Is a 2009 MacBook Pro 17-inch worth it in 2024?

[@transitengineer]

I have a 15-inch model, just a few years older in my collection. What, I enjoy about these intel Apple laptops in the late 2010's, was the fact that, they still have a DVD super-dive, support the white Apple remote control, and the Apple logo on the top "lights-up" when, the computer is turned on (smile...smile).

[@MikeKirichenko967]

I am surprised you even got 40 fps in minecraft on this

[@marklsimonson]

I've got one of these, a 5,2 "mid 2009" with black bezel and glossy screen. I bought it new and keep it around running Snow Leopard (10.6.8) in order to run older apps, including PowerPC apps. Snow Leopard was the last version that could do that (via Rosetta). I also installed an SSD. I miss having all those ports and an optical drive with newer Macs.

[@flamingkillermc2806]

10:10 Minecraft on macOS full screen acts differently. You have to actually press the full screen toggle in Minecraft, not the window. This is because Minecraft still runs at the full native screen resolution if you press the green. And you have to put the FPS to unlimited, don't limit it to 60, since the cpu will push out more fps and it won't be as laggy. And if you want to see FPS count press FN+F3, and it will show you on the top left Also next time use Lunar Client as that will install FPS boost mods which would help out the old macbook

[@_XTA]

I still do logic board repair for A1278, A1286 and A1297 models (because I love them and collect them haha). If you are looking for a 17inch A1297, I highly recommend a 2010. The reason the 2010 is the best model is Apple only made the A1297 for 3/4ish years, There's the originals which is the Late 2008 - 2009 A1297, The 2010 A1297 and finally the 2011 A1297, unfortunately Apple did not make a A1297 for the 2012 model year, if they did it would have been the best one. The problem with the 2008-2009 models is the logic board has a design fault on an MCP cap, theres a tantalum cap (C7771) which fails very regularly and when it fails the machine shows a green light on the charger and won't boot. For someone with soldering experience, swapping this cap out with a bigger non tantalum cap is very easy and then the board won't fail again but if you don't know what you are doing it would really ruin your day. The 2010 A1286 does have an issue with the GPU framebuffer circuit on the cap C9560 that causes the machine to randomly have GPU related kernel panics or just randomly reboot because when the cap is failing it causes power spikes in the framebuffer circuit. I have never not once seen this issue on a 2010 A1297 as they changed the cap in this model (it's still tantalum however). So while it's possible it could fail, it's very rare. The 2010 A1297 appears to be the most solid 17inch and having a i7 instead of a C2D is much better, also the GPU doesn't fail on these models! The 2011 has the dreaded GPU failures. While these machines can be fixed by flashing deMux by DosDude1 on the gMux to completely disable the GPU, You loose the dGPU but you are trading it for a 2nd gen i7 instead of a first gen i7 and the ability to upgrade these machines to 16GB and obviously flashing the deMux requires soldering skills. I have done it to both my 2011 A1297's. These machines are often the cheapest out of the 3 to pick up because you can normally score them broken, flash them with deMux which cost only $20 if you know what you are doing and have the equipment. Also cool note about the 2011 machines (if you think they are cool like me) is DosDude1 upgraded one to being technically a "2012" by swapping the PCH and CPU, I plan to do this on one of mine soon! :)

[@cumorahpuntoorg]

hi. great post. I bought one because I always wanted to have it (I remember a 2010, it could be an 11 TB), but it has a kernel panic when starting up and even when changing hard drives. I understood that it could be the capacitor but a technician couldn't repair it (although it could also be that he just didn't do it). My question is another: Is there any way to "upgrade" the MacBook to a current model, for example by putting a Raspberry Pi inside, the interior of a laptop or something else connected from HDMI to the screen of the pro, to "update" it?

[@Riccardo_Mori]

Finally someone explaining with clarity the situation with the various 17-inch models. I've always wanted one but was unsure which model to get between the 2010 and 2011 ones. I wasn't interested in the 2009 variant because I already own a 15-inch 2.66GHz 2009 MacBook Pro (which is still working great to this day, BTW). After reading your comment I went and finally decided to get a 2010 17-inch 2.66GHz Core i7 in very nice condition with the antiglare display. It should arrive in 7-10 days and I can't wait! And in the remote case that it might fail, I know who to contact for help. :-) Cheers! //Rick

[@GoJot]

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation! The 2010 17” is a great MacBook and given the state of the 17” in 2024 I think it’s the best choice all things considered

[@_XTA]

​@@Riccardo_Mori Thank you :) The 2010 A1297 with an i7 is one of the rarest Unibody MacBook Pro's as well since every 2010 i7 A1297 is built to order (Stock specification was an i5 540m, the 2.66Ghz i7 620m and 2.8Ghz i7 640m were upgrades you could order if you built to order the laptop from the Apple website!) I have every model of A1297 and my 2010 has been bulletproof, it's not had an issue even once! (Even after I swapped it's CPU 😆) It's the only A1297 I brought working 😆and they are still quite capable machines, I still use my 3.06Ghz 2009 A1297 with Ventura via OCLP for small things like making bootable USB's and surfing the web and I often genuinely forget it's a 2009 machine, the 2010's run even better! In my opinion a 2010 with an Anti Glare and i7 I would get any day over a glossy 2011! Your 15 inch is going to feel tiny after you get your A1297, every time I use a 13' MacBook Pro after using one of my A1297's they feel absolutely tiny.

[@Mbro-dq2do]

My two 2011 17" Macs with the matte screens both run baremetal linux amazingly. Fast as f--k man

[@SlipScope]

Crazy how small the trackpads used to be

[@Franco-wu5px]

I like to see it more like crazy how big they’re now 😂

[@flickwtchr]

I think the trackpad looks smaller relative to the large body on this machine being a 17inch

[@slob5041]

It looks more modern than a new macbook pro.

[@reflext.the.vhs.guy.]

Literally

[@stevelogan1699]

I'm a recording musician. I have been using a 17" Macbook Pro (2010) running High Sierra for about 8 years. It's had a couple of upgrades: a 1TB SSD, and an Intel Core i5 processor. I use it extensively for recording in Garageband, watching KZbin and general admin. The only serious problems I have with it are that I can't upgrade the OS and thus can't use certain apps. (KZbin for example, I have to watch in Firefox). The numerous ports are a great asset to me, as is the big screen. Although it's a heavy machine, I carry it about with me daily, walking miles. I would very much like to upgrade the processor, RAM, SSD and speakers but an Apple specialist I've consulted says it's not a good plan. The machine suits me in so many ways that I'm reluctant to buy a much more expensive Macbook Pro with few ports, no optical drive, a smaller screen and (to me) not significantly better keyboard. Do you have any thoughts? Many thanks for your thoughtful and instructive video.

[@GoJot]

It’s a great computer! If it does what you need then don’t replace it. If you wanted something new I’d have to recommend a 2021 or later 16” MacBook Pro. Those are truly incredible machine that will make you wonder why you waited so long to upgrade

[@cumorahpuntoorg]

you can upgrade the os, using dosdude patcher or opencore.

[@stevelogan1699]

@@GoJot Thanks so much for replying. I’m the happier to accept your recommendation of a new 16” MacBook Pro because you so fully appreciate the virtues of the old 17” machine. Final question: would you recommend an M2 over an M3?

[@GoJot]

@stevelogan1699 M3 will be really expensive since it’s still the newest model. The M1 and M2 16” MacBooks have some really good value for their price

[@stevelogan1699]

@@GoJot Thank you so much. I will keep an eye on your channel and wish you every success with it!

[@oofcloof]

Dang, I didn’t know they even got Big Sur running on these things!

[@thenetworkmystery]

Using tools such as OpenCore Legacy Patcher, it is indeed possible.

[@oofcloof]

@@thenetworkmystery oh I know, I just though it went back to 2011, not 2009

[@sparksfly13]

you can run opencore legacy on macs as far back as 2007! i have a late-2007 15' macbook pro on big sur and while it's slow, it still runs!!

[@oofcloof]

@@sparksfly13 Zamn!

[@WhatsAYeet]

Got the same model, installed mac os monterey, its working good for a mac from 2009, not for gaming but videos, or word is fine i love the 17 display

[@TheOzlaw]

I still use a 2010 MacBook Pro 17 inch, with an Ssd and an extra Ssd for archiving purposes. Works fine. I recommend against using open core as that meant the appearance of a line on the screen. I must now replace the screen. Try High Sierra and else swap to Linux mint via bootcamp windows 8 install. A small partition. Or pre-install a hard disk with Linux and swap the inner drive. I can still use homebrew on the 2010 MacBook Pro but it mutters. And in te end it will not find internet just as my iMacs from 2004 and 2007. Their cut off the internet thru software development. If you want to access the internet with old Mac’s you need to install Debian or an Ubuntu-distribution. The MacBook Pro 2010 can cope with mint 22, MATE. An Ubuntustudio 16 or 17 install. Before installing Linux prepare a Mac Recovery usb, CD or DVD, or use an older server Netinstall from an older iMac.

[@songsan807]

I got one of this 2010 17" with the black bezel for the wife and it looks amazing. The only issue I have with this is that the left side starts to slowly heat up and after 25-30 minutes you can start feeling it. I checked and both fans are running. Not sure if this is a resister issue or something. Tried a few times to use OCLP to install Ventura and Sonoma but it would usually hangs. Seen other people got this working without any issue. I wanted to get another 09-11 17 inch MBP for myself and saw this silver frame one. I thought the frame is distracting from the full black for myself.

[@Mbro-dq2do]

I have that exact Mac. Dropped an SSD in it and upraged the RAM. Works fine. just a collecting Mac. Bro youd love my vintage 2006 17" with the matte screen. It is Mint and works fine. I cant really get websites up but its just a collector too. But it works fine. Wish I knew how to get it higher then Mac OS Lion. I tried open core legacy. Every old mac I have runs ventura or sonoma perfectly.

[@32marejada]

You may run Windows 7 32 bits on your 2006 17" as only takes 2gb of ram because of the core duo cpu.....I have mine like that , with an ssd, and it's not the fastest machine but usable, stable, and works fine for web browsing...specially with that lovely 17" mate screen and superb sound. Cheers ...

[@salaheddineameziane1627]

No notch on the screen.

[@thenetworkmystery]

One minor correction: I believe the GeForce 9400M is indeed integrated graphics. It's very misleading, but I think that's the case. The 9600M GT is of course dedicated.

[@GoJot]

I think the term integrated means the GPU is on the same die as the CPU. In this case, the 9400M is a separate chip on the motherboard so I think “technically” it’s a dedicated GPU, although very weak

[@ColinsCity]

I have gone through 2 of these in 6 months, the first one just died and won't turn on, the second one the screen starts flashing and glitching after a while and it's not very usable, i think the issue is with the capacitor which the 2010 model also has this issue too. I'm going to try and get both of mine fixed because I really liked using it especially for watching KZbin videos which you can watch 1080p videos and they look great on the 17" screen. They run Monterey and Windows 10 quite well too.

[@Mbro-dq2do]

Screws and rubber feet are pennies on ebay one whole set up is like 6$

[@Jack-5718]

on these older macs 1.18 and up are quite laggy unfortunately, I have a 2010 imac(unmodified) and I have to play in 1.17 or earlier for a smooth experience

[@auzaaja]

the thing is, in 2024 i bought mbp 2010 and mba 2012, and i kinda like it tbh, tho mba is atill better due to better processor

[@pavanbk15589]

The display was amazing considering its a 2009 Computer. I mean Apples 1080p will be more amazing than other 1080ps.

If you use youtube a lot, i'm sorry, but laptop cpus like core 2 duo can't do more than 480p or 720p30fps video playback without frame skip

[@GoJot]

Ooo I should test that in my future reviews!

[@ColinsCity]

I've had a 2009 17" MacBook and i can tell you that it can run 720p60fps fine but the fans speed up with 1080p60fps but it still plays fine

[@flickwtchr]

I often watch videos at 1080 full screen on my MPB 2009 17inch with no problem. I do lean on a fan utility app however if watching long videos to keep everything cool enough.

[@Franco-wu5px]

Design wise, these things were way ahead of time

[@rams3013]

How do you use the 9600gt? i have monterey in the same laptop, but it only using the 9400m.

[@GoJot]

Find the battery settings inside system preferences, then turn off automatic graphics switching, and then restart your Mac. The 2009 can’t switch the GPU automatically like the 2010 and newer could

[@rams3013]

@@GoJot Thanks

[@flickwtchr]

@@GoJot I wish I could remember at the moment the name of the utility, but it's a manual switcher that solves that problem for these MBPs that don't have integrated graphics.

[@zonemagazine7493]

How can you tell if its the capacitor or the motherboard gone? I have one and it will not turn on.

[@GoJot]

Unfortunately I don’t have a great answer. But unless there’s water damage to the board it’s usually the capacitor. If you have a hot air station you can try heating the board up and sometimes it will turn on when the faulty capacitor reaches a certain temp

[@Sierra4U]

Downgrade to Catalina for better Minecraft fps

[@shahan1465]

No

[@Ilovewatchingheartstopper]

First