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entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
Did you keep the i5 or i7?

After reading through the first version of this post, some have asked for CPU intensive tasks such as Handbrake. Additionally, the first post didn't measure battery in a perfectly controlled fashion so this time around one of the experiments focused on that.

For these tests, I once again prepared the MacBook Air 11" 2012 with raw data sources for stressing the CPU. This included an 8gb raw DVD source files placed on the desktop to leverage the SSD's read speed as well as placing 40gb iPhoto library. Once the MacBook Air 2012 11" i5 was all setup, I once again cloned it to other MacBook Air 2012 11" i7 in preparation for the tests.

The tests include (a) a single cpu iPhoto database rebuild, (b) a multi-cpu Handbrake encoding, (c) a real world battery test lasting three hours of continued use, and (d) a handbrake with the i7 MacBook while in docked under a 27" apple display in the closed clam shape mode.

Full results are here:
http://michael.olivero.com/post/201...Heat-Fan-Battery-Speed-Comparison-Part-2.aspx
 

mike95

macrumors member
Jul 8, 2008
41
0
Did you keep the i5 or i7?

I decided to keep the i5, after all it's performance is just as good as 2011's i7 with all the thermal benefits. I didn't like the results running in clam shell mode, that's what convinced me as I plan to run the macbook air connected to an iMac27 as a monitor from time to time.
 

Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Apr 28, 2008
1,263
832
Another one trying to figure out i5 vs i7

Sorry to dig up this thread but I figured I'd get yelled at if I started a new thread :eek:

I am trying to decide between an i5 or an i7.

BUT

I want an i5 13inch macbook air. I am currently using a core 2 duo with a regular 5400rpm hard drive and it suits my needs pretty well.

But as other's have remarked it is pretty hard to find the i5/8/256gb option. I specifically want to save some money by getting a refurb. The 13inch MBAs from 2012 have just started to appear today but from what i've seen thus far I am far more likely to find an i7/8gb/256gb 13" MBA rather than the i5. It is still quite a bit cheaper ($1449 vs $1599) than the BTO i5 version bought new.

If I get the i7 computer will I be kicking my self later? I want a cool computer with good battery life (at least comparable to my 2009 C2D MBP). I keep getting conflicting opinions when I read through the forums. I think alot of people are coming at it from the other direction (want i7 power but wondering if there are trade-offs). I am coming from the perspective of I really do NOT want i7 power. I just want to buy a refurb with 8gb of ram.

Is ~$150 worth any loss in battery life or increase in heat in the i7 version?

Thanks in advance!
 

Jobsian

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 30, 2009
853
98
Sorry to dig up this thread but I figured I'd get yelled at if I started a new thread :eek:

I am trying to decide between an i5 or an i7.

BUT

I want an i5 13inch macbook air. I am currently using a core 2 duo with a regular 5400rpm hard drive and it suits my needs pretty well.

But as other's have remarked it is pretty hard to find the i5/8/256gb option. I specifically want to save some money by getting a refurb. The 13inch MBAs from 2012 have just started to appear today but from what i've seen thus far I am far more likely to find an i7/8gb/256gb 13" MBA rather than the i5. It is still quite a bit cheaper ($1449 vs $1599) than the BTO i5 version bought new.

If I get the i7 computer will I be kicking my self later? I want a cool computer with good battery life (at least comparable to my 2009 C2D MBP). I keep getting conflicting opinions when I read through the forums. I think alot of people are coming at it from the other direction (want i7 power but wondering if there are trade-offs). I am coming from the perspective of I really do NOT want i7 power. I just want to buy a refurb with 8gb of ram.

Is ~$150 worth any loss in battery life or increase in heat in the i7 version?

Thanks in advance!
As far as I've gleaned:

1) As someone mentioned earlier, heat is a non-issue with either. My i7 gets warm but still comfortable under load.

2) If you're constantly pushing the CPU to 100%, go for i7. It will make a noticeable difference. Otherwise, safari, youtube etc - it won't.

3) If you're not constantly maxing the CPU (handbrake regularly etc), go for i5. The battery lasts longer according to every benchmark I've seen. If I was to buy again, I'd choose i5 for sure.
 

mayuka

macrumors 6502a
Feb 15, 2009
609
66
Is ~$150 worth any loss in battery life or increase in heat in the i7 version?

The i7 version will be as fast as next years Haswell i5. IF you care about battery life, wait for next year. IF you care for speed buy the Macbook Pro. IF you care about portability buy the MBA. If you go for the i7 on the MBA and not maxing out RAM, this will be ridiculous.
 

Ibamac

macrumors member
Aug 5, 2012
31
0
Sorry to dig up this thread but I figured I'd get yelled at if I started a new thread :eek:

I am trying to decide between an i5 or an i7.

BUT

I want an i5 13inch macbook air. I am currently using a core 2 duo with a regular 5400rpm hard drive and it suits my needs pretty well.

But as other's have remarked it is pretty hard to find the i5/8/256gb option. I specifically want to save some money by getting a refurb. The 13inch MBAs from 2012 have just started to appear today but from what i've seen thus far I am far more likely to find an i7/8gb/256gb 13" MBA rather than the i5. It is still quite a bit cheaper ($1449 vs $1599) than the BTO i5 version bought new.

If I get the i7 computer will I be kicking my self later? I want a cool computer with good battery life (at least comparable to my 2009 C2D MBP). I keep getting conflicting opinions when I read through the forums. I think alot of people are coming at it from the other direction (want i7 power but wondering if there are trade-offs). I am coming from the perspective of I really do NOT want i7 power. I just want to buy a refurb with 8gb of ram.

Is ~$150 worth any loss in battery life or increase in heat in the i7 version?

Thanks in advance!

Same dilemma, although I went ahead and purchased the 11" refurbished i7/8/256 MBA because that was the only 8GB RAM model they had. I love it, but I'm spending my second week of ownership wondering if I should return it and buy the same thing with the i5 for longer battery life. I've been trying to figure out how much longer it would be. Fwiw, to me it's warm for just general use (word processing, mail, safari, scrivener, etc) and uncomfortable to have on my lap for any length of time (and yes, I've read the posts saying not to use a laptop on your lap), but it's my first Mac and all I have to compare it to are my SSD Lenovo's, all of which stay cool to the touch with my use.

Gotta decide quickly before my return window and the education discount expire. Good luck to you with your decision!
 

DrumApple

macrumors 6502a
Jan 30, 2009
546
1,417
Anything new to report on the difference between the i5 and i7 on the 13" model? Heat and battery wise?

I want to buy a MBA but I swear I feel like I'm buying dated technology with that screen...
 

Jobsian

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 30, 2009
853
98
Anything new to report on the difference between the i5 and i7 on the 13" model? Heat and battery wise?

I want to buy a MBA but I swear I feel like I'm buying dated technology with that screen...
i5 battery lasts a little longer, I think idles a bit cooler too. Not much if any gains if you're not pushing the cpu often. Basically if I were to buy again, I'd get an i5 100%. Marketing got the better of me.
 

zObsidian

macrumors member
Nov 25, 2010
53
0
I have a 2012 13" i7. The processor doesn't seem to get too hot even under load, but I don't own an i5 or can be bothered to really do any benchmarking myself so I can't comment on the side-by-side comparison, but I'm more than happy with the lack of heat and long battery life. What I can say is that I have some i5 Airs at work, and empirically I can't tell the difference.

The only time the Air gets hot and spins up the fans is with GPU load. Extended periods of high poly 3D graphic work and sometimes running Aperture in clamshell mode to an external display heats things up and spins up the fan. But the GPU's are all the same so it doesn't make a difference which one you buy. I suspect most of you won't be running CAD applications and Aperture in clamshell mode anyway, so you probably don't have much to worry about.

I should also mention that I've since rotated the way I put my Air onto my home-made dock so the vents are pointing away for better airflow. I haven't heard the fans spin up since.
 
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