Check out blu101 links, unless you have very specific requirements, spending more on the faster chips will not yield much of a performance gain.
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which model is for me?
- Thread starter BarracksBoy
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Check out blu101 links, unless you have very specific requirements, spending more on the faster chips will not yield much of a performance gain.
I know your post wasn't aimed at me, but I also recommended he find someone who can handle HDD and RAM upgrades. Why? Because I'd like to at least open his mind to all options - surely he or a friend knows someone who can, or who has kids who can do it. He will save a lot of $$$, which he can keep in the bank or use for accessories like a sleeve case, cables/adapters, apple remote, etc. Hey, we're here to help people, right?
From what the OP said he will use it for, an i7 is also a bit of a waste of his $$$. And unless he is going to use an external monitor at 2560x1600 resolution, the 512MB 330M is also a bit of a waste. Star Craft is only one game and I'm sure it still runs fine on a 256MB 330M, at least playable with low-medium settings.
I also started out with the top model in mind, but after weeks of research, realized it wasn't the best option for me, and I use my MBP much more intensively than what the OP will use his for. I saved a bundle and got all the accessories I need. Couldn't be happier. Choosing between top of the line and best value is a difficult decision. Take your time and make the right choice for you.
And don't think I'm knocking on the i7. I'm not, it's one hell of a MBP and will make many people happy, especially those that work on video and photography.
hmm, ok so i accept that what i do may not be the most cost effective.
However, i want to keep in your minds that this is going to be probably my last laptop for a good five years and i need it to last as money while being trained as a military pilot isn't the best so i won't be able to have any luxury i have now (currently at school with parental support etc). Therefore things like the i7 and 512mb gt 330m may seem pointless now, but in a few years time they could be really beneficial to me?
also: what could i do with the 4gb ram i take out of my macbook pro when i upgrade??
However, i want to keep in your minds that this is going to be probably my last laptop for a good five years and i need it to last as money while being trained as a military pilot isn't the best so i won't be able to have any luxury i have now (currently at school with parental support etc). Therefore things like the i7 and 512mb gt 330m may seem pointless now, but in a few years time they could be really beneficial to me?
also: what could i do with the 4gb ram i take out of my macbook pro when i upgrade??
That's cool. Keep in mind that the i7 will run a little hotter and drain a little more battery as well.
You can pretty much play any game on any 15" model, the only difference may be at what settings you can play the game before it starts to lag. I don't think there's that much of a difference, but I don't use my MBP for gaming. Others that do can comment. The 330M card just isn't that fast to fully use the 512MB, and I think Apple actually down clocks it. There was another article I caught once with the clock speeds of the graphics cards in some laptops. Each computer maker can set their desired clock speed for the GPU, so two laptops with same 330M card aren't always the same. MBPs aren't gaming laptops, but they can surely play many games, and they'll play fine, you don't need ultra high settings to enjoy the game with a decent/nice image quality, especially on a 15" screen. Honestly, I think the only reason Apple included a 512MB 330M card with i7's was to have enough power to run external displays, especially the Apple external dispaly, which has a max resolution of 2560x1600.
Cheers and good luck with whichever model you chose - you won't regret it, Apple >>>>> PC.
yeh i may well choose to use this with my hdtv in the future as i see fit. but that definitely isn't a priority.
The running hot and little battery life are not a problem for me. As my current laptop has about 40mins battery life, any macbook will be a great improvement to that .. and also a lot cooler with my current one getting to anything around 90-98degrees centigrade
The running hot and little battery life are not a problem for me. As my current laptop has about 40mins battery life, any macbook will be a great improvement to that .. and also a lot cooler with my current one getting to anything around 90-98degrees centigrade
That's what I thought too when I started looking at my next computer 2 months ago. I thought "I'll future proof it by buying the top model, so it'll last for years".
Then my gf pointed out her 4 year old Macbook (not even a pro) with a 2.13Ghz Core 2 Duo and 2GB RAM that is running Mac OS X Snow Leopard just fine. She runs all the iLife apps with no problems, skype, Office for Mac, Firefox, Safari, many GBs of music, watches movies and shows through various websites, Netflix and youtube, etc.
That's when I started to realize I didn't really need an i7...and I didn't.
Keep it. You can sell it, but you're not going to get much, ~$40-$60 here in the US. Better to keep it in case your new RAM fails (can happen). Think of it as a cheap back up (you already own it). Store it in the ESD free packaging thag the new RAM comes in.
Same with the HDD. If you find someone to do your upgrades, you can keep the factory original HDD and use it for backups, just buy a USB enclosure, much cheaper than buying a whole external HDD. Should be enough storage to hold you up for a while, upgrade in the future when you need to (you'll have more $$ to spend then).
And look, upgrading an HDD and RAM isn't that hard...if you can hang a picture on a wall, you can upgrade these two items. Take off a few screws, swap the HDD/RAM, re-insert screws, you're done. Go to iFixit.com for step by step instructions. But I know where you're coming from, so to make sure things are done right, just reach out to friends and family for someone that knows how to do it, they can show you while they do it.
No worries, the max resolution on HDTVs is only 1920x1080 (1080p).
I plug mine in to my 42" HDTV Plasma with the Moshi mini display to HDMI adapter, works fine.
You are going to love your MBP!!!
Man, I wish you lived near me, I'd upgrade your HDD and RAM at no charge just to help you out!
thank you for that comment.
what you said about your gfs macbook is true but unfortunately i am one of these people (born like this) who always likes to have the fastest i can get (i know that isn't too logical, just the way i am) and i will want to run more than just ilife in the future, i'll want future games etc to run as well and that's all factored into my approach.
What you said about upgrading is very true and i have decided (after seeing a youtube video of a 12 year old doing it!!) to upgrade the ram myself as i have seen just how overpriced apple is being here but i will stil get the ssd from apple as all ssds are pricy these days.
what you said about your gfs macbook is true but unfortunately i am one of these people (born like this) who always likes to have the fastest i can get (i know that isn't too logical, just the way i am) and i will want to run more than just ilife in the future, i'll want future games etc to run as well and that's all factored into my approach.
What you said about upgrading is very true and i have decided (after seeing a youtube video of a 12 year old doing it!!) to upgrade the ram myself as i have seen just how overpriced apple is being here but i will stil get the ssd from apple as all ssds are pricy these days.
In that case my friend, get the 2.66 or 2.8 i7 and chose the screen you want. I recommend at least the hi-res one, glossy or anti-glare, whichever you prefer, it's a no brainer at only extra $100 (well, here, not sure about the UK).
Then, you or a friend can do the HDD and RAM upgrades. Bam, now you got the high model that's going to make you happy AND you still saved $$, best of both worlds
Cheers
ps: buy the HDD first, like from Amazon or something - that way, as soon as you get your MBP you can swap the HDD and re-install Mac OS X and iLife, before you start to personalize and download stuff, that way, there's no need to worry about a backup to get you up and running. Of course, before you do this, make sure to turn the MBP on and register it, go online, open up a few iLife apps, etc. just to make sure it runs good without any problems
thank you very much for the advice blu101 you've been very helpful here i shall report back once i have the new mbp and see how good it really is (which i'm expecting to be amazing)
i shall report back once i have the new mbp and see how good it really is (which i'm expecting to be amazing)/
It is not about just the price, but apple's ssd are not really good. You always want the fastest you say ... get a sandforce controlled ssd.