2.2GHz vs. 2.6GHz MacBook

Apple earlier this month quietly updated its MacBook Pro by offering a larger hard drive as well as faster processor speeds via its build-to-order shopping option. A new test using Geekbench 2 results for the MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.6GHz models reveal slight speed differences as expected, driving the tester to conclude that the performance gains of the fastest MacBook Pro are only worth the money to those users who require maximum CPU speeds.

"If you're running a lot of processor-intensive tasks where even a small increase in performance is noticeable (and appreciated) then you might want to consider it," Primate Labs wrote. "Otherwise I'd recommend adding more RAM instead. More RAM will probably help your MacBook Pro performance more than just a faster processor."

The test measured MacBook Pro integer, floating point, memory, and overall performance. The test machines all included 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.6GHz, and Mac OS X 10.5.1 (Build 9B18).

Benchmarks results were found to scale with processor speed, bringing about a 20 percent higher score with a 20 percent increase in speed. Memory benchmarks revealed less difference between models, as all MacBooks contain the same chipset and use the same memory. Additionally stream performance showed virtually no difference between all three MacBook Pro models, for the same reason that memory scores differed less: Memory tests see much more fluctuation as a result of system memory, and rely little on the processor itself.

by MacNN Staff