MacBook Pro Core i7 - number of Cores.

"The Core i5 and i7 processors have a few interesting performance features, including Hyper-Threading, which uses virtual cores to double the amount of processing cores presented to the operating system. The processors have dual cores, but OS X treats them as having four cores. Another i5/i7 technology, Turbo Boost, allows the processor to speed up for a short period of time when necessary, or shut down unused cores and give the resources to the cores in use. Turbo Boost can increase the clock speed of the 2.4GHz Core i5 processor up to 2.93GHz, for example.

The mobile versions of the Core i5 and i7 used in the MacBook Pro differ from the desktop version found in the 27-inch iMac, which has four physical processing cores. The desktop Core i5 does not support Hyper-Threading, though the mobile version does."

Hope this helps you

i5 and i7 are dual processors.

The i5 and i7 Arrandale processors in the MBP both have Hyperthreading. Dual physical cores + hyperthreading = 4 logical cores.

as already answered, i7-620m processors have 2 cores, 4 virtual

Tokyo, you've been quite misinformed. For the record, ALL i-Core (Nehalem i3, i5 & i7) processors have hyper threading (4 -8 way processing). Therefore, each physical core will function as 2 logical cores and the OS will recognize them in that respect. Quad-cores are codenamed Clarksfield and Duo-cores are codenamed Arrandales. The i7 have both dual-core and quad-core for the mobile version. While the i5 and i3 mobile versions are only dual-cores.

Not quite, mobproctor.

The i5 used in the iMac does not have hyperthreading, though the i7 in the iMac does. As has been said, both have four cores.

(the i5 in the iMac is one of the "Lynnfield" series and the codename for the i7 is "Bloomfield")

The mobile i5 and the mobile i7 in the MBP both have hyperthreading. Both have two cores.

Cheers

Rod

All Mobile i-Core (Nehalem) is what I meant then.

Hi Tokyo,

The only error that i can see there is that the i5 mobile processor in the MBP actually does have hyperthreading (It is only the i5 in the iMac which does not) . Everything else is correct.

Cheers

Rod

Tokyo wrote:
So the iMac i7 is significantly faster than the MBP i7 at the same clock speed?

Yes, Tokyo. The iMac i7 wins hands down, in a large measure because of its four cores, but partly also because of its faster 3.5" HD.

See HERE for some benchmark figures.

See here for Macworld's take on such things, though in this case they are dealing primarily with the i5 models. In that case the 4 core iMac i5 (without hyperthreading) comes out well on top of the 2 core i5 MBP (even though the latter has hyperthreading).

You might find this article from MacObserver interesting, too.

Cheers

Rod

Tokyo wrote:
Thanks Rod.

I have the 500GB SSD. Is that faster than a traditional HDD?

Indeed it is Tokyo. Yours is a fast as the MBP gets, at least as ordered from Apple, with a full complement of RAM, the SSD drive, and the i7 2.66GHz processor. There are some faster SSD drives sold by other vendors out there, but the disc read and write speeds on the Apple one when compared to even the fastest conventional drives fitted to these models is substantial - see http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp19.html

Either way it is quiet and runs cool. I have never heard the fan.

I might get an iMac for Final Cut Pro now I know it is about twice the speed of the MBP. Rereading the Apple web site it is now clear, I just didn't pick up on all the details before ordering the MBP.

With the SSD drive in your MBP you won't gain any speed from the drive in the iMac (quite probably the reverse, in fact) , but the additional processor grunt from those 4 cores would still provide a useful overall speed increase. See http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp18.html for another overall comparison with the MBPs.

Cheers

Rod