What are all the differences between the “Mid-2014” Retina Display MacBook Pro models and the “Late 2013” models replaced?

Before reading, it is important to take note that all the models mentioned in this Q&A are discontinued already. However, we updated this section to make sure that it is helpful to anyone who plans to buy or sell one of their models in the used or secondhand market.

On a glimpse, the “Late 2013” and “Mid 2014” Retina Display MacBook Pro versions are almost identical. They look the same. There is a little internal difference to take note of. As a matter of fact, some of their lines even share the same identifiers. This is why it is so easy to make mistakes on them. This is when model identifiers are useful.

Technically, the MacBook Pro “Core i5” 2.6 13”, “Core i7” 3.0 13”, “Core i5” 2.8 13”, “Core i7” 2.2 15” (IG), “Core i7” 2.8 15” (IG), “Core i7” 2.5 15” (IG), “Core i7” 2.8 15” (DG), and “Core i7” 2.5 15” are all part of the “Mid 2014” systems. 

Among the units in the “Late 2013” models is the MacBook Pro “Core i5” 2.4 13”, “Core i7” 2.0 15” (IG), “Core i5” 2.6 13”, “Core i7” 2.8 13” “Core i7” 2.3 15” (DG), and “Core i7” 2.6 15” (DG) respectively. 

Since these lines have very little difference, it is helpful to take note of them in choosing. They also come with unique identifiers, which are crucial for reference. For this to be easier, we have consolidated the important details you might need in deciding.

External Similarities & Differences

The majority of these Retina Display MacBook Pro models have the same essentially “sealed” aluminum and glass cases that have a uniform thickness. The dimension of 15-Inch lines is 0.71 inches thick, 9.73 inches deep, and 4.46 heavy, or 2.02 kilogram.

The earlier lines of 13-Inch models are a little thicker; however, the “Late 2013” and “Mid 2014” share the same dimensions. They are 0.71 inches thick, 12.35 inches wide, and as well as 8.62 inches deep. They also weigh 3.46 pounds or 1.57 kilograms.

Besides their respective specifications, these notebooks feature a high-resolution LED-backlit widescreen “Retina” display that makes viewing more accurate and precise. For instance, the 13-Inch versions have a 13.3” 2560×1600 or 227 ppi widescreen. The 15-Inch lines, on the other hand, feature the 15.4” 2880×1800 or 220 widescreens. As a part of their default settings, both these 13-Inch and 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro versions operate at 1280×800 and 1440×900. Their more detailed visuals are brought by the “pixel doubled” technology they use which can provide four times the detail than the traditional monitors available in the market.

Every model uses a full-size “chiclet-style” backlit keyboard. This is a flatter and more efficient design as compared to the conventional one. It also has a glass, “no button” trackpad, which allows “inertial scrolling” support. The specialized surface of this technology enables finger detection. Furthermore, the units in these years have integrated stereo speakers, dual microphones, and a reliable integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam.

Connectivity Differences (or Lack Thereof)

The connectivity of the “Late 2013” and “Mid 2014” MacBook Pro models is almost the same.

For instance, both of these lines feature two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, two “Thunderbolt 2” ports, an SDXC card slot, an audio port, an 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and as well as a “MagSafe 2” power connector port.

There are also Thunderbolt-to-Gigabit Ethernet and Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 adapters that connect a unit to a high-performance network. If you prefer any of these, you would have to pay an extra cost during your initial purchase.

Identification Differences

The Model Numbers of both the “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” MacBook Pro models are identical. The 13-Inch lines have the model number A1502, while the 15-Inch versions have the A1398 model number.

Most of the time, Model Identifiers are found in the software of these notebooks. For instance, the 13-Inch models include the MacBookPro11,1, and the 15-Inch versions have the MacBookPro11,2 and MacBookPro11,3, which may further depend on the graphics processor preferred – the single integrated or the dual graphics.

For more unique identification, knowing how to interpret the EMC Numbers always work. For your convenience, we have documented every piece of information you can find useful.

Here at Techable, it is simpler to identify every Retina Display MacBook Pro model through its serial numbers. We have a feature that’s going to make the job easier for sure.

Internal Differences

When it comes to their internal configuration, the “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” MacBook Pro models are almost the same. As a matter of fact, their notebooks share the same display size as well, and they only differ in internal processors and the pre-installed default memory on some other models.

These lines have the “Haswell” architecture. This processor is known for being less power hungry. It has an improved performance that is energy efficient too. It smoothly supports video transcoding, encryption, decryption, and other sorts of integrated capabilities too. Besides this, these units also have 1600 MHZ DDR3L SDRAM memory that is attached to their motherboard. They are not upgradeable even after the initial system purchase. Furthermore, they have a proprietary “blade” SSD running on a PCIe 2.0 x2 interface. And their batteries are also glued in one place, so it would be very difficult to replace them when broken.

Many of the 13-Inch models feature dual-core processors and a single “integrated” Intel Iris 5100 graphics process that also uses the same system memory from the units.

The 15-Inch models utilize quad-core processors; however, entry-level models only have a single integrated graphics processor which is the Iris Pro 5200. This has lower thermal requirements that give way to more reliable cooling solutions. The units also have a 128 MB of “Crystalwell” embedded DRAM on their CPU package that could provide more memory bandwidth. As for the higher-end lines of the 15-Inch models, they utilize an NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M graphics processor with dedicated GDDR5 memory, which is a strong addition to the Iris Pro 5200 graphics processor.

The batteries attached in both the “Late 2013” and “Mid 2014” lines power the same amount of battery life which is 9 hours and 8 hours for the lines that feature 13-Inch and 15-Inch displays.

Comparison Charts

To further understand, we have listed down the major differences between the 13-Inch and 15-Inch “Late 2013” and “Mid 2014” Retina Display MacBook Pro versions. We have summarized them below. If you want a more detailed representation of these lines, you can refer to our specification pages to know more about the models featured.

13-Inch “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” MacBook Pro Differences

The 13-Inch models are only different in processors, standard RAM, and some identifiers.

† RAM means it can be upgraded only after the initial purchase. This is when the RAM is soldered in just a single and definite place.

15-Inch “Late 2013” & “Mid-2014” MacBook Pro Differences

To distinguish their differences, it is worth noting that 15-Inch models only vary in the standard RAM in entry-level configurations, processors, identifiers, and pricing. Consider the following:

† RAM is usually upgradeable.

*Refers to the entry-level versions of the “Late 2013” and “Mid-2014” configurations that feature a single Iris Pro 5200 graphics processor. This is known for its improved performance as compared to other counterparts. The unit also has a 128 MB “Crystalwell” embedded DRAM found on the CPU package. However, these systems do not use a dedicated GDDR5 VRAM.

Summary of Comparison

It is easy to conclude that the “Mid-2014” MacBook Pro versions only flaunt very few improvements as compared to many of their predecessors. They offer slightly faster performance, and there are configurations that also provide more default RAM. Other than these inclusions, there is really nothing new to look forward to.

Hence, these improvements are welcoming. They are just not too good looking; most of them just do not have too much RAM either as compared to the previous “Late 2013” versions, which still maintain their value. As a matter of fact, they are still worth considering ever since the “Mid-2014” lines were launched.

Regardless, both of these lines are found at a discount on the second hand and used market.