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MacBook Pro Q&A - Revised November 19, 2006
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How fast is the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 17-Inch compared to the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 15-Inch models?
Please note that all systems mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The MacBook Pro "Core Duo" models were replaced by the "Late 2006" MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" series on October 24, 2006.
The MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 15-Inch and MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 17-Inch effectively have the same internal architecture. Both models have the same speed processor with two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip, 2 MB shared "on chip" level 2 cache, 667 MHz frontside bus, 1 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300) RAM, 5400 RPM Serial ATA/100 hard drive (either model can be upgraded with a 7200 RPM drive), and ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM.
Consequently, one would think that the performance of each model would be similar, if not identical.
MacWorld tested the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 17-Inch with much the same initial thought and noted:
For the most part, that assumption proved to be right--our initial tests of the 17-inch MacBook Pro produced comparable results to Macworld Lab’s benchmarks of the build-to-order 2.16GHz 15-inch configuration. However, in many of the tests, the 17-inch model managed to eke out a little more performance than its 15-inch counterpart.
The complete benchmarks should be read in their entirety, but the difference in graphics performance between the two systems is noteworthy, particularly given the fact that both systems have the same graphics processor and amount of video memory. In Unreal Tournament 2004, the author noted, the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 17-Inch "managed to squeeze out 5.5 more frames per second than the 15-inch model".
In tests comparing the slower MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.0 15-Inch to the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 2.16 17-Inch, the always superb BareFeats also noticed the difference in graphics performance. In particular, in an "Unreal Tournament 2004 Inferno Botmatch" test, the 17-Inch model was a whopping 43% faster, even though the "clock speed advantage of the 2.16GHz MacBook Pro is only 8%".
BareFeats checked and rechecked the results, and noticed that:
Before starting a series of runs, the core measured 311MHz frequency. When we ran 3D games, it jumped to 423MHz. After sitting idle a few minutes, it fell back to 311MHz. We measured a similar jump in the GPU's memory clock from 297MHz to 450MHz.
As it has been widely reported that the graphics processor in the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 15-Inch has been "downclocked" to ensure cooler running, it seems plausible that the larger housing provided by the MacBook Pro "Core Duo" 17-Inch makes it possible to "push" the graphics card when needed to reach its true potential without causing more heat than the system can dissipate.
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