MacBook Pro Retina Early 2013

The MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.7 15-Inch (Early 2013 Retina Display) is equipped with a 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" 2.7 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (3740QM), featuring four distinct processor "cores" on a single silicon chip and a 6 MB shared level 3 cache. It includes 16 GB of non-upgradable 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM, 512 GB of flash storage, and dual graphics processors: a NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 that shares system memory. This model also has an integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam and a high-resolution 15.4" widescreen 2880x1800 (220 ppi) LED-backlit "retina" display, all in a slim case that weighs a little under 4.5 pounds (2.02 kg). There is no internal optical drive.

Connectivity options consist of 3-stream AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, two USB 3.0 ports, two "Thunderbolt" ports, an HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and an SDXC card slot. Gigabit Ethernet and Firewire "800" are not included, though adapters were sold separately.

In addition, this model features a backlit keyboard, a "no button" glass "inertial" multi-touch trackpad, a "MagSafe 2" power adapter, and an internal, glued-in battery that Apple estimates provides 7 hours of life.

The high-end Early 2013 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro was a powerful machine that offered a faster Ivy Bridge processor and more standard storage than the base model. Its main draw remained the revolutionary high-resolution display, which was still a class leader. The combination of a quad-core i7 and dedicated NVIDIA graphics provided excellent performance for professional workflows. However, it was an incremental update, essentially a spec bump of the 2012 original. Its relevance was short-lived, as it was soon made obsolete by the Late 2013 models that introduced the more power-efficient Haswell architecture, leading to significantly better battery life. It was a capable machine, but one caught between two more significant generations.