Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch 'Core i5' 2.5 Mid-2012 Specs
Identifiers: Mid-2012 13' - MD101LL/A* - MacBookPro9,2 - A1278 - 2554*
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The MacBook Pro 'Core i5' 2.5 13-Inch (Mid-2012/USB 3.0) features a 22 nm 'Ivy Bridge' 2.5 GHz Intel 'Core i5' processor (3210M), with two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip, a 3 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM (PC3-12800) installed in pairs (two 2 GB modules), a 500 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, an 8X DL 'SuperDrive', an 'integrated' Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor that shares system memory, an integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam, and an LED-backlit 13.3' widescreen TFT active-matrix 'glossy' display (1280x800 native resolution).
Connectivity includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet, a Firewire '800' port, two USB 3.0 ports, a 'Thunderbolt' port, audio in/out, and an SDXC card slot.
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 essentially is identical externally with the exception of the aforementioned USB 3.0 ports. Internally, however, it has a faster processor, architecture, graphics, and RAM.
Also see:
MacOS Catalina (version 10.15) is the sixteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.' S desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. It is the successor to macOS Mojave and was announced at WWDC 2019 on June 3, 2019 and released to the public on October 7, 2019. Catalina on (1) 2011 MacBook Air 13″, buttery smoothly. Only 4GB’s but works buttery smoothly. Catalina on (1) 2008 iMac 24″, internet, mail photo’s, and all default apps work fine, but only 4GB ram so it can be a tad slow. 8GB’s might be better. Catalina on (1) Late 2012 iMac 27″, buttery smoothly (officially supported machine). Officially, the earliest Macintosh models that support Windows 8 are the mid-2011 MacBook Air, 13-inch-mid-2011 or 15 and 17-inch-mid-2010 MacBook Pro, mid-2011 Mac Mini, 21-inch-mid-2011 or 27-inch-mid-2010 iMac, and early 2009 Mac Pro.
- What are the differences between the 'Mid-2012' 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pro models?
- What are the differences between the 'Mid-2012' MacBook Pro models and the 'Late 2011' MacBook Pro models that they replaced?
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- Tech Specs
- Ports
- Global Original Prices
- Popular Q&As
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.
| Introduction Date: | June 11, 2012 | Discontinued Date: | October 27, 2016 |
| 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. *As first noted by AppleInsider, Apple started removing this model from retail store displays on June 20, 2016. It was discontinued entirely on October 27, 2016. Also see: All Macs introduced in 2012. |
| Details: | Also see: All models with a 64-Bit processor courtesy of EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Sort. |
| 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 MacBookPro9,2 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. |
| 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 MacBookPro9,2 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. |
| 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 MacBookPro9,2 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. |
| 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 MacBookPro9,2 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. |
| 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 MacBookPro9,2 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: | 2.5 GHz | Processor Type: | Core i5 (I5-3210M) |
| Details: | This model is powered by a 22 nm, 64-bit Intel Mobile Core i5 'Ivy Bridge' (I5-3210M) processor which includes two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 3 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 3.1 GHz for this model) -- and 'Hyper Threading' -- which allows the system to recognize four total 'cores' or 'threads' (two real and two virtual). Also see: How fast are the 'Mid-2012' 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models each replaced? |
| Details: | *Starting on October 22, 2013, Apple added a 2.9 GHz Core i7 'Ivy Bridge' (I7-3520M) processor option to this model (which previously was the standard MD102LL/A configuration). This custom processor includes two independent processor 'cores' on a single silicon chip. Each core has a dedicated 256k level 2 cache, shares 4 MB of level 3 cache, and has an integrated memory controller (dual channel). It also supports 'Turbo Boost 2.0' -- which 'automatically increases the speed of the active cores' to improve performance when needed (up to 3.6 GHz for this processor) -- and 'Hyper Threading' -- which allows the system to recognize four 'virtual cores' or 'threads.' |
| Details: | Also see: Can you upgrade the processor in the 'Unibody' MacBook Pro models? |
| System Bus Speed: | 5 GT/s* | Cache Bus Speed: | 2.5 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. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Each core has its own dedicated 256k level 2 cache and the system has 3 MB of shared level 3 cache. |
| Details: | Supports 1600 MHz PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM SO-DIMMs (204-pin). Also see: How do you upgrade the RAM in the 'Mid-2012' 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pro models? How much RAM of what type do they support? |
| 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 third-parties have determined that 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 Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Germany, site sponsor CompuRAM sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit sells memory and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. Also see: Actual Max RAM of All G3 & Later Macs. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | This model has an Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor that shares memory with the system. 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? |
| Details: | *Apple and Intel do not report the minimum memory usage for the Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics processor. However, with 4 GB of RAM installed, the graphics processor uses 512 MB of RAM for video function. With 8 GB of RAM, 768 MB is reserved for video function and with 16 GB of RAM, 1 GB is reserved for video function. |
Is Macbook Pro 2011 Compatible With Catalina
| Built-in Display: | 13.3' Widescreen | Native Resolution: | 1280x800 |
| Details: | 13.3' color widescreen LED-backlit TFT active-matrix 'glossy' display with a 1280 by 800 native resolution. Apple reports that this system also supports '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 Germany, site sponsor Conodi provides high quality Mac and PC repair services as well as remote home office setup and troubleshooting. In-person and mail order repair services include the display, motherboard, water damage and more for this MacBook Pro. 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 Singapore, site sponsor Esmond Service Centre provides highly regarded repairs for the display, motherboard, battery, water damage issues, and more, all with a free estimate and fast turnaround 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 can be equipped with a 750 GB Serial ATA hard drive for an additional US$100. It also can be configured with a 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB SSD for an additional US$200, US$500, or US$1000, respectively. Also see: How do you upgrade the hard drive or SSD in the 'Mid-2012' 13-Inch and 15-Inch MacBook Pro models? What type of storage do these models support? In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx sells storage upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Canada, site sponsor CanadaRAM sells SSDs and other upgrades for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit 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 |
| Standard AirPort: | 802.11a/b/g/n (450 Mbit*) | Standard Bluetooth: | 4.0 |
| Details: | AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 4.0 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? |
| Details: | Two USB 3.0 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one Firewire '800' (up to 800 Mbps) port. |
| 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.. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit offers an extensive selection of external expansion options and accessories like docks, stands, chargers, cases, security products, 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'. |
| Details: | This MacBook Pro uses a black and silver 'unibody' case design milled from a single piece of aluminum with a 'catchless' magnetic latch. |
| Apple Order No: | MD101LL/A* | Apple Subfamily: | Mid-2012 13' |
| Details: | *The Apple order number should be unique to this system. This model also was sold to the education market in five packs. This educational option was assigned order number MD509LL/A. |
| Apple Model No: | A1278 (EMC 2554*) | Model ID: | MacBookPro9,2 |
| 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 A1278 Model Number, the 2554* EMC Number, and the MacBookPro9,2 Model Identifier. For more about these identifiers and how to locate them on each Mac, please refer to EveryMac.com's Mac Identification section. |
| Details: | Apple reports that this model has a '63.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery' that provides 'up to 7 hours of wireless web' use. In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells quality batteries for this MacBook Pro. In the UK, site sponsor Flexx is a local distributor of OWC batteries for this MacBook Pro. In Australia, site sponsor Macfixit is a local distributor of OWC batteries for this MacBook Pro. |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: | X 10.7.3 (11D2515) | Maximum MacOS: | X 10.15.x* |
| Details: | *This system fully supports the last version of OS X 10.8 'Mountain Lion.' OS X 10.9 'Mavericks', and OS X 10.10 'Yosemite' as well as OS X 10.11 'El Capitan' with the exception of the 'Power Nap' feature. It is capable of running macOS Sierra (10.12) as well, although it does not support the Auto Unlock feature. 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. This model is compatible with the final version of macOS Mojave (10.14) and the final version of macOS Catalina (10.15), as well. It does not support macOS Big Sur (macOS 11) or later versions of the macOS. Also see: Which Macs are compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15)? What are the system requirements? What are the major new features? Has anything been removed from previous versions of the macOS? |
| Minimum Windows: | 7 (32-Bit)* | Maximum Windows: | 10 (64-Bit)* |
| Details: | *Apple's Boot Camp 4 supports the 32-bit of Windows 7, Boot Camp 5 supports the 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8, and Boot Camp 6 supports the 64-bit version of Windows 10. Earlier versions of Windows are not supported. |
| 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? Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9 applications. For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
Install Catalina On 2011 Macbook Pro
| Dimensions: | 0.95 x 12.78 x 8.94 | Avg. Weight: | 4.5 lbs (2.06 kg) |
| Details: | In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (2.41 cm, 32.5 cm, 22.7 cm). |
| Original Price (US): | US$1199* | Est. Current Retail: | US$350-US$500 |
| Details: | *On July 29, 2014, Apple lowered the price to US$1099. Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated). Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. |
Macbook Pro 2011 Install Catalina Installer
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.
| Video (Monitor): | 1 (Thunderbolt) | Floppy (Ext.): | None |
| Details: | Thunderbolt 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. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Two USB 3.0 ports (up to 5 Gbps), one Firewire '800' (up to 800 Mbps) port. |
| Details: | No internal modem. Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Bluetooth 4.0 standard. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | Internal omnidirectional microphone. Has a single 'audio in/out' port. |
| Details: | Has a single 'audio in/out' port. |
| Details: | N/A |
| Details: | 100V-240V AC, 60W '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 for the MacBook Pro 13-Inch 'Core i5' 2.5 Mid-2012 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
| Mexico: | MXN $20,999 | United States: | US$1199* |
Original Prices - Europe
| Denmark: | DKK 9,699 | Finland: | ¤1299 |
| Ireland: | ¤1299 | Italy: | ¤1279 |
| Norway: | NOK 9.990 | Portugal: | ¤1299 |
| Switzerland: | CHF 1'349 | United Kingdom: | £999 |
Original Prices - Asia
| India: | Rs 81,900 | Indonesia: | Rp 11,999,000 |
| Malaysia: | RM 3,699 | The Philippines: | PHP 57,990 |
| Thailand: | THB 39,900 | Vietnam: | VND 27,499,000 |
Original Prices - Australia & New Zealand
If you have additional original prices for this model, please get in touch. Thank you.
Ten of the most popular Q&As about the MacBook Pro 13-Inch models follow.
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