Should I upgrade?

magic101hi

Hey guys so I have a question for all of ya,

My current computer has the following specs:


I was wondering if it would be worth spending $600 more to get this:
Macbook Pro 13" MC700LL/A
2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
1 TB Internal Hard Drive, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 8 GB DDR3 RAM, Precision aluminum unibody, 13.3 inch LED-backlit display, 1280-by-800 resolution
Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory
High Speed Thunderbolt Port, FaceTime HD Camera, Mac OS X v10.7 Lion

I just want to know if I will notice $600-$700 worth of improvements.

Thanks
-Josh

StusApps

Depends on what your usage is. If it's just for gamesalad then you won't notice much difference. For other stuff though the new i5 and i7 chips and A LOT faster than the old core 2 duos or even last year's i7 chip.

Looking at the geekbench results your current chip seems to score about 2800 and that i5 you mentioned scores around 6000. So more than twice as fast. But remember the 2.7 i7 model is a lot faster again and scores about 7500.

3D graphics wise you will notice a very slight improvement (not much) as the intel 3000 is about on par with a nvidia 320m from the last model.

StusApps

If your usage is not hugely processor intensive then the new macbook air 13" is an excellent bet as it has a higher res screen for making things like iPad games more easily. Plus it is still twice as quick as your current rig.

magic101hi

I am not only using it for GS I am also using it for gaming like StarCraft 2, and MineCraft.

Also Thanks for the quick reply.

-Josh

StusApps

starcraft 2 is very processor intensive. You'll see huge improvements from either the 2.3 or 2.7 MBP or the 13" MBA. If you plan on doing any 3D gaming on newer games then I would suggest the 15" line to get a proper discrete graphics chip.

I would definitely upgrade if you can afford to. Remember always to get the best processor and screen you can afford at time of buying. Hard drives and RAM are easy to upgrade yourself, processors and screens can't be.