I'm thinking about selling my Q6600 desktop in favor of the 2.8 i7 640M MBP. I need a powerful machine that is both portable and capable of large scale java development. Would I be downgrading in terms of processing performance?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Q6600 vs MBP i7 640M
- Thread starter asp30deuce
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I went from a hackintosh q6600, 8 gig ram 8800gt to a mbb 2.66i7, 8 gig ram and felt no slow down and in some cases speed ups
though...I am not a gamer either
though...I am not a gamer either
I don't plan on gaming on it, it's main purpose is for work. I'm guessing not many people give up their quad core desktops for a dual core i7 on these boards....
Were all four cores being fully utilized earlier? i7 is definitely more efficient than the core processes.
Typical CPU usage showed 10%-60% usage for the most part. The only time I load up all 4 cores 100% is when I'm compiling GWT modules and I do that task 5 or 6 times a day.
While I didn't completely replace my desktop like what you're proposing, I did augment my workflow with a 15" i7 MBP(mainly do LabView development and the like) and I did experience any slowdowns and I actually don't use my desktop that much anymore unless I intend to game a bit. To be honest, I think it puts you at an advantage depending on your work situation. The ability to carry your work is an excellent way of going especially when you need a change of scene from those long coding sessions! Just make sure to pickup something like LoJack or undercover, lock down the firmware and get a good kensington lock and bag and you're good to go! Hope this helped!
For reference: I run an Xeon X3520@ 4.2Ghz, 16GBs of DDR3 RAM and a GTX 285 in my desktop, just to give you an idea of what I was coming from.
For reference: I run an Xeon X3520@ 4.2Ghz, 16GBs of DDR3 RAM and a GTX 285 in my desktop, just to give you an idea of what I was coming from.
Well I made the switch today! Sold my Q6600 workstation and picked up a new MBP 2.8 i7 HR today from my local Apple store. Here goes nothin.... 
Well I made the switch today! Sold my Q6600 workstation and picked up a new MBP 2.8 i7 HR today from my local Apple store. Here goes nothin....
Let us know how it goes!