The age old question which processor should I get? The core I5 non hyper threading model or the core i7 hyper threading model. Well at least I heard it had hyper threading. Right now my cart looks like a 2012 MacBook air 8gb of ram 256gb ssd. All I need to know is should I go i5 or i7. Will I notice a difference? Thanks guys.
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MacBook Air 2012 core i5 or i7?
- Thread starter Klae
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Doubt it. You might as well keep the 8GB RAM, but not the i7. Use that money to get accessories.
Just Application development and internet. Thats all.
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What are some good accessories.
The vast majority of users, including you, from what you described, would never notice a difference between the two processors.
You may want a sleeve or other protection. You may want adapters for connecting to different devices. You may want a mouse.... the list goes on. They're all a matter of personal preference.
Intel has added hyperthreading to the i5 with Ivy Bridge. The only difference between the CPUs is clock speed and the i7 has a larger L3 cache.
I would love to hook it into an external display, you have any suggestions? lol and the apple thunderbolt display is out of the question.
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Well for the difference in price between the i5/128/8 and i7/256/8 I have paid for my Dell 2412M monitor
Do you plug your mini up to this monitor? What work do you do? Im in need of a good external monitor.
There are a kazillion monitors out there. I couldn't begin to recommend one. I'd start with a list of requirements you may have, such as antiglare/glossy, ports, speakers, size, resolutions, etc., then find ones that meet that criteria and read reviews and forum comments from those who owned them. There's not a shorter path I've found to selecting one.
Apple Portables: How to use your computer in closed clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display
Oh ok thats what clamshell is I knew what it was I just didn't know it was called clamshell haha. Well I know I just want a 23-24 inch monitor. I want 2 of them. With a fairly decent resolution.
Both Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge i5's have hyperthreading.
Not sure the performance of the i7 over the i5 is worth the extra wonga. Look at it this way, at the point in time the i5 feels slow, so will the i7. 8GB over 4GB definitely. As for SSD capacity. Only you will know what you need. And you can always plug in an external drive for when you're back at base. Any money you save can always be put towards your next Mac.
Not sure the performance of the i7 over the i5 is worth the extra wonga. Look at it this way, at the point in time the i5 feels slow, so will the i7. 8GB over 4GB definitely. As for SSD capacity. Only you will know what you need. And you can always plug in an external drive for when you're back at base. Any money you save can always be put towards your next Mac.
Excellent point.
I was going to get a 13" i5/8GB/128gb. Your post makes me feel a lot better.
i7 > i5
It's simple math.
I like the way you put that haha!
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Yeah I plan to plug into an external drive at home. Do you recommend any in particular?
I just ordered the 13" Air w/ 256GB SSD, i7, and 8GB RAM. I figured with my student discount it was only $90 more to upgrade the processor and, if nothing else, should help the resale value down the road. I plan on keeping it for a while, though. Now the "waiting for the UPS guy" game begins.
I just ordered the 13" Air w/ 256GB SSD, i7, and 8GB RAM. I figured with my student discount it was only $90 more to upgrade the processor and, if nothing else, should help the resale value down the road. I plan on keeping it for a while, though. Now the "waiting for the UPS guy" game begins.
$135 i7 upgrade
$90 8GB upgrade
I'm moving from an original MacBook Pro 1,1, so a new MacAir looks to be a great investment for a host of reasons. Like several of the posts here, the question is should I get the i5 or the i7? While I've been able to find numerous reviews of the i5, all of which are positive, I haven't been able to find a single review of the i7, other than anecdotal reports that tend to be negative and concern issues with excessive heat. Money is not a factor and I would like to purchase the i7, 2 Ghz, 8Gbs, and 512 SSD. Is the anyone who has bought the i7 I've mentioned and can give a review of it: positive or negative with specifics? Your comments are most welcomed.
Nope. Just checked the store again and it is $90 for both upgrades($180 for both).
On the 13" the upgrade to i7 is only $90, but it's $135 to upgrade to i7 on the 11".
Actually, it's only a $90 upgrade for the 256GB 13'' that cost $1449 ....
There is no i7 upgrade for the base 13'', although would have been a nice option for $90.
So to get the i7 upgrade for $90 you it will cost you $1629 total.
Meanwhile the base i5 is as fast as last years i7.
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But slower than this years i7. Just sayin...
Right. But not an option for the base 13'', which would have been a nice.
If you need the ultimate go for it, if not the 13' base with 8gb is better value.
Some points may be worth noting:
- I have yet to see controlled comparisons between the 2 processors on heat and battery. I'm trusting Anandtech are working on this in a mega review since they have been quiet on the new MBAs so far
- Anecdotally the i7 seems to run warm but I haven't personally read any reviews saying the i5 runs any cooler (so far)
- There are quite a few reports that theoretically (no more than that) there should be minimal difference in heat and power between the 2 processors
- There have been performance comparisons between the 2 processors in terms of benchmarks and the i7 numerically beats the i5 quite significantly. It's unclear and I suspect unlikely that this translates into everyday noticeable difference to the average user
- However, and I haven't seen this point yet made, despite only a 300MHz difference between the two CPUs, this is amplified to a difference of 600MHz when in Turbo, which I suspect may well be noticeable if you plan on stressing your CPU
- I went for the higher end I went for i7 because of the above point, ie when I'm doing something intensive I hope to do it that bit faster. Also that theoretically there should be minimal difference in heat and battery
- Again however, personally speaking I will regret not going for the i5 if the battery is more than marginally better when the controlled comparisons are published