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I ordered a i7 model an received it today. If you're interested, here you can find my experience. Seems to me that the i7 will be the better choice. The 400MHz more in base-clock will be noticeable when plugged to an external monitor. Also it will be noticeable in the overall response of the system if you worked on a i5 model before.

I will have a look to it this weekend, but it seems to me that I will stay with the i7 model. ;)

cu
SchodMC

Good choice! :D
 
Here are some numbers from photoshop and cinebench tests - The 2013 is about the same speed as the 2012 in some tests and in some cases slightly slower than the 2011 model!

GpDNpWA.png


fk0RED2.png


The bottom line is the 2013 isn't really a jump in CPU power but a big jump in battery power. You might not notice much if you upgrade from a 2012, so don't be disappointed. If you need a jump in speed and you are coming from a 2011 or 2012 Air, make sure you get the i7.
 
But I had them side by side while setting everything up and was switching between them. While the new i7 is faster than the 2011 i5, it certainly wasn't anything to say "Wow!" about. The overall "feel" was very similar. Using everyday stuff like mail, safari, starting programs, etc. I honestly didn't notice much if any difference.
[...] I used it to replace a 2013 MBA 11 i5/4/256 machine from Best Buy and even in basic web browsing, the reduction in lag is significant. [...] The i5 let me know I'm working with a slower machine whilst the i7 feels just as snappy as my rMBP when browsing.

As I already told in the other thread, I realized a difference when plugged to an external monitor - which can also be a sign that something was wrong with the i5. But what I forgot to say: like magbarn I also noticed a snappier browsing experience.

Meanwhile I wonder what's going on. Am I to fussy about smoothness? Has my i5 a performance-problem - something strange went wrong inside the hardware? Or do I have a special Apple marketing-version of the i5 that leads the user to get an i7 upgrade? :p

Really don't know. :confused:

cu
SchodMC
 
l really don't know either. I used my 2011 13" i5 MBA perhaps 90% of the time plugged into an old 23" Apple Cinema Display at 1920x1200 resolution. Am using the 2013 11" mba with the same monitor right now, and I don't notice any real difference in the overall feeling as I type this in Safari.

That being said, I wanted the best configuration available and am glad I got the i7. If nothing else, I would always have wondered if I was missing something if I'd gotten the i5. ;)
 
Here are some numbers from photoshop and cinebench tests - The 2013 is about the same speed as the 2012 in some tests and in some cases slightly slower than the 2011 model!

Image

Image

The bottom line is the 2013 isn't really a jump in CPU power but a big jump in battery power. You might not notice much if you upgrade from a 2012, so don't be disappointed. If you need a jump in speed and you are coming from a 2011 or 2012 Air, make sure you get the i7.

If you need the jump in speed, buy a 15" Pro
 
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