Hi guys,
I want to place my very first macbook pro retina order via apple online but i cannot decide which model should i go for?
I will be using it for daily uses such as internet browsing, youtube, emails, facebook and occasionally photo editing in Lightroom 5 and Photo Elements (i am not a pro photographer, just a hobbyist and I shoot in both raw and jpeg)
I don't do video editing and i am not a gamer.
I am torn between these two specs :
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage1
OR
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
512GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Please advice this apple newbie and many thanks in advance
Wow, I'm in the exact situation as you! (And I have been in the same situation since November 2013!). I remain undecided even after returning the 2.4/8/256 model for the 2.6/8/512 after I also returned AppleCare (which I never wanted, but was pressured into buying for $190) with a 10% discount on both machines from a local retailer. (My 512GB model is still sealed). 1600-1800 was my absolute limit in purchasing a new laptop, after selling my old HP dm4 3011-tx for $400 after using it for 1.5 years.
After buying the 256GB model, my heart sat in contempt and was graceful at the same time, and I was wondering if I should get the 512GB for peace of mind in local storage (although I didn't want to because of the AUD $350 price difference). I could have gotten a 16GB upgrade for $220 or around 3-4 TBs worth of HDD USB 3.0 storage. (Not that I can see 16GB or 3-4TB of additional storage being beneficial for my uses any time soon; I only do a bit of DSLR Photography and Video processing, IT work (Slight Development, a little Photoshop, emailing), uni, 30GB music library (I stopped downloading my songs - the only things iTunes auto-downloads are podcasts - I just stream the rest mainly via Pandora, SoundCloud, YouTube and MixCloud now), heavy web browsing (which 8GBs handles quite adequately, it's ample RAM for my needs - Just take a look at this
guy who stress tested his 2.4/8/256 config, 16GB is just a huge overkill for me atm and by the time I may need more RAM, my computer will be due for an upgrade any ways, i.e. 2-3 years). I currently have a 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD config in my Desktop and a backup external 2TB Drive, which has around 206GBs free. (It's due for a clean out). I have a really bad habit of keeping a lot of old photos, videos and junk. I really have to learn to let go of things. It feels too guilty spending an extra $350 on an extra 256GBs even though it is running via a PCI-e interface, I just don't see the value in hindsight. Like the saying goes, if you really knew you needed 512GB, you would have already jumped at it and not waited it out on a forum waiting for someone to tell you what to do. Same goes with RAM and CPU to that extent. The ones who require more powerful and abundant hardware will know it from previous experience. The normal config models will offer exceptional performance and storage to the everyday consumer; regardless of choice.
The 2.4/8/256 config is the best-bang-for-buck atm WITHOUT A DOUBT - I even managed to scrape in a 10% discount, so it brought it down from
Apple's Education pricing at $1729 to $1663 in the end! AppleCare isn't needed where I live, because of
24+ months Statutory warranty; enforced by law. If it wasn't for the crispy Hi-Res Retina display, 5100 graphics, LDDR3 RAM (over LPDDR3 in the Air), Full HDMI port, I'd be looking at the 13" Airs. The 2.4/8/256 also has the best power-to-battery life efficiency for its family range.
Which config did you end up with?
I'm pretty sure I read that the 2.6 has a slightly faster graphics chip. Does this affect the performance in any noticeable way?
It's only 100MHz faster, that speed is so negligible it should be taken with a tiny grain of salt. The human eyeball wouldn't notice the difference even if you tried your hardest to pay attention to it. Certainly not worth the extra $350 jump in cost for the 512 model.
Intel markets the CPUs with the same RRP; US $315.
2.4GHz,
2.6GHz, yet, you pay an extra ~$110-130 for something recommended at the same price by Intel. The
i7 is even worse.
It's valued at $426 (and additional $114 over the 2.4GHz/2.6GHz CPUs) by Intel, yet Apple charges an extra $330-350 for it. It's pure money making bullsht - you know that 'exceptional' Apple service other people are getting, yeah, well you just paid their wages. Very overpriced hardware for what you get, the Bang-to-buck ratio exponentially becomes less and less worthwhile as you crawl through higher ranks of hardware. Another reason to stick to baseline config; 2.4/8/256. You came from a MacBook Pro and you got one, don't fall for Apple's devious tricks of making you feel like you didn't receive the 'best and brightest package'. It's all marketing tricks deployed right throughout their site, products, services, stores and authorised retailers too for that fact! By all means, if you need the extra grunt or storage, go ahead, light your money on fire.
The one in the 2.6GHz actually clocks up to 1.2GHz instead of 1.1GHz. A very slight difference, but it pushed me over the fence and I got the 2.6GHz CPU.
Yes it's 1.2GHz, but the difference is negligible over 1.1GHz. The difference is so negliable, I can't even think of an analogy to compare it to in the physical world. You might scrape in an additional frame per second in a game, if anything, but this isn't a notebook intended for gaming, it's running integrated graphics.
