MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)

Essentials

Family: MacBook Pro

Codename: ?

Gestalt ID: 406

Minimum OS: 10.6.6

Maximum OS: 10.10.4

Introduced: February 2011

Terminated: October 2011

Processor

CPU: Intel Core i7 Mobile ("Sandy Bridge")

CPU Speed: 2.0/2.2 GHz (2.3 GHz BTO)

CPU Cores: 4

FPU: integrated

Bus Speed: 5 GT/s (DMI)

Data Bus Width: 64-bit

Address Bus Width: 64-bit

Level 1 Cache: 32 kB data, 32 kB instruction

Level 2 Cache: 256 kB per-core (1 MB total)

Level 3 Cache: 6 MB on-processor

ROM: EFI

RAM Type: PC3-10600 SO-DIMM

Minimum RAM Speed: 1333 MHz

Onboard RAM: 0 MB

RAM slots: 2

Maximum RAM: 8 GB

Expansion Slots: SDXC card

Video

Screen: 15.4" LED-backlit TFT

GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6490M/6750M, Intel HD Graphics 3000

VRAM: 256 MB/1 GB GDDR, 384 MB shared (see not

Max Resolution: 1440x900

Video Out: via Thunderbolt

Camera: 720p FaceTime HD

Storage

Hard Drive: 500/750 GB 5400 RPM

ATA Bus: Serial-ATA

Optical Drive: 24x/24x/10x/8x/8x/4x/4x CD-RW/DVD±RW/DVD±R DL

Input/Output

USB: 2 2.0

Firewire800: 1

Thunderbolt: 1

Audio Out: stereo 24 bit mini, Optical S/PDIF, HDMI via Thunderbolt

Audio In: stereo 24 bit mini, Optical S/PDIF

Speaker: stereo

Microphone: mono

Networking

Ethernet: 10/100/1000BaseT

Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n

Bluetooth: 2.1+EDR

Miscellaneous

Power: 85 Watts

Battery Life: 7 hours

Dimensions: 0.95" H x 14.35" W x 9.82" D

Weight: 5.5 lbs.

Notes

The MacBook Pro's second graphics chipset used a portion of main memory as VRAM. Though reported as a 384 MB graphics system, this was actually a minimum. Actual usage varied with graphics load, resulting in slightly less RAM available for system use.

Introduced in February 2011, the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) was based on Intel's next-generation "Sandy Bridge" architecture, and improved on its predecessor, the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) with faster processors and graphics, and the inclusion of Apple's new Thunderbolt port. It shipped in two configurations:

2.0 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 500 GB hard disk, 4 GB of RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6490M with 256MB of VRAM, $1799
2.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 750 GB hard disk, 4 GB of RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of VRAM, $2199

Build-to-order options included a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with 8MB shared L3 cache, a 1680x1050 glossy or anti-glare display, up to 8 GB of RAM, 500 or 750 GB hard disks, and 128, 256, or 512 GB SSDs. The MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) was replaced only eight months later by the MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011).

Picture Credits:
Apple, Inc.