Home » Laptops » Apple » 15” MacBook Pro » MacBook Pro 15” (2017) » vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) vs. MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015): Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for MacBook Pro 15” (2017) and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 15” (2017) See at Amazon	Compare With Please enter device name or part of it MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) See at Amazon

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” (2017) is better than MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

2017 vs. 2015

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) supports a faster memory speed than the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015). It supports up to 2133MHz versus 1600MHz of system memory on the MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Memory type and speed

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - LPDDR3

2,133 MHz

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - DDR3L

1,600 MHz

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) weighed 4.02 pounds, 11% lighter than the 4.49 pounds MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Weight	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Pound	4.02 lbs.	4.49 lbs.
Kilogram	1.82 kg	2.04 kg

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Pros

Reasons that MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) is better than MacBook Pro 15” (2017).

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

Slots	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
M.2	Onboard	Yes x1

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between MacBook Pro 15” (2017) and MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015).

Both laptops has a similar multi-core CPU performance score.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7820HQ

3,573

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7920HQ

3,410

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4980HQ

3,315

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) - Intel Core i7-7700HQ

3,208

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4870HQ

3,188

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) - Intel Core i7-4770HQ

3,057

Both laptops supports up to 16GB of system memory.

Max system memory size

MacBook Pro 15” (2017)

16 GB

MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

16 GB

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

MacBook Pro 15” (2017) Price
	2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage) Space Gray (Renewed) By Apple $499.00 $549.00 9% OFF	See at Amazon
	2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 3.1GHz Intel Core i7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) Space Gray (Renewed) By Apple $469.95	See at Amazon
	Mid 2017 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 (15.4 inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB) Space Gray (Renewed) By Apple $400.50 $449.95 11% OFF	See at Amazon
MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015) Price
	Mid 2015 Apple MacBook Pro with 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4870HQ (15 inches, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Silver (Renewed) By Apple $395.00 $420.24 6% OFF	See at Amazon
	2015 Apple MacBook Pro with intel I7 (15-inch, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)- Silver (Renewed) By Apple $342.30	See at Amazon
	Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.8GHz Retina (MGXG2LL/A), 16GB RAM, 512GB Solid State Drive (Renewed) By Apple $399.00	See at Amazon

Availability	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Released	2017	2015
Release Date	Announced on June 5th, 2018	Announced on March 9th, 2015 Available on March 9th, 2015
Pricing	$2,399 Intel Core i7 7700HQ \| 16GB RAM \| 256GB SSD \| Radeon Pro 555 $2,799 Intel Core i7 7820HQ \| 16GB RAM \| 512GB SSD \| Radeon Pro 560	$1,999 Intel Core i7 4770HQ\| 16GB RAM \| 256GB SSD $2,499 Intel Core i7 4870HQ \| 16GB RAM \| 512GB SSD
Generations	MacBook Pro 15” (2019) MacBook Pro 15” (2018) MacBook Pro 15” (2017) MacBook Pro 15” (2016) MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)	MacBook Pro 15” (2019) MacBook Pro 15” (2018) MacBook Pro 15” (2017) MacBook Pro 15” (2016) MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)

Exterior	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Dimensions	13.75” x 9.48” x 0.61” (349.3 mm x 240.7 mm x 155 mm)	14.13” x 9.73” x 0.71” (358.9 mm x 247.1 mm x 18 mm)
Weight	Starting at 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)	Starting at 4.49 lb (2.04 kg)
Colors	Space Gray Silver	Silver
Keyboard and Trackpad	Backlit Magic Keyboard with: 64 (U.S.) or 65 (ISO) keys including 4 arrow keys Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor Ambient light sensor Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures	Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement) with ambient light sensor Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size	15.4 Inches	15.4 Inches
Info	Retina display 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors Supported scaled resolutions: 1920 by 1200 1680 by 1050 1280 by 800 1024 by 640 500 nits brightness Wide color (P3)	Retina display 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors Supported scaled resolutions: 1920 by 1200 1680 by 1050 1280 by 800 1024 by 640 300 nits brightness Standard color gamut (sRGB) 900:1 contrast ratio

Ports	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Left (2) 2 x Thunderbolt 3 40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport Right (3) 1 x headphone jack Headphone/Microphone 2 x Thunderbolt 3 40 Gpbs, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Charging, Displayport	2 x Thunderbolt 2 ports Supports data transfers up to 20 Gbps. 2 x USB 3.0 ports Supports data transfers up to 5 Gbps. 1 x HDMI port 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack 1 x SDXC card reader 1 x MagSafe 2 power port

Internal Specs	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Processor	7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 3.80 GHz, 6MB Cache, 45W 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7820HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.90 → 3.90 GHz, 8 MB Cache, 45W 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7920HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 3.10 → 4.10 GHz, 8 MB Cache, 45W	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 5 MB Cache, 47W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.50 → 3.70 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz, 6 MB Cache, 47W
Integrated Graphics	7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ Intel® HD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7820HQ Intel® HD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz 7th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-7920HQ Intel® HD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz	4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4770HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4870HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1200 MHz 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-4980HQ Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz
Memory	16GB of 2133MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory	16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory
Discrete Graphics	AMD Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory AMD Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB of GDDR5 memory	AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Storage	256GB 512GB configurable to 1TB or 2TB SSD	256GB 512GB configurable to 1TB SSD

Connectivity	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Wi-Fi	802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible	802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology	Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology

Battery	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Size	76 Wh lithium‑polymer battery	99.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours wireless web Up to 10 hours Apple TV app movie playback Up to 30 days of standby time	Up to 9 hours of wireless web Up to 9 hours of iTunes movie playback Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply	87W USB‑C Power Adapter	85W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter With cable management system; MagSafe 2 power port.

Software	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
OS	Shipped with macOS Sierra	Shipped with OS X Yosemite
Built-in Apps	Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps News Stocks Home Voice Memos Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview Music Podcasts TV Books App Store Time Machine Find My QuickTime Player	Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Siri Safari Mail FaceTime Messages Maps Notes Calendar Contacts Reminders Photo Booth Preview iTunes iBooks App Store Time Machine

Camera & Audio	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Camera	720p FaceTime HD camera	720p FaceTime HD camera
Audio	Stereo speakers with high dynamic range Three microphones 3.5mm headphone jack	Stereo speakers Dual microphones 3.5 mm headphone jack Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone Support for audio line out (digital/analog)

Misc	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
Sensors	Touch ID sensor	Ambient light sensor
Security	Touch ID sensor Apple T1 Chip	-
In the box	15‑inch MacBook Pro 87W USB‑C Power Adapter USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)	15‑inch MacBook Pro MagSafe 2 Power Adapter Power cord AC wall plug
Warranty	Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of complimentary technical support and a one‑year limited warranty. Purchase AppleCare+ for Mac to extend your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and add up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other repairable damage, plus applicable tax.	Your MacBook Pro with Retina display comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple‑authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2775.
More	Video Support Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and: Up to two displays with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors Up to four displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors Up to four displays with 3840-by-2160 resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors Thunderbolt 3 digital video output Native DisplayPort output over USB‑C VGA, HDMI, and Thunderbolt 2 output supported using adapters (sold separately)	Video Support Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels on up to two external displays, both at millions of colors Thunderbolt digital video output Native Mini DisplayPort output DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output supported using Mini DisplayPort adapters (sold separately) HDMI video output Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz

Key Features	MacBook Pro 15” (2017)	MacBook Pro 15” Retina (2015)
At Glance	Released in Mid 2017 16:10 Retina 15.4” 1800p 60Hz Weight 4.02 lb 1.82 kg Up to Intel Core i7-7920HQ 4C/8T, 3.10 → 4.10 GHz Geekbench 5 894 Single Core Geekbench 5 3,410 Multi-Core With integrated Intel® HD Graphics 630 24 Execution Units, 350 → 1100 MHz 16GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 AMD Radeon Pro 560 4GB GDDR5	Released in Early 2015 16:10 Retina 15.4” 1800p 60Hz Weight 4.49 lb 2.04 kg Up to Intel Core i7-4980HQ 4C/8T, 2.80 → 4.00 GHz Geekbench 5 928 Single Core Geekbench 5 3,315 Multi-Core With integrated Intel® Iris® Pro Graphics 5200 40 Execution Units, 200 → 1300 MHz 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3L AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2GB GDDR5