MBP 13 i5 v i7

alfalad

Hi,

Sorry if this has been done before but about to buy a MBP (gave thought to the Air but think it will date quicker and will prob pick up an ipad for when I'm on the go) but I'm debating whether it's worth picking up the i7 version or going for the basic i5. Not so worried about the disk space but thinking this is an invetsment for a number of years and although the i5 will be fine now will it struggle sooner with programmes down the line. The main programme I will use will be Aperture which as a photo editing programme is a little resource heavy and newer versions in 3 years time I'm sure still will be. I will upgrade the RAM and in approx 2 year update to SSD when the prices come down nicely, so wondering will the i7 still be up to the task or will it matter if I go for the i5?

taylorconor95

Ok I have Aperture open now on my 15' MBP 2009 with i5.

It takes 3%CPU browsing through the library, and while doing more resource heavy tasks (Editing and exporting) will go to max 6-7%. It takes roughly 350m of my ram.

The machine still runs with no noticeable speed difference with Aperture &Photoshop CS5 open.

I cant see the the point of getting i7, although it may seem an investment im not sure if you would see the benefits of it based on what you are doing. You could always ramp it up to around 2.6 Gz anyway on store.apple.com/ie when buying it.

alfalad

taylorconor95 wrote: »

I cant see the the point of getting i7, although it may seem an investment im not sure if you would see the benefits of it based on what you are doing. You could always ramp it up to around 2.6 Gz anyway on store.apple.com/ie when buying it.

How can I get it up to 2.6Gz, don't see that option? Thanks for your response by the way, good to know especially as you are running Photo Apps.

taylorconor95

alfalad wrote: »

How can I get it up to 2.6Gz, don't see that option?

Oh. It seems that option has been removed since the MBP range was upgraded to the latest Intel processors.

Its obviously up to you, but there is only a €200 price difference, and since the more expensive one has a 2.7GZ i7 and 180GB extra storage, it moght swing my vote

You should also note that there is quite a significant difference (i feel) between the 13' and the 15'. When thinking of buying it I went to PC world to see if there was much difference between the two, and after that I made my mind uo that the 13' was a waste of time, and I'm pretty happy with the 15'

alfalad

15 inch is a big jump in price and reckon the basic pro will be fine as my choice was really between the air and pro and reckoned with a few upgrades in time, something you can't do with the air, it will be machine that will last for a good couple of years. the 15 is a big jump in size and although I won't be carrying it too much I would like a reasonable amount of portability. I also read a coupl eof reviews that said both are very quick machines 85% odd better than last years and you would be pushed to notice the real world diff in the two. Also noted that the i7 can over heat if pushed hard therefore making it slower than the i5. As I say i'm not gaming so don't think it will be an issue. It arrives on Thursday!!

Thanks for your input though.

Colonel Panic

The problem with the 13" Pro is the low resolution screen. People can say "Oh, it's fine for me" all they want. It's not, especially if you're using something like Aperture.

Better start looking at external monitors too!

alfalad

No chance at the moment, I'll prob look at an iMac in 2 years or so. And given I'm currently using a 10" netbook I think it will be a large upgrade!