2.53ghz Mac mini vs 2.0ghz macbook

[redryder]

How’s the performance of the 2.53ghz mac mini vs the 2008 macbook aluminium? My macbook has 4GB RAM, and is mostly decent but performance drops when running some photoshop plugins (which I use frequently). I’m looking for a desktop upgrade, and since I’m already using an external monitor and keyboard the mac mini seems more suitable than the imac.

But is 2.53ghz a significant upgrade from 2.0ghz on the macbook?

 

[iSpoody 1243]

The cpu isn't that much faster.
if you are having slow downs on your macbook you will have the same slowdowns on the mac mini.
what you currently looking at isn't a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[adjuster]

I would check the ram usage with Activity Monitor utility. You might want to go to 8gb ram.

 

[indg]

first, you need to clarify what system you have. a 2ghz macbook pro (aluminum) is a yonah core duo (from 2006). the merom core 2 duos came out in late 2006, and penryns came out in early 2008, slowest being 2.1ghz. look in your system profiler and tell us what you see there (e.g. model name, identifier, processor info, bus speed, etc.)

in all likelihood, you will see a decent boost in overall system performance when comparing it to a 2-3 year old machine.

 

[iSpoody 1243]

first, you need to clarify what system you have. a 2ghz macbook pro (aluminum) is a yonah core duo (from 2006). the merom core 2 duos came out in late 2006, and penryns came out in early 2008, slowest being 2.1ghz. look in your system profiler and tell us what you see there (e.g. model name, identifier, processor info, bus speed, etc.)

in all likelihood, you will see a decent boost in overall system performance when comparing it to a 2-3 year old machine.

lololololololol!!!!!
hes MACBOOK is the late 2008 base 13" model when the 13" got the alu unibody redesign. the first 13" unibodies were still called macbooks, in mid 2009 they got renamed to macbook pros

 

[indg]

lololololololol!!!!!
hes MACBOOK is the late 2008 base 13" model when the 13" got the alu unibody redesign. the first 13" unibodies were still called macbooks, in mid 2009 they got renamed to macbook pros

you're right, i forgot about that! so it's a 2.0ghz penryn. the 2.53ghz mini would be about a 32% increase in raw cpu power (according to geekbench). hdd speed and graphics appear to be the same, so no advantage there. the only other difference would be that the mini can take 8gb of ram vs the late 2008 macbook's 6gb.

seeing as the mini is on the bubble for a refresh, i'd say you're better off waiting a little for the next mini with 320m. could be next week, could be next month, but either way if it were me i'd wait.