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Will I feel any speed difference upgrading from my 08 MBP?

L

lexusracin

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 15, 2010
15
0
I have an early 08 15" 2.4 MBP. Its been pretty solid but I think its time for an upgrade. I've always been about specs and am quite hesitant to pull the trigger on a 13" 1.86 MBA. What I'm more hesitant about is that I "upgrade" but find the MBA slower than my MBP. I'm a moderate power user and do some light gaming. Will the Air be a step backwards for me?
 
I think mainly because of the SSD you will feel a difference. You could always buy and if it doesn't fit your needs return it. I think for your uses you will be very happy with the performance of the MBA....
 
I came from a late '08 15" MBP (2.53) to a 11" MBA, and the hard drive speed of the air has totally spoiled me. It's a VERY capable machine.
 
That outdated core 2 duo is reallllllly holding me back. Hearing all the rumors about updated processor in june I dont know if I should purchase this or the 13" MBP. If only the MBP had better resolution I'd be all over it. How much would I expect to lose if I sell it in 3 months if a new one comes out?
 
Not sure what graphics card you have in your MBP but my girlfriend had a 2.53 GHz 09 MBP with a 9400m. She "upgraded" to a 1.86 GHz MBA with 4GB RAM. This was a huge upgrade for her. She doesn't notice the processor drop at all but the SSD makes a world of difference especially since it has a better graphics chipset (320m), same resolution and the same amount of RAM. If you have a discrete graphics card though and you use it heavily then you probably just want to add an SSD to your machine and call it a day.
 
lexusracin said:
That outdated core 2 duo is reallllllly holding me back. Hearing all the rumors about updated processor in june I dont know if I should purchase this or the 13" MBP. If only the MBP had better resolution I'd be all over it. How much would I expect to lose if I sell it in 3 months if a new one comes out?
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The Core Duo has more power than you'll likely need. Besides look at the recently announced low power SandyBridge chip that's likely to go into the Air. Its top clock speed is 1.4 GHZ and you'll be stuck with Intel's crappy graphics. I think the current Air is going to compare quite nicely when the SandyBridge generation arrives.
 
stockscalper said:
Its top clock speed is 1.4 GHZ and you'll be stuck with Intel's crappy graphics.
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It turbo boosts to 2.3GHz, and is absolutely unquestionably a much, much faster processor. Don't trick yourself into thinking differently (and I'm not biased...I just bought a C2D Ultimate 11" MBA last week). It's a VASTLY superior processor.

As far as graphics, you're right on.
 
I took the dive and ordered a 13" with 4gb ram. Hopefully the processor gets upgraded next yr so I dont have buyers remorse!
 
You probably *won't* have buyers remorse.

My wife just got a brand new MBP. It runs rings around my MBA on paper, but I don't care. Mine starts in 12 seconds, and hers takes about a minute to start (she installed Windows).

I am extremely unjealous.

Unless your current machine beachballs a lot due to CPU load, you won't be downgrading.
 
jamesryanbell said:
It turbo boosts to 2.3GHz, and is absolutely unquestionably a much, much faster processor. Don't trick yourself into thinking differently (and I'm not biased...I just bought a C2D Ultimate 11" MBA last week). It's a VASTLY superior processor.

As far as graphics, you're right on.
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The 11" is not a good benchmark. And just because it turbo boosts doesn't mean you have the power of 2.12 GHZ all the time. Turbo boosting ain't all its cracked up to be as tests have shown. But at least this is a start. Some rumors had the Air getting an i3 which is a poor choice. The next upgrade cycle after SandyBridge makes its debut will be the one to watch.
 
stockscalper said:
The 11" is not a good benchmark. And just because it turbo boosts doesn't mean you have the power of 2.12 GHZ all the time.
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I'm not talking about comparing the 11" to the 13". I'm comparing the current 11" to the proposed SB-powered MBA that might surface.
 
I just upgraded from a 2008 2.4GHz Macbook Pro to a 13" MBA 1.86GHz/128GB and I'm really enjoying it so far. I travel a lot, and I am obsessed with how minimal it is in my briefcase. Overall, it feels a lot snappier with day to day usage. I figured i didn't need to blow $2000+ and get another 15" MBP for some decent resolution and horsepower. I don't need it to do any heavy crunching while I'm on the road, so when I'm home I can rely on my HacPro :D.
 
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