Which Specs are better

Hi everyone, I am looking to upgrade my macbook pro. I found 3 that im comparing. I primarily use the macbook pro for graphic design work (running multiple adobe programs at once) and music production. will they all get the job done, and im splitting hairs? Out of these three, which one should I get? I dont want to get a more expensive one if its unnecessary.

#1
MacBook Pro 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory



#2
MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core i5

15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory



#3
MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core i5

15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
500GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory

This has been discussed many times before.

The i5 is a faster processor, utilizing hyper threading. It has 4 threads whereas the C2D has 2 threads. Graphic design usually needs lots of RAM, but processor speed is sort of important.

If I were in your shoes I would get the upgraded screen, Glossy or Anti-glare, your choice. Get the cheapest hard drive possible then get an aftermarket 7200 RPM and switch them out. The 4gb of RAM should be fine for now. If you notice you use a lot of it up, 8gb kits range from $90-$150 so don't pay apple $400 to do it themselves.

Thanks, i will do the ram upgrade myself, that will save a lot of money. I want to know though, will the core 2 duo get the job done well? also it is old technology now, will software companies stop making programs incompatable for c2d? I know this is a forum about mac's so if no one knows the software question, its ok.

glh16 said:

Thanks, i will do the ram upgrade myself, that will save a lot of money. I want to know though, will the core 2 duo get the job done well? also it is old technology now, will software companies stop making programs incompatable for c2d? I know this is a forum about mac's so if no one knows the software question, its ok.

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Core 2 Duos and the iX processors used in Macs are both dual core processors. The C2D be fine for a while still, just that if you need to push it with processing power, the iX processors, will, effectively, double the performance of the C2D. I would still recommend getting the 15" MBP tho as it gives you, not only a bigger screen, but a better screen resolution via the upgrade.

This is what I would recommend to you:

2.4GHz Intel Core i5
4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB (Upgrade aftermarket if you use most of your RAM during your normal use. 8GB = $90-$150
320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm Upgrade the HD yourself to at least a 320GB 7200rpm drive. Newegg.com - Seagate Momentus 7200.4 ST9500420AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive -Bare Drive is the one I use, great deal right now. Newegg.com - Seagate Momentus XT ST95005620AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s with NCQ Solid State Hybrid Drive -Bare Drive is another great option. Difference is the XT (latter) has 4GB of flash storage so it caches the 4GB of most common data and opens them via flash storage for faster access.
SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
MacBook Pro 15-inch Hi-Res Glossy Widescreen Display (The whole reason for getting the 15 inch is to upgrade your display. The Antiglare is also available for $50 on top of this upgrade. Personal preference.
Backlit Keyboard (English) & User's Guide

glh16 said:

also it is old technology now, will software companies stop making programs incompatable for c2d? I know this is a forum about mac's so if no one knows the software question, its ok.

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C2D isn't that old as it's still pretty prominent in a lot of computers. Even if you choose it over the iX series processors I doubt it'll be an issue before your next computer purchase. A lot of the software companies are pretty considerate when it comes to supporting "older" processors. That's just my opinion of course.

I have a 2.5 C2D in my MBP, and I"m considering getting a new Air with a slower C2D processor so I'm not too concerned with it having support issues. As already suggested I'd recommend upgrading the Ramm and HDD on your own down the road. You might not need the 8GB of memory right away, but it doesn't hurt to fully upgrade your machine for future use.

s2odin said:

8gb kits range from $90-$150

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Where are you getting 8gb of ddr3 for $90????

brairden said:

Where are you getting 8gb of ddr3 for $90????

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Probably this.