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At the moment I have the APPLE MacBook Pro MB985B/A 15.4" 320GB/4GB RAM/1.66Ghz computer and I am thinking to buy Apple MacBook Pro MC721LL/A 500GB 15.4" i7 MC721. The price difference is only GBP 300. (I got a buyer for my old mac already)

Is it worth it? The main reason to upgrade the computer is general speed issues. (specifically, while browsing with FireFox, slow rendering time using Photoshop; from time to time I like to turn on some games)

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  • I suggest you get an SSD instead.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:13
  • What difference does it make?
    – Gajus
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:16
  • They are really fast. Read up on them here.
    – Daniel Beck ♦
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:18
  • Getting an SSD will definitely speed up things a little bit. Chances are the "normal" HDD in the new one might become a bottleneck once again.
    – slhck
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:19
  • Also, please take a better look at the FAQ. You've already had a shopping recommendation question closed before.
    – slhck
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:58

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The quad core processor will help if you run a lot of tasks which could be made to run in parallel on the CPU (and if the CPU processing is a bottleneck).

Given the usage that you point out, you'd probably notice a far larger speed improvement if you used a solid state drive. They're not cheap, but it'll be night and day.

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  • I can't seem to find any Macbook Pros with SSD. How would I search for them? Is there any special way they identify them in the model name?
    – Gajus
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:22
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    If you aren't buying direct from Apple they will be hard to find, as they are optional extras that will only be in BTO (built-to-order) machines. And Apple SSDs are expensive with a capital E. Even more so than normal ones. The SSD comments are encouraging you to add an SSD to your current Mac.
    – Lukasa
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:24
  • Would it be possible to install SSD myself into macbook?
    – Gajus
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:34
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    @Guy absolutely. There are some nice guides at iFixit for almost every model.
    – slhck
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:35
  • Blah, beat me to it. :P
    – Lukasa
    Jun 18, 2011 at 22:36

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