1st gen Alum MBP to new 17" i7

[Phutchi]

I have been debating on upgrading my MBP and just can't make up my mind. I have a 1st gen aluminum MBP circa 06 (2gb Ram 120gb 5400 HD). It is running great but can be slow at times depending on what I throw at it.

I also have a mac mini that I have been using for all my home day to day use. The mini I would like to re-purpose to a media box on the TV.

What I keep stopping on is the non-user changeable battery and lack of a 1gb graphics option. For a comparable price I can get dual graphics cards, or a little less, a 1gb card and using WinBlowz

So go with a new MBP, get the WinBlowz laptop, or add a 500gb 7400 drive and up to 4gb ram on the old MBP?

Any and all suggestions welcome.

 

[Hellhammer]

Do you need the speed? If so, then a Windows laptops might be the best choice. If not, then upgrading to new MBP sounds the best for me. I'm not sure can your old one handle 4GB and there are other bottlenecks as well. Of course it'll cost more thus getting the most out of your old one ain't bad idea either.

Anyway, the GPU is irrelevant unless you're going to play games, a lot.

 

[Plutonius]

On a PC laptop, is there actually any difference between a 1 GB GPU and a 512 Meg GPU (you are driving a small screen).

 

[Hellhammer]

On a PC laptop, is there actually any difference between a 1 GB GPU and a 512 Meg GPU (you are driving a small screen).

Depends on what GPU. If it's ATI 58xx or other high-end GPU, there might be some in demanding games because the GPU is fast enough to take advantage of that extra VRAM. If it's crappy GPU like most of them are, then it doesn't matter as the GPU cannot take advantage of it thus it's just a marketing trick. Due the low resolution, there will likely be no difference between 512MB and 1024MB, only if you're driving a big external display like 30".