11" MacBook Air (2015) - i5 or i7 Processor - Should I upgrade?

[matjamca]

I am interested in the 2015 11" MacBook Air.

It will mainly be used for Internet browsing, word processing, some photo and HD Video editing and watching videos on YouTube etc. I want the 11" vs the 13" for its increased portability.

I will be upgrading the RAM to 8GB.

Should I also upgrade the processor from the 1.6 GHz i5 to the 2.2 GHz i7?

What are the benefits/disadvantages of the two processors?

Thanks in advance ☺️

 

[madat42]

If you're thinking of doing HD video editing, I'd consider prioritizing SSD space over the RAM and processor. Get the 256GB drive over the 128GB one. 2.2ghz will get processing done slightly faster. 8GB will give you plenty of overhead to have multiple apps open.

 

[motrek]

I am interested in the 2015 11" MacBook Air.

It will mainly be used for Internet browsing, word processing, some photo and HD Video editing and watching videos on YouTube etc. I want the 11" vs the 13" for its increased portability.

I will be upgrading the RAM to 8GB.

Should I also upgrade the processor from the 1.6 GHz i5 to the 2.2 GHz i7?

What are the benefits/disadvantages of the two processors?

Thanks in advance ☺️

The upgraded processor is only about 20% faster. Probably not even noticeable in most cases.

 

[gmintz09]

I agree with the other poster. I'd upgrade the SSD before the CPU. The Air isn't supposed to be a powerhouse, so upgrading the CPU is not really going to mean what it would on the Pro. If you think you'll be doing any sort of HD editing or heavy duty work, the 13'' rMBP is a better laptop for those needs.

 

[motrek]

I agree with the other poster. I'd upgrade the SSD before the CPU. The Air isn't supposed to be a powerhouse, so upgrading the CPU is not really going to mean what it would on the Pro. If you think you'll be doing any sort of HD editing or heavy duty work, the 13'' rMBP is a better laptop for those needs.

Base model rMBP is only about 20% faster than base model MBA.

 

[redheeler]

I agree with the other poster. I'd upgrade the SSD before the CPU. The Air isn't supposed to be a powerhouse, so upgrading the CPU is not really going to mean what it would on the Pro. If you think you'll be doing any sort of HD editing or heavy duty work, the 13'' rMBP is a better laptop for those needs.

I second the 13" rMBP, but mainly because of the Retina display, which would help with the photo/video editing and even 1080p YouTube video viewing.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

I agree with the other poster. I'd upgrade the SSD before the CPU. The Air isn't supposed to be a powerhouse, so upgrading the CPU is not really going to mean what it would on the Pro. If you think you'll be doing any sort of HD editing or heavy duty work, the 13'' rMBP is a better laptop for those needs.

Your knowledge is based on what?

 

[gmintz09]

Your knowledge is based on what?

Any reason you feel the need to be rude?

I stand by my previous post however. There is no doubt that the Macbook Pro is more powerful than the Air. That wasn't a false statement.

 

[redheeler]

I stand by my previous post however. There is no doubt that the Macbook Pro is more powerful than the Air. That wasn't a false statement.

The i7 CPU in the 2015 MBA actually performs very similarly to the i5 in the baseline 13" rMBP, although the GPU is a bit better on the rMBP. As I mentioned earlier, the main reason I agree with your recommendation of a 13" rMBP is the Retina display.

 

[gmintz09]

The i7 CPU in the 2015 MBA actually performs very similarly to the i5 in the baseline 13" rMBP, although the GPU is a bit better on the rMBP. As I mentioned earlier, the main reason I agree with your recommendation of a 13" rMBP is the Retina display.

Yes I know, I wasn't arguing with you or anything. For a similar price after upgrading all these things on the Air I was just saying the rMBP would probably be a better way to spend the money. Truly up to the buyer and what they want out of a computer.

 

[RUGGLES99]

for what the op plans to do with his mba 11, i suggest picking up the 2014 11. i got mine recently at bb for $720 with the movers coupon. its a great laptop. and its a steal.

 

[madat42]

The OP also said they wanted the 11 inch for portability. I would guess if they were choosing the 11 to begin with, size/weight are a priority. Though the rMBP is awesome, it's also 1.2+ pounds heavier. Not a big deal to some, but quite noticeably heavier.

 

[Mr. Thompson]

I recently picked up a maxed out 11" for general portable use and photo editing. My main rig is an maxed out early 15" RP, 16 gig and a 2.7 I7. The 2.2 I7 with 8 gig of RAM in the 11" Air is very peppy running Lightroom. Outside of the display it's hard to tell much of a difference. If anything, it seems a bit quicker. There's a reason why it is the darling of the Leica photographers traveling light on the go.