Apple MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.0 15" Early 2011 Specs

Identifiers: Early 2011 15" - MC721LL/A - MacBookPro8,2 - A1286 - 2353-1*

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The MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.0 15-Inch (Early 2011/Thunderbolt) features a 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" 2.0 GHz Intel "Core i7" processor (2635QM), with four independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600) installed in pairs (two 2 GB modules), 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 graphics processor that shares 384 MB of memory with the system -- and an integrated FaceTime HD webcam.

The standard configuration of this model has an LED-backlit 15.4" widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" display (1440x900 native resolution), but it also was available via custom configuration with a "high-resolution glossy" 1680x1050 display and a "high-resolution antiglare" 1680x1050 display for an additional 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 that is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort and, likewise, supports an external display at 2560x1600 and passes an audio signal. Thunderbolt also supports other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard which provides up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.

This model uses a "Unibody" aluminum case design -- milled from a single piece of aluminum -- and has a backlit keyboard, a "no button" glass "inertial" multi-touch trackpad, and a non-swappable battery design that provides an Apple estimated 7 hours of battery life.

Compared to its predecessor, this model has a very similar external enclosure, apart from a higher-resolution webcam and the aforementioned Thunderbolt port. Internally, however, it has a significantly faster architecture, faster RAM, and improved graphics.

Also see:

• What are the differences between the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models?
• What are the differences between the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models and the "Mid-2010" MacBook Pro models that they replaced?

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• Tech Specs
• Ports
• Global Original Prices
• Popular Q&As

Tech Specs

Click on a category for related details. The most commonly needed info is "open" by default, but all info is important. Asterisks (*) reference data in details fields.

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Introduction Date:

February 24, 2011

Discontinued Date:

October 24, 2011

Details:

The "Introduction Date" refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The "Discontinued Date" refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2011.

Processors:

1 (4 Cores)

Architecture:

64-Bit

Details:

Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort.

Geekbench 2 (32):

8786

Geekbench 2 (64):

9518

Details:

Geekbench 2 benchmarks are in 32-bit and 64-bit modes, respectively. These numbers reflect an average of user provided 32-bit and 64-bit results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit and 64-bit Geekbench 2 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 2 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Geekbench 3 (32):

2195

Geekbench 3 (32):

7916

Details:

These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 32-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 32-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 32-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Geekbench 3 (64):

2455

Geekbench 3 (64):

8945

Details:

These Geekbench 3 benchmarks are in 64-bit mode and are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all 64-bit single core and multicore Geekbench 3 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare 64-bit Geekbench 3 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Geekbench 4 (SC):

2479

Geekbench 4 (MC):

7660

Details:

These Geekbench 4 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 4 benchmarks are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 4 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 4 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Geekbench 5 (SC):

498

Geekbench 5 (MC):

1854

Details:

These Geekbench 5 benchmarks are are for a single processor core and all processor cores, respectively. All Geekbench 5 benchmarks for the Mac are 64-bit. Both numbers reflect an average of user provided results as submitted to the Geekbench website. Higher numbers are better. You also might be interested in reviewing all single core and multicore Geekbench 5 user submissions for Macs with the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier, which may include multiple models. To dynamically compare Geekbench 5 results from different Macs side-by-side, see EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Comparison.

Processor Speed:

2.0 GHz

Processor Type:

Core i7 (I7-2635QM)

Details:

This model is powered by a "Quad-Core" 32 nm, 64-bit Intel Mobile Core i7 "Sandy Bridge" (I7-2635QM) processor which includes four independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 6 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel). This system also supports "Turbo Boost 2.0" -- which "automatically increases the speed of the active cores" to improve performance when needed (up to 2.9 GHz for this model) -- and "Hyper Threading" -- which allows the system to recognize eight total "cores" or "threads" (four real and four virtual). Also see: How fast are the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models each replaced?

Turbo Boost:

2.9 GHz

Custom Speeds:

N/A

Details:

N/A

Processor Upgrade:

Soldered

FPU:

Integrated

Details:

Also see: Can you upgrade the processor in the "Unibody" MacBook Pro?

System Bus Speed:

5 GT/s*

Cache Bus Speed:

2.0 GHz (Built-in)

Details:

*This system has a "Direct Media Interface" (DMI) that "connects between the processor and chipset" in lieu of a traditional system bus. Intel reports that it runs at 5 GT/s.

ROM/Firmware Type:

EFI

EFI Architecture:

64-Bit

Details:

N/A

L1 Cache:

32k/32k x2

L2/L3 Cache:

256k x 4, 6 MB

Details:

Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 6 MB of shared level 3 cache.

RAM Type:

PC3-10600 DDR3

Min. RAM Speed:

1333 MHz

Details:

Supports 1333 MHz PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM. Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models? How much RAM of what type do they support?

Standard RAM:

4 GB

Maximum RAM:

16 GB*

Details:

4 GB of RAM is installed as two 2 GB modules, no slots free. *Apple officially supports a maximum of 8 GB of RAM, but as first confirmed by site sponsor OWC, this model actually is capable of using up to 16 GB of RAM with two 8 GB memory modules. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells memory -- as well as other upgrades -- for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs.

Motherboard RAM:

None

RAM Slots:

2

Details:

N/A

Video Card:

Radeon HD 6490M*

VRAM Type:

GDDR5

Details:

*This system has dual graphics processors -- an AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics processor with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR5 SDRAM and Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory. The system automatically switches between graphics systems based on use (when applications use OpenGL, Core Graphics or other graphically demanding technologies, the system will use the dedicated graphics card, otherwise it will use Intel HD Graphics to conserve battery life). Also see: What type of video processor is provided by the "Unibody" MacBook Pro models? Is it upgradable? Which models have "dedicated" and "integrated" video memory?

Standard VRAM:

256 MB*

Maximum VRAM:

256 MB*

Details:

The AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics processor has 256 MB of dedicated GDDR5 memory. On the other hand, the Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor shares system memory. Apple reports that when using Intel HD Graphics, the "memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 384 MB". If the system is upgraded to 8 GB of RAM (or more), the amount of system memory used by the Intel HD Graphics 3000 is 512 MB.

Built-in Display:

15.4" Widescreen

Native Resolution:

1440x900

Details:

By default, this model has a 15.4" color widescreen LED-backlit TFT active-matrix "glossy" display with a 1440 by 900 native resolution. However, it also was available via custom configuration with a "high-resolution glossy" 1680x1050 display and a "high-resolution antiglare" 1680x1050 display for an additional US$100 and US$150, respectively. In addition to the native resolution, Apple reports that this system also supports "1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched." In the UK, site sponsor ALB Repair offers component-level logic board repair, display repair, and other repair services for this MacBook Pro. No fix, no fee! In Spain, site sponsor iRepairs provides affordable repair and data recovery services. In-person and by mail repair services include the display, battery, keyboard, motherboard, and more for this MacBook Pro. In Hong Kong, site sponsor iCertified provides well-reviewed repair services for the display, logic board, battery, water damage, and more, all with a 180-day warranty; free diagnostics and estimates; and optional pickup and delivery for this MacBook Pro.

2nd Display Support:

Dual/Mirroring

2nd Max. Resolution:

2560x1600

Details:

The maximum resolution supported on an external display is 2560x1600. Also see: Are there any adapters or "hacks" that make it possible to connect a second external display to a MacBook, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air model?

Standard Storage:

500 GB HDD

Std. Storage Speed:

5400 RPM

Details:

By custom configuration, this model could be equipped with a 500 GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive or a 750 GB 5400 RPM Serial ATA hard drive for an additional US$100 or US$150, respectively. It also could be configured with a 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB SSD for an additional US$200, US$600, or US$1200, respectively. Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive in the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models? What type of hard drive do these models support? Can one replace the hard drive with an SSD? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: SSD Compatibility Guide for All G3 & Later Macs.

Storage Dimensions:

2.5" (9.5 mm)

Storage Interface:

Serial ATA (6 Gb/s)

Details:

This model supports a single SATA III (6 Gb/s) 2.5" hard drive or SSD that is up to 9.5 mm thick.

Standard Optical:

8X DL "SuperDrive"

Standard Disk:

None

Details:

Apple reports that this slot-loading "SuperDrive" (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) has a maxium write speed of "8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW" and a maximum read speed of "8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, and DVD+RW; 24x CD". Site sponsor Other World Computing offers a "Data Doubler" mounting kit that may be of interest. It makes it simple to install a second hard drive or SSD in the optical drive bay of this MacBook Pro.

Standard Modem:

None

Standard Ethernet:

10/100/1000Base-T

Details:

N/A

Standard AirPort:

802.11a/b/g/n (450 Mbit*)

Standard Bluetooth:

2.1+EDR

Details:

AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard. *This model unofficially supports 450 Mbit/sec 802.11n Wi-Fi using MIMO. Also see: What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a?

USB Ports:

2 (2.0)

Firewire Ports:

1 (800)

Details:

Two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one 800-Mbps Firewire "800" port.

Expansion Slots:

SDXC Card Slot

Expansion Bays:

None

Details:

This model has an SDXC card slot. No expansion bays are provided. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells a wide variety of external expansion options and accessories, including docks, adapters, cables, input devices, cases, and more for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Are SD Card slot storage expansion options available for the "Unibody" MacBook Pro models? Which are compatible? Is this type of storage a good idea for these models?

Incl. Keyboard:

Full-size

Incl. Input:

Trackpad (Inertial)

Details:

Apple reports that the backlit integrated keyboard has "78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement)." The glass multi-touch trackpad supports "inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities".

Case Type:

Notebook

Form Factor:

MacBook Pro (Unibody)

Details:

By default, this MacBook Pro uses a black and silver "unibody" case design milled from a single piece of aluminum with a "catchless" magnetic latch. However, if configured with an "anti-glare" (matte) display, it has a silver border framing the display rather than a black border.

Apple Order No:

MC721LL/A

Apple Subfamily:

Early 2011 15"

Details:

The Apple order number should be unique to this system.

Apple Model No:

A1286 (EMC 2353-1*)

Model ID:

MacBookPro8,2

Details:

*Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. In this case, please also note that the EMC number is not externally listed on the notebook so it cannot be used readily for identification. Also see: All Macs with the A1286 Model Number, the 2353-1* EMC Number, and the MacBookPro8,2 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section.

Battery Type:

77.5 W h Li-Poly

Battery Life:

7 Hours

Details:

Apple reports that this model has a "77.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery" that provides "up to 7 hours of wireless web" use. Also see: What is the "real-world" battery life of the "Early 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models? How does the battery life of each compare to the model each replaced? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells quality batteries for this MacBook Pro. In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells quality batteries for this MacBook Pro.

Pre-Installed MacOS:

X 10.6.6 (10J3210)

Maximum MacOS:

X 10.13.x*

Details:

*This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion" as well as OS X 10.9 "Mavericks" with the exception of the "Power Nap" feature. It also supports the last version of OS X 10.10 "Yosemite" and OS X 10.11 "El Capitan" -- including Mac-to-Mac AirDrop and AirPlay Mirroring capability -- but other advanced features are not supported. It is capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) as well, although it does not support the Universal Clipboard, Auto Unlock, or Apple Pay features. Finally, this model is capable of running macOS High Sierra (10.13), and it supports HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), but it does not support hardware accelerated HEVC. It is not compatible with macOS Mojave (10.14) or later versions of the operating system. Additionally, please note that OS X "Lion" 10.7 and subsequent versions of OS X are not capable of running Mac OS X apps originally written for the PowerPC processor as these operating systems do not support the "Rosetta" environment. To run PowerPC applications on this Mac, it will be necessary to use Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard". Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS High Sierra (10.13)? What are the system requirements? Which Macs support HEVC?

Minimum Windows:

7 (32-Bit)*

Maximum Windows:

8.1 (64-Bit)*

Details:

*Apple's Boot Camp 4 supports the 32-bit of Windows 7 on this model. Boot Camp 5 supports the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported. Although Apple does not support Windows 10 via Boot Camp 5 (officially or otherwise), this system meets Microsoft's hardware requirements and it very well may be possible to boot Windows 10 on this Mac. If you have installed Windows 10 on this system (successfully or unsuccessfully), please share the results of your experiment. Thank you.

MacOS 9 Support:

None

Windows Support:

Boot/Virtualization

Details:

Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run Mac OS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs? For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A.

Dimensions:

0.95 x 14.35 x 9.82

Avg. Weight:

5.6 lbs (2.54 kg)

Details:

In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (2.41 cm, 36.4 cm, 24.9 cm).

Original Price (US):

US$1799

Est. Current Retail:

US$250-US$350

Details:

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

Ports

Click on a category for additional details. The most commonly needed info is "open" by default, but all info is important. The icons correspond with the icons for each port on the computer.

Expand All Details | Contract All Details

Video (Monitor):

1 (Thunderbolt)

Floppy (Ext.):

None

Details:

This model is equipped with a Thunderbolt port in place of a Mini DisplayPort. It is backwards-compatible with Mini DisplayPort-equipped displays as well as adapters that are compatible with Mini DisplayPort (DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI and HDMI). It also can support other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard, which provides a maximum theoretical 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.

ADB:

None

SCSI:

None

Details:

N/A

Serial (Standard):

None

Serial (Geoport):

None

Details:

N/A

USB:

2 (2.0)

Firewire:

1 (800)

Details:

Two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports, one 800-Mbps Firewire "800" port.

Modem:

None

Ethernet:

1 (RJ-45)

Details:

No internal modem. Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme (802.11g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard.

S-Video Input:

None

S-Video Output:

None

Details:

N/A

Microphone:

1 (Internal)

Sound In:

1

Details:

Internal omnidirectional microphone. Independent audio line in minijack (digital/analog) and audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog).

Sound Out:

1

Headphone:

1

Details:

Has an independent audio line in minijack (digital/analog) and audio line out/headphone minijack (digital/analog).

Security (Lock):

1

Joystick (PC):

None

Details:

N/A

Power:

N/A

Power Adapter:

1

Details:

100V-240V AC, 85W "MagSafe" power adapter. Also see: What is the "Magsafe" power connector? How does it work? How was it designed to not cause data loss?

Global Original Prices

Global original prices for the MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.0 15" Early 2011 in 34 different countries and territories follow; organized alphabetically by region.

For global original prices for Intel Macs in one particular country on a single page, please refer to EveryMac.com's Global Original Prices section.

Original Prices - North & South America

Canada:

C$1849

Brazil:

R$6.699

Mexico:

MXN $26,999

United States:

US$1799

Original Prices - Europe

Austria:

€1749

Belgium:

€1799

Denmark:

DKK 13,799

Finland:

€1799

France:

€1749

Germany:

€1749

Ireland:

€1799

Italy:

€1749

Luxembourg:

€1709,80

Netherlands:

€1749

Norway:

NOK 14.990

Portugal:

€1799

Spain:

€1749

Sweden:

SEK 16.495

Switzerland:

CHF 2'099

United Kingdom:

£1549

Original Prices - Asia

China:

RMB 13,998

Hong Kong:

HK$13,788

India:

Rs 104,900

Indonesia:

Rp 17,999,000

Japan:

¥158,800

Korea:

KRW 2,290,000

Malaysia:

RM 5,499

The Philippines:

PHP 91,990

Singapore:

S$2,488

Taiwan:

NT$57,900

Thailand:

THB 59,900

Vietnam:

VND 43,999,000

Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand

Australia:

A$2099

New Zealand:

NZ$2999

If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.

Popular Q&As

Ten of the most popular Q&As about the MacBook Pro models follow.

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