lot of modern Laptops . I Personally use it as a bullet proof Travel Laptop , Its extreamly Durable , easily upgradable and cheaply repairble. For a Student a big bonus is that its actaully perfect for Retro Gaming , Using OpenEMU and a small 8bitDo Controller you can Play upto GameCube era games seemlessly . The screen on this is actaully a big boon in this , Games of this era weren't designed for 4k screens but instead screens more similar to this macbook allowing for pixel perfect gameplay. I won't tell you where to get your Roms xD but a Quick google search would help outside of that due to the potential Storage of this laptop compared to more modern laptos its fantasic for storing media like Tv Shows , Movies . I personally use a 2TB SSD to Store all this , Being a travel laptop its a fantasic companion that grows on you while letting you keep your more expensive devices at home to avoid damage. on a Side side note . You can actaully still install a Full compatible and working version of iTunes on this Laptop if you prefer making use of the large Storage instead of streaming using the Program 'Retroactive' by cormiertyshawn895 unlocks features normally locked out by more modern laptops and MacOS's I hope any of this Helps !! If you couldn't tell i just love this laptop and being able to customize it to my hearts content xD

[@Eevnos]

@@thelifeofdavo.3439 I totally agree with @noodlecat_, if you haven't already upgraded to Ventura then stick with Monterey. The caveat to that is that some applications (like newer versions of Final Cut Pro) don't work on Monterey anymore. I would check the requirements for your critical applications and make sure you don't have to upgrade to Ventura.

[@PineconeTheory]

Great video as always. I've never owned an Apple device outside of an Ipod, but I've been wanting to get an older macbook for Linux. I recently put Linux mint Cinnamon 22 on an old Toshiba Satellite that I had laying around. I am blown away how refreshed the laptop is, I upgraded the ram to 16gb dual channel, but the AMD 2c 2t cpu struggles with 720p youtube. I'm by no means tech savvy, but I can figure most things out, I had no idea that Linux was so beginner friendly, I thought everything was terminal based, it's perfect for my daily needs of web browsing and media consumption.

[@imixmuan9081]

H264ify extension is your friend. It will block V8/V9 Codecs and only serve up H264 30fps 720p, once you select block 60fps in the preferences. A small price to pay for keeping old hardware running.

[@PineconeTheory]

@@imixmuan9081 That helps a bit, oddly enough for whatever reason Chrome runs video the best, youtube is nearly unplayable at 480p on Brave and Firefox.

[@Eevnos]

That’s awesome! Yeah, Linux has come a LONG way. When I started using Linux it was installed by command line, now just about everything is very user friendly.

[@imixmuan9081]

@@Eevnos My first Linux (other than dabbling in A/UX) was Dapper Drake PowerPC 6.06. Installed it on my 233mhz Bondi Blue imac. I recall it was brown, very very brown.

[@davidambiguous4650]

Great video , went through all this but finally i have gone with Monterey with Firefox , the perfect combination for my Mac mini 2014

[@WalterPetrovic]

I have a 2012 MacBook Pro, and it's great... the moment I decided the OS for Mac sucked. I put a large SSD in there and hosted the Ram to 8 GB and then I put Mint on it. Talk about a laptop that just flies.

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, there are many Linux distros that run great on these computers!

[@petrov8086]

How about touchpad gestures in Mint? With OCLP you can get Monterey easily on your machine.

[@WalterPetrovic]

@@petrov8086 Personally, I use a separate mouse on laptops and suspend the touchpad while it is plugged in. I never cared much for touchpads.

[@AndRei-yc3ti]

@@petrov8086 touchpad gestures won't work with mint because it still uses x11 for its display manager. for touchpad to work you need something with wayland like kde or gnome.

[@FF-kc7fc]

What software did you use on Linux

[@songsan807]

Thanks for the video. I have a MBP 2012 like yours and upg to 16GB and 1TB SSD. With OCLP and Ventura it is running great and stable. Will let my newer macs run Sonoma and Sequoia so I don't get the slowdowns and headaches.

[@Eevnos]

Good move, I wouldn’t definitely stick with Ventura on the 2012!

[@addycat8275]

I’ve actually had the opposite experience, 2012 unibody 2.5ghz 8gb ram 256gb ssd, it’s been very pleasant and no noticeable slowdowns at all, even with multiple tabs in safari open. Handoff works great as well, KZbin playback too. I use the machine equally as much as my m1 MacBook Air

[@Eevnos]

That’s great to hear, thanks for sharing!

[@bobbyz23]

That's not possible, i have a 2014 MacBook Air i7 with 8gb ram 512gb ssd ,and it runs slow and stays warm running Sequoia.Sonoma runs fine though.

[@axi0matic]

@@bobbyz23 In my experience the MBP 2012 13” (w/ SSD) runs pretty sluggishly and with some glitches on Sonoma. Ventura runs great though.

[@bobbyz23]

@@axi0matic Sonoma does but not Sequoia

[@60_069]

That glowing apple logo is so coool. MBP I have doesn’t have it since it’s just an year old 😭

[@Ramkumar_Annadurai]

Thank you very much for the video. It’s pretty slow for me too. Which OS do you recommend on these machines - Ventura??

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, I wouldn’t go past Ventura. If you don’t mind running something else, you’ll get even more performance with a Linux distribution.

[@webg3brasil]

Thanks, my MacBook Air 2012 11" with 1TB working macOS Big Sur 11.7.10 and Windows 11 24H2 (Bootcamp) has amazing performance.

[@Eevnos]

Excellent

[@adamhutton4165]

Interesting video but I couldn't disagree more. My office has 16 of these mid-2012 MacBook Pros. All upgraded with 1 TB Samsung SSDs, 16 GB Kingston ram, upgraded wifi cards and running OCLP with 15.0.1. These are our daily Macs that we use for everything except video editing. Want it faster? Do these three things: Go to System Settings/accessibility/displays and turn ON Reduce Motion and Reduce Transparency. These essentially do nothing good and will substantially speed up Mac. Lastly, go to a static background and not dynamic.

[@Eevnos]

@@adamhutton4165 i’m glad you’re having a better experience! Just out of curiosity, do you have the i5 or i7 version of the laptop?

[@tylerpoe8628]

Similar for me - I have the i7

I have the exact model, the 2.5 Ghz, but with 8GB of RAM. It's a bit slower than yours, but I have downgraded to Monterey. What macOS do you recommend for this specific MacBook Pro?

[@Digiman1946]

Thanks for the overview video! I put Sequoia on a mid 2012 MBP 2.9 Ghz i7, 16GM ram with a 1 TB ssd and it runs much better than it did on my same MBP with a 2.5 Ghz, like yours. I did a standard install over Sonoma at first and it ran badly. I decided to try a clean install and it actually runs better than Sonoma did although it does boot slower. I do a little video editing, a lot of browsing for which Brave seems to work the best with the least overhead, and for my purposes, it is fine. I am pleased with it, so the suggestions to do a clean install are definitely worth a try. Thanks again!

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, I agree. I always recommend a clean install when using OpenCore. I'm glad you're enjoying your i7

[@srdjanjovanovic2524]

Nice work,2015 MacBook Air with Sequoia ,opinion , is it worth it ? Thnx

[@Eevnos]

Do you already have the computer or are you thinking of buying one? If you already have it, then I say back up your files and go for it. If you’re thinking of buying one, for this purpose, then you may want to consider a 2015 MacBook Pro instead of the air .

[@srdjanjovanovic2524]

@@Eevnos I have that mair. and I installed sonoma, I'm not the happiest, but I'm wondering if I should install Seguoia , and double efi icons appeared at the start, also when I switch to bootcamp I have double icons, I don't know how to solve it, I can send you a video, pictures if you want?

[@rndincircles]

I have a mid 2012 with the i5, what OS do you recommend? I cannot download any apps because it's too out of date.

[@gerardosanchez3221]

If your already running Sonoma on OCLP can you just update the patcher to the latest version 2.0.2 post install root patches and update using settings or do you have to create a macOs installer on a flash drive like we did the first time you installed Sonoma on OCLP? Thanks in advance. Your content is great btw.

[@fordguy728]

Does Airplay work? I'm running Sonoma on my 2011 MacBook Pro and it works pretty well other than some of the issues you have as well as airplay not working.

[@RenzoZevenking777]

Amazing 🦅

[@dergr7283]

Have you tried replacing the SATA cable? They are so incredibly prone to failure and a sign of failing cable is sluggishness.

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, It's have new internals (as much as possible) and recently re-pasted the cooler as well. The slowness is just an issue with the aging architecture, there's only so much these systems can handle and Apple is not optimizing for computers this old anymore.

[@Snax_Musician]

Just upgraded my MPB 2012 to Ventura and it’s…ok. I’m wondering if I should stay put or continue to Sonoma. Any thoughts?

[@Eevnos]

I would stay on Ventura.

[@ThomasECahill]

Nice video, Thanks! Do you know if the latest version of logic Pro X works? (11.1)thanks.

[@Eevnos]

It SHOULD work, but I don't have it to test. Really the only hard requirement is the storage space and need at least Ventura to run it. How well it'll work, I have no idea, but it should run.

[@joylyngiva2332]

Hiii! I'm from Philippines and I really like all your vids and I updated my late 2011 MBP from catalina to monterey because of your vid tutorial but unfortunately my MBP can't handle monterey, is there anyway you can help me to downgrade it to MacOS High Sierra? thankyouu!!

[@Eevnos]

You can just reboot into network recovery and install the latest supported MacOS version.

[@dalyaf01]

Thanks, great tutorial, as always

[@tonyscaminaci7959]

My MacBook Pro 2015 slowed down a bit after upgrading to Sequoia. But my big issue is that anytime Safari is open, the machine almost stalls. Closing Safari restores normal speed.

[@Blarnix]

Still faster than my 2020 i3 MacBook Air.

[@hafizhasad6057]

how performance MD101 in Sequoia 15.0.1 ? are the same with Sequoia 15.0.0?

[@ucvietnguyen6370]

0:47 this wallpaper only on Sequoia right? I'm using Sonoma rn and I can't find it.

[@Eevnos]

Yes, it’s new to Sequoia

[@MichalHank]

I just bought one for 50$ to try macOS what version works best?

[@MichalHank]

I have i5 and 8gb of ram

[@pwissink1]

I have the same MacBook. Installed sequoia on it last week. It slow as yours. But I have only 8gb memory in it. And that memory runs at 1333mhz. 😮

[@computerenthusiast402]

What is the newest MacOS version that works good on MBP 2012 with 16gb RAM and 512gb SSD ?

[@Eevnos]

There is some software that requires Ventura and won't run on anything older. If you have such software then install Ventura, otherwise Monterey

[@BadraVeeraBadra]

It is pretty slow for me Can I downgrade to previous version with OCLP without losing data One of my friend has same issue. He is also looking to see how to downgrade

[@Eevnos]

There’s not really a clean upgrade path, your best bet is to just back up all your data and install an older version of the OS with a clean install.

[@BadraVeeraBadra]

@@Eevnos can we turn off unwanted background services to reduce the processor and memory usage?

[@avdicc]

I have MBP 15" 2016 and running on sequoia is really bad.Slow app oppening, and gets really hot poor battery life.Installed sonoma and it was perfect woth good battery life. I think we will need to wait a little bit fos os to get stable 🤷‍♂️

[@Eevnos]

Did you see if it needs the post-install root patches? See if there are any available and apply them if so.

[@besoklibur-z5h]

I've updated to 15.1 but I don't know why, things like WiFi and camera don't work and the laptop lags a bit

[@whoiskalinagu]

Funny you posted this today because I just started working on it and I’ve been following your videos to do this work so thank you. I ran into an issue if you would have advice. I ended up with not being able to get into my account and every time I type my password in, it just restarts and makes me type in my password again and it’s ultimately purgatory feels. NEED HALP! 🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@TheMetalMag]

thx for this video at least someone speaks about the hard time using an intel mac with M1 software; while I think ocp is a good thing. I will not install on a Intel Mac.

[@digitalmandave]

Hi Eenvos, Operating system issues aside would you recommend picking up a second hand 2012 or 2015 Macbook Pro in 2024?

[@Eevnos]

I’d go with the 2015. They’re not upgradable, but they’re faster, lighter and outperform the 2012 in pretty much every way.

[@digitalmandave]

@@Eevnos your a good chap enjoy these videos like you I'm using older mac equipment I'm mean if it still works why not eh!

[@Eevnos]

@@digitalmandave I completely agree! So many people are all about getting the latest and greatest, even if they don’t need it. Depending on what a person does, an older computer is often times all they need.

[@AndRei-yc3ti]

@@Eevnos Ah already got a 2012 macbook pro for like $200 canadian ($145 USD). was it a bad deal? I thought these would be better than the 2015 because of upgradibility, but maybe i was wrong. Should i sell it and get a 2015 instead (I upgraded my 2012 mbp maximally though)

[@checkmychannel5092]

​​@@AndRei-yc3tiIf that is the i5 version then thats a bit overpriced I would say. But considering you have already bought and upgraded it , I would say keep it instead of replacing it with a 2015 ones ,since you won't be able to do heavy tasks on either of these anyways , if you need something powerful just save up a little bit more and get at least a m1 machine.

[@ramonjimenez4614]

Thanks for the video, it's very helpful. I have a question, could anyone help me? I have Catalina and I'm going to install Sonoma on a MacBook Pro Retina 2012. Is it better to overwrite the OS or install it from scratch by formatting the SSD and recovering files with Time Maschine? Thanks.

[@Eevnos]

I always recommend doing a fresh install, when using OCLP, rather than an upgrade. There are a lot of people that have successfully upgraded, but it's just much more reliable and cleaner to do a full install.

[@summer_xo]

Honestly, still impressively fast all things considered.

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, considering the age, it really is. The fact that it works as well as it does in amazing!

[@hatuxka]

On a 2016 MBP there is a noticeable lag in apps starting up with Sequoia too.

[@knightone57]

I gave up on using mac os's on my 2012 because every update is so darn big.I am using Linux Mint as it is a quick and easy install and the iso is only about 3 gigs and updates are so small and quick.

[@Eevnos]

Yeah, if you don't need MacOS then just about any Linux distro is the way to go.

[@michalkostylo3506]

Good to see u back

[@Eevnos]

Thanks, I appreciate that!

[@hugoleonardo6935]

Great video! I have an iMac 21,5" late 2012 with 1TB SSD and 16 RAM that runs Catalina, do you think I should upgrade to at least Monterey with OpenCore? I use it for Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.

[@gghowson7613]

Thanks!

[@Eevnos]

@@gghowson7613 You’re welcome! 😃

[@xboxbml]

Can you play Apple purchased movies with an external monitor attached?... try it..

[@Eevnos]

@@xboxbml you can play movies on an external monitor, you just need a mini display port to display port for HDMI cable. I don’t know about movies specifically purchased through Apple as I don’t own any.

[@xboxbml]

@@EevnosI have those. No you can't.. direct HDMI or connected to TB2 dock.. plays ok for about 10 seconds then video quits and audio will continue..have you tried it?

[@gilachess]

Slow because you are using a traditional HDD and not an SSD ?

[@Eevnos]

No, have a fast SSD and 16 gigs of RAM. It’s just an aging architecture and each version of macOS is less sufficient on older computers than the previous version .

[@bagery]

Any chance you could do a Legacy Patcher removal vid?

[@Eevnos]

What do you mean? How to revert to an officially supported version?

[@bagery]

@@Eevnos Yes, I was dumb. Since it was time to replace my computer, I decided to take my chances and update it without wiping it first. OpenCore made my outdated computer slow. My fault. I then updated my 2008 but wiped it first with much better results. I'd like to revert my 2012 to salvage data and basic operations if that's even possible. I'm having trouble following documentation. Of course, a good video always provides confidence and follow through.

[@georgenameless]

how does a wired sidecar works with ipad?

[@DimasFajar-ns4vb]

sun microsystem laptop

[@VedSTiwari]

bro can you upload the tutorial video

[@Inconn24]

Ngl Big Sur and Ventura runs way better on this Mac, way more usable

[@Eevnos]

Agreed

[@bobbyz23]

Any mac with less than 16gb ram i7 cpu and without a SSD is going to run slow.

[@Eevnos]

Absolutely, especially the RAM and storage.. i7 vs i5 is not as critical. First thing I always recommend is upgrading the storage and RAM on these machines.

[@arlencarlson]

If your videos are live (no time changes) then all you are seeing is the normal speed of that Mac, even on its last supported OS. In short, your video fails to demonstrate that Sequoia is slow at all…in fact you have done the opposite and proved and works, and it still rocks even on a 2012 MBP. Now newer Macs of course are faster…but that is because Apple Silicon makes things fast.

[@SarduseuSutidu]

The hardware is too weak for that OS!

[@patrickpowell5430]

What is this obsession with 'getting the latest IoS'? Baffles me. So now 'the desktop picture move'. Well, larks a mercy, yippee. I have used Opencore on several laptops (I have several in different places) and for me the only advantage is to be able to update the OS to benefit from software which has otherwise 'gone out of support'. But otherwise . . .

[@Eevnos]

@@patrickpowell5430 the latest version of the OS, that supported on these computers, does not support a bunch of software. An update may be necessary, depending on what you need to run . Plus some people just like the updated features, so part of it is preference.

[@imixmuan9081]

@@Eevnos This is why I stick to Linux...Yeah, I have OCLP and Monterey running on a 2008 macbook unibody, for fun mostly. But I hate anyone, especially a bajillionare like Tim Cook telling me when my hardware is obsolete. It's only obsolete when Puppy Linux can't run on it!

[@petrov8086]

@@imixmuan9081 Exactly the same case for me! Instead of DVD drive I have another SSD with Mint Wilma and dualboot via OCLP. Of course - a bunch of linux specific glitches and touchpad functionality is a joke against the macOS one.

[@Eevnos]

@@imixmuan9081 Yeah if someone doesn't specifically need MacOS, then Linux is the way to go on these.