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Buying a i5 or a i7 macbook pro

M

Metraon

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 29, 2010
5
0
Hello folks !

I would like some advice for my new macbook pro. I decided to pick a 15'' laptop but i got some things in my mind that is making me hesitate.

http://barefeats.com/mbpp20.html

http://barefeats.com/mbpp21.html

http://barefeats.com/mbpp22.html

First I'd like to say that this will be a laptop for taking notes and do some school work. I like to play video games also. (WoW, StarCraft 2, Steam, The Old Republic)

As far as i read on the forums and the reviews...I should go in the Mid i5...as the bencmarks seems to show...There seem to have a litttle difference between the i7 and the i5...

BUT...if i spend a little more...this laptop will last longer and will be more conveniant...

So what should i do...I5 or I7 :confused:
 
I honestly don't see why the 2.53 exist. 2.4 vs 2.53 is not much.
I had a 2.2Ghz MacBook Pro (C2D) and a friend of mine have a 2.4GHz, which costed 300 more,
they are virtually identical in terms of performance, even at gaming on native res and the 2.4GHz have twice the VRAM
 
buy the most you can afford. if money was not an issue everyone would put the i7 in the mbp.
 
To me, I think the $200 could be better spent elsewhere. $200 for 9%? Maybe look at SSD or something to spend your $200. SSD may not be for gaming enhancements, but certainly the other things you do on your mac.
 
ncc1701d said:
To me, I think the $200 could be better spent elsewhere. $200 for 9%? Maybe look at SSD or something to spend your $200. SSD may not be for gaming enhancements, but certainly the other things you do on your mac.
Click to expand...

The i7 is overkill. I have the 17" i5 and its plenty fast and quiet. The i7 is more for hardcore program users and people that have money to blow for "status".......like my friend. He is a one upper.
 
Metraon said:
Hello folks !

I would like some advice for my new macbook pro. I decided to pick a 15'' laptop but i got some things in my mind that is making me hesitate.

http://barefeats.com/mbpp20.html

http://barefeats.com/mbpp21.html

http://barefeats.com/mbpp22.html

First I'd like to say that this will be a laptop for taking notes and do some school work. I like to play video games also. (WoW, StarCraft 2, Steam, The Old Republic)

As far as i read on the forums and the reviews...I should go in the Mid i5...as the bencmarks seems to show...There seem to have a litttle difference between the i7 and the i5...

BUT...if i spend a little more...this laptop will last longer and will be more conveniant...

So what should i do...I5 or I7 :confused:
Click to expand...

I've put this video together for this exact question :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0-l37pgqa0

hope it helps!
 
I had originally bought a 17" i5 glossy but decided I'd rather have the anti-glare screen. When I took it back I could only buy the anti-glare with the i7. Since I did not want to order it online I decided to go ahead and upgrade to the to the i7. No regrets. It's a blazing fast machine.
 
The last details that I am worried about...this laptop will be mainly for school...Does the i7 use more power than the i5...I have read a lot of reviews and its like 50 50...

I just dont want a poor battery life
 
I decided to buy the i5. Thanks to all who took the time to respond. :):)
 
Metraon said:
I decided to buy the i5. Thanks to all who took the time to respond. :):)
Click to expand...

care to comment on how it is for gaming? i have the same dilemma as you and am planning on playing pretty much the same games as you, adding diablo III to that list when it comes out. How has it been for you so far? did u get the high-res screen? any problems with that and the 256mb vram? does the 256mb vram still look good or does it mess up? thanks!
 
Buy an i5 its plenty powerful enough to go about your daily tasks and as others have mentioned you could spend the saved cash for better things like SSDs Cases/Sleeve/Bag, accessories and such. (btw I have the i7 if that gives you a better view, yes spec wise its a difference but with the tasks your using these difference do not account for much)
 
2high2aim said:
Buy an i5 its plenty powerful enough to go about your daily tasks and as others have mentioned you could spend the saved cash for better things like SSDs Cases/Sleeve/Bag, accessories and such. (btw I have the i7 if that gives you a better view, yes spec wise its a difference but with the tasks your using these difference do not account for much)
Click to expand...

i know that for every task im doing the i5 is more than enough except for gaming, im not a hardcore gamer but i like to game occasionally like blizzard games and stuff...i dont want to have to buy another desktop or something for my gaming needs...i also plan on getting high res...what impact will that have in the gaming aspect?
 
Go for either the low end i5 or the i7. Skip the mid-range; there's little difference between 2.4 and 2.53. Use the cash you save to buy a larger HDD.

Although you probably won't notice a difference between the i5 and i7 unless you're doing something that's quantifiable. In which case it boils down to whether you want 256 or 512 MB of VRAM.

I really wish Apple offered 512MB of VRAM on the midrange i5, that would do a little more to differentiate it from the entry level i5.
 
Wehrwolf said:
Go for either the low end i5 or the i7. Skip the mid-range; there's little difference between 2.4 and 2.53. Use the cash you save to buy a larger HDD.

Although you probably won't notice a difference between the i5 and i7 unless you're doing something that's quantifiable. In which case it boils down to whether you want 256 or 512 MB of VRAM.

I really wish Apple offered 512MB of VRAM on the midrange i5, that would do a little more to differentiate it from the entry level i5.
Click to expand...
Or just have two i5 models, and have the i7 processor as a BTO configuration like it is with the 17".
 
I've just got a 15" Core i7 standard res MBP over a BTO hi-res due to the long wait (3 - 4 weeks), but I kinda regretted my decision. Now that I have found a potential buyer for my i7, I'm not sure if I should upgrade to a 17" Core i5 (if it should be called an upgrade at all), I'll gain an additional USB, ExpressCard slot, and an HD screen, but I'll lose out in terms of processing speed. Going on a 17" Core i7 will also need to wait for 3 - 4 weeks... :confused:
 
i already know to get the i5 low end or the i7....its just i dunno which amount of video ram i need!!! for gaming with the high res! :( so frustrating
 
After a month I am very satisfied. It is flawless for gaming and everyday business. For the battery, the lifetime is really good.
 
I kinda wish I had made the same decision. I just got the 15" with the i7 2 weeks ago and have realized I do not need it at all. Should've gotten the i5 with hi-res. But then again, the grass is always greener...
In the end, there is no reason I should be/am upset I have an i7. This thing is sweet.
 
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