Hard choice ...new macbook pro

[sally20]

Hello

im looking to buy my first apple laptop ( MBP 15 ) but there is few things i don't understand

First: what the diference between Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7?


Second: hard drive options:

# 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
# 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $50.00]
# 128GB Solid State Drive [Add $200.00]
# 256GB Solid State Drive [Add $650.00]
# 512GB Solid State Drive [Add $1,300.00]


whats the pros and cons of each option?


i really wanna order my laptop but cant really figure out

Thank you,

 

[btrav13]

I went with the i7 as it's a faster processor. Plus, I wanted this purchase to last for years, so for a couple hundred extra dollars, I felt it was worth the investment. I went with the stock HDD that came on the machine after reading on here that Apple's SSD were not very good.

 

[Ronnoco]

Basically, the i7 is about 10-12% faster than the i5 in CPU intensive applications (video editing, some photoshop editing, more serious gaming etc.)...depending on your use, you could see an even bigger difference in the speed of the computer by upgrading to a bigger/faster HD (say from a 320GB 5400rpm drive to a 500GB 7200 rpm drive or for even more speed in many applications upgrading to an SSD)...memory is important as well...for instance, 8 GB will help speed many programs up faster than say 4 GB...
For most users, the base i5 with a 320GB or 500GB HD and 4 GB memory is plenty fast for 95% of what they do (email, web surfing, watching HD video, some game playing at medium settings, basic video editing and photoshop)...if you are a SERIOUS game player, you may opt for the i7 with 8GB memory and an SSD, but you'd seriously be better of with a gaming PC at that point...
Both the i5 and i7 share Intel's new "Hyper Threading" and "Turbo Boost" technology and the same Dual GPU setup (the i7 has double the VRAM) and both are fine choices for most users, with the i7 being more aimed at "power users" than the i5...

 

[angemon89]

What is it that you'll be using the computer for? For most, the base option is fine and plenty fast.

 

[ooo]

I was in the same boat. I was trying to figure out whether I should get an i5 or an i7 / if I should get the SSD or not.

I ended up going with the base model i5 because I didn't think $400 was worth it to go from i5 => i7, seeing as I didn't do intensive gaming or video editing. I do photo editing occasionally and my c2d 2.0ghz has been sufficient so I figured an i5 @ 2.4ghz would be more than enough. I ended up using the money saved to purchase a X25-M SSD from Newegg. I felt the base model + ssd would give me the largest performance boost for a reasonable price.

 

[deus ex machina]

What are planning for your Macbook?

Macbooks are not designed for serious gaming, very few (arguably none) are truly meant for such a purpose long term.

The i7 yields only modest returns on its investment with the exception of a few programs. Video conversion would be one.

If you or a close friend are particularly handy with laptops, purchasing a third party hard drive would save you money, allowing for a better unit (500GB 7200rpm or an ssd for speed, or a 1tb unit for size.... which was my selection).

Many people feel that the hi-res screen is an important option. It is not expensive, yields a bit more working area, an adds to future resale value.

 

[apple.gr]

The i5 are 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz with turboboost up to 3.06. The i7 is 2.66GHz and with turbo up to 3.33. Both are dual cores with 4 threads.

If you want to upgrade the HDD go with the 7200rpm as its faster than the base HDD. SSD are obviously better but the are too expensive! Do the upgrade to 7200 as it is a Seagate (very good HDD) and after a year or two buy an SSD and you have the 500Gb as an external for backup.

 

[Kavier]

I was trying to decide b/t the i5 and i7 as well. I went with the i5 because the i7 was overkill for me. I also got the 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm. It's very quiet and pretty fast. I'd love an SSD someday, but I need a lot of storage, and I just cant justify the high price for the 512 GB SSD.

I am very happy with the laptop. It's amazingly fast, and I have not had any issues.