rMBP 13inch 2.5Ghz or 2.9Ghz for clamshell mode use mainly

[mbe]

I'm having trouble deciding whether to get a 2.5Ghz rMBP or the 2.9Ghz one. I will mainly be using the notebook on clamshell mode connected up to Dell U2412M monitor, and I'm worried about the heat-up and whether the CPU difference will make a noticeable difference in the performance on the external monitor. I'm not a gamer, main uses are word, presentations, email, web & HD streaming (720p, 1080p), with occasional photoshop & video editing but not much. Obviously the 2.9Ghz will be 'faster' but for my casual usage of the notebook I'm not sure if that will mean much.
Any suggestions?

 

[whg]

What a waste to hide the best part of a retina macbook in clamshell mode! Did you consider buying a mini instead? Or, if you need the portability occasionally a cMBP 13"?
Technically the 2.9GHz can be used as you have planned without a problem. I have one and heat is no issue.

 

[dragonev]

I'm having trouble deciding whether to get a 2.5Ghz rMBP or the 2.9Ghz one. I will mainly be using the notebook on clamshell mode connected up to Dell U2412M monitor, and I'm worried about the heat-up and whether the CPU difference will make a noticeable difference in the performance on the external monitor. I'm not a gamer, main uses are word, presentations, email, web & HD streaming (720p, 1080p), with occasional photoshop & video editing but not much. Obviously the 2.9Ghz will be 'faster' but for my casual usage of the notebook I'm not sure if that will mean much.
Any suggestions?

To be honest, it seems weird to buy Retina mac and use in with external display all the time. I would rather go for Air or cMBP then. Mac Mini is an interesting thing but you will have to have monitors everywhere which seems not that convenient. And, of course, needless to remind that UI on rMBP 13" is much more laggy than on 15" or non-retina, so it further evidences the irrelevance of your choice.

 

[snoylekim]

It seems the best 'headless'/calmshel solution would be either a 2011 Mac Mini Mid 2.53 I5 , or the 2011 Mac Mini Server I7 2.0 ( this one screams) .. reason I say 2011 is there's a lot on anguish on the Mini threads re no dedicated graphics option in the 2012 .. if you truly don't need portability, you'll save a ton of money .. If you don't have gaming or modeling graphics needs , you could go with the mid 2012 Mini w/ the I7 processor ..

That being said , that would sacrifice all portabilty .. what are your use cases for your machine..might help narrow it down if you absolutely want a retina ??

 

[mbe]

lol sorry guys, I realised how stupid I sounded after seeing the replies
I meant to say, at HOME, I'll be using it in clamshell mode mainly. I definitely need the portability because I take my laptop with me to work everyday. Hope that's cleared things up and apologies for the confusion.

That's why mac mini is out of the question, and I don't really want MBA because although I need the portability, it's not like I take my laptop out on the transport and use it on the go. It's only what, a pound difference in weight between the two? I can handle that. And I really have a preference for good, crisp displays.

Really, the main concern is will the rMBP CPU be able to handle multi-tasking/HD streaming to the external monitor, and which (2.5Ghz or 2.9Ghz) will be better at it, or are they pretty much similar because I won't be engaged in graphics-heavy gaming etc.

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That or should I just go with MBA with 8gigs RAM and 2.0Ghz i7?

 

[stevelam]

lol sorry guys, I realised how stupid I sounded after seeing the replies
I meant to say, at HOME, I'll be using it in clamshell mode mainly. I definitely need the portability because I take my laptop with me to work everyday. Hope that's cleared things up and apologies for the confusion.

That's why mac mini is out of the question, and I don't really want MBA because although I need the portability, it's not like I take my laptop out on the transport and use it on the go. It's only what, a pound difference in weight between the two? I can handle that. And I really have a preference for good, crisp displays.

Really, the main concern is will the rMBP CPU be able to handle multi-tasking/HD streaming to the external monitor, and which (2.5Ghz or 2.9Ghz) will be better at it, or are they pretty much similar because I won't be engaged in graphics-heavy gaming etc.

----------

That or should I just go with MBA with 8gigs RAM and 2.0Ghz i7?

i dont see why either 2.5 or 2.9 versions would have any issue with 'multi-tasking/hd streaming to an external monitor' (why would any computer have problems streaming to an external monitor?). if anything it'll definitely feel snappier anyway since it doesnt have to power the retina screen in clamshell mode.