2.3 or 3.1 GHz processor in the new 2017 13" MacBook Pro for graphic design?

The base model MBP 15-inch with Quad core i7 CPU, 16gb. ram and 512gb. SSD is your best value purchase at $2200

for graphics design or video editing this is the MPB to get.

Customize MacBook Pro - Apple

Talk with your tax advisor. Educational equiptment and work related items are a tax write off.

The obvious difference is 0.8GHz in speed or roughly 33% faster. If the faster model contains an i7 processor vs. an i5 in the slower model then that adds another 20%. This would help a little in multitasking, but more importantly will be additional RAM so be sure to upgrade to 16GBs.

Things have changed a lot since your Core 2 Duo came out. Looking it up on Mactracker, the 2010 MacBook scored 2424 in a multi core benchmark. The newest data available for the Pro is for a 2016 13" MacBook Pro (2.4 GHz), which scored 6999. The newer processors also support hyper-threading, which enables the dual-core processor to appear as a quad-core processor (a high-level way of looking at it I guess).

The newer computer will also have wider memory bandwidth and a crazy-fast SSD. I don't think you need to worry too much about this processor vs that processor these days, but I'm not a graphic designer. If you are concerned, perhaps it would be possible to download a trial of Adobe's software onto a Mac at an Apple Store (maybe they even have Adobe stuff installed on the demo machines!) and load up a few of your projects and see how it goes.

Again, I am no graphic designer, but I tend to see a far greater difference in speed due to a Mac having more memory (e.g. 8 or 16 GB instead of 4 GB) and an SSD, rather than a faster processor. Hypothetically pitting the 16 GB memory upgrade against the processor upgrade (supposing it was either-or, and both was not an option), I would go for the memory upgrade myself.

If you're intending to use it for drawing using a pen and tablet or stylus and you want instantaneous mirroring between your actions and the screen then go for the higher. Honestly though either would work fine and if your more worried about animation or processing power (i.e. Combining layers excetra) it wouldn't make a noticeable difference due to the advances in tech the other reviews mention.

Actually , The 12.7" iPad Pro is not a bad solution for graphics editors.

It is actually faster than a dual core MacBook Pro

And it is a touch screen

Can use with keyboard and Stylus

Very responsive with Instant on/off from sleep mode.

Is basically administration FREE.

User friendly.

Here are some comparisions

SuperMicro X10DAx PC, 36-core Xeon , 2x Intel E5-2699,.( $6000 )..( Single core 3158 , Multicore 97702 ) ( Cinebench 3981 )

Asus Z10PE-D16 PC, 36-core Xeon , 2x Intel E5-2699,.( $6000 ).....( Single core 3133 , Multicore 97646 ) ( Cinebench 3963 )

HP z840 - 24-core Xeon ..........................................( Single core 3120 , Multicore 52404 )

HP z820 - 16-core Xeon ..........................................( Single core 2229 , Multicore 41407 )

Apple MacPro 2014 - 12-core Xeon,FirePro D7000 ($7000 Base model)( Single core 3222 , Multicore 32156 ) ( Cinebench 1570, 74 flps )

HP z640 - 16-core Xeon ..........................................( Single core 2915 , Multicore 31038 )

Apple Mac Pro 2013 - 8-core Xeon, ( $5500 Base model )...........( Single core 3597 , Multicore 25889 ) ( Cinebench 1205, 84 flps )

Apple Mac Pro 2010 - 12-core Xeon x5650 , ( $2000 Base model )...( Single core 2199 , Multicore 22357 ) ( Best Used Budget Apple PC )

HP z640 - 8-core Xeon ...........................................( Single core 3194 , Multicore 22644 )

HP z800 - 12-core Xeon ( $1200 Base model )......................( Single core 2229 , Multicore 22131 ) ( Best Used PC )

Apple Mac Pro 2014 - 6-core Xeon, ( $4000 Base model )...........( Single core 3612 , Multicore 20710 ) ( Cinebench 961, 76 flps )

HP z820 - 12-core Xeon ..........................................( Single core 2292 , Multicore 19419 )

HP z840 - 12-core Xeon E5-2620 ( $6000 ).........................( Single core 2053 , Multicore 18294 )

Dell XPS 8900 with Intel-i7-6700k Skylake ( $700 )...............( Single core 4097 , Multicore 16078 ) ( Best Performance PC )

Apple iMac 2015 5K with Intel-i7 Skylake 4ghz.($2300 base model).( Single core 4150 , Multicore 15553 ) ( Best Apple Buy )

HP z640 - 6-core Xeon ...........................................( Single core 3022 , Multicore 14844 )

Dell XPS 8700 with Intel-i7-4790 Haswell ( $700 )................( Single core 3911 , Multicore 14702 ) ( Best Performance PC )

Apple Mac Pro 2013 - 4-core Xeon, ( $3000 Base model )...........( Single core 3274 , Multicore 13027 )

Lenovo TS140 with Intel Xeon E3-1225 Haswell , ( $300 )..........( Single core 3268 , Multicore 11952 ) ( Best Low Budget Performance PC )

Apple iMac-27, 2014 -Intel i5-4690 ( $2000 base model )..........( Single core 3541 , Multicore 11350 )

Dell XPS 15 with Intel i7-4702HQ ................................( Single core - 3031 , Multicore - 10923 )

Apple 2015 Macbook Pro - Intel-i7 .( $2000 ).....................( Single core - 3545 , Multi core - 7603 )

Apple 2015 Macbook Pro - Intel-i5 ..( $1500 )....................( Single core - 3326 , Multi core - 7061 )

Dell XPS 15 with Intel i7-6700HQ ................................( Single core - 1975 , Multicore - 7002 )

Microsoft Surface book with Intel i7-6600U ......................( Single core - 3396 , Multicore - 6997 )

Dell XPS 13 with Intel i7-5500U .................................( Single core - 2853 , Multicore - 6573 )

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core i7-6600U.................( Single core - ???? , Multi core - ???? )

Lenovo TS140 with Intel i3 Haswell ( $199 ) .....................( Single core - 2911 , Multicore - 6334 ) ( Best Low Budget PC )

Microsoft Surface book with Intel i5-6300U ......................( Single core - 3056 , Multicore - 6321 )

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core i5-6300U.................( Single core - 2918 , Multi core - 6153 )

HP Pavilion 15, Touch screen with Intel i7-5500U ( $599 )........( Single core - 2920 , Multicore - 6097 ) ( Best Budget Laptop )

HP Spectre 13 with Intel i7-5500U ...............................( Single core - 2857 , Multicore - 5972 )

HP Spectre 13 with Intel i5-6200U ...............................( Single core - 2842 , Multicore - 5943 )

Dell Inspiron 13 with Intel i7-5500U ............................( Single core - 2853 , Multicore - 5933 ) ( Best Budget 2-in-1 )

Dell Inspiron 13 with Intel i5-5200U .( $500 )...................( Single core - 2816 , Multicore - 5638 ) ( Best Budget 2-in-1 )

Apple iPad Pro...................................................( Single core - 3228 , Multi core - 5500 )

Dell XPS 13 with Intel i5-5200U .................................( Single core - 2711 , Multicore - 5373 )

Apple Mac Mini 2014 - Intel i5, 4gb ram, 500gb hard drive........( Single core - 2418 , Multicore 5142 )

Apple 2015 Macbook Air - Intel-i5 ...............................( Single core - 2361 , Multi core - 4704 )

Apple Macbook 12 ................................................( Single core - 2461 , Multi core - 4605 )

Apple iPad Air-2.................................................( Single core - 1800 , Multi core - 4413 )

Dell Inspiron 11 , 2-in-1, with Intel i3 .( $300 ).............. ( Single core - 1541 , Multi core - 3306 ) ( Best Budget 2-in-1 )

Dell XPS 15 with Intel i5-6300HQ ................................( Single core - 1305 , Multicore - 3244 )

Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with Intel Core i3-4020Y.................( Single core - 1561 , Multi core - 3237 )