2.8 ghz vs 3.06 ghz

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I'm buying the 15" MBP, and I was torn between the 2.8 ghz processor and the 3.06. I know theres a speed difference between the two, but is it significant enough to add another $270? I'll mainly use it for graphic design work, no video editing.
 
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You won't likely notice a thing unless you are doing some crazy 3d stuff.

You may not even need a 2.8 processor, a 2.5 may do just fine.
 
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Would 2.5 really be fine? The more I can save, the better.
Will be using it professionally. Tech friend said 2.8, but hes mainly a PC kinda guy.
 
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I use a 2.4 for video editing (Final Cut Express). I would save the dough, get a 2.5ghz, and beef up the Hard Drive on your own (don't buy larger hard drive WITH your machine). Get it online (newegg, amazon, OWC, etc. etc.)

They come stock with 4gb RAM nowadays, so you can't just get 2gb and upgrade later. Too bad, you'd save some $$$ there too. ;)
 
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I'm going with the 2.66 option so I can get the additional video card.


So this would run fine? Well, I know it will run fine but should it be sufficient for professional level graphic design? I would also be running xp for gaming? (maybe)
I mean if this below would be sufficient, is the only reason you would upgrade it would be for extreme video editing, and 3D work?
* 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
* 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm (how much would I want to upgrade the HD/RAM?)

I don't mind paying a little extra for them to beef the HD up a bit. Don't feel like ordering from anywhere else/getting it put together, or putting it in myself.
 
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That will run fine for your needs and be sufficient for you. The hard drive looks good at it is. I would wait and see if you need more ram or not. I think 4 gb should be enough but if you feel you need more, it is really easy to get more and install it.
 
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The 2.66 will be a good amount of power.

However, you can buy the 3.06 as it may last you longer than the 2.66.

4 GB of RAM is definitely sufficient.

500 GB HD will be fine. If you need more space, save it to an external HD.
 
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The 2.66 will be a good amount of power.

However, you can buy the 3.06 as it may last you longer than the 2.66.

4 GB of RAM is definitely sufficient.

500 GB HD will be fine. If you need more space, save it to an external HD.

How does the life span of a 3.06 surpass the 2.66? That is certainly not true? It can be vice versa. It all depends on how you use and if you mess with it. By that I mean over clocking it, etc.
 
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How does the life span of a 3.06 surpass the 2.66? That is certainly not true? It can be vice versa. It all depends on how you use and if you mess with it. By that I mean over clocking it, etc.

Not necessarily "life span" but how long it can be useable.

For instance, a 100 MHz processor can not be used for common day programs.

The 3.06 could possibly have a longer "life" because it is 400 MHz faster.

Also, the 3.06 will resell for more than the 2.66.
 
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I diasgree. I do not think it can last longer just because it faster. As far as selling, yes it will have a higher resell value.
 

bobtomay

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imho
That 3.06 in the MBP is there for the hard core gamers and ex-overclockers (like myself) and those doing professional video encoding where the additional speed can pay for itself over time. Also note: there is no way to do any overclocking on the MBP that I'm aware of. zdnet did put out an overclocking tool a while back, but it only works on the Mac Pro.

While the 3.06 will hold a higher resale value, you'll never get that $270 back that you paid for it. You'll never get that $300 back that they're charging for the upgrade to the 2.8 either.

The thought of a machine lasting longer with the better processor in it, doesn't hold nearly as much water today as it did in times past. That whole reasoning in years past was due to the speed of CPU's doubling every 12 months. Those days have been behind us since about 2003. That's when I overclocked my first chip to 4 Ghz. We haven't seen software developers increase the minimum speed requirements related to CPU power in several years now. Not sure that I've seen any software that requires anything above a 1.8-2.0Ghz chip. And until Intel or AMD can bust through the 4 Ghz barrier, this is unlikely to change.

The thought in buying a computer today should be to get the one that will do the jobs you need to accomplish.

For the op, personally think the middle of the road 2.66 is the way to go if you're needing one right now. Your money would be better spent on that upgrade to a 7200 RPM drive and you'll see more speed improvement there than you will in the upgrade to the 2.8 chip. Personally, I'd upgrade it myself. But, if you don't want the hassle, it's not as big a ripoff pre-ordering the upgrade as it use to be.
 
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Thanks for the info.
Especially bobtomay, the perspective you gave me is very useful!
 

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