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Which is faster/ i5 + 8GB ram or i7 + 4GB

C

crossfyre

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I am going to buy one of the two new 2011 13 inch macbook pros, but for "on the road" video processing/ Raw photo editing and more cpu intensive tasks, which would be better/faster, the i5 with 8GB RAM, or i7 with 4GB RAM? They come out to a similar amount of cash.

Rick😕
 
Get the i7. You can always add more RAM but the CPU you choose now will be stuck in there for good. 2x4GB goes for ~80$ from aftermarket anyway so you could be able to get i7 + 8GB RAM for not much more.
 
Edit: I recently had this same dilemma I opted for the low end for these reasons

1. i do not need the extra oomph of the i7
2. i have an HE discount so the ram was only 90$ (only $10 more im fine with that)
3.price difference Mine had the 8gb ram and 750gb hard drive came to 1414 with my discount and the i7 would have been 1669 before taxes.

so to me the price difference was not worth it when i did not need the extra power and will only keep it for 2 years max unless the 13" sees discrete graphics next year 😛 lol mine arrived today so i have yet to test it but will post geekbench scores later when i get home from work its under my desk still in the shipping box lol.
 
Last edited:
The i5 w/8 gb geekbenches at just at 7122 based on the one I just bought. It clocked at 6458 before the memory upgrade.

The top end 15" I tested in the store running the free 32bit test clocked 10025.

As a comparison? My 2x2.66 16gb mem Mac Pro 1.1 clocked 6126.
 
I am thinking that I can upgrade the RAM of the i5 and bump the HD to 750GB or 1TB with aftermarket stuff, and come out to the same dollars spent as the i7. I don't really want to buy the i7 and have to do those same mods as $1700 is getting a bit rich for a travel computer for me. With shooting RAW, those 25 meg shots add up in a hurry, so space is important, but the if the stock 500/4 GB i7 is going to be better at processing than an upgraded i5, then that is how I will go. I get what some are saying that I can upgrade later, but the reality is that the i7 speed is plenty good enough, so if the upgraded i5 is similar, then maybe my money should go toward upgrades.

Would the speeds be pretty similar?
🙂
 
Ccrew said:
The i5 w/8 gb geekbenches at just at 7122 based on the one I just bought. It clocked at 6458 before the memory upgrade.

The top end 15" I tested in the store running the free 32bit test clocked 10025.

As a comparison? My 2x2.66 16gb mem Mac Pro 1.1 clocked 6126.
Click to expand...

Thanks for these figures----What does the stock i7 clock at in these tests?
 
crossfyre said:
I am thinking that I can upgrade the RAM of the i5 and bump the HD to 750GB or 1TB with aftermarket stuff, and come out to the same dollars spent as the i7. I don't really want to buy the i7 and have to do those same mods as $1700 is getting a bit rich for a travel computer for me. With shooting RAW, those 25 meg shots add up in a hurry, so space is important, but the if the stock 500/4 GB i7 is going to be better at processing than an upgraded i5, then that is how I will go. I get what some are saying that I can upgrade later, but the reality is that the i7 speed is plenty good enough, so if the upgraded i5 is similar, then maybe my money should go toward upgrades.

Would the speeds be pretty similar?
🙂
Click to expand...

Well, i5 will manage all those tasks but slower than i7 would. You said you will be doing CPU intensive stuff so a better CPU will definitely help. You can always upgrade the HD and RAM later on but you will be stuck with the CPU for good.

500GB HD should be fine in the beginning. If you need more, then upgrade the HD. Or even better, replace the ODD with another HD.
 
I was eye'ing the i7 based 13" MBP but the cost difference between the two CPU's is just too much.

I really only use Aperture, Excel, Outlook and Firefox (plus iTunes) and I'll be ready to buy in mid-August - there may be an updated MBP by then anyway; but an i5 based 13" MBP with a 128GB SSD is my likely combo.

Also, I refuse to play for HT tech. Smoke and mirrors IMHO🙄
 
smugDrew said:
I was eye'ing the i7 based 13" MBP but the cost difference between the two CPU's is just too much.

I really only use Aperture, Excel, Outlook and Firefox (plus iTunes) and I'll be ready to buy in mid-August - there may be an updated MBP by then anyway; but an i5 based 13" MBP with a 128GB SSD is my likely combo.

Also, I refuse to play for HT tech. Smoke and mirrors IMHO🙄
Click to expand...

Apple hasn't updated the MacBook Pro twice a year in sometime. The only thing they will add is Lion.
 
Apple Expert said:
Apple hasn't updated the MacBook Pro twice a year in sometime. The only thing they will add is Lion.
Click to expand...

- mid and late 2007 MBP update
- early and late 2008 MBP update
- early and mid 2009 MBP update
- 2010 was the only time there was just 1 update (recently)
- early 2011 MBP updated - seems quite likely there will be a late 2011 MBP update in the September - October time period.

Perhaps research before posting. 😎

Then there is the Mac Buyer's Guide on this very site: MacBook Pro - Neutral - Mid-product cycle
 
smugDrew said:
- mid and late 2007 MBP update
- early and late 2008 MBP update
- early and mid 2009 MBP update
- 2010 was the only time there was just 1 update (recently)
- early 2011 MBP updated - seems quite likely there will be a late 2011 MBP update in the September - October time period.

Perhaps research before posting. 😎
Click to expand...

So Apple is going to release a new MacBook during the Back to School event? Yeah right buddy! Unless its during Christmas time when they have released a MacBook when? September - October is definitely iPod event. Unless it's going to be at WWDC which I highly doubt. Maybe Macbook Air, but unlikely. So I say once again, there won't be a MacBook Pro update this year. I think it's safe to say Apple has changed it's traditional product release cycle. It will start this June with no iPhone 5.
 
Apple Expert said:
So Apple is going to release a new MacBook during the Back to School event? Yeah right buddy! Unless its during Christmas time when they have released a MacBook when? September - October is definitely iPod event. Unless it's going to be at WWDC which I highly doubt. Maybe Macbook Air, but unlikely. So I say once again, there won't be a MacBook Pro update this year. I think it's safe to say Apple has changed it's traditional product release cycle. It will start this June with no iPhone 5.
Click to expand...

Stranger things have happened. All I'm saying is I've done some research and found a reasonable trend and based my opinion on that. 😎
 
smugDrew said:
- mid and late 2007 MBP update
- early and late 2008 MBP update
- early and mid 2009 MBP update
- 2010 was the only time there was just 1 update (recently)
- early 2011 MBP updated - seems quite likely there will be a late 2011 MBP update in the September - October time period.

Perhaps research before posting. 😎

Then there is the Mac Buyer's Guide on this very site: MacBook Pro - Neutral - Mid-product cycle
Click to expand...

Use common sense. It was less then a year before the 2010 MBP and 2011 MBP
 
smugDrew said:
- mid and late 2007 MBP update
- early and late 2008 MBP update
- early and mid 2009 MBP update
- 2010 was the only time there was just 1 update (recently)
- early 2011 MBP updated - seems quite likely there will be a late 2011 MBP update in the September - October time period.

Perhaps research before posting. 😎
Click to expand...

What exactly will they update it with?
 
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