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13" 2.26GHz or 2.54GHz?

C

crisito

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 11, 2009
141
0
I currently have a 24" iMac with 2.4GHz.

I have decided to get a MacBook Pro 13" with an external monitor.

I now need to decide between the two 13" MacBook Pros...

Would the basic 2.26GHz MacBook be enough for me or would it be too much of a difference switching from a 2.4GHz iMac?

I use it for essays, web browsing, emails, music and light photoshop work.

Thanks for your advice.
 
I would say go for the fastest CPU when you want a desktop.. but for a notebook get the one with the best tdp, if both cpus have the same tdp get the faster one, if you are low on cash get of course the slower one :)
 
My vote is to go for the less expensive model. You can always add a 3rd party hard drive and RAM. Plus the 12-15% speed increase wouldn't really be noticeable in day to day usage.
 
Joruus said:
I would say go for the fastest CPU when you want a desktop.. but for a notebook get the one with the best tdp, if both cpus have the same tdp get the faster one, if you are low on cash get of course the slower one :)
Click to expand...

How do I check the TDP?

statik13 said:
My vote is to go for the less expensive model. You can always add a 3rd party hard drive and RAM. Plus the 12-15% speed increase wouldn't really be noticeable in day to day usage.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am planning on buying additional 2GB RAM so that will increase the RAM to that of the more expensive model anyway. I'm not sure I would want to install a third party HD, but that may not be necessary anyway.

It is the processor speed that is concerning me really.
 
crisito said:
Yes, I am planning on buying additional 2GB RAM so that will increase the RAM to that of the more expensive model anyway. I'm not sure I would want to install a third party HD, but that may not be necessary anyway.

It is the processor speed that is concerning me really.
Click to expand...

im doing the same.The ram will suffice for me since I already have an imac with all my main stuff on there so dont really the need the extra hdd.

crisito said:
Yes, I am planning on buying additional 2GB RAM so that will increase the RAM to that of the more expensive model anyway. I'm not sure I would want to install a third party HD, but that may not be necessary anyway.

It is the processor speed that is concerning me really.
Click to expand...

will thirdparty rams work with the new macbook pros? which companies are reasonably priced?
 
third party RAM and HD's are the way to go, never, ever pay Apple prices for either, all parts work with Macs and cost considerably less.

I'm updating my white macbook to a 320Gb drive and 4Gb crucial RAM shortly.Always use crucial RAM , it's guaranteed to work, excellent returns policy for duff sticks too. www.crucial.com

( not sure which to do first though RAM or HD - hd me thinks !)

Less than half the cost of Apple for the same items, nice computers Apple but no thanks on the RAM and HD ...waaay overpriced..


~m
 
Ok, I'm probably going to get the lower end one, but what about the processor?
 
Migwellious said:
third party RAM and HD's are the way to go, never, ever pay Apple prices for either, all parts work with Macs and cost considerably less.

I'm updating my white macbook to a 320Gb drive and 4Gb crucial RAM shortly.Always use crucial RAM , it's guaranteed to work, excellent returns policy for duff sticks too. www.crucial.com

( not sure which to do first though RAM or HD - hd me thinks !)

Less than half the cost of Apple for the same items, nice computers Apple but no thanks on the RAM and HD ...waaay overpriced..


~m
Click to expand...

Putting in a new HD, does it void the warranty?Also, can you get a 7200rpm HD or Sata for the 13" mbp?Or are there limitations on what you can and cannot install regarding HD.
 
I was in the same boat as I am currently selling my Mac Pro. I am getting the 2.26Ghz version and upgrading with a SSD(Corsair) and 4GB RAM(OWC). Should turn it into a little speedy laptop. Now if they would just fix the whole SATA issue. Any suggestions for a 128GB SSD?
 
Why isn't anyone addressing the OPs question? Stop trying to hijack the thread for your own discussions.

From what I've gathered there is only a marginal differnce between the 2.26 and the 2.53. For your needs, I don't believe you would be able to notice a difference between the two. Please someone correct me on this if I am wrong though.
 
So well, both are 25W tdp.. if you dont mind spending more cash get the faster one then, it maybe even gets you better battery life? (calculates stuff faster with the same power usage)
 
crisito said:
I currently have a 24" iMac with 2.4GHz.

I have decided to get a MacBook Pro 13" with an external monitor.

I now need to decide between the two 13" MacBook Pros...

Would the basic 2.26GHz MacBook be enough for me or would it be too much of a difference switching from a 2.4GHz iMac?

I use it for essays, web browsing, emails, music and light photoshop work.

Thanks for your advice.
Click to expand...

2.26Ghz will be sufficient for your need. i don't understand why ppl crying for faster and faster cpus. how much of them are really benefiting from the extra speed? for 80% of average user, current cpu is way beyond their need. i used to be a geek who always wants the fastest hdd & cpu when i set up my own pc. but then i realized it was just being childish, like a kid who always wants the best toy. if you are not using the full power, you are not just wasting your own money, you are also wasting the resource.

so i would suggest go with the lower spec., i'm pretty sure it will satisfy your need. :)
 
When the 2.26 uses 25w and the 2.53 too, then i dont know why you would want a 2.26 :(
 
Joruus said:
So well, both are 25W tdp.. if you dont mind spending more cash get the faster one then, it maybe even gets you better battery life? (calculates stuff faster with the same power usage)
Click to expand...

Quite the opposite, actually. 25W is the maximum, actual power usage depends on real CPU usage. That's why "heavy usage" or "light usage" (as in kinds of things you do on your computer) directly reflects on battery life and CPU temperature. Power usage isn't linear to the speed CPU runs at, so there'll probably be differences in battery life, likely negligible in this case (and in favor of 2.26).
 
aleksandra. said:
Quite the opposite, actually. 25W is the maximum, actual power usage depends on real CPU usage. That's why "heavy usage" or "light usage" (as in kinds of things you do on your computer) directly reflects on battery life and CPU temperature. Power use isn't linear to the speed CPU runs at, so there'll probably be differences in battery life, likely negligible in this case (and in favor of 2.26).
Click to expand...

In the end, get what you want :p
 
crisito said:
I currently have a 24" iMac with 2.4GHz.

I have decided to get a MacBook Pro 13" with an external monitor.

I now need to decide between the two 13" MacBook Pros...

Would the basic 2.26GHz MacBook be enough for me or would it be too much of a difference switching from a 2.4GHz iMac?

I use it for essays, web browsing, emails, music and light photoshop work.

Thanks for your advice.
Click to expand...
You will be fine with the slower one. The increase in speed won't be noticeable.
 
For gaming needs, got a First gen Alu iMac with a Radeon 2600hd, the Nvidia 9400M in the new MBP 13" are half as fast.
 
Thanks for the input, I won't be gaming much, so I'm leaning towards the lower end one.
 
I'd say future proof yourself and go with the higher end one. The lower one is slower than the aluminum MacBooks, so I'd want something faster.
 
I'm lazy. I opted for the 2.53 GHz configuration so I don't have to unscrew the base to add memory. :) I agree that the faster CPU will probably not be noticeable for most tasks. I was hoping to add a SSD someday, but the other thread about reduced SATA bus speed is discouraging.
 
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