MBA 13" vs. rMBP 13" for Handbrake

[chizzer2003]

Hi,

I tend to do a lot of processor intensive DVD ripping on my desktop machine using handbrake, but recently it has broken and I no longer have the patience to repair it.

At the moment, I have the base 13" MBA (except 8GB RAM) but now my desktop machine has broken, I am looking at the base rMBP for more horsepower to handle the DVD ripping. I know it wont be as fast as my desktop machine, but I just wondered how much faster it is than the MBA and how long would it take to chew through an average 2 hour film outputting at standard DVD quality (not blu-ray).

Thanks a lot!

(If I consider purchasing one, I will be waiting for the newer models after WWDC but the speed improvement should all be relative)

 

[johnnnw]

Intensive DVD ripping is a bit silly. DVD ripping is not very intensive, demands wise.

The 13" Retina won't be a massive improvement as it's still relying on integrated graphics, if the gpu is even utilized during dvd rips.

It depends on the cpu you have currently and how high end you go on the Retina options. What year is the MBA? What cpu?

 

[chizzer2003]

Intensive DVD ripping is a bit silly. DVD ripping is not very intensive, demands wise.

The 13" Retina won't be a massive improvement as it's still relying on integrated graphics, if the gpu is even utilized during dvd rips.

It depends on the cpu you have currently and how high end you go on the Retina options. What year is the MBA? What cpu?

Ah jeez sorry i forgot to mention it's the 2012 model!

I have the base model so I have the i5 1.8GHz. I wouldn't have thought the GPU would be engaged much in ripping, I reckon it'd be more CPU intensive. I was just interested in someone who had the rMPB and could perhaps tell me how long it takes?

 

[dlimes13]

HandBrake relies on the CPU, NOT the GPU. I have a desktop with very basic integrated graphics but an i7-2600 and it flies. I do a lot of rips myself.

You'll get a noticable improvement with the rMBP simply because it's a full-size i5 and not a low-voltage. But, if you want decent performance, I would get a quad core, either a 15" cMBP or rMBP. Or just build a cheap <$400 HandBrake machine.

I've had every current MacBook Pro/Air. Here are some rough results:

Average Conversion for DVD/Blu-Ray Rip (Apple TV 2 preset)

MBA 11" i5 1.7: 60-80 Min/140-180 Min
rMBP 13" i5 2.5: 35-45 Min/110-130 Min
rMBP 15" i7 2.3: 15-18 Min/55-62 Min
cMBP 15" i7 2.7: 12-13 Min/45-50 Min

Those are just rough estimates from what I can remember from each product. I also check cpubenchmark.net for raw numbers of CPU score, indicating how much of a % difference one processor would be.

 

[chizzer2003]

HandBrake relies on the CPU, NOT the GPU. I have a desktop with very basic integrated graphics but an i7-2600 and it flies. I do a lot of rips myself.

You'll get a noticable improvement with the rMBP simply because it's a full-size i5 and not a low-voltage. But, if you want decent performance, I would get a quad core, either a 15" cMBP or rMBP. Or just build a cheap <$400 HandBrake machine.

I've had every current MacBook Pro/Air. Here are some rough results:

Average Conversion for DVD/Blu-Ray Rip (Apple TV 2 preset)

MBA 11" i5 1.7: 60-80 Min/140-180 Min
rMBP 13" i5 2.5: 35-45 Min/110-130 Min
rMBP 15" i7 2.3: 15-18 Min/55-62 Min
cMBP 15" i7 2.7: 12-13 Min/45-50 Min

Those are just rough estimates from what I can remember from each product. I also check cpubenchmark.net for raw numbers of CPU score, indicating how much of a % difference one processor would be.

Ah okay though speeds don't sound as bad as I thought, and I presume the 2013 models will knock 5-10 minutes of the 13" rMPB model. Is that reading from an optical drive or with the video files stored locally?

 

[GermanyChris]

Ah okay though speeds don't sound as bad as I thought, and I presume the 2013 models will knock 5-10 minutes of the 13" rMPB model. Is that reading from an optical drive or with the video files stored locally?

It'll knock maybe 5 Min. off

 

[Stetrain]

Intensive DVD ripping is a bit silly. DVD ripping is not very intensive, demands wise.

Moving the bits off of the DVD onto the hard drive is not intensive, but re-encoding the video to a different format (using software like Handbrake) is pretty CPU intensive.

 

[dlimes13]

Ah okay though speeds don't sound as bad as I thought, and I presume the 2013 models will knock 5-10 minutes of the 13" rMPB model. Is that reading from an optical drive or with the video files stored locally?

Files on the hard drive, not direct from disc. In my case, SSD.

And I'd say any updates will result in 10-15% better times. So something that took 20 min may now take 17-18 min.