This thread could go in multiple sub-boards, so I decided the general discussion is the most common sense choice if I only want to post this once.
I currently have a 9 month old 2010 Macbook Pro.
Last week Apple came out with their new Macbook Pro systems featuring quad core processors. My main interest in upgrading would be to move from a dual core processor (i5-520M) to a quad core processor (it's either the i7-2630QM or i7-26305QM). The only other benefit would be the thunderbolt port, but that's secondary (currently I'm limited to only firewire800).
Since I use Lightroom 3, I've asked around in the past week and it's becoming clear that the quad core chip would greatly improve Lightroom's performance. Yes I could upgrade to SSD with my current system, but I could do the same with the upgraded system down the road.
Pros for selling and upgrading now -
Cons for selling and upgrading now -
My current system's geekbench score is 5680 and the upgraded system would most likely be between 8900 and 9400.
Your feedback would be appreciated. My wife is looking at this from a "me spending money needlessly and wanting the cutting edge system", while I can see it both ways. The benefit of the newer system yet the argument to be satisfied with my current model.
What say you?
I currently have a 9 month old 2010 Macbook Pro.
- It's a 15.4-inch model with a 2.4Ghz dual core i5 processor.
- It has 8GB of ram and the upgraded anti-glare hi-res matte screen (1680 x 1050).
- I've removed the superdrive and installed a second internal hard drive. My boot drive is 500gb 7200rpm and my file drive is 500gb 5400rpm. The former's link speed is 3 Gigabit and the latter's link speed is 1.5 Gigabit.
- If I keep this system I will most likely upgrade the slower drive to 7200rpm and then look long term at upgrading the boot drive to SSD.
Last week Apple came out with their new Macbook Pro systems featuring quad core processors. My main interest in upgrading would be to move from a dual core processor (i5-520M) to a quad core processor (it's either the i7-2630QM or i7-26305QM). The only other benefit would be the thunderbolt port, but that's secondary (currently I'm limited to only firewire800).
Since I use Lightroom 3, I've asked around in the past week and it's becoming clear that the quad core chip would greatly improve Lightroom's performance. Yes I could upgrade to SSD with my current system, but I could do the same with the upgraded system down the road.
Pros for selling and upgrading now -
1. The out of pocket cost (not how much I still owe) to upgrade is between $300 and $400. Meaning I would sell my current system for X and purchase the new system with the upgraded screen for X+$350. This low upgrade cost now factors out to only being about $1.25 per day since I purchased the system last summer.
2. Since there's now an obvious step up in processor difference between my system and all future systems (going from dual to quad core), the value/time ratio for my system will take a nosedive as time goes on. Once the brand new quad core systems come onto the used market, say next year, the value of my dual core system will be drastically reduced. So selling and upgrading now has a distinct benefit over the life of the systems compared to waiting a year or two down the road.
3. The performance benefit will be felt instantly when using LR3. And this doesn't take into account future releases of Lightroom that might make even better use of multi-core processors.
4. The thunderbolt port for transferring files or backing up is significantly faster then Firewire 800, my fastest external port. And while there currently are not any devices on the market, there will be when I need to purchase a new external hard drive.
2. Since there's now an obvious step up in processor difference between my system and all future systems (going from dual to quad core), the value/time ratio for my system will take a nosedive as time goes on. Once the brand new quad core systems come onto the used market, say next year, the value of my dual core system will be drastically reduced. So selling and upgrading now has a distinct benefit over the life of the systems compared to waiting a year or two down the road.
3. The performance benefit will be felt instantly when using LR3. And this doesn't take into account future releases of Lightroom that might make even better use of multi-core processors.
4. The thunderbolt port for transferring files or backing up is significantly faster then Firewire 800, my fastest external port. And while there currently are not any devices on the market, there will be when I need to purchase a new external hard drive.
Cons for selling and upgrading now -
1. There will always be a newer and better system. What are you going to do next year, lust after the 2012 Macbook Pros and want to sell your newly purchased 2011 model?
2. I'm not currently "suffering" when editing RAW files in LR3. Perhaps 2 or 3 years down the road when LR4 and LR5 will be released, but as it stands now I'm doing ok.
3. Better speeds when importing, rendering previews during import, and exporting times are not a primary concern. My real concern is speeds / slowdowns in Develop.
4. As a part-time photographer, I'm not in Lightroom as much as a full time photographer and therefore the upgrade isn't warranted due to my limited use.
5. The small cost to upgrade does not take into account how much you paid for your system and the overall cost of your current model.
6. A computer system is just like the old analogy of camera bodies. It would be much wiser to suffer a little with a somewhat slower system and instead spend your money acquiring glass. Having the fastest laptop over the next 4 years takes a back seat to putting that money towards a 35mm 1.4G or something of the sort.
2. I'm not currently "suffering" when editing RAW files in LR3. Perhaps 2 or 3 years down the road when LR4 and LR5 will be released, but as it stands now I'm doing ok.
3. Better speeds when importing, rendering previews during import, and exporting times are not a primary concern. My real concern is speeds / slowdowns in Develop.
4. As a part-time photographer, I'm not in Lightroom as much as a full time photographer and therefore the upgrade isn't warranted due to my limited use.
5. The small cost to upgrade does not take into account how much you paid for your system and the overall cost of your current model.
6. A computer system is just like the old analogy of camera bodies. It would be much wiser to suffer a little with a somewhat slower system and instead spend your money acquiring glass. Having the fastest laptop over the next 4 years takes a back seat to putting that money towards a 35mm 1.4G or something of the sort.
My current system's geekbench score is 5680 and the upgraded system would most likely be between 8900 and 9400.
Your feedback would be appreciated. My wife is looking at this from a "me spending money needlessly and wanting the cutting edge system", while I can see it both ways. The benefit of the newer system yet the argument to be satisfied with my current model.
What say you?
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