MacBook Pro Early 2011 15"

The MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.0 15-Inch (Early 2011/Thunderbolt) is powered by a 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" 2.0 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (2635QM). It has four independent cores on a single chip, a 6 MB shared L3 cache, and 4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600) installed in pairs. The system includes a 500 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, an 8X DL "SuperDrive," dual graphics processors—an AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 sharing 384 MB of system memory—and an integrated FaceTime HD webcam.

The standard configuration features an LED-backlit 15.4-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" display (1440x900). Custom options included a "high-resolution glossy" 1680x1050 display and a "high-resolution antiglare" 1680x1050 display for an extra US$100 and US$150, respectively.

Connectivity includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a FireWire "800" port, two USB 2.0 ports, separate audio in and out ports, an SDXC card slot, and a new "Thunderbolt" port. This port is backward compatible with Mini DisplayPort, supports external displays up to 2560x1600, passes audio, and supports other Thunderbolt peripherals with up to 10 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth.

This model uses a "Unibody" aluminum case, a backlit keyboard, a "no button" glass "inertial" multi-touch trackpad, and a non-swappable battery with an estimated 7-hour life. Compared to its predecessor, it has a similar exterior but adds a higher-resolution webcam and the Thunderbolt port. Internally, it boasts a significantly faster architecture, quicker RAM, and improved graphics.

The Early 2011 15-inch MacBook Pro was highly regarded for its major leap in performance, thanks to the introduction of quad-core Sandy Bridge Core i7 processors. This architectural shift provided a dramatic speed increase for professional applications. Another key enhancement was the addition of the high-speed Thunderbolt port, which promised a new era of fast external peripherals. The automatic graphics switching between the AMD Radeon GPU and integrated Intel graphics was refined for better efficiency. While the iconic unibody design remained unchanged, the combination of raw processing power and forward-looking connectivity solidified its status as a top-tier machine for power users, though some noted issues with the discrete GPU in the long term.