MacBook Pro 15" 2.4 i5 vs 2.66 i7 cost-performance

[BigBeast]

Get either i5 Standard Res or i7 High Res

but on the i7 you get 256 MB more videoram. That could make difference in more demanding games or visual apps.

I've seen some gaming video's and the consensus is that the 2.4 i5 with STANDARD res screens game pretty well, but if you add the high res screen, you might want the extra vram. You COULD always decrease the video output settings in the game options, but running on anything other than your screens native resolution usually tends to be blurry.

THEREFORE: if you want to save some cash, get the 2.4 i5 with the standard res- no reason to waste money on the 2.53. If you want the high res anti-glare (my preference) or the high res glossy- go with the i7.

 

[matryska]

Where are you buying 1TB 9mm height 2.5' laptop hard drives? Largest is 640 GB, do the research before you make suggestions.

That's not very nice to say.

I just purchased a WD 750GB 9.5mm

http://www.wdc.com/en/products/products.asp?driveid=815

 

[LSXL]

I heard that Intel is releasing a new series of SSD's later this year. Can anybody confirm? I was thinking about the 160GB one (since it hase double the catch compared to the 80GB version), but if they will be updated then I'd rather get fast Hitachi.

 

[Sam Cotton]

Yea I'm sort of in the same boat.

I have the i5 15-inch: 2.53GHz currently. I still have like 10 days to return it.

I was looking and its not much more to go to the i7.
But do I really need it? I will be running Traktor, Photoshop, Logic. Just audio stuff no video editing or anything, no gaming etc.

What should i do?
Thanks

 

[Hellhammer]

I heard that Intel is releasing a new series of SSD's later this year. Can anybody confirm? I was thinking about the 160GB one (since it hase double the catch compared to the 80GB version), but if they will be updated then I'd rather get fast Hitachi.

Haven't heard that they would release them this year

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Intel-Plans-Super-Fast-25nm-Lyndonville-SSDs-139500.shtml

 

[LSXL]

Yea I'm sort of in the same boat.

I have the i5 15-inch: 2.53GHz currently. I still have like 10 days to return it.

I was looking and its not much more to go to the i7.
But do I really need it? I will be running Traktor, Photoshop, Logic. Just audio stuff no video editing or anything, no gaming etc.

What should i do?
Thanks

Not interested in hi-res antiglare display?

 

[Sam Cotton]

Hi LSXL,

Not particularly. I prefer the aesthetics of the glossy screen actually. I'm more concerned about the need for an i7, and I still have time to exchange and upgrade. I have student discount to use too so it would only be another £130 for me to go to i7. What to do...

 

[LSXL]

One thing is certain - 2.53 i5 is a lukewarm lackluster. In your shoes, I would get 2.4 i5 glossy high resolution screen and a 20" Apple Cinema Display (has same resolution as high res 15") from eBay for cheap. Vesa mount it and enjoy Logic on a bigger screen while handling everything else on lappy screen.

But since you look only towards upgrading to i7 - I would defenitely recommend you to DO IT! Get everything else later.

 

[The ORly owl]

If you look at this :
http://www.macworld.com/article/150146/2010/04/15inch_macbookpro_corei5i7.html

you'll find that upgrading from the 2,4 i5 to the i7 is pretty much useless, even for gaming.

 

[LSXL]

If you look at this :
http://www.macworld.com/article/150146/2010/04/15inch_macbookpro_corei5i7.html

you'll find that upgrading from the 2,4 i5 to the i7 is pretty much useless, even for gaming.

O'RLY?

Thanks for the link! Good points over there and 2.4 i5 is definetely a very good deal with 2.53 having no room for discussion and 2.66 i7 a less budget sensitive persons upgrade.

 

[squirrel77]

bought the i7 17" high res antiglare

Well I walked into my nearest apple store yesterday and they had one of these in stock. I was going to order one online CTO with the 7200 rpm drive but didn't know where to get it delivered to and it was causing me headaches (in between client sites and also need to get away for some R n R) so just went with the 5400 rpm.
Pleased to say all seems to be running very well, haven't had too much time with it yet as was back late last night, ran the apple software updater, enabled screen sharing, changed trackpad settings, enabled hot corners for expose & spaces etc.
What I need ASAP now is a new laptop bag, seen plenty of threads on here for that though.
If anyone wants me to try some tests or have questions please ask.
Shutdown was very fast, haven't tested startup to desktop yet.

 

[Sam Cotton]

Yea I'm going to go for it today. Thanks for all the advice guys. Got to find a nice case for it now...

 

[LSXL]

Thanks everybody! I ordered 15" 2.4 i5 MacBook Pro with Hi-Res AG screen the other day. Opted for aftermarket upgrading.

1~2 weeks... waiting sucks.

 

[shoppy]

Congrats you will love it they are fantastic machines especially high res.

 

[Abstract]

When you're dealing with low-end products, you get a lot more for very little money. In the mid-range, you start paying a lot more for little benefit. This applies to cars, computers, shoes, towels, and almost everything else.

If you're after value for money, the low end MBP makes the most sense. However, I say buy what you want. If you keep the system for 3 years, the i7 will cost you an extra $100-150 per year. Personally, I don't think it's worth $0.50 per day, but it depends on the buyer and what he does with his/her computer.

 

[Plutonius]

Thanks DanBUK and Plutonius!
The thing is that I have unconceously renewed computers every 3 years - 2001, 2004, 2007... So I am pretty positive I'm getting a new machine in 2013. Gaming has becoming a nostalgic need (doom 3, quake 4, call of duty series, valve games) and for new games I plan to get Playstation 3.
As for creativity, I'm more interested in running apps without hickups like recording with buckloads of Audio Units which I guess is more in RAM department?
But I'm getting the picture, though could max out the ram instead, still considering going all out for i7.

Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 from Blizzard (currently in beta) require 512Meg of video ram in order to bump the game graphics above medium. 256Meg is plenty of video RAM currently unless you want to hook up to a 30" external display. Unfortunately though, it looks like 512Meg video RAM is becoming the norm for future games.

 

[Jack Stacks]

You should do the research before posting...

Any unibody MacBook (Pro) can take 12.5mm drive, even two of them if you do Optibay solution.

Yes Unibody's macbook pros can accommodate 12.5mm drives, I was going off of my current macbook pro (2008) that can NOT fit a 12.5mm drive without issues. I know as I tried when the larger drives first came out.