I3 , I5 and I7 : great difference with 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo..??

[Prince69]

Hi MAC-Community,

would like to know if the new processors I3, I5 and I7 really make a big difference. Is it still OK to still opt for the older 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor..??
Where is the difference ? Speed, liability, or else..?
Could somebody give some advice on this issue..?

Thanks and kind regards,

Johan

[michl]

Plenty of benchmarks can be found on the web, such as this one:
New MacBook Pro Core i3/i5/i7 Mobile CPU Benchmark
While the chart speaks for itself, the comments are worth reading too :>
Here's another one, and here too...

[Magnus]

I've had the Core i7 15-inch for testing for a bit and compared it to a 2.4GHz C2D MacBook Pro and there's a considerable difference. I will try to find the benchmark figures. If it's speed you need there's no question it delivers much more in that regard. But in the end it comes down to what you need, what you're going to do with the Mac.

[Prince69]

Thank you for your comment, Magnus and Michl.
I do a lot of Photoshop CS3 work (presentations in high definition), but also for these tasks, speed doesn't REALLY matter. All the rest of my work is internet-related, like mails and stuff..!
I do understand that going for the previous 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors is NOT a great difference, and it's not an -out of the time- purchase..??
Thanks again, Johan

[michl]

I do understand that going for the previous 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors is NOT a great difference, ...

Not sure where you got that impression from. The benchmarks I posted a link to call the improvement "astonishing".
We're not talking small increment here but anywhere from 33% to 65% speed increase! That is enormous indeed.
And the new processors should also be more energy efficient...

But then you said you don't need speed so much so... I guess you answered your own question that way.
Hard core Photoshop'pers will love the dramatic performance improvement though. That and 16GB RAM!

[Prince69]

Thanks Michl, I highly appreciate your reply in this regard (I have seen the benchmarks / charts) through the links you've mentioned..! I must agree with you.
Have you got experience with the iPad..? If yes, could you have a look at the 2 threats I have put under the iPad-Forum. (Prince69 is my user-name). I would be thankful if you could help me out with these problems!!
Kind regards, Johan

[michl]

There is no need to advertise your posts in other threads. People browse the forums of their choice, read what they are interested in, and reply if they wish / can...

[Prince69]

Sorry Michl, wasn't aware : There so many subjects and issues over there..! My apologies for not following the "rules".. ;-)

[hakka]

its gonna be the difference. I5-7 designed for 64bit intentionally. So in modern operation system you will notice some improvement. However not that big - most noticeable in multi-threaed applications such as Adobe's, CAD/CAM and multimedia creation apps. For everyday apps - like safari, finder ) - practically no difference.

[michl]

Yes, computers have been fast enough for some time now. More than enough in fact. Bottlenecks are usually elsewhere i.e. the internet connection (for Safari yes, Mail attachments, and esp video streaming, etc.), or the software itself (for Finder - case in point - still badly coded!) or even the UI design at times (too many mouse clicks...)

What I'm more interested in are improvements in power consumption for instance (=energy saving + more battery life), also component size (=smaller and lighter devices). And lower costs of course. Can you picture the day when laptops will be commodities i.e. say, a $250 notebook as good as a MBP? an iPad-like tablet starting at $50? Now that will change things!