I am considering buying a MBP with one of the processors mentioned on this thread title. Using the price of a MBP 2.66 GHz with a 500 GB HD as the basis for comparison, I would have to pay an additional Php 11,490 & Php 28,030 for the 2.8 GHz & 3.06 GHz MBP, respectively, to move from 2.66 to either of the two processors. Are the differences in processing speed of these 3 processors so much that justifies these price differences? I'd appreciate any comments from fellow phil muggers. Thanks in advance.
That's a big difference for the money. But the speed is not that much. If you upgrade to 500GB HDD, get the faster disc. 7200RPM. If both have the same RAM, I would assume the speed difference is unnoticeable.
I agree with ijingo. Processor-wise 2.66/2.8/3.06 will only yield a small/unnoticeable difference. Check out the benchmarks reviews done in MacWorld.com and you will see that the 2.66 vs 2.8 clocks only a few seconds of difference in applications like Photoshop. Perhaps the 3.06 might be bit faster but I think it is overpriced and not worth it, especially when the next generation of Quad Core CPUs are just around the corner. Probably the only reason you should go for the 2.8 and 3.06 is the additional VRAM 512MB (2.8/3.06) vs the 256MB (2.66) VRAM for the discreet GPU - that is- if your application needs it.
Short answer would be no. In real time use, that'll probably give you only a few seconds advantage. Maybe a gap of less than a minute between the 2.66 and the 3.06. But then again, what would you be using it for? If you plan on working on it with something really processor intensive (video editor maybe, who needs an on-the-go machine?) then it might be okay to spend on it. But in general, the processor upgrades aren't worth it.
Thanks for the comments guys. It's very helpful as well as another thread where there was a comparison between the 2.26 & 2.53 GHz for a MBP 13.3". I may even consider going down to a 13.3". Will have to visit Powr Mac to see the difference in how spreadsheets & docs show up. Will be using the unit for both work (consulting) & home (internet & the occasional game in Boot Camp mode ). Unfortunately, the games I favor are rpg's which some need graphics power.
Definitely not worth the processor upgrade then. Don't expect anything stunning with the 9600m GT on the 15" pros btw. Its an okay gaming card at best. Good luck with your purchase!
Plunk down 14-15k for an Intel X25-M SSD instead for the best performance boost you will ever get. Makes your disk on par to feed data as fast as possible to your RAM and CPU.
