Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" GSRF MR942LL/A 2018, Core i7, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 560X, Space Gray
The 6-core Intel Core i7 and Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB VRAM provide solid performance for its era, complemented by a 500-nit P3 wide color Retina display with True Tone. The inclusion of a versatile Touch Bar, Touch ID, and four Thunderbolt 3 ports offers a productive macOS experience in a 1.82kg chassis. This refurbished model is best for students or business users needing a reliable 15-inch MacBook for general productivity and media consumption, not GPU-intensive modern workloads.
Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
A port-rich relic with a killer screen, but the Intel CPU is showing its age. Grab it cheap or skip it entirely.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Port selection is best-in-class, 4x USB-C, 4x USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, you name it 100th
- That 500-nit P3 display still looks fantastic 98th
- Build quality is classic MacBook Pro, solid and premium 92nd
- Reliability scores near the top of our database 77th
Cons
- 8th-gen Intel CPU is ancient by modern standards
- AI and LLM performance is one of the worst we've seen
- Battery life claims of 10 hours are optimistic for a 6-year-old refurb
- 512GB storage is cramped for a pro machine
What owners think
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 34 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
The Radeon Pro 560X with 4GB of VRAM is the surprise here. It's not going to win any gaming awards, but for light video editing or driving that 2880x1800 display, it holds up better than we expected. The 6-core i7 turbos to 4.3GHz, which sounds impressive until you realize a base M1 MacBook Air beats it in most real-world tasks while sipping power. The 512GB SSD is fast, but 16GB of RAM is the bare minimum in 2025.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core i7 |
| Cores | 6 |
| Frequency | 2.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 9 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | AMD Radeon Pro 560X |
| Type | Discrete |
| VRAM | 4 GB |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 16 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD |
Display
| Size | 15.4" |
| Resolution | 2880x1800 |
| Panel | IPS |
| Brightness | 500 nits |
| Color Gamut | P3 wide color |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 4 |
| USB Ports | 4 |
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt 3 |
| HDMI | 1 x HDMI |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Ethernet | 10/100/1000 |
Physical
| Weight | 1.8 kg / 4.0 lbs |
| OS | macOS |
vs Competition
Against the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition or HP OmniBook X Flip, this MacBook Pro loses on CPU performance, battery life, and AI capabilities. Those Snapdragon X machines run circles around the Intel chip. But the MacBook wins on port selection and that beautiful display. The Lenovo Slim 7 and ASUS Vivobook Pro 15 offer better modern performance at similar prices, but you're giving up macOS and that Apple build quality. It's a trade-off between ecosystem and raw speed.
| Spec | Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" GSRF MR942LL/A | Lenovo Legion 5i 83F00008US | ASUS ProArt PX13 | HP OmniBook X Flip | MSI Creator A13V | Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP944XHA-KG2US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7 | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 | AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 | Intel Core i7 13620H | Intel Core Ultra 7 256V |
| RAM (GB) | 16 | 32 | 32 | 24 | 32 | 16 |
| Storage (GB) | 512 | 1024 | 512 | 1024 | 2048 | 512 |
| Screen | 15.4" 2880x1800 | 15.1" 2560x1600 | 13.3" 2880x1800 | 14" 1920x1200 | 14" 2880x1800 | 14" 2880x1800 |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Pro 560X | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 | AMD Radeon Graphics | AMD Radeon 860M | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 | Intel Arc Graphics |
| OS | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro |
| Weight (kg) | 1.8 | 2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
| Battery (Wh) | - | 80 | 73 | 59 | 54 | 63 |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | CPU | GPU | RAM | Ports | Screen | Portability | Storage | Reliability | Social Proof | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" GSRF MR942LL/A | 34.5 | 59.3 | 25.6 | 99.9 | 91.6 | 52.3 | 35.8 | 98.1 | 73.8 | 76.8 |
| Lenovo Legion 5i 83F00008US Compare | 94.6 | 87.5 | 86.4 | 97.3 | 94.4 | 56.4 | 79.3 | 81.8 | 89.3 | 27.3 |
| ASUS ProArt PX13 Compare | 87.8 | 90.8 | 90.9 | 71.3 | 95.4 | 93 | 51 | 60.4 | 96 | 18 |
| HP OmniBook X Flip Compare | 80.3 | 63.7 | 82.3 | 77.4 | 74 | 79.4 | 65.2 | 33.4 | 97.3 | 43.4 |
| MSI Creator A13V Compare | 75 | 90 | 83.9 | 68 | 89.7 | 73 | 93.9 | 60.4 | 64.4 | 28.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro NP944XHA-KG2US Compare | 68.7 | 68.8 | 50 | 83.3 | 91.6 | 89.4 | 51 | 81.8 | 98.4 | 37.9 |
Price
Value & Pricing
Pricing is all over the place, from $420 to $2,300 across US listings. At $420, this is a steal for the screen and ports alone. At $2,300, you're getting robbed. The CAD listing at $600 is also reasonable. If you can snag one under $600, it's a decent deal for a secondary machine or a student who needs ports. Anything over $800 and you should be looking at an M1 MacBook Air instead.
Amazon 1 offer From CA$600
Price History
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Overview
This is a 2018-era MacBook Pro trying to hang with 2025 laptops, and honestly, it's a mixed bag. The one thing to know is that you're buying ports and build quality, not raw speed. That 8th-gen Intel Core i7 was fine back then, but it gets smoked by even mid-range Apple Silicon or modern Ryzen chips today. Still, the screen is gorgeous, the chassis is solid, and the port selection is absolutely ridiculous for a MacBook.
Common Questions
Q: Can this MacBook Pro run modern creative apps?
Light Photoshop and 1080p video editing are fine, but don't expect smooth 4K timelines or heavy 3D work. The Radeon Pro 560X helps, but the CPU is the bottleneck.
Q: Is the battery life still good on a refurbished unit?
Apple claimed up to 10 hours when new, but a 6-year-old battery won't hit that. Expect 5-7 hours of light use at best, and budget for a battery replacement if you buy one.
Q: Is this good for AI or machine learning work?
No. This scored near the bottom of our AI benchmarks. If you need local LLM performance, get something with Apple Silicon or a modern Ryzen chip.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for a fast, future-proof laptop, this isn't it. Go get an M1 MacBook Air or a Snapdragon X Windows laptop instead. You'll get better performance, longer battery life, and actual AI capabilities for not much more money.
Verdict
Buy this only if you need macOS, love ports, and find it under $600. It's a reliable workhorse for basic tasks, browsing, and light creative work. But if you're doing anything CPU-intensive or care about battery life, this isn't the MacBook you're looking for. An M1 MacBook Air is faster, lighter, and lasts way longer on a charge.
Usage Scores
- Overall67.2
- AI/LLM34
- Gaming66.1
- Portability68.4
- Creator64.6
- Student89.8
- Business72
- Developer62.5
- Entertainment74.7