Which Macbook? 2017 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5 vs 2020 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

[Tremshakes]

Hi everyone. I recently had a problem with my MacBook Pro 2017 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5 which will cost a lot to fix.

I thought it may be a better idea to instead by a refurbished more recent Macbook. I have purchased a 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 from 2020.

However, I am not very technically savvy, and when buying I only saw the other aspects of the spec were the same, i.e. 8GB, 256ssd.

As well as the fact my replacement MacBook is only 1.4GHz (but Quad Core) vs 3.1GHz for my old one (not Quad Core), my new MacBook also only has two Thunderbolt ports whereas my old one has four. (I would need to get an adaptor as I need more than 2 ports!).

I can still return my 2020 Macbook within 30 days if I am not happy. So I am wondering which is going to perform better.

Can anyone advise? How does a 2020 Macbook Pro with 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 compare to a 2017 model with 3.1 GHz Intel Core i5?

Thanks in advance!

 

[headlessmike]

I'd imagine that you would notice little difference in day to day performance between the two. If anything I would expect the newer machine to outperform the old one despite the lower base clock speed. The main differences are 2 vs. 4 Thunderbolt ports, and the better keyboard on the 2020 model. If you are okay with losing two ports then I think the newer one is a better choice.

 

[wytwolf]

https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-c...Pro106&prod2=MacBookPro131&prod3=iMacIntel003

you can compare both models together to get an idea on the approx. performance via the Geekbench scores. Synthetic benchmarks will not give a perfect representation of performance but can get a ballpark idea.

Processor Speed 3.1 GHz 1.4 GHz

Geekbench 4 SC 4233 4610
Geekbench 4 MC 8958 16880

Geekbench 5 SC 823 909
Geekbench 5 MC 1976 3745

Like headlessmike stated don't let the lower clockspeed fool you. The 3.1Ghz is a 7th gen CPU while the 1.4GHz is an 8th gen so it's more efficient. the 1.4Ghz turbo boosts to 3.9Ghz while the 3.1 will only go to 3.5. Also the 1.4Ghz is quad core while the 3.1 is only dualcore.

2019 that 1.4Ghz MBP was what most people suggested to get last year as the price difference for between the 2 and 4 USB port 13 inch models didn't warrant the price increase. the 2 port model could keep up with it's bigger brother for most tasks (aside from peripheral attachments). That's why Apple boosted the 4 port model to the 10th gen CPU's. the 2 port model was cannibalizing the 4 port sales.

 

[ght56]

The 2017s are problem-riddled between bad keyboards and breaking displays as it corrects the (significant) issues that this chassis has had in its first 2-4 years of production. The 2020 makes more sense to me. From a performance perspective, it's a pretty substantial jump. In day to day activities, depending how you use the system, you may notice a big difference or you may notice no difference at all. The 8 GB/256 GB could be completely sufficient or it could be a little lean. Additionally, the 13-inch MacBook Pro just moved to a more powerful CPU, the M1. Could you tell us a little bit about how you use the computer and how you might use it in the future?

 

[Tremshakes]

The 2017s are problem-riddled between bad keyboards and breaking displays as it corrects the (significant) issues that this chassis has had in its first 2-4 years of production. The 2020 makes more sense to me. From a performance perspective, it's a pretty substantial jump. In day to day activities, depending how you use the system, you may notice a big difference or you may notice no difference at all. The 8 GB/256 GB could be completely sufficient or it could be a little lean. Additionally, the 13-inch MacBook Pro just moved to a more powerful CPU, the M1. Could you tell us a little bit about how you use the computer and how you might use it in the future?

Thank you, and thanks to others in the thread so far! This resonates as I have had problems with both the keyboard and the display on my 2017 model. I am a blogger and use the Macbook for quite a bit of photo editing, and intend to begin using it for video editing next year. I also use it for attending video conferences and holding video calls quite frequently.