Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" Refurbished Excellent Specs Gray 2020

The Apple MacBook Pro Refurbished Excellent is a 13.3-inch Intel MacBook Pro selling for around $399 USD. It's a great value for basic tasks like email and web browsing, with solid build quality and 16GB of RAM. But the aging Intel chip and weak integrated graphics mean it's not for gamers or power users.

The Intel Core i7 here is a 4-core, 2.3GHz chip from the 10th generation. In our database, that puts it at the 69th percentile for CPU performance among all laptops. That's not bad, but it's not going to blow anyone away. For everyday tasks like email, web browsing, and light productivity, it's perfectly fine. The 16GB of RAM helps keep things smooth when you have a bunch of tabs open, even if the RAM itself ranks at the 37th percentile compared to newer machines.

The Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics are the weak link. This thing scores an 8.9 out of 100 for gaming, which is about as close to zero as you can get without being a Chromebook. Don't even think about playing anything more demanding than Solitaire. The 512GB SSD is decent for the price, though it's also middle of the pack at the 37th percentile. Boot times and app launches will feel snappy, but you won't be storing a massive media library on here.

Compared to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition, this MacBook Pro feels like a relic. The Surface has a modern ARM chip, better battery life, and a more current design. But it also costs significantly more. The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 is a closer price competitor, and it offers newer Intel or AMD chips with better port selection, though the build quality won't match Apple's aluminum unibody. The HP OmniBook X Flip and ASUS Zenbook UX3405CA are both newer and faster, but again, you're paying more.

The real comparison here is against Apple's own M1 MacBook Air. Even a used M1 Air will outperform this Intel MacBook Pro in nearly every way, with dramatically better battery life and cooler operation. The only reason to pick this refurbished Pro over an M1 Air is if you specifically want the Touch Bar or you find it at a significantly lower price.

At $399 USD, this is one of the cheapest ways to get a MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The value proposition is strong if you just want a reliable macOS machine for basic tasks. But you should know what you're giving up. For similar money, you could get a newer Windows laptop with better performance and battery life, or you could save up a bit more for a used M1 MacBook Air, which would run circles around this Intel model. The refurbished condition seems to be a highlight for buyers, with multiple reviews mentioning the unit arrived in great shape.

The Apple MacBook Pro Refurbished Excellent is a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro from the Intel era, and it's showing up at Best Buy for around $399 USD. That's a pretty wild price for a MacBook Pro, even a refurbished one. You're getting a 10th Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and that classic Touch Bar design. For someone who just wants a solid macOS machine for everyday stuff, this is a tempting little package.

But let's be real about what this is. This is not the M-series MacBook Pro that Apple sells today. It's an older Intel model, which means you're buying into a platform Apple has mostly left behind. The 13.3-inch 2560x1600 display is still sharp, and the build quality is that familiar aluminum unibody that made MacBooks famous. The question is whether that's enough in a world of newer, faster, and longer-lasting laptops.

We dug through our database and the customer feedback to figure out who this thing is actually for. The short answer: it's for people who want the Apple experience without spending Apple money, and who don't need to do anything heavy. If that's you, keep reading.

Skip this if you're a gamer, video editor, or anyone who needs real graphics performance. The integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics are among the worst we've seen for gaming, scoring just 8.9 out of 100. Also skip it if you care about battery life, since refurbished units often have degraded batteries and Apple doesn't list the original capacity here. If you need more ports, the three USB-C ports and nothing else will frustrate you. Instead, look at a used M1 MacBook Air for better performance and battery, or a newer Windows laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 if you want more connectivity at a similar price.

Should you buy this? If you need a cheap MacBook for email, web browsing, and light productivity, and you don't care about gaming or future-proofing, then yes, this is a solid deal at $399 USD. The build quality is excellent, the screen is sharp, and 16GB of RAM gives you some breathing room. Buyers who've purchased this refurbished model seem genuinely happy with what they got.

But if you're planning to do anything more demanding, or you want a laptop that will still feel fast in three years, skip this. The Intel chip is on borrowed time, the integrated graphics are a joke for anything beyond basic tasks, and the battery life is a big unknown. This is a budget MacBook for budget needs, nothing more.