Apple MacBook Pro vs. Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display

Laptop Comparison, Reviews and Tests
Apple MacBook Pro
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display

In depth comparison and review of Apple MacBook Pro and Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display. Compare sizes, performance, storage capacities, batteries and other important specifications and features to easily choose the right laptop for you. Our goal is to help you uncover differences between the products and find the laptop that will best fit your needs.

Laptop Specifications Comparison

Apple MacBook Pro vs. Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Product Type Notebook Notebook
Dimensions (WxDxH) 35.7 cm x 24.3 cm x 2.6 cm 31.4 cm x 21.9 cm x 1.8 cm
Weight 2.5 kg 1.57 kg
Case Material - Aluminum
DISPLAY Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Screen Size (Type) 15.4" 13.3" - IPS
LCD Backlight Technology - LED backlight
Screen Resolution 1440 x 900 (WXGA+) 2560 x 1600 (WQXGA)
Widescreen Yes Yes
PROCESSOR Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
CPU Intel Core Duo 2 GHz Intel Core i5 (4th Gen) 2.4 GHz
Max Turbo Speed - 2.9 GHz
Number of Cores Dual-Core Dual-Core
Cache L2 - 2 MB L3 - 3 MB
Front Side Bus 667 MHz -
64-bit Computing - Yes
Features Enhanced SpeedStep technology, power-optimized processor system bus, Execute Disable Bit capability Integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
MEMORY Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
RAM 512 MB 4 GB (provided memory is soldered)
Max RAM Supported 2 GB -
RAM Type DDR2 SDRAM DDR3L SDRAM
Speed 667 MHz / PC2-5300 1600 MHz
Rated Speed 667 MHz -
Form Factor SO-DIMM 200-pin -
Slots Qty 2 -
Empty Slots 1 -
STORAGE Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Main Storage Size (HDD/SSD) 80 GB HDD SATA 1.5Gb/s / 5400 rpm 128 GB SSD
Optical Drive DVD±RW fixed -
Read Speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) -
Write Speed 24x (CD) / 4x (DVD±R) -
CD / DVD Rewrite Speed 10x (CD) / 4x (DVD±RW) -
AUDIO & VIDEO Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Graphics Processor (GPU) PCI Express x16 - ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 Intel Iris Graphics
Video Memory 128 MB GDDR3 SDRAM -
Camera Yes Yes
Resolution 0.3 Megapixel -
Video Resolutions 640 x 480 1280 x 720
Sound Stereo speakers, microphone Stereo speakers, two microphones
COMMUNICATIONS Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Wireless 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Network Interface Gigabit Ethernet -
BATTERY Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Technology Lithium polymer Lithium polymer
Battery Capacity (Size) 60 Wh 71.8 Wh
Battery Life Up to 4.5 hours Up to 9 hours
AC ADAPTER Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Input AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz) AC 100-240 V (50/60 Hz)
Output - 60 Watt
INPUT Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Type Keyboard, trackpad Keyboard, trackpad
Keyboard Backlight - Yes
Features - Multi-touch touchpad, ambient light sensor
CONNECTIONS & EXPANSIONS Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Slots 1 x ExpressCard/34 (1 free)
2 x memory (1 free)
-
Interfaces 1 x display / video - DVI-Analog/Digital
1 x audio - SPDIF input/line-in - mini-phone 3.5 mm / TOSLINK
1 x audio - SPDIF output/headphones - mini-phone 3.5 mm / TOSLINK
1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
2 x USB 2.0 4 pin USB Type A
1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45
2 x USB 3.0
2 x Thunderbolt 2
HDMI
Headphone output
Memory Card Reader - Yes (SDXC Card)
SOFTWARE Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Operating System (OS) Apple MacOS X 10.4 Apple macOS Catalina 10.15
Software Included Drivers & Utilities, Apple QuickTime, Apple Mac OS X Mail, OmniOutliner, FileMaker Pro (Trial), Apple iCal, Apple DVD Player, Apple Address Book, Apple Safari, Apple iChat AV, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, Apple Dashboard, Apple Spotlight, Apple XCode Developer Tools, Front Row, Photo Booth, Apple iLife '06, plasq Comic Life, iWork '06 (30 days trial) Drivers & Utilities, Apple QuickTime, Apple iTunes, Apple Mac OS X Mail, Apple Mac OS X Chess, Apple iMovie, Apple DVD Player, Apple Safari, Apple GarageBand, Apple Dashboard, Photo Booth, Apple Time Machine, Apple Mac App Store, Apple FaceTime, Apple Automator, Apple Launchpad, Apple Mission Control, Apple Preview, Apple Calculator, Apple Dictionary, Apple Image Capture, Apple Stickies, Apple TextEdit, Apple System Preferences, Maps, Reminders, Contacts, Notes, Calendar, Apple AirDrop, Notification Center, Messages, Dictation, iCloud, Game Center, Apple AirPlay, Apple Font Book, Apple iBooks, Apple Keynote, Apple Pages, Apple Numbers
MISCELLANEOUS Apple MacBook Pro Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display
Included Accessories - Power adapter
Cables Included DVI-VGA adapter -
Integrated Options Ambient light sensor -
Features Security lock slot (cable lock sold separately), keyboard light -
ENERGY STAR Certified Yes Yes
EPEAT Compliant EPEAT Gold EPEAT Gold
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 10 °C 10 °C
Humidity Range Operating 0 - 90% 0 - 90% (non-condensing)
Manufacturer Warranty Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
Limited warranty - 1 year
Technical support - phone consulting - 90 days
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