MacBook Pro Late 2011 15"

Quietly released without a press announcement, the MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.2 15-Inch (Late 2011) is powered by a 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" 2.2 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (2675QM). It features 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 6750M with 512 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 has an LED-backlit 15.4-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" display (1440x900), with custom options for a "high-resolution glossy" 1680x1050 or 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/out ports, an SDXC card slot, and a "Thunderbolt" port. This port is backward compatible with Mini DisplayPort, supports external displays up to 2560x1600, passes audio, and works with other Thunderbolt peripherals at up to 10 Gbps.

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, this model is identical except for a faster processor and superior graphics.

The Late 2011 15-inch MacBook Pro was a quiet but effective iterative update. It offered a faster Sandy Bridge Core i7 processor and a more capable AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card compared to the early 2011 model. While externally identical to its predecessor, these internal enhancements provided a welcome performance boost for demanding users. The machine's classic unibody design, user-upgradable RAM and storage, and the inclusion of a Thunderbolt port were still highly valued. However, much like the entire 2011 lineup, its legacy was later impacted by the widespread issue of GPU failures, which became a significant point of frustration for owners of this otherwise powerful and well-regarded notebook.