Should I switch MacBook Pro?

A friend of mine gave me a MacBook Pro that is two generations newer than mine, but is of the lower configuration. Should I switch over to that?

My current MacBook Pro is the early-2011 model with Intel Core i7-2620M processor. I have retrofitted it with 8GB of DDR3-1333 RAM and 480GB Intel SSD 520 Series.

Trips to processor spec comparison and benchmark databases gave me indecisive results.

The one my friend gave me is the early 2012 model with i5-3210M processor. I want to install 16GB of DDR3-1600 RAM and move the SSD over if I do make the switch.

My question is: does it make sense for me to switch computers? And will the newer computer accept my retrofitting parts? Also about the old computer, will a 256GB Kingston SSDNow drive (after the Intel SSD is removed) make a good system drive for a backup machine?

I am a iOS developer that does not play games, and I venture into the virtual machine world very frequently. This is my use pattern.