Can't decide between the i5 and i7

Hey guys, I'm getting an HP Envy 14 Beats Edition soon and I really can't decide on which CPU to get. I can get the i7 720QM config for around $900 or I can save myself $50 dollars and get the i5 580M.

Note that I will be doing quite a bit of gaming (SCII, ME2, CoD:MW2, etc.) but I will also be doing a lot of web designing and photoshopping.

What are the differences between the i7 720QM and i5 580M?

Is it just me or does the majority of the people on this forum have the i5?

Would the higher clock speed be better than the i7 or would the quad core/8 thread with the i7 be better than the i5?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having either the i5 580M or the i7 720QM?

Would having any of those CPU have any significant effect on my notebook or gameplay in the next 2 years or so?

Thanks in advance guys.

 

I prefer the i5 , I have had a couple of i7 and i dont need the power, also i get better battery life with the i5.

See link below for different cpu benchmarks.

PassMark - CPU Benchmarks - List of Benchmarked CPUs

 

^^ What he said. Most people here seem to have the i5 and there are a lot of reviews with no issues gaming on the highest settings with it. So it's doubtful you would run into any performance issues going with the i5.

BUT if the notebook is going to be plugged in all the time and battery life is not a concern, then $50 to upgrade to the quad core wouldn't be a bad deal either. It's really up to you and how much battery life you think you'll need.

I got the Beats Edition with the i7-840 and so far I've only been able to eek out 3hrs of battery life on a full charge. If I can't get it much better than that I'll be sending it in to exchange it with the i5.

 

The i5s have switchable graphics too. Saves battery life. Better for the planet and all that.

From what I've read around here, only the very latest games on the top/ultra settings come close to using all the available cores in the i7s. I think Adobe CS5 is pretty good at using lots of cores too, but more RAM is probably a bigger factor if you need mega speed there. I find the i5 to be easily fast enough. I'm the slowest component now

 

I have an i7 and it doesn't have switchable graphics, which means that you're going to experience a hit in battery life. I can get just over three hours, which is less than desirable but fine for me. It's my main computer at home so I have it plugged in at my desk most of the time, so I don't really need a lot of battery life. I have my M11x for traveling.

Also, one thing to think about is how you'll be getting it. I'm not sure how other HP online stores are in your location, but here in Japan you can only get the i7 if your order from HP direct, and they don't sell any other processor options. There isn't even an option for the i5 on the website. The only way you can get the i5 is by purchasing it in the store.