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Any real noticable difference between the 2.26 and 2.53?

tardman91

tardman91

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 21, 2009
1,170
398
Tampa Area, FL
Like the title says, is there any really noticable performance difference between the 2.26 and 2.53 processors? I think I'm getting the 2.26 and going to bump it up to 4g of RAM. Should the machines be pretty comparable then? The most intensive thing I'll probably be doing would be creating the occasional movie in iMovie and editing photos. I know I can bump up the RAM for about ~$70 or so, and I'm not too concerned about the smaller drive. I can upgrade that eventually if it doesn't meet my needs. I just can't see spending an extrax $300 right now for the slightly faster procesor, unless it's really worth it. Thoughts?
 
It's just 270MHz (~11%) so it's not really worth it. Rendering time in iMovie would be few seconds faster but for 300$ it's not worth it
 
Hellhammer said:
It's just 270MHz (~11%) so it's not really worth it. Rendering time in iMovie would be few seconds faster but for 300$ it's not worth it
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Well, you get the RAM, worth around 100, and the HD, worth around 50. If you don't like upgrading things yourself, get the 2.53. Otherwise, there's almost no difference.
 
I bought the 2.26 and plan on upgrading myself for about $140 total to match the 2.53. I can live with a 2.26 GHz processor for now..
 
I agree, the actual gain from the CPU speed bumps will not be that noticeable.
 
I just bought a 2.26, and it's plenty snappy. The processor difference is not something you would notice in day to day use, but it is something that would make a small difference in CPU intensive tasks (e.g., rendering).

Like you, I plan on upgrading to 4GB RAM and a bigger HDD if I find myself wanting the space. But the speed difference is insignificant. :)
 
Hello - I'm thinking of getting a 2.26 MBP as well. I notice you will buy the RAM and do this yourself. I was also planning to upgrade mine to 4GB - but I'm not really someone who is techy. Would it be expensive to get someone to do it? Would upgrading the RAM void any warranty?

What about upgrading the Hardrive? Would that void any warranty? I was at John Lewis today (I'm in the UK) and I was about to buy the MBP today but they said that if the RAM or hardrive is upgraded,t he warranty is void. Fine, but would the Apple warranty be?
 
TorontoSS said:
Hello - I'm thinking of getting a 2.26 MBP as well. I notice you will buy the RAM and do this yourself. I was also planning to upgrade mine to 4GB - but I'm not really someone who is techy. Would it be expensive to get someone to do it? Would upgrading the RAM void any warranty?

What about upgrading the Hardrive? Would that void any warranty? I was at John Lewis today (I'm in the UK) and I was about to buy the MBP today but they said that if the RAM or hardrive is upgraded,t he warranty is void. Fine, but would the Apple warranty be?
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The Apple warranty will not be void by installing an HD, or RAM. Heck, you can just put your old parts back in, and John Lewis won't be able to tell. (I have no clue what/who John Lewis is:p)
It's really not that hard, all you need to know is how to unscrew things, and pulling and pushing a few sticks of RAM.
 
TorontoSS said:
Hello - I'm thinking of getting a 2.26 MBP as well. I notice you will buy the RAM and do this yourself. I was also planning to upgrade mine to 4GB - but I'm not really someone who is techy. Would it be expensive to get someone to do it? Would upgrading the RAM void any warranty?

What about upgrading the Hardrive? Would that void any warranty? I was at John Lewis today (I'm in the UK) and I was about to buy the MBP today but they said that if the RAM or hardrive is upgraded,t he warranty is void. Fine, but would the Apple warranty be?
Click to expand...

It won't void Apple's warranty. Those are considered "user replaceable" parts. There's actually instructions on how to do it in the Macbook manual. You can do it yourself as long as you can use a screwdriver.
 
Thanks guys. I'm pretty much into computers and gadgets but I'm such a typical girl when it comes to having to do this stuff that I'm a bit afraid of messing it up. Well I think RAM seems simple enough - not sure if I can install the HD. I bought a refurb and decided I can upgrade these things cheaply.

And John Lewis is a retailer - not a person. Although I'm sure there are many people named John Lewis...they weren't offering warranties though...
 
The price vs. spec differences between the 2.26 and the 2.53 is such that it does make it difficult to justify the expense. I typically go with the well known idea of getting the fastest computer your budget will allow and since you'll not be able to increase the speed after the sale, it may make sense.

If it were me, I'd probably get the 2.53, because I'd have a larger hd, faster processor and more memory so its basically ready to be used out of the box, but that's just me.

Another thing to keep in mind, is the price difference after you upgrade the computer, for instance, you mentioned 70 bucks for the memory, and add another 70 to 100 bucks for a larger HD. That brings the price difference to about 130 to 160. Is it worth spending 160 - 130 to get a 2.53 processor?
 
Buy the 2.26, add 4GB of RAM (~$60-70), a 500GB HD (~$80-90) and Apple Care.

Also don't forget you paying more tax on the 2.53
 
cababah said:
I have a 2.53 and my girlfriend has a 2.2 and mine always seems a little bit snappier. That could be attributed to the RAM though...
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I am almost positive the RAM is the key. 4GB on the 2.26 is better than 2GB on a 2.53 if it comes down to that.
 
harperjones99 said:
I am almost positive the RAM is the key. 4GB on the 2.26 is better than 2GB on a 2.53 if it comes down to that.
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You can't do 2GB on the 2.53...comes default with 4GB.

I do agree though that a 2.26 with 4GB RAM vs 2.53 with 4GB RAM would pretty much be dead even in most everyday tasks.
 
cababah said:
You can't do 2GB on the 2.53...comes default with 4GB.

I do agree though that a 2.26 with 4GB RAM vs 2.53 with 4GB RAM would pretty much be dead even in most everyday tasks.
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Ah...I guess the 2.53 has a bigger stock HD too. In that case personally I'd pay the 130usd more for all those differences...tiny bit faster, more RAM and bigger HD. But without using it right next to the 2.26 with only 2GB I wouldn't know any different with my average use. A lot of that stuff is mental. It "feels" better to have more.

Eta: I am a non reading guy today. I read the post mentioning 130usd for the upgrades...I would pay that but not 300. I feel sorry for the Brit girl too...Apple prices are high enough in the US but EU prices are just stupid. I paid 2200usd for a 1700usd laptop since I had to have it now instead of in several months when I will go home. That's 500usd that could have bought a lot more machine. Would have cost just as much to ship from the US too after VAT etc. European pricing on everything sucks.
 
$300 to upgrade the HD/RAM is ridiculous to me.

Both processors cost the same from Intel (marketing ploy), and you can purchase 4GB RAM for $65. Use the rest for an SSD and you are good to go!
 
mrsir2009 said:
A SSD is a pretty good upgrade. It makes your Mac a lot faster...
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Not for everyone though. The price is still too high for people like me without money to blow for the amount of small space you get. My stock HDD does the job just great.

Some people need more space, some people want the snappier performance.

Those with tons of cash can have both ;)
 
cababah said:
Not for everyone though. The price is still too high for people like me without money to blow for the amount of small space you get. My stock HDD does the job just great.

Some people need more space, some people want the snappier performance.

Those with tons of cash can have both ;)
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Maybe issues will creep up with them in the future but for me the currently perceived reliability is what is so attractive. Spinning hard drives have an unacceptably high failure rate to make me feel secure. I don't want to have to fear bumps and sudden "stoppages" of moving parts anymore.
 
harperjones99 said:
Maybe issues will creep up with them in the future but for me the currently perceived reliability is what is so attractive. Spinning hard drives have an unacceptably high failure rate to make me feel secure. I don't want to have to fear bumps and sudden "stoppages" of moving parts anymore.
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I understand what you mean. In my history of owning various computers and hard drive storage devices (spinning) I have never encountered a failure. Who doesn't back up their data these days anyway? Whether it is a HDD or SSD, nothing is guaranteed hence the value of Time Machine.
 
cababah said:
I understand what you mean. In my history of owning various computers and hard drive storage devices (spinning) I have never encountered a failure. Who doesn't back up their data these days anyway? Whether it is a HDD or SSD, nothing is guaranteed hence the value of Time Machine.
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Well of course those things always happen between backups or when you are in a bad spot.

I bought a Time Machine but it was dead and because the reseller is being a **** getting it replaced is not happening. They want me to send a brand new dead item to service for 2-4 weeks. Apple doesn't care either. They said it's not their problem basically and talk to the reseller. I get their point and I tried to get a refund but the shop refused. Apple made the defective DOA product so I thought they would TRY to help but I got nothing but attitude and comments like "every item is fully checked and working perfectly when it leaves the factory"...nonsense. Everyone is passing the buck. It has put a serious ding in my confidence in a product I WANT to love. Between this and the screen flicker I am realizing all laptops/hds etc from all brands have such a ridiculous problem rate I don't feel confident in them. My family has a 30yo TV that works great with no service ever...I have never owned a computer or HD that hasn't had some issue.
 
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