Anyone has data about games performances between MBA core2duo vs MBA i7?

[darshie76]

I was looking around but I can't find some good comparison related to game performances between the 2 models.

The MBA 2010 has a Core2Duo + Nvidia GPU; and seems to be very good for games (for how good can be an integrated GPU with shared memory on an ultra laptop of course); while the new model has i5 or i7 with Intel GPU.

I am planning to upgrade to the new i7 model; but only if the performances on games are the same or better than the core2duo model.

I can get under windows a 3dmark2006 score of about 2100; but I do not have relevant comparison for the new MBA, since neither Tom's site nor the laptop site has a side to side comparison (you can find results but they have different AA, different detail level and such, so it is hard to compare).

Does anyone have tried to do a comparison between the 2 models and get some results on the games side; using the same settings on both machines?

 

[Xikum]

Most games are GPU intensive, as opposed to CPU intensive (with the exception being RPG games to an extent). The 320M is actually a really good card and does beat HD3000 in a few benchmarks; but over all the HD3000 is indeed a better graphics processor.

Upgrading from an i5 to an i7 will not affect gaming noticeably whatsoever. Also, if gaming in particularly important to you then you might re-consider your choice to buy an Air. A windows machine, or a 15" MBP with integrated graphics card would be a much better choice if you intend to game a lot.

 

[darshie76]

Most games are GPU intensive, as opposed to CPU intensive (with the exception being RPG games to an extent). The 320M is actually a really good card and does beat HD3000 in a few benchmarks; but over all the HD3000 is indeed a better graphics processor.

Upgrading from an i5 to an i7 will not affect gaming noticeably whatsoever. Also, if gaming in particularly important to you then you might re-consider your choice to buy an Air. A windows machine, or a 15" MBP with integrated graphics card would be a much better choice if you intend to game a lot.

Yeah; saw in other articles that the Nvidia card was much better on some of the benchmarks than the counterpart on intel (at that time was the gma950 if i recall correctly).

Maybe was not clear but I already own a MB Air, but mine is the old one with the intel core2 duo; so my whole problem was if I should upgrade to the new MB Air with the i7 and intel HD3000.

I don't play a lot of games on it; but I have some old games that I run (like oblivion, half life 2, counterstrike and few others) and some recent ones (like starcraft 2), and I don't want to spend money to upgrade if I will get only a fast processor (the i7 is bar none better than the core2 duo) that gives me very little difference in the gaming performances.

Of course for gaming I use my mac pro; but on the go, nothing beats the 11'' Air honestly (MB are too big and heavy, and a laptop pc is out of question since the majority of my workflow requires a mac). Altho unless you buy a MBP I think that all the other MacBooks has the video card that shares memory with the system, so you will never get even close to a system where the card is on pci-e bus and separated memory (that's why I purchased the mac pro).