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Macbook Air Sandybridge

P

pandamonia

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 15, 2009
585
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I am a bit lost as to why Apple went for the out of date C2D for the air but im sure its to do with the GPU options right now.

This will change with sandybridge and the CPU and integrated GPU will be way better than current offerings.

I think its worth the wait for the Sandybridge version of the air since the CPU is going to be 50-70% better than a C2D maybe even more!

i doubt the GPU will be as good as the 320M but it wont be far off i have heard.

The MBA is overpriced in the UK even with the VAT apple are ripping us off here.

if im going to have to pay through the nose id rather have the latest CPU which is due out early next yr.

anyone else waiting?
 
pandamonia said:
i doubt the GPU will be as good as the 320M but it wont be far off i have heard.
Click to expand...

I have heard 9400m level. And the CPU won't be 50-70% faster than the current Core 2 Duo, forget it if you really believe that. Have fun waiting, if the new Air really is that much better, i'll just resell this one and buy the new one without even losing that much money anyhow. :D
 
pandamonia said:
I am a bit lost as to why Apple went for the out of date C2D for the air but im sure its to do with the GPU options right now.

This will change with sandybridge and the CPU and integrated GPU will be way better than current offerings.

I think its worth the wait for the Sandybridge version of the air since the CPU is going to be 50-70% better than a C2D maybe even more!

i doubt the GPU will be as good as the 320M but it wont be far off i have heard.

The MBA is overpriced in the UK even with the VAT apple are ripping us off here.

if im going to have to pay through the nose id rather have the latest CPU which is due out early next yr.

anyone else waiting?
Click to expand...

there are other threads on this precise topic. ;)

MRoogle is your friend - before you post :D
 
pandamonia said:
I am a bit lost as to why Apple went for the out of date C2D for the air but im sure its to do with the GPU options right now.

This will change with sandybridge and the CPU and integrated GPU will be way better than current offerings.

I think its worth the wait for the Sandybridge version of the air since the CPU is going to be 50-70% better than a C2D maybe even more!

i doubt the GPU will be as good as the 320M but it wont be far off i have heard.

The MBA is overpriced in the UK even with the VAT apple are ripping us off here.

if im going to have to pay through the nose id rather have the latest CPU which is due out early next yr.

anyone else waiting?
Click to expand...

Couple problems with this. Sandy bridge will be no where near 50-70% faster then a C2D. Second my airs cpu never goes above 20% being used. So no I didn't wait and GPU and SSD is more important to me then CPU.
 
pandamonia said:
I am a bit lost as to why Apple went for the out of date C2D for the air but im sure its to do with the GPU options right now.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question.

pandamonia said:
This will change with sandybridge and the CPU and integrated GPU will be way better than current offerings.
Click to expand...
You have no proof of this to back up your claim as Sandy Bridge isn't out yet.

pandamonia said:
I think its worth the wait for the Sandybridge version of the air since the CPU is going to be 50-70% better than a C2D maybe even more!
Click to expand...
Again you have no proof of this.

pandamonia said:
The MBA is overpriced in the UK even with the VAT apple are ripping us off here.
Click to expand...
You're not being "ripped off". The U.S, if anything, gets the worst end of the stick because our quoted prices on Apple's website are without tax and tax varies from state to state. Some of us pay a lot more depending on the state we live in. Your prices are quoted with the Value Added Tax included so please whine about something else. :rolleyes:
 
Why is everyone bashing C2D? Yeah it is older but far from out of date. It is a dual core 64bit chip. I think people get hug up on having the best when they don't need it. How many people on this forum have MBP and MBA when a MB would do the job?

There is always something new coming out! Buy what you need when you need it. Screw always worrying about the next rev.

I can't remember who said it but "The past is memory, the future is a dream. Living is now!"
 
Let's all wait for the next revision, until we force Apple to only sell premium Mac Pros, so the specs debate can die.
 
HLdan said:
You answered your own question.


You have no proof of this to back up your claim as Sandy Bridge isn't out yet.


Again you have no proof of this.


You're not being "ripped off". The U.S, if anything, gets the worst end of the stick because our quoted prices on Apple's website are without tax and tax varies from state to state. Some of us pay a lot more depending on the state we live in. Your prices are quoted with the Value Added Tax included so please whine about something else. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

No offense mate but you cant add up.

Go do the maths.

999$ vs £850 for the 11 inch when VAT is 17.5% = $999= £625 +17.5% =£733 not £850
The i5 and i7 were 30%+ faster than C2D and the new sandybridge is 15% faster clock for clock than i5 and i7 not to mention the new die shrink which brings faster chips with lower power.

i can tell you that Sandybridge is going to blow C2D away its 2 generations ago!!!
 
pandamonia said:
No offense mate but you cant add up.

Go do the maths.

999$ vs £850 for the 11 inch when VAT is 17.5% = $999= £625 +17.5% =£733 not £850
The i5 and i7 were 30%+ faster than C2D and the new sandybridge is 15% faster clock for clock than i5 and i7 not to mention the new die shrink which brings faster chips with lower power.

i can tell you that Sandybridge is going to blow C2D away its 2 generations ago!!!
Click to expand...

Of course sandy bridge will be faster then the C2D but definitely 70% faster. Your looking at desktop sandy bridge, no clock speeds or specs have been given for the LV and ULV chips that would go into the air. But that doesn't change the fact that the C2D is still a great cpu! All this thread is about is having the latest and greatest. C2D is perfectly fine for what I use it for and I wouldn't downgrade the GPU for just an i5. If you want an i5 go buy the 15in pro.
 
i have an I7 15 inch and thats why i couldnt use a CD2 especially a ULV version.

i think the Sandybridge is such a big jump from C2D its worth waiting. these things arent exactly cheap are they?

the performance will scale nicely in ULV to sandy since the lower nm of the chips helps massively

Downside is that the ULV details are not announced yet! so might be late 2011 for these?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cQNeXXm7C...EXlSw_zM/s1600/Intel-Sandy-Bridge-17W-TDP.png

30% above Arrandale ULV! and that was about 30% above C2D
 
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pandamonia said:
i have an I7 15 inch and thats why i couldnt use a CD2 especially a ULV version.
Click to expand...

Do you really need the power of i7 then? If you do, then stop looking at MBA because even Sandy Bridge MBA is much, much slower than your current computer.

The people who buy MBA are not after the fastest CPU and C2D, even ULV is more than adequate for normal usage.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cQNeXXm7C...EXlSw_zM/s1600/Intel-Sandy-Bridge-17W-TDP.png

30% above Arrandale ULV! and that was about 30% above C2D
Click to expand...

"Up to" means that it may have been 30% faster in one benchmark. Intel is just marketing them, you must wait for some real benchmarks before thinking about actual numbers
 
Hellhammer said:
Do you really need the power of i7 then? If you do, then stop looking at MBA because even Sandy Bridge MBA is much, much slower than your current computer.

The people who buy MBA are not after the fastest CPU and C2D, even ULV is more than adequate for normal usage.



"Up to" means that it may have been 30% faster in one benchmark. Intel is just marketing them, you must wait for some real benchmarks before thinking about actual numbers
Click to expand...

Really? i have read people playing Starcraft and Civ5 on the MBA on here so i guess people like pushing them.

im not looking for a i7 replacement but id like a Sandybridge Air. seems apple is always behind the curve on CPU and it takes them ages to get them updated.

the desktops are proving to be faster than the i7 already in the samples so i dont doubt the others will be the same.

might be worth getting a refurb till the better ones come

Hellhammer said:
Do you really need the power of i7 then? If you do, then stop looking at MBA because even Sandy Bridge MBA is much, much slower than your current computer.

The people who buy MBA are not after the fastest CPU and C2D, even ULV is more than adequate for normal usage.



"Up to" means that it may have been 30% faster in one benchmark. Intel is just marketing them, you must wait for some real benchmarks before thinking about actual numbers
Click to expand...

Really? i have read people playing Starcraft and Civ5 on the MBA on here so i guess people like pushing them.

im not looking for a i7 replacement but id like a Sandybridge Air. seems apple is always behind the curve on CPU and it takes them ages to get them updated.

the desktops are proving to be faster than the i7 already in the samples so i dont doubt the others will be the same.

might be worth getting a refurb till the better ones come

Hellhammer said:
Do you really need the power of i7 then? If you do, then stop looking at MBA because even Sandy Bridge MBA is much, much slower than your current computer.

The people who buy MBA are not after the fastest CPU and C2D, even ULV is more than adequate for normal usage.



"Up to" means that it may have been 30% faster in one benchmark. Intel is just marketing them, you must wait for some real benchmarks before thinking about actual numbers
Click to expand...

Really? i have read people playing Starcraft and Civ5 on the MBA on here so i guess people like pushing them.

im not looking for a i7 replacement but id like a Sandybridge Air. seems apple is always behind the curve on CPU and it takes them ages to get them updated.

the desktops are proving to be faster than the i7 already in the samples so i dont doubt the others will be the same.

might be worth getting a refurb till the better ones come
 
Last edited by a moderator:
pandamonia said:
Really? i have read people playing Starcraft and Civ5 on the MBA on here so i guess people like pushing them.

im not looking for a i7 replacement but id like a Sandybridge Air. seems apple is always behind the curve on CPU and it takes them ages to get them updated.
Click to expand...

Of course, a Sandy Bridge Air does not have good enough graphics to run Civ5 or StarCraft II... That's what the nVidia 320m is for and that requires Core 2 Duo...
 
KnightWRX said:
Of course, a Sandy Bridge Air does not have good enough graphics to run Civ5 or StarCraft II... That's what the nVidia 320m is for and that requires Core 2 Duo...
Click to expand...

err thats not known yet but the new GPU will be much better than current integrated intel GPU.

personally i think the 320M in the air isnt needed on a ultrathin notebook especially with a 1.4ghz c2d
 
pandamonia said:
i can tell you that Sandybridge is going to blow C2D away its 2 generations ago!!!
Click to expand...

Dude shush

Apple wanted to update their MacBook air line and used a processor with a good price/performance/heat ratio (sandybridge is not an option, for the simple reason that it didn't freaking exist when the MBA was being designed)

The MacBook air is not about pure power it's about portability, and anyways most people don't need more CPU power than being able to run hd YouTube videos (720p 11.6, 1080p 13") which both can do with flash 10.1

you have a i7 MacBook pro, you are clearly in the wrong demographic
 
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pandamonia said:
KnightWRX said:
Of course, a Sandy Bridge Air does not have good enough graphics to run Civ5 or StarCraft II... That's what the nVidia 320m is for and that requires Core 2 Duo...
Click to expand...

err thats not known yet but the new GPU will be much better than current integrated intel GPU.

personally i think the 320M in the air isnt needed on a ultrathin notebook especially with a 1.4ghz c2d
Click to expand...

Apple uses gpu acceleration to speed up it's machines. So having the 320m is good for daily use and gaming. That's why the 320m is there. In daily use though better gpu will do more good then CPU! The point is the air does not need a i5! I suggest you use a air at an apple store and see for yourself.
 
you can never have to much power

i dont agree with paying around the £1000 mark for an old cpu personally but thats just me.

ill play with one in the store and see how it performs.
 
pandamonia said:
No offense mate but you cant add up.

Go do the maths.

999$ vs £850 for the 11 inch when VAT is 17.5% = $999= £625 +17.5% =£733 not £850
The i5 and i7 were 30%+ faster than C2D and the new sandybridge is 15% faster clock for clock than i5 and i7 not to mention the new die shrink which brings faster chips with lower power.

i can tell you that Sandybridge is going to blow C2D away its 2 generations ago!!!
Click to expand...

No offense to you but where did I do any math? I was informing you that the UK is not the only country that pays a lot for Apple's products. You guys seem to think you're the only ones. Many of you check out the U.S store and think you're being ripped off but you don't know that we are charged tax as well. Again, re-read the posts, I didn't do any math here. You're correcting me for no reason. :p
 
HLdan said:
No offense to you but where did I do any math? I was informing you that the UK is not the only country that pays a lot for Apple's products. You guys seem to think you're the only ones. Many of you check out the U.S store and think you're being ripped off but you don't know that we are charged tax as well. Again, re-read the posts, I didn't do any math here. You're correcting me for no reason. :p
Click to expand...

When your tax is 17.5% soon to be 20% ill start to feel sorry for you :)

But we are still being ripped off a further £120 on top of that tax btw

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3991/apples-2010-macbook-air-11-13inch-reviewed/10

here is Anand showing the difference between the C2D ULV and the new i7-640UM which is going to be superseded next yr and the difference is BIG the word "double" is thrown about.

maybe waiting for the Sandy ULV is a good option!
 
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pandamonia said:
you can never have to much power
Click to expand...
But you can have enough power.

And this is the situation that the average consumer faces. We have reached a point where the average PC - or the current MacBook Air for that matter - provides just enough power for the greater part of the customer base. And this doesn't seem to change soon. I mean... what does the average guy use his PC for? Text editing/Office, Mail, Internet/WWW, organizing and (light) editing of photos and music, the occasional game or movie...

After the Office era, "the Internet" is the killer application for today's computers - which the MacBook Air is sufficiently powerful for.

There will of course always be usage scenarios for more powerful computers - though for fewer people. And with the current lack of a new "killer app" for personal computers and internet usage shifting more and more to smaller, lower-powered devices like smartphones, iPods and iPads, I don't think we're bound to seeing increased requirements in computing power in the short to mid term.

pandamonia said:
ill play with one in the store and see how it performs.
Click to expand...
It sure isn't the fastest MacBook Air around - but it often feels like it.
 
i moved to a Sandforce SSD months ago on my i7 mbp so i think its going to be a little underwhelming for me.

Most people are going to be feeling the SSD with the new Air rather than CPU performance.

like it said i woudnt care about 10-15% but the new ULV are in another world
 
For everyday tasks such as browsing, email, iTunes, word processing, etc., the CPU doesn't tend to be the bottleneck. The hard drive is much more of a concern in that sense.

Those who aren't running applications that demand sustained high utilisation of the processor are just plain wrong if they think their i5 or i7 is faster for light computing tasks. If anything, due to the storage device, a 13" MBA is much faster than a stock i7 MacBook Pro. Sorry, but it's true.
 
not my i7 its not.

its not hard to choke even the fastest notebooks.

the air is still very pricey for the tech inside. none of it is exactly cutting edge is it.
 
pandamonia said:
not my i7 its not.

its not hard to choke even the fastest notebooks.

the air is still very pricey for the tech inside. none of it is exactly cutting edge is it.
Click to expand...

So why do you want a Macbook Air? It seems you are obsessed with CPUs. If you routinely choke your MBP with i7, clearly the Air is not for you. The air is about portability and it sacrifices a lot to achieve that. The Macbook Air will never be great for processing power.
 
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