We ’ve realize what Intel ’s next - coevals of Penryn chips can do to the performance of both MacBook Pros and MacBooks . But that testing focused on the standard configuration of Apple ’s revamped laptop offerings — there are also build up - to - order configurations . And now we ’ve gotten our hands on such a organization , a customized MacBook Pro , to see how optimizing the hardware translates to performance gains .

Specifically , we received a 15 - inch MacBook Pro with a speedy mainframe , faster ( though smaller ) hard drive , and more memory . Our construct - to - order laptop computer sports a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo C.P.U. ; the touchstone MacBook Pro tops out at 2.5GHz . We ’ve also swapped out the standard 250 GB , 5,400 - rev hard driving for a 200 GB example that turn tail at 7,200 rpm . And our customized MacBook Pro has been maxed out to 4 GB of memory , up from the 2 GB that ship with the standard version .

This soup - up MacBook Pro costs $ 3,199—$700 more than the 15 - inch MacBook Pro with a 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo chip . But that surplus money gets you the fast portable Mac we ’ve ever tested .

This usance MacBook Pro was nearly 8 percent faster than the received form according to Speedmark 5 , our overall system performance bench mark . compare this novel system with the make - to - order MacBook Pro Apple extend in late 2007 , and you ’ll see an 18 percent increase in the new configure to order ’s overall Speedmark score . Not only that , but the configure to order system also bested a 2.4GHz iMac meaning that using a portable Mac no longer means a necessary deal off in functioning — as long as you ’re willing to spend the surplus money , that is . ( It ’s deserving noting that all these compare involve organization that check 2 GB of RAM , versus the 4 GB that embark in our build - to - order unit . )

Not astonishingly , the Mac Pro , with its eight processing cores and 3.5 - inch 7,200RPM heavy campaign , remains the top performing artist in the Mac lineup . But with the news that Intel plan on let go quad - core flake for laptops in the near future , even that functioning gap is likely to get much smaller .

2.6GHz MacBook Pro Benchmarks

Best resultant inred . Reference systems initalics . * denotes work up - to - order configuration .

Speedmark 5 lots are relative to those of a 1.5GHz Core Solo Mac mini , which is assigned a sexual conquest of 100 . Adobe Photoshop , Cinema 4D XL , iMovie , iTunes , and Finder grudge are in hour : seconds . All systems were running Mac OS X 10.5.2 with 2 GB of RAM , unless otherwise indicate . The Photoshop Suite test is a set of 14 scripted tasks using a 50 MB file . Photoshop ’s memory was set to 70 percent and chronicle was coiffure to Minimum . We show how long it took to render a vista in Cinema 4D XL . We used Compressor to encode a 6minute:26second DV single file using the DVD : Fastest Encode 120 minute – 4:3 setting . In iMovie , we applied the ripened Film effect from the Video FX . menu to a one minute movie . We converted 45 minutes of AAC audio files to MP3 using iTunes ’ High Quality setting . We used Unreal Tournament 2004 ’s Antalus Botmatch medium - frames - per - secondment score ; we tested at a resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixel at the Maximum setting with both audio recording and graphics enabled .. We created a Zip archive in the Finder from a 2 GB folder.—MACWORLD research lab TESTING BY JAMES GALBRAITH , JERRY JUNG , AND BRIAN CHEN

Taking a closer feeling at how some of the add - ons on our customized MacBook Pro impress performance in specific tasks , the establish - to - order laptop was 16 percent faster than the stock 2.5GHz model in our Photoshop trial rooms . The increased RAM play a major role in this test . When we retested the new 2.6GHz configure to order MacBook Pro with the received 2 GB of RAM we see the Photoshop trial account slow by 6 seconds to 58 second — just 6.5 percent quicker than the received 2.5GHz organisation . We attribute that amplification to the firm processor and hard driving force in the 2.6GHz MacBook Pro .

When we happen up the RAM in the standard configuration 2.5GHz MacBook Pro to the 4 GB , that arrangement took just 57 second to complete the test — an melioration of 8 pct over its old time . So , in the case of our Photoshop test , adding RAM to the stock 2.5GHz system helped that system edge past the faster processor and surd drive in the 2.6GHz system outfitted with just 2 GB RAM .

Interestingly , running the quietus of our test with 2 GB of RAM did n’t have any negative affect whatsoever on performance of the ramp up - to - order 2.6GHz Penryn laptop in our individual psychometric test .

Another optional feature , the 200 GB , 7,200 - revolutions per minute hard drive , proved to be a big help in our magnetic disc - intensive tests . For instance , the customized MacBook Pro was 14 percentage quicker than the standard 2.5GHz organization when unzipping a compressed 2 GB file and 22 pct faster when repeat a 1 GB booklet in the Finder . A faster hard effort will definitely aid when copy and misrepresent large filing cabinet and folder , or if your organization is running low on memory or working on projects too big to held in memory . The downside to this 7,200 - rpm pick is , of grade , its lower mental ability than the 250 GB drive that comes standard on the MacBook Pro as well as its $ 50 boost to your price tag .

Processor speed plays a role in many undertaking , but the one run we run that really keep apart processing business leader is our Cinema 4D setting render test . The $ 250 2.6GHz choice is n’t dramatically faster than the standard 2.5GHz mainframe — about 4 per centum quicker in fact . That also turns out to be the difference between the times turned in by the 2.6GHz and 2.5GHz Penryn MacBook Pros in the Cinema 4D trial run .

deserving noting is that the new build up - to - orderliness MacBook Pro beat last class ’s 2.6GHz Merom - fit fashion model . Also , despite its slower clock amphetamine , the 2.5GHz Penryn - base arrangement tie that 2.6GHz Merom laptop in our Cinema 4D tests . That speaks to the improved performance in these next - generation Core 2 duet crisp .

All of our Speedmark test are go one at a fourth dimension . Often , though , the benefit of multiple processing cores and extra Aries point up when running multiple tasks . To see how these good example pile up when play on multiple tasks at the same time , we set up 4 GB of RAM in each system and ran our Professional program Multitask suite — timing a Photoshop action handwriting while give a vista in Cinema 4D and encoding a picture show in Compressor .

Multitask Testing

For the Professional program Multitasking rooms , we recorded how long it took Photoshop to go our standard test suite while a longer Cinema4D task and our Compressor encode test ply in the background . Systems were test with both 4 GB and 2 GB of RAM.—MACWORLD LAB TESTING BY JAMES GALBRAITH , JERRY JUNG , AND BRIAN CHEN

In the tests where systems had 4 GB of memory installed , the customized MacBook Pro was 8 percent faster than the 2.5GHz MacBook Pro , 18 percent quicker than the last year ’s construct - to - order laptop , and 6 percent quicker than the iMac 2.4GHz system . It only trailed the Mac Pro , which was 17 per centum faster than the 2.6GHz Penryn MacBook Pro . ( The above chart also contains a column show Multitask retinue results with only 2 GB of RAM , though the overall results are similar to what you ’d see with 4 GB . )

you’re able to take Macworld ’s full review of the MacBook Pro as well as our revue of the Penryn - base MacBooks . Now Macworld Lab plan to turn its attention back to the Mac Pro and its many customization options .

[ James Galbraith is Macworld Lab theatre director . ]