Purchase help: Top MBP 15 vs Bottom MBP and iMac

[dragonbong]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to get a take on this. I recently sold my Macbook and still have a 2.66ghz iMac at home. I was going to pull the trigger on a new shiny MBP than I started doing some checking the the 330M I wish it were a better card.

So I got the idea to sell my iMac as well and get the iMac i7 and a low end MBP 13.

Now this is what I would use it for. I need a portable for presentations, I do light photoshop and web work, entering into video FCP etc. I also bootcamp for bits of gaming (L4D, Dragon Age) and eyeing SC2 later on.

With this in mind there are 3 issues.
1:
iMac's Radeon 4850: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/video_lookup.php?cpu=Radeon+HD+4850
vs
MBP Nvida 330m: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/video_lookup.php?cpu=GeForce+GT+330M

2:
the iMac Screen issues (yellowing)

and

3:
the cost will be about $300 more so $900 MBP only vs $1200 iMac and low end MBP.
I would like to save some money but damm only $300 more... aargghh


Any nuggets of wisdom?

 

[jayjayflashjay]

I think your idea is sound. Personally, I think you are getting the best of both worlds for little money. Especially given the gap between desktops and notebooks. Although chips have closed the gap desktops are still more powerful.

Go with the better graphics card. Always the better choice and even more now given open cl technology becomes more available.

Sounds like a win win to me.

 

[dragonbong]

I begin thinking about the number of hours I spent in front of my laptop vs the desktop and the laptop wins out.... If I do render anything it just walk away from the desktop. Anyone have an idea how the 330M would run SC2?

 

[WonkyPanda]

I begin thinking about the number of hours I spent in front of my laptop vs the desktop and the laptop wins out.... If I do render anything it just walk away from the desktop. Anyone have an idea how the 330M would run SC2?

My 9400m in my 2.4ghz C2D with 2gb of ram runs SC2 in bootcamp with all medium settings and 1280x800. Runs great, but I can't give you a solid FPS. Maybe mid 30's? So, the GT 330M should have ZERO problems.

 

[dragonbong]

Jealous of your beta key!!! Hmm the MBP seems to be getting better looking now.