Apple releases new MacBook Pros with Intel Core i5, i7 processors

Wow, that did not take long.  If Apple ran the Pentagon, we would not have any leaks at all. 

“The new MacBook Pro is as advanced on the inside as it is stunning on the outside,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, amazing graphics and up to three more hours of battery life, the new MacBook Pro delivers both performance and efficiency.”

With 48 processing cores, the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M is said to be the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market, ideal for graphics intensive applications or high performance games. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations: one with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 250GB hard drive priced at $1,199; and one with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 320GB hard drive priced at $1,499.

The new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models are reportedly up to 50 percent faster than the previous systems. Using Intel’s state-of-the-art 32 nanometer process, Intel Core i5 and i7 processors integrate the memory controller and Level 3 cache for faster access to system memory. Hyper-Threading technology improves data throughput by creating virtual processing cores, while Turbo Boost optimizes performance between the two processor cores, accelerating the system from 2.66 GHz to 3.06 GHz for intensive dual core tasks, and up to 3.33 GHz for single core tasks.

All 15-inch and 17-inch models include two graphics processors, the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M for peak performance and Intel HD Graphics for energy efficient operation. More than twice as fast as the GeForce 320M, Apple touted that the new GeForce GT 330M provides smooth, crisp on-screen graphics for the most demanding 3D games, creative software and technical applications.

From Apple:

The new 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro.

New Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors.
The new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors boost performance up to 50 percent over the previous generation. Based on Intel’s latest 32-nanometer process technology, these are the fastest dual-core processors available and they set an all-new benchmark for Mac notebooks.

Turbo Boost.
Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors also feature Turbo Boost. If you’re using processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that would benefit from an extra performance kick, Turbo Boost dynamically increases the speed of one or both cores, taking a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro all the way up to 3.33GHz.

Hyper-Threading.
Built-in Hyper-Threading allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, so Mac OS X recognizes four virtual cores instead of just two. When you’re running multiple applications at once, the Core i5 and Core i7 processors spread tasks more evenly across a greater number of cores — so you can get more done, faster.

Integrated memory controller.
Unlike systems that connect memory to the processor through a separate controller, the new MacBook Pro uses an integrated memory controller to connect memory directly to the processor. In a sense, this cuts out the middleman. With faster access to memory, each core gets right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive. Together with up to 4MB of shared L3 cache, the integrated memory controller ensures MacBook Pro can keep up with you.

Next-generation graphics.
Inside the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models is the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor — the fastest graphics ever in a Mac notebook. With 48 processing cores and up to 512MB of dedicated video memory, this graphics processor delivers even more horsepower than the previous generation. And you don’t have to sacrifice efficiency for speed: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is up to 30 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor. For even greater power savings, MacBook Pro also includes integrated Intel HD Graphics.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The new standard for performance and portability.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features advanced NVIDIA integrated graphics technology along with Intel Core 2 Duo processors that are faster than ever before. That makes for the ultimate combination of performance, portability, and battery life — up to 10 hours — without adding an ounce to the slimmest, lightest MacBook Pro. And with 4GB of memory and larger hard drives now standard, this is the most powerful 13-inch MacBook Pro yet.

Faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
Now reaching speeds up to 2.66GHz, the new processors in the 13-inch MacBook Pro are big on performance. With the 1066MHz frontside bus and 3MB of shared L2 cache, all your applications will run faster and more efficiently than you thought possible.

More powerful NVIDIA graphics.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores — three times as many as before. The result? The fastest integrated graphics on the market and a performance boost of up to 80 percent over the previous generation.3 That makes a huge difference when you’re using 3D games and graphics-intensive applications. And when you’re not, you’ll benefit from a new energy-efficient architecture that uses up to 40 percent less power for everyday tasks like writing email and surfing the web. It’s so efficient, in fact, that you can now get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

13” MacBook Pro
- $1199: 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB hard drive
- $1499: 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive

15” MacBook Pro
- $1799: 2.4 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 256MB, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive
- $1999: 2.53 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 256MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive
- $2199: 2.66 GHz Core i7, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive

17” MacBook Pro
- $2299: 2.53 GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive