MacBook Pro: are they really worth it?

r31ncarnat3d
Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:07:09 +0000

Just wanted to comment on something for a second. On these forums, there seems to be a lot of “Should I get an i3/i5/i7?” questions/comparisons, despite the user giving only minimal usage requirements.

With computers, esp with people on a budget like college students, it’s extremely important to remember to buy to your needs, not buy to the market. Just because something is new doesn’t mean you need it or even, that you’ll see a performance increase over it.

Your average college student only listens to music, goes online, IMs, watches videos, does homework, and takes notes on his/her laptop. This is extremely basic usage, and a Core 2 Duo is still more than enough power for these people. Even though the i3/i5/i7s are newer and more powerful CPUs, I am extremely confident that for most college students, they will not notice ANY performance increase, despite the extra price tag.

Even with gaming, it’s doubtful you’ll need a strong CPU. The only games that require a powerful CPU are physics-intensive games like GTA IV or AI-intensive games beyond the scope of SCII. Even with today’s popular games like SCII or MW2, a Core 2 can still run these games just fine, and the extra money for the CPU is better put towards upgrading the graphics chip.

So in short, just because something is new and current doesn’t mean you have to buy it.