The Ever-Present Processor Question [i5 & i7]

I've been having trouble deciding on which processor to get for my HP dvt6se

Here are the specs with the lowest processor:

* Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
* FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* 160GB (Solid State Drive Flash Module)
* 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics
* 15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
* No TouchScreen (includes HP TrueVision Webcam)
* LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
* Intel Wireless-N Card
* Full-size island-style backlit keyboard with HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
* High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
* Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
* HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope


The options for the processor are as follows:
i5
450M
520M
540M

i7
720QM
740QM
840QM

Primarily, it's a battle between the i5 450M (As it's $100 and $150 cheaper (respectively) than its dual core brethren without much performance increase), the 720QM, and the 840QM

Like the 520M and 540M, the 740QM is $150 more expensive than the 720QM without a significant performance gain.

The price increase from 450M to 720QM and 840QM are as follows:
+$200
+$550

After shipping, tax and all that fun stuff, the totals come out...
Setup w/ i5 450M - $1075
Setup w/ i7 720QM - $1200
Setup w/ 17 840QM - $1400

Primary concerns: Overheating and Performance
*Note, I do use an external fan under my laptops
Primary uses (besides typical web browsing and documenting): Gaming on the level of Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, and Photoshop CS3
That's the highest demanding stuff I can see myself doing in the near future

Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated, thanks!

EDIT: Here are the relevant links to the processors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_Core_i7_microprocessors#.22Clarksfield.22_.2845_nm.29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...2Arrandale.22_.28standard_voltage.3B_32_nm.29

 

Is battery life a concern for you? The dual core chips all have integrated graphics that can be used in low stress situations and can boost battery life while doing things like web browsing and word processing.

The quad core chips all lack this, so they rely on discrete graphics always, not to mention the higher power draw of the processor itself.

 

Battery life isn't particularly important (I find that my laptop is almost always plugged in), but it is somewhat of a factor.

The advantage of the i5 is the ability to use switchable graphics (which the i7 cannot). Although it may help in terms of battery life when I'm not plugged in, I find it may be too somewhat of a hassle to be consistently switching modes when I'm gaming and not gaming.

EDIT: The most demanding scenario I've encountered recently is perhaps the simulatneous running of the following: A demanding game, with several tabs in Firefox in the background, and music playing in the background (using Pandora or the like)

 

For your most demanding scenario, even the lowest end CPU can handle it with ease.

 

The dual core chips should handle CS3 and the games that you want to run just fine. I, personally, would not want to have to deal with theadded heat of a quad core on a day to day basis.

 

As opposed to the i5's, how much added heat does the i7 series have?

 

I too am interested performance wise...but just want to throw out there I wouldn't pay $550 for the 840 if the 860 is only $299 *Best Buy* @_@.

 

Some people have said anywhere from 10-15 degrees Celsius at idle and load.

I'll try to get a link from a thread that I was looking at earlier.

 

Alright, thanks.