dual or quad core ?

[djeeke]

Hi,

Looking at purchasing a new MaBook Pro...
Doing lots a of graphic work, RAM and CPU power are of some importance...
(currently using Inkscape/GIMP on Linux so Mac is a new story to me)

My budget limit is being hit by :
13 inch Retina/16Gig Ram/256 GB PCIe-flash/3,0-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
and
15 inch Retina/16Gig Ram/256 GB PCIe-flash/2,2-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7

I am really tempted by the quad-core, even though it's only a 2.2GHz, how does it compare in processing power to the dual-core?

Thanks a lot for helping out a newbie...

 

[maflynn]

I'd go with the quad core, you also get a larger display and a better GPU. Given your usage, I think the quad core will be more beneficial and you'll probably not notice the clock rate as much.

 

[yjchua95]

Hi,

Looking at purchasing a new MaBook Pro...
Doing lots a of graphic work, RAM and CPU power are of some importance...
(currently using Inkscape/GIMP on Linux so Mac is a new story to me)

My budget limit is being hit by :
13 inch Retina/16Gig Ram/256 GB PCIe-flash/3,0-GHz dual-core Intel Core i7
and
15 inch Retina/16Gig Ram/256 GB PCIe-flash/2,2-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7

I am really tempted by the quad-core, even though it's only a 2.2GHz, how does it compare in processing power to the dual-core?

Thanks a lot for helping out a newbie...

The quad core is almost twice as powerful.

This is because in single core tasks, it can turbo to way higher freqs than the dual core can.

Besides, the quad core has 8 threads.

 

[djeeke]

quad seems to be the answer

I'd go with the quad core, you also get a larger display and a better GPU. Given your usage, I think the quad core will be more beneficial and you'll probably not notice the clock rate as much.

Hey Mike !
Thanks for the feedback, in the mean time I also gave apple a call asking the same question...
They gave me the same answer, quad core is better cpu...

So yes the quad core 15 inch seems the way to go, especially since budgets are similar ! Bigger screen so slightly heavier and a little less battery time (but it should still be plenty for me)...

----------

The quad core is almost twice as powerful.

This is because in single core tasks, it can turbo to way higher freqs than the dual core can.

Besides, the quad core has 8 threads.

Yup yjchua, quad is way more powerful, they do seem to turbo to about same freq (3.5G and 3.4G) but with all these threads the quad core is the winner !

thx

 

[Meister]

For what you are doing both will work fine, but the 15" offers more screen estate.

 

[djeeke]

For what you are doing both will work fine, but the 15" offers more screen estate.

Exactly Meister...
And as the purchase price is equal the 15 inch will be ordered soon...

 

[Woochoo]

Exactly Meister...
And as the purchase price is equal the 15 inch will be ordered soon...

I think you took the right decision. The only benefit of the 13" over 15", costing the same price, is portability. With the 15" you get the double of CPU performance, bigger screen to work with and a much better GPU to drive external 4K displays.

 

[djeeke]

I think you took the right decision. The only benefit of the 13" over 15", costing the same price, is portability. With the 15" you get the double of CPU performance, bigger screen to work with and a much better GPU to drive external 4K displays.

Thx Woochoo ! I'm used to carrying a 15 inch laptop anyways so no surprises there !!!