Intel Begins Shipping Mobile 'Sandy Bridge' Chips Destined for MacBook Pros

[stayathomedad]

i5-520M VS. i5-2520M

I currently have the 2.4Ghz i5 in my MBP.

Excluding gaming, what kind of performance boost should I expect from the i5-2520M?

 

[ChronoIMG]

I currently have the 2.4Ghz i5 in my MBP.

Excluding gaming, what kind of performance boost should I expect from the i5-2520M?

Probably not much. It may not be noticeable during normal activities.

 

[aznguyen316]

As a moderate gamer, I think I'd still prefer dual core. Yes many games now are utilizing four cores, most of those new games won't run very great anyway on a MBP due to the mid range GPU that's usually slapped into the MBP's. Dual core gives higher clock speed which in many current and last gen games use more so than four cores. If it's less heat, more battery life, and still fast dual core, I'm game, which it looks like i5 SB are. I'm excited to see these possibly put into the MBPs.

One thing I am curious about, if they just recently started shipping these, say on Feb 20th, how the hell did they get into MBPs to be released on Feb 24th so fast...

 

[gregoryalee]

Definitely. Should be a BTO high end option, not the default.

+1000 My 2007 2.33 ghz MBP is working good enough for me to be able to do the BTO. I will be purchasing the most powerful processor I can get from Apple. If there is no quad core option, I may still buy as my laptop really struggles when running virtual machines and virtual instruments in Pro Tools. It's costing me lots of time.

 

[turbobass]

As a moderate gamer, I think I'd still prefer dual core.

Well as a gamer I'd like to see how Sandy Bridge is supposed to turn PC gaming into a much more "console like" experience (as per Gabe Newell) ... the argument about cores in the MBP is somewhat stupid as the thermal and power constraints are what defines it not Steve Job's inability to count past the number "2".

 

[aznguyen316]

Well as a gamer I'd like to see how Sandy Bridge is supposed to turn PC gaming into a much more "console like" experience (as per Gabe Newell) ... the argument about cores in the MBP is somewhat stupid as the thermal and power constraints are what defines it not Steve Job's inability to count past the number "2".

I read that article about the console experience. What I understood from it was once new machines ALL start getting the Sandy Bridge CPU's in them, that means EVERY SINGLE SB computer out there will have the SB GPU in them as well. The term consolizing meaning that there will be a "minimum" standard across computers on what can be played. Like how a specific console each have the same hardware. So here the SB GPU being ~the 320m would be VERY capable of playing games. If devs then started considering the SB GPU as the standard on what to make the minimum requirements as, then that means more and more people can play PC games as they would at least meet the min requirements of any new developed games out on the market (granted they have a Sandy Bridge CPU/GPU system).

I didn't take the console part as in dumbing down a game's controls or UI or whatever, but rather just in terms of the hardware and having all PC devs on the same page as to what to cater to in terms of system requirements.

 

[stayathomedad]

I currently have the 2.4Ghz i5 in my MBP.

Excluding gaming, what kind of performance boost should I expect from the i5-2520M?

I should add that I will be using Lightroom 3 to edit photos.

 

[derbothaus]

Not enough to warrant a replacement if speed is what you are looking for. The new Dual Core (4 thread) SB parts look like a step sideways. In the high end the 2620M (2.7GHz) benches slower than the current 640M (2.8GHz). Only a couple of points but it is not faster. So unless we get quads let's hope the battery life is off the hook.
i5 520M Cinebench r10: 6661
i5 2520M Cinebench r10: 7375
Less than 1000 points for 1500.00+ cost. No thanks. Get an SSD for your current laptop and max out the memory.
Source www.notebookcheck.net

 

[turbobass]

I read that article about the console experience. What I understood from it was once new machines ALL start getting the Sandy Bridge CPU's in them, that means EVERY SINGLE SB computer out there will have the SB GPU in them as well. The term consolizing meaning that there will be a "minimum" standard across computers on what can be played. Like how a specific console each have the same hardware. So here the SB GPU being ~the 320m would be VERY capable of playing games. If devs then started considering the SB GPU as the standard on what to make the minimum requirements as, then that means more and more people can play PC games as they would at least meet the min requirements of any new developed games out on the market (granted they have a Sandy Bridge CPU/GPU system).

I didn't take the console part as in dumbing down a game's controls or UI or whatever, but rather just in terms of the hardware and having all PC devs on the same page as to what to cater to in terms of system requirements.

That is what I meant as well. I think it's AWESOME that the Mac lineups will be featuring this chipset and hopefully that they iterate to the latest and greatest soon instead of lagging behind GPU as they normally do.

I think that gaming on the Mac platform could be huge especially w/Steam and the new App. Store.

I was being a bit sarcastic about the dumbing down, I actually DON'T think that Jobs is dumb by not putting 4 core chips into laptops ... people think it's because he's holding back but in this case I can see how the very real technical requirements of the Apple laptops prevent it from being so easy to say.

 

[turbobass]

So unless we get quads let's hope the battery life is off the hook.

word

 

[mlayer]

Keeping 25W in the 13inch would make sense but it's about 70 dollars more than the current P8600 (2.4ghz)

P8600 - $241
P8800 - $241
i5-2520M -$225
i7-2629M -$311
I7-2649M -$346

While these are consumer prices, they'll probably mirror in the amount they different between each other in OEM for the most part.

i7-2629M is slower only because the multiplier is set to 21x, vs the i5's 25x. It would be awesome if you could tweak that, or at least the Turbo setting. My i7 2600K purrs at 5+ghz no problem, Sandy Bridge is awesome for its easy and cool OCing.

I have a feeling that the margins have been so good on the 13" MBP that Apple go with the 2629M anyway. They're not going to switch a 25 W part for a 35 W part as that would kill any great battery life claims. This would give rise to the idea that the white MacBook is going away since the CPU for that may be prohibitively expensive.

 

[FuNGi]

Yes, look up "core parking" - it's a dynamic feature.

(click to enlarge)​

Windows 7 also currently uses core parking (http://blogs.technet.com/b/askperf/...-intelligent-timer-tick-timer-coalescing.aspx).

So does OSX use core parking?

 

[zenio]

oh my, very special

 

[blue22]

17" will be getting a quad core option; mark my words.

In less than 40 hours we'll see...

Consider those words marked....
However, I'm still holding out for the 17" G5 Powerbook... It'll be coming any day now, I know it !!!

"...don't stop, believing..."

 

[AidenShaw]

So does OSX use core parking?

I would guess not.

If Apple had copied this feature, they'd give it a cute name like "Core Valet" and headline it at keynotes and on the website.

The silence on the topic would imply that they don't have it.

Of course, it's also possible that the ancient C2D doesn't support it - and since most Apple laptops use that old chip there's not a lot of reason to implement core parking.

 

[soundseeker]

Not enough to warrant a replacement if speed is what you are looking for. The new Dual Core (4 thread) SB parts look like a step sideways. In the high end the 2620M (2.7GHz) benches slower than the current 640M (2.8GHz). Only a couple of points but it is not faster. So unless we get quads let's hope the battery life is off the hook.
i5 520M Cinebench r10: 6661
i5 2520M Cinebench r10: 7375
Less than 1000 points for 1500.00+ cost. No thanks. Get an SSD for your current laptop and max out the memory.
Source www.notebookcheck.net

IS THIS a valid argument or just spam? I thought anad tech concluded a 40% jump in processing power with SB.

The link you give sells PCs, but then i wonder coz you own a mac. Are you cleverly disguised spam? Other opinions on this post please!!

 

[Dynax]

Question to those, who already have followed previous launches of Macbooks.

Now rumors say the "date" will be the 24th. Not sure if thats the release or just the day of announcement but anyway, if MBPs are going to be released on that day without an announcement BEFORE, does it mean I could just go out on the 24th and get one no matter where I live? I mean I live in europe, we're 6-9 hours ahead of US time, so even if they'd announce it on the 24th and it'll be available on that day I could buy one before they even announce it?

Sorry for that kind of stupid question, but I hope you see what I mean ^^;

 

[derbothaus]

IS THIS a valid argument or just spam? I thought anad tech concluded a 40% jump in processing power with SB.

The link you give sells PCs, but then i wonder coz you own a mac. Are you cleverly disguised spam? Other opinions on this post please!!

Go away. It ain't spam. The 40% boost you speak about is from the Quad cores we may not get because we have to have less than 1" thickness on our Mac's.
The dual-core look sh***y.
The site you are scarred of is legit and has been doing data collection and testing for years. They are based outside the US (I Think)
You do know Intel makes processors for Windows systems, right? /s