1,7GHz i7 vs 1,3Ghz i5

[pina]

I'm wondering whether the 1,7-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 version of the MBA is worth the upgrade? Or would be 8GB RAM a better investment? Or even both?

I already have a 15" MBP but i would like to buy this 11" MBA for when i'm not at home, or when I would like to sit in the couch at home.

It's for writing text and doing research. Ow and occasionally doing some small stuff in photoshop or illustrator. Heavy duty will be done on the 15"

 

[yosemit]

Between i7 and 8GB, the latter is generally a better or safer choice.

They are different. i7 will give about 15-20% performance gain for a CPU-demanding program. For a program that fits into 8GB but not 4GB (or a group of concurrently running programs), the performance difference between 4GB and 8GB can be dramatic. But if it fits into 4GB, 4GB or 8GB will make little difference.

 

[stayley]

Get both if you don't care about the money. i7 is likely to give you slightly worse battery life and for your kind of tasks no improvement in performance. Definitely go for the 8GB.

 

[pina]

I'l love to go for both, but since I eed 256GB storage, the price will be to high ifI would add both memory and i7. 1.500 euros for a MBA is too much money. I paid 1.500 euros for my late 2011 MBP which has got a quad core i7 and 8GB ram...

 

[stayley]

1.500 euros for a MBA is too much money.

Exactly. Even though I could afford an i7/8GB/256GB I just felt the price tag on that thing was too great. For that kind of money the rMBP might be a better value offering.

The i5 does everything I want and more. The MBA is not supposed to offer ultimate performance anyway. i5 fits the idea of ultimate mobility and competitive value offering neatly.

Then again, there are people to whom the price difference is immaterial and they just like the MBA form factor so much that they are prepared to max it out regardless of the cost. To me, it just seems like a poor decision in terms of value.

If you are choosing between 8GB and the i7, the 8GB option is a no-brainer.