2008 C2D vs 2011 i7 - Worth the upgrade?

[AndyR]

Do you want me to buy you one off Amazon in the US and ship it to you myself? How much could insured shipping cost?

Thanks for the offer man! The last few things I've had from Amazon UK/US deliveried here though I've been stung with crazy amounts of import tax so I probably wont risk it, but thanks anyway.

Arg, I should have seen this and replied to you when I got the chance.
The original model (2.0GHz i7) is better for battery life than the higher end model (2.2GHz i7). If that was a priority, I would have said that the 2.0GHz was the better choice.
It seems many people here are more fixated with higher performance than with battery life.

No probs. I was happy with the 2.0 6490 but then when I thought I was getting the 2.2 6750 I realized I really did want the higher graphics if I could so not sure now.

How much do you think you will sell your current machine for?

Are there speed issues with it? Do you need more power?

I'd try to wait for the next gen, it's not far off.

Looking at the local sales site (trademe) I should be able to get NZ$1200-$1500 for it. Speed issues not so much, its just I've had a lot of problems with it recently and Applecare runs out tomorrow (its actually it for repair now) so once that is sorted I wanted to offload it.

Plus I dont want to buy the latest gen whenever that is out, purley down the cost. Nearly NZ$4000 for the top MBP is a stupid amount of money where the same spec one in the refurb store on the previous gen is $NZ2800. I really could only afford around 2300 hence the original choice, but I think I might be able to go for the 6750 model now.

Plus not knowing how the next gen will go, plus I dont want to be stuck with a laptop with no warranty on it when I might be strapped for cash with a newborn, so I wanted rid of this one and a replacement with 3 years applecare before then. Not fussed for latest and greatest at full price.

 

[AndyR]

Stuff it....

Didn't want to risk losing this one as well as the others. Bit more than I originally planned to spend, but got a higher spec machine than I thought (but secretly wanted), and it should be here a week or so before my current one gets back from repair.

Huge chunk of change, but the last laptop I brought was my current on in 2008 so nearly 4 years ago, so hoping to get just as much time out of this puppy too.

Thanks for the help though guys!

 

[h00ligan]

Enjoy it!

 

[bill-p]

Stuff it....

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Didn't want to risk losing this one as well as the others. Bit more than I originally planned to spend, but got a higher spec machine than I thought (but secretly wanted), and it should be here a week or so before my current one gets back from repair.

Huge chunk of change, but the last laptop I brought was my current on in 2008 so nearly 4 years ago, so hoping to get just as much time out of this puppy too.

Thanks for the help though guys!

I'd say well-spent. You still get full one-year warranty with refurbished units as far as I know.

Also it should fit your needs perfectly. I can't fathom anyone wanting anything even faster except for gaming.

 

[AndyR]

I'd say well-spent. You still get full one-year warranty with refurbished units as far as I know.

Also it should fit your needs perfectly. I can't fathom anyone wanting anything even faster except for gaming.

Thanks. Yeah all my previous macs have been refurbs as always cheaper than buying new from the store and have been fine. Will also get myself Applecare again but not from Apple as its 25% cost of the machine.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[AndyR]

Last update. Despite the Apple shipping it would be here on 8th when I ordered on 1st, it actually turned up at 10am on 2nd!! WHOOP! I time for a long weekend!

Got to running last night, did a Time Machine migration (had some issues getting Migration Assistant connected to my QNAP) and 3hrs later my Mac was back! Loving it so far! Awesome bit of kit!!!

 

[Freyqq]

This is my 5th? 6th? Mac book Pro and the first ever that crashes at all or does anything weird when moving it around while writing. It has never been a problem. Did full video rendering and writing of 5TB files while running across the corridor to the stage to play it, nothing remotely like this has ever happened. So there is probably a design change in this machine.

A 2.5 drive should be able to manage some movement, so might check what drive is in there and perhaps replace it with a WD 1TB.

Got SSD's in most of my 15"s, but for this one space is more important, although I am having my doubts and are looking at 512+ SSD's but considering they go for around $800 I wanna be sure I really need it first. This machine is for simple video editing and VJ'ing which needs a second source SSD not the system drive to play video from.

I think the drive is not the problem but the setting on the drop / G sensor that puts the drive in park. Unless it is part of the drive off course.

Photoshop is doing fine, files are only 120MB max so far, editing backgrounds for the coolest new chat called Worlize (www.worlize.com).

i move mine around and the drive parks due to the SMS, but i don't get any crashes. That's with the stock drive. Did you swap out the stock drive for a different one?

 

[chatfan]

This is still with the stock drive, al my other MBP's have upgraded drives. Usually WD 500 or1TB, this one came with a 750GB.

Ordered the superdrive > 2.5 bracket and will put a 256 and a 512 Crucial SSD in, although I did hear the superdrive SATA can get flooded so will probably check first if it can handle the speed.

i move mine around and the drive parks due to the SMS, but i don't get any crashes. That's with the stock drive. Did you swap out the stock drive for a different one?

 

[chatfan]

Little update: put in the OWC data doubler, replaced the hitachi 750GB stock drive with a WD Scorpio black 7200RPM 750GB. Put it in place of the superdrive and use the Crucial 256GB M4 in the 2.5 slot. No more auto parking nonsense and very fast drive. The crucial gets around 265MB write speed and 500MB read speed.

So might be a good upgrade for anyone who needs more space and reliability.
(The OWC set comes with a external housing for the superdrive if you choose the option. Had some trouble with their screw sets but all in all pretty good experience)

 

[calvol]

Yeah, wait for Ivy, will run a lot cooler and have better battery life than Sandy Bridge.

 

[AndyR]

Little update: put in the OWC data doubler, replaced the hitachi 750GB stock drive with a WD Scorpio black 7200RPM 750GB. Put it in place of the superdrive and use the Crucial 256GB M4 in the 2.5 slot. No more auto parking nonsense and very fast drive. The crucial gets around 265MB write speed and 500MB read speed.

So might be a good upgrade for anyone who needs more space and reliability.
(The OWC set comes with a external housing for the superdrive if you choose the option. Had some trouble with their screw sets but all in all pretty good experience)

I did this originally on my 2008 MBP to try and get some extra performance. Yeah it made it way snappier, but I could never get my MBP to sleep correctly once the SSD and Data Doubler were in, plus every so often I'd get the system freezing and have to hard reset. eventually took the SSD and Data Doubler out and the problems went away so I resold it.

Yeah, wait for Ivy, will run a lot cooler and have better battery life than Sandy Bridge.

Thanks, have already brought now as wouldn't have been buying an Ivy Bridge MBP new anyway due to the high buy new costs of Apple, so wanted refurb which I got on the SB. Thx though!

 

[chatfan]

I see, well no problems here, it all works as it should. I do know that having the SSD in the Superdrive slot is trouble. One of my clients has 6 MBP's with this setup, none of them seem to have any problems, but my guess is they have newer revisions then your 2008 MBP.

Mine is the latest 17 inch, it does give you SATA III speeds on the superdrive connection(265mb write, 500mb read), but the minute you put both drives in, with the SSD in the superdrive slot, it is noting but trouble.

I did this originally on my 2008 MBP to try and get some extra performance. Yeah it made it way snappier, but I could never get my MBP to sleep correctly once the SSD and Data Doubler were in, plus every so often I'd get the system freezing and have to hard reset. eventually took the SSD and Data Doubler out and the problems went away so I resold it.



Thanks, have already brought now as wouldn't have been buying an Ivy Bridge MBP new anyway due to the high buy new costs of Apple, so wanted refurb which I got on the SB. Thx though!