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HEAT: i5 vs. i7
- Thread starter KohPhiPhi
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There is negligible difference, if any, between the two. Heat is far more affected by what you have running than by the model of the processor.
Ummm yeah. All things equal with an i5 and i7 running the same process the i7 will probably run hotter. It's running at a higher frequency so it's going to make a little more heat. It's probably still negligible though.
While that's true, our 2011 i5 runs noticeably cooler than our 2011 i7. Meaning cooler on the top in the keyboard area and on the bottom too.
Fans definitely kick in faster on the i7. As far as performance is concerned in average day to day use you can not tell the difference in speed. Battery life seems a little better on the i5 but I haven't timed it.
In the case of the 2011s the difference is not negligible. I'm wondering how the 2012s stack up. No definitive reviews out there answering these questions yet that I can find.
I love this. "Noticeably cooler"? I will assume you haven't actually measured the temperatures, so you are saying that to the touch, two computers running the same stuff, one i7 and one i5, a mere mortal is actually going to notice the heat difference???
Ok.
At least the poster has both models in house, side-by-side. While "noticeably cooler" is subjective, prolonged experience with both models in similar conditions is something very few people have.I love this. "Noticeably cooler"? I will assume you haven't actually measured the temperatures, so you are saying that to the touch, two computers running the same stuff, one i7 and one i5, a mere mortal is actually going to notice the heat difference???
Ok.
I've never seen a benchmark. However, I have seen several owners make comments similar to entatlrg's.
I agree, but for it to be "noticeably cooler", we gotta be talking several degrees, 5-10, not just 2-3. And in all the benchmarks for these type of processors, There hasn't been that big of a spread. These posts only serve to feed the paranoia that i7 processors are heat busting fireballs that could explode at any moment. It's gone from sad to silly.
Wow, nice spin there, sure add some drama.
No one is saying that or implying that. The poster asked a question, I answered it based on my experience.
So you don't have any specific temps? Just a "feel" for it? Perhaps you could run some tests with iStat Pro to compare?
We went through all this last July. If you search this forum for our posts back then and by 'Mac Expert' and 'Mac n Cheesy' it was discussed at length, all along with iStat temps, some said 2 degree's, others 5, add in opinions, counter opinions and on and on. Lot's of reference material there.
That was with the 2011 models, I'm curious to how the 2012 models compare, from a user's experience point of view.
I don't have have just two Air's ... more like 7 or 8 and soon to be a few new 2012's ordered as well. (I buy them for my staff). In reality they're all great machines, thankfully zero problems so far. I've been buying them since their release at $3,000 a pop. I regularly use both a 13 and 11".
If you know the machines and have experience with a bunch you'll also know there's a lot more to it than iStat Pro temps. (Yes, I have it installed.)
If I wanted a balanced machine, suited for the work I do everyday, which includes a few processor intensive tasks, keeping in mind I wanted a cool and quiet machine I'd choose the following:
In 11" the i5 version for sure, with 8gb ram. Reason being in my experience it's super small form factor makes it harder to dissipate heat. The i7 11" runs noticeably hotter on top and bottom and it takes nothing to spin up the fans. The i5 is cooler and quieter. Exactly how many degree's cooler? I don't care. It's enough of difference to notice, so I prefer the i5.
With the 13" it's a tougher call. The fans aren't as anxious to spin up as either processor in the 11" and while you can get the 13" hot doing intensive tasks it's never as uncomfortably hot as the 11" seems.
For doing average work there's no need to go i7 in the 13" I don't think, even if it's just a little cooler, the battery only a little longer lasting, and the fans only heard a little less, it's still enough to notice. Keep in mind that's with the 2011's.... I had to explain myself as some were put off I didn't post exact iStat temps.
Anyone else had similar results or otherwise?
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I had the 2011 13" i5 and i7. The fans kicked in sooner doing the same tasks and it felt hotter in the same parts. No scientific analysis, just observations during use.
I've been using my 2012 13'' MBA Ultimate for a full day now.. and heat has NOT been an issue for me at all.
The highest temperature I got to was 87 degrees celsius and that was running a visual novel on Windows 7 via VMWare Fusion 4.
When I'm watching Youtube videos, it ranges 50 - 60 degrees celsius. When I'm doing nothing/web browsing, it's 40 - 45 degrees celsius.
I have not heard the fans yet.
I love my MBA <3
The highest temperature I got to was 87 degrees celsius and that was running a visual novel on Windows 7 via VMWare Fusion 4.
When I'm watching Youtube videos, it ranges 50 - 60 degrees celsius. When I'm doing nothing/web browsing, it's 40 - 45 degrees celsius.
I have not heard the fans yet.
I love my MBA <3
Could I bother you to run the same test on both an i7 and a i5, for example playing the same YouTube HD video for 10 minutes, and then report here their respective temperatures by the end of the video please?
That would be SUPER helpful to have a sound comparison.
Thank you SO much in advance!
great post. appreciate your experience with these machines.
i have a 2010 11" c2d 4/128 and love it. only want to upgrade mostly for a 256 ssd but figure a better processor and more ram would be nice too. for my modest needs office/ilife it's pretty fast -- iphoto is a bit laggy sometimes.
when the 2012s came out, i pulled the trigger on a 11" i7/8/256. it's fan kicked in when/where the 2010 didn't. since i didn't really need the horsepower, more just the disc space, i figured i made a hasty assumption the max = best. not for me in this case. so i'm returning it.
now i'm getting a 13" i5/8/256... will give the bigger size a try.
with rumors of a 13" retina pro coming in oct, i'm wondering if i should just wait...