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i5 vs i7 -> How many got each of them?

Which model did/will you get?

  • 11" i5 1.7 GHz

    Votes: 16 10.4%

  • 11" i7 2.0 GHz

    Votes: 20 13.0%

  • 13" i5 1.8 GHz

    Votes: 60 39.0%

  • 13" i7 2.0 GHz

    Votes: 62 40.3%
  • Total voters
    154
B

Blackened Apple

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 15, 2012
116
0
I'll be ordering my MBA later this week, and I'm still quite undecided on whether to get the i5 or the i7 model. I'm currently leaning towards a 13"/256GB/8GB, with either the i5 or i7 model. I've read Anandtech's review, among others. The difference in performance seems more noticeable than last year, while the battery life is not that different. There are also less reports on it heating up too much than there were last year.

So is the i7 a better purchase now than it was last year? Which model did you end up getting or are thinking about getting?


Cheers
 
I wanted the i7, but by the time you upgrade to it you're spending the same amount as a MBP with a much faster processor and a better video card. I wanted to keep my costs as low as possible so I went with the 13"/i5/1.8ghz and upgraded the memory. I had about 2500 earmarked for a new iMac but since they have yet to update and I needed a new computer for work I decided to take 1500 of that and buy a new MBA and will just save it back up so when the new iMacs finally do come out I can go all out on them.
 
Last edited:
Originally purchased i5, 4gb, 256gb ssd. Swapped it out for an i7, 8gb, 256gb ssd. With the updates apple released battery life difference is minimal. And you can barely tell a difference in heat. This thing runs cooler and quieter than the 2010 MBP it replaced so nothing is an issue for me here.
 
rygamble said:
Wow, huge disparity between 11" and 13" buyers.
Click to expand...

Can't say as I can blame them. The MBA 11 is nearly the same price as the MBA 13 so why not get the bigger display.

Unless you are that space limited the MBA 11 does not make that much sense. Remember, this is just my opinion.
 
Education pricing made the jump from i5 to the i7 only $90 - at the point I was at on spending, another $90 wasn't breaking the bank and I figured a little added zip wasn't a bad thing :)
 
stchman said:
Can't say as I can blame them. The MBA 11 is nearly the same price as the MBA 13 so why not get the bigger display.

Unless you are that space limited the MBA 11 does not make that much sense. Remember, this is just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I got the 13" too, just surprised at the numbers is all.
 
I would get i5, but because B&H had their promotion on the i7, and this was the only one with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, then I got the i7. I would prefer longer battery life than stronger processor, but it depends on your usage.
 
Yep, the 11" only makes sense if you are REALLY space limited... if that's not the case, then the larger screen and longer battery life of the 13" model is the way to go.
 
For me, I really love the portability of the 11" because it doesn't feel much bigger than an iPad with a keyboard.
 
For those of you who purchased are you happy with the battery life on your i7 13 inchers?
I'm ready to click buy but I was wondering how the latest apple update affected your battery life.
Cheers
 
tradman said:
For those of you who purchased are you happy with the battery life on your i7 13 inchers?
I'm ready to click buy but I was wondering how the latest apple update affected your battery life.
Cheers
Click to expand...

Very happy, I easily get 5-6 hours of casual use, 2-3 when running source games. :)
 
I got the 2GHz 11". My battery life has been great and is way faster than my old 3GHz Core 2 Duo Hackintosh. I'm using an external 21.5" 1080 LCD on the miniDP port and a second 20" 1680x1050 LCD on a Displaylink USB->DVI adapter so the small display isn't an issue when doing real work at home. On the go the 11" size is great and it hasn't really gotten particularly hot unless I'm doing a lot of compiling.
 
I am replacing a Core2Due MacBook Air 13.3" 2.13GHz/4GB/256GB (Late 2010) model with a new 2012 11.6" MacBook Air i7/8GB/128GB model.

I wanted the fastest Air, but wanted to go with the smaller screen this time.
 
I like the 11-Inch's small screen. It's cute!
But I'll need a computer that will run Final Cut, Photoshop and Lightroom well, so i7 it is. And 8 GB of RAM. Somebody told me that going with i7 without 8 GB defeats the purpose of i7.
 
1. My MacBook Air is temporary until Apple releases a new iMac.

2. Sure I would to have i7/Top of the Line but I know I don't need it.

3. It was the only Air available on kijiji. LOL
 
According to Anand's review and various benchmarks out there, the performance gain when jumping from the i5 to the i7 is around 10-15%, while the battery life is only around 2-7%. So from a battery life perspective, things are looking good. Can anyone comment on the thermal differences?
 
rygamble said:
Wow, huge disparity between 11" and 13" buyers.
Click to expand...

stchman said:
Can't say as I can blame them. The MBA 11 is nearly the same price as the MBA 13 so why not get the bigger display.

Unless you are that space limited the MBA 11 does not make that much sense. Remember, this is just my opinion.
Click to expand...

I think in 2010 the estimates were that the 11.6" slightly outsold the 13.3". Since the mid-2011 release, and particularly with 2012, the MacBook Air is now a mainstream device, rather than a niche device. Therefore, people who otherwise might have bought a 13.3" MacBook Pro (or 13.3" MacBook) might have purchased a 13.3" MacBook Air instead. Prior to that, Air buyers tended to be those looking for ultraportables.

Significantly, the 11.6" MacBook Air is one of the only mainstream 11" notebooks. Most Ultrabooks are 13" or larger (the Dell XPS 13 is a hybrid, as it has a 16x9 13" screen in a form factor compressed to be only slightly larger than the 11.6" MacBook Air).

I prefer the 11.6" as the MacBook Air is mostly a travel and leisure notebook for me. If it were my only PC, I'd probably get the 13.3".
 
KPOM said:
I think in 2010 the estimates were that the 11.6" slightly outsold the 13.3". Since the mid-2011 release, and particularly with 2012, the MacBook Air is now a mainstream device, rather than a niche device. Therefore, people who otherwise might have bought a 13.3" MacBook Pro (or 13.3" MacBook) might have purchased a 13.3" MacBook Air instead. Prior to that, Air buyers tended to be those looking for ultraportables.

Significantly, the 11.6" MacBook Air is one of the only mainstream 11" notebooks. Most Ultrabooks are 13" or larger (the Dell XPS 13 is a hybrid, as it has a 16x9 13" screen in a form factor compressed to be only slightly larger than the 11.6" MacBook Air).

I prefer the 11.6" as the MacBook Air is mostly a travel and leisure notebook for me. If it were my only PC, I'd probably get the 13.3".
Click to expand...

is there going to be an updated amand tech review on the macbook air with i7
 
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