Dual core i5 vs dual core i7

[j0ndafr3ak]

Hi there,
I'm considering buying a Mac mini. I would get a 21.5-inch iMac but the screen is too small and with the mini I'd use my 24-inch Dell U2412M.

What's the performance gap between the dual core i5 and the dual core i7? Is it as wide as the difference between the respective quad-core big brothers?

Would the i7 be worth the premium over the i5?

 

[datguy20]

An i7 has hyperthreading, the i5 doesn't. If all you do is casual use, aka no gaming/video editing/streaming, then go i5. The i7 is only worth it if you need those extra threads.

What do you want the Mac mini to do though? $500 seems like a lot for what it is.

 

[de5_Roy]

mobile i5 have hyperthreading as well turbo boost.

 

[kewltoyz]

I'm going to say up front an i7 dual core is nothing but marketing loosely devaluing their own i7 branding.
i7 should never be less than a quad core for several reasons.
But first and foremost is multitasking capacity.
Buying an i7 is not about being power conscious, it is about performance.
Anything dual core never should have gotten out of the realm of an i5.
I think Intel's marketing and OEM greed has created an insulting injury to its own branding by even applying the i7 label to a dual core processor mobile or not.