Decisions, decisions

debusohdebusoh
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I am going to buy a new 15" MBP. I want the 2.4GHz i5 with a matte display. I really want to pick it up today.



The Apple store I just called only have the i7 version in stock with the matte display.



With a corporate discount, the price difference is $277.



I think I will want to play games (StarCraft II), and the i7 version has more video memory.



Am I being short sighted by wanting to save $277?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    bergermeisterbergermeister Posts: 6,784member
    From where I sit the i7 might be a better choice for you, but let others chime in because I haven't really looked at them too hard. It's got double the video memory and that will likely help with games. Slightly faster, more video memory, top of the line model... an extra 277 doesn't sound like too much when it is at a discount, but it's interesting that the difference is higher than for regular purchasers (200) but they are likely giving you more incentive to go for the cheaper version because it would likely cover business needs fine.



    When I was a teacher and got academic discounts (really helpful for apps like Adobe Creative Suite!), I always went for the higher-end model. Now that I don't get a discount, I tend to think a bit.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,515moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by debusoh View Post


    Am I being short sighted by wanting to save $277?



    No, I'd personally hold out for the i5. The i7 is almost the same speed in the laptops as the i5 at the same clock speed - the i7 in question vs the lower i5 will be around 15% faster. It's not worth it IMO. The extra VRAM is good but I don't think it'll make a difference to your gaming as it only really affects the resolution you can game at:



    http://techreport.com/articles.x/14230/4



    StarCraft 2 should play just fine with 256MB, here's it on the last version MBP with 256MB 9600M GT:



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md5H2wkNRF0



    The 330M in the new one should be 40-100% faster than the 9600M GT.
  • Reply 3 of 4
    debusohdebusoh Posts: 85member
    Hi Bergermeister and Marvin,



    Thanks for the replies. I was psyched to see Starcraft II playing on an older generation MBP.



    I think I am going to order the i5 version and save a bit of money.



    I can't wait to get it. I haven't had a Mac since I had a Mac II on my desk at work many, many years ago.



    I went to an Apple store yesterday to take a look at them and talk to the staff there. It was PACKED. Lots of people looking at laptops, iMacs, iPads. The couple people I talked to said it was busier than at the iPad launch.



    I got on one of the 15" macbooks and played with it for a while. At first I wasn't sure how well I would like the trackpad (I have been using thinkpads for quit a while and only use the trackpoint). After a short period of time and with a few pointers from the staff, I can honestly say I am converted. Multi-touch is the bomb. Very intuitive and effective.



    A friend of mine was over last night and he just bought his family an iMac. They love it.
  • Reply 4 of 4
    kingofsomewherehotkingofsomewherehot Posts: 4,185member
    If you have the cash, ALWAYS go for the better processor. (In this case the i7.)

    The speed alone won't make a noticeable difference... and right now there is not really any software that takes advantage of the i7's more advanced capabilities. But if you're still going to have this computer 2 years down the road, you may find, then, that the i7 will be a much better processor than the i5 when software actually takes advantage of what it has to offer.



    I guess I'm trying to say that the extra $200 you spend NOW, will give the machine a longer useful lifespan. 10% more money will get you 20% longer useful life from the product. (Just making those numbers up as an example.)
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