Looking at the Macbook Pro (non-retina) 2.6ghz, compared to the Retina MBP 2.3ghz. They are both i7's, but are they the same chip? How much faster would the 2.6ghz actually be, compared to the 2.3ghz? Would the rMBP actually be slower in this comparison, processor wise?
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What processors do the MBP use?
- Thread starter Sambo110
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So even with video/image/music editing? That'd be great, and make the decision much easier. Thanks!
Most users won't see any difference in performance between those processors. Having sufficient RAM usually makes more impact on performance than a faster processor. The same is true for SSDs vs HDDs.
Sounds good. So a Macbook Pro with a 2.6ghz i7, 8GB ram and the 1GB GTX 650 compared to the base model rMBP will perform the same? That's my biggest issue. If I'm spending around the same price but getting less HDD space and a worse CPU, I want to make sure they will still perform the same (including doing various editing of media).
Will the MBP have a SSD (since the RMBP has Flash memory)? If so, the performance should be about the same between them, for most users.
No, I'd be getting the high-end 15" and just adding in a 7200RPM HDD for $50, and a hi-res anti-glare for $110 (I think). So it would end up costing more than the Retina, but have more HDD space and a faster processor.
I think they'll perform about the same unless you are doing some really specific CPU intensive tasks where the difference would be quantifiable.
When comparing the two models, I would look at the upgradeability/flexibility of the MBP vs the display of the RMBP. With the former you have room to upgrade the RAM/HD in time and the potential to add a 2nd drive in the optical bay. The the latter you have the best notebook display on the market with sharper text and increased resolution. Note that OSX may not be as smooth with the RMBP as it is with the MBP due to having to drive the new display, notably at the scaled resolutions.
The flash storage of the rMBP will make it a faster machine...I'd recommend exchanging the HDD for an SSD once you get your MBP...
Just be aware that the HDD will be much slower than the RMBP's Flash storage, but the processors would provide similar performance in most cases.
Sorry, but I have to ask, what situations would the 2.6ghz run faster? I doubt I'd be doing anything that it would help in, but I'm just curious.
In tasks that completely load the CPU (or at least one core), you would probably see some percentage of improvement. For example doing the final export of an edited movie, or converting a video file from one format to another.
Some CPU-intensive apps may run faster, but the difference would be negligible and would only last for the duration of that particular process. Overall, you won't see any difference that you could notice. You'll see FAR more impact in your day-to-day performance by upgrading your HDD to a SSD. That will make your startup faster, apps launch faster, any drive read/write operation faster, etc.
Would the SSD kind of "negate" that speed increase though?
I'm 99% sold on the rMBP right now. It seems like a much better laptop, I just need to pair it with a portable hard drive.