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15" Macbook Pro i5 > 15" Macbook Pro i7

I bought the i7 since the CPU performance increase was higher, percentage wise, than the increased cost*. I don't have an i5 to test battery life against but I've read on Anandtech that you should expect about a < 10% hit in battery life on the i7. Again, though, the performance increase is proportionally higher than the ~10% loss in batt life**.

So for me, it was a no brainer. I start medical school in the fall and I plan on having this machine until I start residency.

* http://www.anandtech.com/show/3659/apples-15inch-core-i5-macbook-pro-the-one-to-get/9

**http://www.anandtech.com/show/3669/...o-more-battery-life-tests-display-evaluated/2
 
I think y'all are making some excellent points here. Thanks for your perspective.

And just so people don't get the misconception that the i5 gets stuttering HD video... it does not. However, it feels like the i5 is under greater load. I had a macbook air when it first came out a few years ago. It was fine for performance but when flash video was involved, the computer felt like it was struggling... fans went full power, had a tough time multitasking.

That's kind of how it feels with the i5 and HD video. There's no slowdown however; it just feels like the computer is having a harder time than with the i7.
 
My i7 is running at a cool 34c with 93% battery life remaining @ 7:10 . Not bad I think. Better than any other 17" I've ever owned.
 
saniko said:
I think y'all are making some excellent points here. Thanks for your perspective.

And just so people don't get the misconception that the i5 gets stuttering HD video... it does not. However, it feels like the i5 is under greater load. I had a macbook air when it first came out a few years ago. It was fine for performance but when flash video was involved, the computer felt like it was struggling... fans went full power, had a tough time multitasking.

That's kind of how it feels with the i5 and HD video. There's no slowdown however; it just feels like the computer is having a harder time than with the i7.
Click to expand...

Even my Santa Rosa MBP from 2008 can display HD video w/o trouble.
And so does my new i5. And it certainly doesn't feel like its under load.
A 1080p Flash video uses 20-25% of the CPU with the new GPU decoding feature.
 
a4209797 said:
i can live with a 30-40min difference if i can future proof my purchase. just personal preference
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Personal preferences aside, as they go beyond logic in many cases, you are aware I assume that, in this day and age, computers are almost obsolete after 4 or 5 years. I have a G5 dual core 2.0GHz made in the last part of 2005 that still works very well, it can be used to do everything I need to do with a computer, yet it is almost valueless on the used market, and people give you that eye as they say, "It's not an Inel based machine?" I don't know what Intel or even AMD has on the schedule for the next few years, but you can be assured whatever is the standard low-end computer running Windows 11 or OS 10.9? in 2015 will make your i7 MacBook Pro look like a snail in the benchmarks (you still should be able to use it with old software to get tasks done) and nobody on this forum will want one. Is that is future-proofing? :confused::apple::confused:
 
I can't compare to the i5 as I have never used one. But my new i7 w/ SSD simply doesn't slow down. If something is slow, it's either the network, the optical drive, or the software...not the computer.

I worked all day today with the computer on the entire time and it never felt warm to the touch. It never stutters for a second... I have zero regrets about getting the i7. My battery life is great. I haven't had it long enough to do sufficient testing, but preliminary testing gets me 7 hours of battery life if I am conservative with backlights and things running flash. Anytime the nVidia kicks on, the battery starts go quick.
 
i7 is just good for gamers, huh

I want the last 10 seconds of my life back after reading this thread
 
Well the core 2 duo was released in 2006 and we are almost halfway through 2010. The 13 inch Macbook Pro is still using the processor for "Pro" lineup almost 5 years after its release. I think it's an exaggeration to say that these i7 will be in the $300 net books in 5 years. Intel isn't going to advance the technology that fast.. They are going to drag out advances as long as they can and milk each processor for every $$ possible.
 
saniko,

Not sure what you are gaining monetary wise here, but I don't know what your hoping to sell the i7 at either.

The way I see it, you purchased a 2.66GHZ i7 with an NVIDIA 330M with 512MB and selling it a loss to buy a 2.53GHz i5 with a NVIDIA 330M with 256MB?

Even if you break even, how is this a benefit? Unless you don't have access to electricity while working and really need the (claimed) extra battery life, I just don't see it.

Also, you failed to mention if all the settings that could influence battery life were identical between both computers. Settings such as Airport, Bluetooth, backlit keyboard, playing with volume controls in addition to over a dozen other setting can and will influence battery life.

It's possible that your battery life estimates between the two machines are accurate, but without first verifying all the possible settings you could be off.

You may find yourself doing more intensive tasks on the computer in the future. If the i5 takes a bit longer to complete the task, then the battery has to run longer to complete the same task over the i7. Over time, battery life vs computing crunching between the two processors may be much different than you realize.

Bottom line, IMO both computers are fantastic and I'm sure you will enjoy either way. It's just the idea of selling a new but used i7 on Ebay to buy a new i5 what threw me.
 
saniko said:
Alright, I will take one thing back. We both installed the flash beta for Macs. His I5 didn't fare so well at all watching HD hulu. My i7 did seem to be significantly better.
Click to expand...

If you truly installed the flash beta, then poor video playback would have nothing to do with the processor - only that you have twice as much GPU memory as he does.
 
yooper said:
saniko,

Not sure what you are gaining monetary wise here, but I don't know what your hoping to sell the i7 at either.

The way I see it, you purchased a 2.66GHZ i7 with an NVIDIA 330M with 512MB and selling it a loss to buy a 2.53GHz i5 with a NVIDIA 330M with 256MB?

Even if you break even, how is this a benefit? Unless you don't have access to electricity while working and really need the (claimed) extra battery life, I just don't see it.

Also, you failed to mention if all the settings that could influence battery life were identical between both computers. Settings such as Airport, Bluetooth, backlit keyboard, playing with volume controls in addition to over a dozen other setting can and will influence battery life.

It's possible that your battery life estimates between the two machines are accurate, but without first verifying all the possible settings you could be off.

You may find yourself doing more intensive tasks on the computer in the future. If the i5 takes a bit longer to complete the task, then the battery has to run longer to complete the same task over the i7. Over time, battery life vs computing crunching between the two processors may be much different than you realize.

Bottom line, IMO both computers are fantastic and I'm sure you will enjoy either way. It's just the idea of selling a new but used i7 on Ebay to buy a new i5 what threw me.
Click to expand...

so true
 
Future Proof

Paying hundreds of dollars now for more for performance that you don't need now is not "future proofing". There is always a very high premium to paid to move from the middle of the performance curve to the high performance side of the curve, especially in regards to CPU.

If you convert this into a math problem, at retail prices, you are paying $550 a year for the i7 over 4 years. That amount will let you replace the i5 after 3 years and about month. NO ONE know what the future requirements will be because no one can predict the technology beyond about 12 to 18 months. Future Proofing out 3 to 4 years seems very unrealistic.

If you just want the i7 and money is no object, great, get it. If you need it get, get it. But calling it "future proofing" just seems wrong.

PS. If money IS an object and you plan on trying to keep the MBP for 4 years, it might make more sense to get the i5 and upgrade the HD AND the memory in a year or 2. I'd be willing to wager that in 2 years you can add a very fast 1TB HD and another 4 GB of memory to the i5 for the cost of the i7 today and the i5 will out perform the i7 in general.
 
saniko said:
To make a long story short, I've put my i7 on eBay and got myself the base i5 model. It has only been two days, but the battery life difference is clear.

Hope this helps anyone sitting on the fence. It could save you some cash.
Click to expand...

Could you post your eBay item link please?
 
i7 sold at higher than what I paid for it. Didn't need eBay; just used craigslist. I love Apple products! I put it out there for $2100... the buyer saves $250+ because I had the antiglare, hi-res display. I kept my SSD and put back the 500GB hard drive. It's so easy to resell these products. We both got a good deal. I'll use the profit for Applecare.

Anyway, the settings on both computers were the same. Unlike PCs, we don't even bother tweaking anything. Neither of us use bluetooth devices so we kept that disabled. When he had wifi, I had wifi. When we didn't, neither of us had it enabled. As part of the testing, we randomly switched computers so neither of us knew which computer we had. Same results... other than battery life, none of us could tell who had the i5 machine and the i7. Both computers were equipped with the SSD and no one was allowed to check system profiler. i5 got 7 to 8 hours. i7 was 6 to 7 hours... closer to 7.

There's no point to this thread anymore. Enjoy whatever computer you have. I just wanted to share my experience but apparently that is not what people want to hear.
 
I think your experience was useful. I may be returning my i7 if i'm not happy with the battery life. But i think what it comes down to is what environment you are going to be using your MBP in the most and do you require it to have a long battery life, ex. are you going to be using it somewhere you don't have a power outlet? in my case i will 75-80% of the time have a power outlet, and for the rest of the time i'm sure the mbp battery will do me well.
 
saniko said:
All,

You probably already know this, but it seems like the Macbook Pro i5 is a better computer than the i7 for many users. They both have large performance gains over the Core2Duos, but the battery life of the i5 is significantly better in real world use.

I purchased an i7 and my friend purchased an i5 15" Macbook Pro. We both have the hi-res antiglare screen and we do the same type of work... web design with Dreamweaver/Fireworks CS4. We don't run any background apps except for quicksilver. We also both use 160gb Intel SSDs.

In the two weeks that we've had the machines, we've consistently noted that the i7 machine is warmer and that battery life is lower (by 30 to 40 minutes). We even switched machines using a blind test methodology to see if our usage was any different. Whatever the performance gain is with the i7, we could not perceive it in terms of our use. The battery loss was very noticeable... it was the easiest way either of us could tell who had the i7.

I'm a performance freak. Despite what the benchmarks tell me, I can't see the benefits of the i7. Unless we were gamers, I don't think we'd notice the difference in graphics memory.

To make a long story short, I've put my i7 on eBay and got myself the base i5 model. It has only been two days, but the battery life difference is clear.

Hope this helps anyone sitting on the fence. It could save you some cash.
Click to expand...
How much memory do each of you run in your new MBP's ?

How warm does the i7 get?

If you were to compare it to the i5 temps?

Thanks... :)
 
Honestly, I couldn't notice much of a temperature difference now. Back when I thought the i7 was hotter, I think it was mainly because I was pissed off about the battery life. I have the i5 now, and I think it gets just as hot.

We both have 4GB in our Macbook Pros. I used to have 8GB of memory in my old X201s, but I don't seem to get any performance benefits beyond 4GB.

Sorry! Like my performance evaluation, my temperature evaluation is more by "feel" than by benchmarks. I think the "feel" would be different for different people.
 
Penn Jennings said:
Paying hundreds of dollars now for more for performance that you don't need now is not "future proofing". There is always a very high premium to paid to move from the middle of the performance curve to the high performance side of the curve, especially in regards to CPU.

If you convert this into a math problem, at retail prices, you are paying $550 a year for the i7 over 4 years. That amount will let you replace the i5 after 3 years and about month. NO ONE know what the future requirements will be because no one can predict the technology beyond about 12 to 18 months. Future Proofing out 3 to 4 years seems very unrealistic.

If you just want the i7 and money is no object, great, get it. If you need it get, get it. But calling it "future proofing" just seems wrong.

PS. If money IS an object and you plan on trying to keep the MBP for 4 years, it might make more sense to get the i5 and upgrade the HD AND the memory in a year or 2. I'd be willing to wager that in 2 years you can add a very fast 1TB HD and another 4 GB of memory to the i5 for the cost of the i7 today and the i5 will out perform the i7 in general.
Click to expand...
Well said, excellent points... :)
 
a4209797 said:
i see you have a i7 in your sig, how is your batt life? or is that i7 in the mail?
Click to expand...
I'm composing this post on it now. I've had it two weeks and could not be happier. I do 3D Aerospace Design using a proprietary app that takes a huge amount of resources. If not for that I would have chosen an i5.

When I really push this one hard, it gets quite warm but _not_ hot. It's very fast compared to my mid 2009 MBP with the same basic config other than the processor and obvious things. I plan to install an SSD soon, as I have been using them in my ThinkPads and my mid 09 MBP, and find them a good solution for me. However unless you really need the speed of an SSD I would advise against it until the technology matures a bit. Garbage (TRIM) cleanup is not the best yet even on the high end models like I use, and prices will plumet in the upcoming few months. That's my take on it anyway.

edit: Oops, forgot to answer your question on battery life. I don't really use the battery for long periods, about 2 hours is all I need. The rest of the time I'm around an a/c outlet so battery life is something that I just ignore. Sorry I could not give you useful information on that.

Cheers...
 
saniko said:
Honestly, I couldn't notice much of a temperature difference now. Back when I thought the i7 was hotter, I think it was mainly because I was pissed off about the battery life. I have the i5 now, and I think it gets just as hot.

We both have 4GB in our Macbook Pros. I used to have 8GB of memory in my old X201s, but I don't seem to get any performance benefits beyond 4GB.

Sorry! Like my performance evaluation, my temperature evaluation is more by "feel" than by benchmarks. I think the "feel" would be different for different people.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your response, that was good info.

Cheers...
 
Yup, those are great points. Before I sold the i7, I had to replace the 500gb drive and use the restore discs.

The i5 + SSD absolutely destroys the i7 with 500gb hard drive. For those of you who want to maximize performance RIGHT now, an SSD is a must. I've had my Intel G2 160GB for around a year now, and it is the single biggest performance boost to any computer I purchase. In fact, I'm sure my 17inch Core2Duo Macbook Pro would have run circles aroung the i7 when equipped with an SSD.

There's a lot of things coming that may change the landscape in the near future:
- Improved screen tech like the Pixel Qi displays
- Improved battery tech like silicon nanowires
- Continual improvements to SSDs that make them cheaper and faster
- Possibility that Apple might dump Intel altogether for an ARM based technology
- More touch, less type
- Hell, Apple may even adopt Blu Ray at some point and no one would want your "superdrive"

I work for a man who once said "640K ought to be enough for anybody". Buying expensive tech for the purpose of future proofing is just crazy.

I originally bought my i7 for bragging rights. I consider that a sane reason ;)
 
saniko said:
i7 sold at higher than what I paid for it. Didn't need eBay; just used craigslist. I love Apple products! I put it out there for $2100... the buyer saves $250+ because I had the antiglare, hi-res display. I kept my SSD and put back the 500GB hard drive. It's so easy to resell these products. We both got a good deal. I'll use the profit for Applecare.
Click to expand...

Glad Craigslist worked for you. Can you post the link to your ad please?
 
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