Ivy Bridge Vs Sandy Bridge

So the main question that I had is the difference between Ivy Bridge Quad Core i7 and Sandy Bridge i7. Is Ivy bridge substantially better?

My specific case is debating between the Dell XPS 15 (2012) and the MacBook Pro 15in (2011 referb). Both have i7 quad-core processors but the Dell has an ivy bridge.

Another factor is the graphics card. The Dell has a NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 630M with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM, while the Apple computer I was considering has a Intel HD Graphics 3000 and AMD Radeon HD 6750M. Which is better and better suited for my needs? I don't do a whole lot of gaming but I do have a steam account with TF2.

I currently own an Inspiron 1525 with an Intel core 2 duo processor (I don't know what graphics card it has. I work fairly far away from the router and I can get internet most of the time. Sometime webpages cut out and I can't really play Youtube. On Speedtest my download speed is sometimes 10 mbps and sometimes 20 mbps (the graph is really jagged, does that mean anything?) My upload is only 1 mpbs. Will a newer computer inmprove this, or should I buy some kind of booster?

Those are all my hardware questions

 

Where do you live and how much is your budget? An IVB i7 is like 10% faster than a SB of the same tier, so it's not a big difference. But both laptops you listed have a last gen GPU and are probably a bad value.

 

I was fairly certain that the New Dell XPS 15 had 3rd gen intel processors. New XPS 15 laptop

I realized I accidentally said the graphics card was 1gb however I was planning on purchasing the one with 2GB. Is there a large difference?

My budget was around $1700, but that is max. That is why I was considering a refurbished Macbook or a new dell. Is 10% really enough to make it a bad deal?

Edit: What is the difference between i5 and i7 ivy bridge? This stuff gets confusing with multiple levels and generations.

 

Yeah but the 630m is a rebranded last gen 540m. And the 6750m is a last gen chip. $1700 seems too much for either of those laptops... I suggest going to the "What Notebook Should I Buy" section and fill out the form there.

The difference between the mobile i5 and mobile i7 is that the i5 is a dual core and the i7 is a quad. That's for mobile chips only though, for desktops, both i5s and i7s are quads.

 

Yeah I will fill out a form. I wasn't going to pay 1700 for the Mac it is 1350 I believe, but I wanted AppleCare. Basically I wanted to know what I would be losing with the Mac.

Anyway is the I5 dual core subsantially worse than the quad core i7.

 

I wouldnt get the xps 15, since it has throttling issues, serious ones at that.

The mbp 15 is at a great value, I would get it.

One more note, basically the difference on processors depends on what you are going to do. If you are using apps that are multithreaded it will have a good impact to get the quad.

 

Given that you're not doing anything really intensive or multithreaded (as per your WNBSIB thread), it doesn't really matter what you get in terms of CPU.

 

Really I thought it was just the wifi or...What is throttling? I thought it was where you use you processor to its full extent.

 

Throttling is where the CPU will reduce its performance to save battery life (a feature found in newer processors). However, some laptops go overboard with the throttling, which is what MM is talking about.

 

AnandTech - Dell XPS 15 L521X: A Detailed First Look

take a look here, its pretty abysmal in terms of cooling. the excuse from dell was how much warmth you want in your lap.

it goes for 1.2ghz in a quad processor... abysmal.

 

Or in some cases, in order to save itself from melting and starting an electrical fire. Which is what would happen to the new XPS 15 within minutes if it weren't for built-in safety measures like throttling and automatic shutdown.

A sure sign that there's something seriously wrong with a laptop's design is when the CPU runs hot enough to boil water...

 

Ouch, I guess it is the design being so thin and all. It appears that Dell released something to fix it, but it still appears to be messed-up.

 

nope its they being lazy, didnt design it properly