Might be getting cMBP 13, advice pls

[washburn]

I'm not sure if I should get the i5 or i7? Not really going to be intensive tasks, but would the i7 help for longer down the line use like 2-3 years?

Also what brand RAM and type for best performance and SSD drive?

Cheers

 

[yjchua95]

I'm not sure if I should get the i5 or i7? Not really going to be intensive tasks, but would the i7 help for longer down the line use like 2-3 years?

Also what brand RAM and type for best performance and SSD drive?

Cheers

Between dual core i5s and dual core i7s, there isn't much difference because both have the same number of threads (4 threads)

However, between a quad core i5 and a quad core i7, there is a 30-40% difference in hyperthreaded tasks because the QC i7 has 8 threads (the QC i5 only has 4 threads).

 

[simon48]

Between dual core i5s and dual core i7s, there isn't much difference because both have the same number of threads.

However, between a quad core i5 and a quad core i7, there is a 30-40% difference in hyperthreaded tasks because the QC i7 has 8 threads (the QC i5 only has 4 threads).

Not true, the i5s have hyper-threading too.

 

[yjchua95]

Not true, the i5s have hyper-threading too.

Wrong. Both dual core i5 and quad core i5 processors only have 4 threads.

Dual core i7s have 4 threads, while quad core i7s have 8 threads.

 

[simon48]

Wrong. Both dual core i5 and quad core i5 processors only have 4 threads.

Dual core i7s have 4 threads, while quad core i7s have 8 threads.

No, you are completely wrong.

The i5-3210M (the base CPU in the mid-2012 13") has hyper-threading. Also every Haswell and Ivy Bridge mobile i5 (and even the Haswell and Ivy Bridge i3s) have hyper-threading.

And Intel doesn't make a mobile quad core i5.

 

[Naimfan]

I'd get the i5/2.5 and then up the RAM to at least 8 GB. I tend to prefer Crucial - never had a problem with it.

For drives, if you go SSD, the Samsung and Crucial models are good. I just put a HGST 1 TB/7200 RPM in my 17" MBP, the Western Digital Blacks also seem solid.

 

[TechZeke]

The i7 will help, but for budgeting issues, I would put RAM and SSD over the i7 upgrade. Get the i7 if you have the money and just want it, but you probably don't need it if you're asking about it. I would go for 8gb of RAM then get a 3rd party SSD.

240GB M500 SSD on Amazon for only $120.
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-240GB...s&ie=UTF8&qid=1396043024&sr=1-1&keywords=M500

Crucial is really bringing the prices of SSDs down by ALLOT. These aren't cheap low end SSDs either, these give full 400-500Mb/s read/write unlike the Samsung 840 non-pro series.

 

[yjchua95]

No, you are completely wrong.

The i5-3210M (the base CPU in the mid-2012 13") has hyper-threading. Also every Haswell and Ivy Bridge mobile i5 (and even the Haswell and Ivy Bridge i3s) have hyper-threading.

And Intel doesn't make a mobile quad core i5.

It does. I'm only pointing out the fact that desktop i7 can hyperthread while desktop i5s can't. If you noticed in my first post, I said that both dual core i5s and dual core i7s have 4 threads, which means they can hyperthread. If there are more threads than cores, it hyperthreads.

 

[simon48]

It does. I'm only pointing out the fact that desktop i7 can hyperthread while desktop i5s can't. If you noticed in my first post, I said that both dual core i5s and dual core i7s have 4 threads, which means they can hyperthread. If there are more threads than cores, it hyperthreads.

Ok... But this is the MBP forum and you didn't say you were talking about desktop CPUs.