Like the iMac before it , Apple ’s MacBook Pro undergo an ascent highlight by a poker chip swap — the Core Duo processor that used to power Apple ’s pro laptop is gone , replaced by the next - contemporaries Core 2 Duo . And as with our iMac benchmarks , these update Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro manakin show a small carrying out addition when compared to senior systems running on Core Duo chip with the same clock fastness .
Besides the switch to Core 2 Duo chip , the update MacBook Pro model also receive a bump in CPU speed . The 15 - inch models now feature processors running at 2.16GHz and 2.33GHz , compared to 2GHz and 2.16GHz in the old Core Duo systems . The 17 - in MacBook Pro now runs at 2.33GHz , up from 2.16GHz . Along with the boost to processor speed comes a leap in on - chip L2 stash — the later MacBook Pros come with 4 MB of share L2 hoard , twice the amount of their predecessors . The novel laptops also ship with more tup and high - capability hard drives .
So what does this all mean in terms of public presentation ? About the same thing it meant during our iMac examination . If you call back , we rule that a 2GHz iMac Core 2 Duo tally a 10 percent high Speedmark 4.5 grade than an iMac Core Duo with the same clock speed — in note with what Intel chief operating officer Paul Otellini portend when the Core 2 duette offerings were reveal over the summer . As you may see , when comparing the now blue - end 15 - column inch 2.16GHz MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo to its comparable Core Duo vis-a-vis , the Speedmark betterment is the exact same 10 percent .
15-inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Benchmarks
Best issue inbold . Reference system initalics . * denotes model with build - to - parliamentary law 7,200 - revolutions per minute hard drive
Speedmark 4.5 lashings are comparative to those of a 1.25GHz Mac mini , which is assigned a score of 100 . Adobe Photoshop , Cinema 4D XL , iMovie , iTunes , and Zip Archive scores are in minute : seconds . All systems were running Mac OS X 10.4.8 with 1 GB of RAM ( except where indicated ) , with processor performance do to Highest in the Energy Saver druthers pane when applicable . The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 written tasks using a 50 MB file . Photoshop ’s memory was arrange to 70 percent and story was set to Minimum . We read how long it accept to show a tantrum in Cinema4D. We used Compressor to encode a 6minute:26second DV filing cabinet using the DVD : Fastest Encode 120 minutes – 4:3 setting . In iMovie , we apply the elderly TV impression to a 1 - arcminute movie . We converted 45 minute of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes ’ High Quality setting . We used Unreal Tournament 2004 ’ Antalus Botmatch average - flesh - per - bit grievance ; we examine at a resoluteness of 1,024 by 768 picture element at the Maximum setting with both sound recording and graphics enable . We created a Zip archive in the Finder from a 1 GB pamphlet . To equate Speedmark 4.5 scores for various Mac system , confab our Apple Hardware Guide .—MACWORLD LAB TESTING BY JAMES GALBRAITH AND JERRY JUNG
Of of course , that 2.16GHz MacBook Pro Core Duo was the libertine 15 - inch model available among Apple ’s old offer . Now , you could get a 15 - inch MacBook Pro with a 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo chip ; that laptop computer is 19 percent faster than the older model .
Looking at individual tests , some solution — specifically 1 that tax either the hard drive or the graphics card — showed smaller performance gains , while other more CPU - intensive tasks saw more substantial improvements , thanks to the Core 2 Duo ’s improved processing efficiency . Compressor 2.3 , for example , run 30 percent quicker on the new 2.33GHz scheme than on the sr. 2.16GHz model . The 2.33GHz MacBook Pro was 40 per centum quicker than the older 2.16GHz manikin at MP3 - encoding using iTunes . Comparing the 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo to the 2.16GHz Core Duo , Compressor was 25 percent faster on the Core 2 and iTunes was 28 pct faster on the novel system .
The only test where the 2.16GHz Core Duo bested its Core 2 Duo counterpart was create a Zip Archive from a 1 GB pamphlet . As you might await , the speed of the hard ride can dally a cardinal persona in these results . So it ’s no surprisal that the older MacBook Pro with a ramp up - to - order 7,200 - rpm hard drive that we include in this tryout was able to turn in fast time than a new 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo model with a 5,400 - revolutions per minute heavy driving . Of naturally , drive speed is n’t the only factor at play in this test — the 2.33GHz model scored the best time , even with a 5,400 - revolutions per minute drive . credit rating the model ’s faster processor speed and 2 GB of installed RAM . ( You might ask yourself , “ What would happen if I had a 7,200 - rpm driveanda faster C.P.U. and more RAM ? ” Well , we can only guess , as the Modern 15 - inch MacBook Pro does n’t have that selection available . Only the 17 - column inch mannikin has a 7,200 - rpm campaign uncommitted as a build up - to - order pick — it ’s 60 G smaller than the standard 160 GB , 5,400 - rpm private road , but you pink $ 100 off the 17 - in model ’s $ 2,799 price tag . )
We cite that MacBook Pro now send with more RAM—2 GB of memory compare to 1 GB in the older models . In terms of Speedmark public presentation , where project are run and clock severally , the extra RAM does n’t make a Brobdingnagian difference , as you may see by the row in the benchmark mesa where we dispatch 1 GB of RAM from the 2.33GHz MacBook Pro . Unreal Tournament , for example deal to squeeze out 0.7 more frames per bit with twice the computer memory instal . The small subset of Speedmark ’s psychometric test that were touch on by the RAM rise include the zipping and unzipping booklet and Microsoft Word scroll . We be after to go more trial in the coming days to see if we can measure the functioning welfare of extra Aries .
One unexpected titbit we learned in our testing was how much the recent OS X 10.4.8 update affected Rosetta operation . Intel - based systems saw striking gains in Photoshop and Microsoft Office test , enough to bump up Speedmark scores by more than a couple of points . For exemplar , the 2.16GHz Core Duo MacBook Pro take 1:40 to complete our Photoshop test entourage when tested with 10.4.6 . After updating the OS to the most late reading , the same scheme cease the test suite 21 percent quicker , with a score of 1:11 . We plan on publishing the full Lab study on the improvements to Rosetta in the coming Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Speaking of test consequence we contrive on publication , we ’re still wait for the 17 - in 2.33GHz MacBook Pro Core 2 dyad to make it in the Lab . When it does , you may wager that we ’ll have more benchmark to share with you .
[ James Galbraith is the director of Macworld Lab . ]
