MacBook Pro 2.0 vs 2.2 (Please Read! :D )

[Nielsenius]

I know that was for desktops and we're buying a laptop here, but while Apple builds a quality laptop, seeking high-end GPU performance from them is a fools game and everyone knows it.

Exactly. You can't expect to do any substantial gaming on a MacBook Pro. They aren't gaming computers. So, spending extra money to try to make it one isn't going to get you very far.

On a separate note, I don't like the idea of "future proofing". Technology is changing rapidly. Anything you buy now will be inferior to next year's model. The question is: by how much? No matter what, in a number of years your Mac will be a piece of crap. It's just a question of how long you want to wait to replace it. Buy what's good for you now, not what you think will be good in the future.

 

[Dark Void]

On a separate note, I don't like the idea of "future proofing". Technology is changing rapidly. Anything you buy now will be inferior to next year's model. The question is: by how much? No matter what, in a number of years your Mac will be a piece of crap. It's just a question of how long you want to wait to replace it. Buy what's good for you now, not what you think will be good in the future.

it's not future proofing in the sense of not being "inferior" in comparison to newer models, that's obviously a given as each model will progress. it's about buying now in terms of your possible future usage in reference to non-upgradeable hardware. if the op could see himself doing some light or moderate gaming that could benefit from the 1gb card in terms of performance, then the high end model may be a better buy, as if the low end model is purchased then he stuck with the lesser card with lower vram.

there is no reason why you shouldn't game on the mbp if gaming is part of your computer usage desires and the 1gb 6750m can handle whatever game you are playing well. however, i do agree that it is not the primary reason to buy a macbook pro. if you are buying a mbp solely for gaming or with gaming being the first priority, then yes, that is completely foolish, and in that case you should go with either a pc gaming desktop or a pc gaming laptop.

 

[oLNutjob]

If your MBP ever lays a major egg and requires a warranty repair or replacement, a custom configuration adds significantly to the wait time.

I've learned this first hand from a few photographer friends. (Your mileage may vary.)

 

[Aldaris]

...

On a separate note, I don't like the idea of "future proofing". Technology is changing rapidly. Anything you buy now will be inferior to next year's model. The question is: by how much? No matter what, in a number of years your Mac will be a piece of crap. It's just a question of how long you want to wait to replace it. Buy what's good for you now, not what you think will be good in the future.

Fully agree.

But, I think many will agree Mac's last longer than most PC's in terms of life performance, some will go for 4+ years. A stronger video card will help the longevity of your use of this particular system. Although I don't think anyone could know how much life you'd get out of one over the other.

I'm somewhat in a similar boat getting ready to upgrade my '08 Unibody, primarily for school, will be using some graphics intensive applications, and the occasional game. I'm, opting for the 2.2 with the higher graphics and then upgrading ram, and eventually an SSD when I can, hope to have this system last through the rest of my schooling. But everyone is in a different boat.

Hopefully all these opinions will help you out!

 

[2hvy4grvty]

It is a certain kind of "calculated" future proofing. It's not an abstract value we're talking about; the 6750m is 2 years ahead of the 6490m on a sheer technological timeline. It's a very quantifiable matter. No guesswork involved here.

But the 2.2 vs the 2.0? Hell if I know. Take it for what it's worth, a still somewhat cost effective upgrade, unlike the 2.2 -> 2.3. You're getting a 10-15% boost from 2.0 to 2.2, with an AES enabled instruction set, as well as compatibility with 1600mhz RAM (not that I'd recommend it). The jump to 2.3 for $250 is probably one of the worst deals on the market though, just behind the i5 -> i7 on the 13" MBP.

 

[Salukipilot4590]

I got the base model...and love it.


I mainly play minecraft though.

 

[ABadSanta]

If all you'll be playing is the SIMS, the 6490 chip will be perfectly fine, and will be able to run the game smoothly.

I'm a "casual" gamer, so the base model is more than enough for me.

 

[fruitycups]

thanks for all the responses.

so what EXACTLY would i benefit from having the 1gb card? to be real, i probably won't get into gaming. I was just being selfish. Most likely i'll even get tired of sims and going back to my usual routine or papers/itunes/netflix. But iam interested in taking some designer courses for my last year in college which might lead to photoshop.

i read that have the 1gb card would help on 3D intensive things but WHAT exactly are those things? What, iMovie? doing 3d designing? etc etc. Where would i see the benefits?

And in the areas that the 1gb maakes a difference, are we talking about leaps and bounds? For example, would it cut down a task from 2 minutes to 1 minutes 10 seconds? I am looking for drastic improvements. If the card in the 2.0 is just 5-6 minutes slower in tasks than yeah, the 2.0 is probably the one im going to get. but if we're talking about a 40+ improvement in times than the 2.2 might get another look.

but first, i need to know exactly what types of programs would greatly benefit this (or if gaming is the area that gets effected the most. if so, nvm than)

 

[Macsavvytech]

Although i personally haven't been in this situation i would get the 2.0 and the Hi Res, extra screen space is like chocolate for the eyes.

 

[randomrazr]

unless ur graphic editing or doing major stuff on a daily basis, u will not need the high end 15inch. IMO, u cant realyl future proof any laptop, new stuff will always come out, and the new will be faster and better than the previous no matter how high end u go. the high end of one year will become a low end of next year.

ur tasks and things u do on the macbook will not make a differenc ebetween the 2,2 or 2.0ghz.

what really makes a big differences are SSd's. get a fully loaded base model and slap in a SSD sometime in the future when they ebcome a little cheaper. you will enjoy that better in the end.

i got the 15inch base with no add ones and its FAR more than i needed. a 13inch would have been fine but i wanted a bigger screen and more bad ass macbook pro

 

[randomrazr]

Although i personally haven't been in this situation i would get the 2.0 and the Hi Res, extra screen space is like chocolate for the eyes.

ive considered the high res but boosting resolution on the same size screen does create more space but makes thing smaller, including text.

if u really want screen realestate, obviously external monitor way to go.

 

[2hvy4grvty]

unless ur graphic editing or doing major stuff on a daily basis, u will not need the high end 15inch. IMO, u cant realyl future proof any laptop, new stuff will always come out, and the new will be faster and better than the previous no matter how high end u go. the high end of one year will become a low end of next year.

ur tasks and things u do on the macbook will not make a differenc ebetween the 2,2 or 2.0ghz.

what really makes a big differences are SSd's. get a fully loaded base model and slap in a SSD sometime in the future when they ebcome a little cheaper. you will enjoy that better in the end.

i got the 15inch base with no add ones and its FAR more than i needed. a 13inch would have been fine but i wanted a bigger screen and more bad ass macbook pro

ive considered the high res but boosting resolution on the same size screen does create more space but makes thing smaller, including text.

if u really want screen realestate, obviously external monitor way to go.

Holy crap, do base 15" models not come with spell check?

On a more serious note, if you can't think of a single reason to require the GPU, then you probably won't need it.

It's pretty much any 3D software available. In fact, many browsers currently support GPU acceleration.

http://www.tested.com/news/chrome-14-expands-gpu-acceleration-and-syncing-options/2515/

And yes, much of the adobe suite supports OpenGL, which can utilize the raw power in GPUs.

Ultimately, if you must ask, you probably don't need it.

 

[underblu]

If you can swing the hires upgrade with the 2.2 I'd go that route. As been said you can always upgrade RAM and the HD later.

If you can't swing the Hires with the 2.2 I'd get the HiRes 2.0 and see how it goes with the base configuration. RAM and SSD drives will get cheaper over time and the base RAM and Drive may be more than sufficient for your needs.

Remember, the Macbook pro is a tool, simply having more power for jobs that don't require it will not make the tool any more useful or the job turn out any better.

 

[Ach111es]

Get the 2.0 and you won't waste money or time on games, it can suck you in. Plenty of games will run amazing on the 2.0. And then you can resell in 2-3 years and get the later and greater model.

Better yet, get a 13 inch air and use the savings to invest in some stock, which will cover the loss when you resell!

 

[slieu92]

i got the base 2.0 because i have a ps3. while rendering 720p on an external firewire 800 hdd my processor was 83% idle. the 2.0 is a boss. get it.