i7-7500U vs Intel Core i7-8550U

[searun]

Hello,

1st post in this forum.

I need a laptop for multi-purpose use. I am not a gamer. The laptop will be used for occasional editing, and I am fairly flexible on editing programs. Lightroom and Capture1 are my likely choices.

I am looking at a couple laptops and am wondering about processor selection, particularly since the I7-8xxx now offer quad core processing.

Lenovo 710S: i7-7500U

HP ProBook 430 G5: Intel Core i7-8550U

Both machines come with 16 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM.

The machines are roughly the same price. The Lenovo has a 512GB SSD, the HP a 256.

Based on reviews, the HP wins on battery performance, The Lenovo on nice-to-have things that matter to me, as well as the 512 SSD

Am I giving up much with the older generation processor? Again, most of my use will not be heavy lifting, and price difference is not important.

 

[ADMint]

There are a lot of things to consider other than processor speed alone. And there are really no easy answers as everyone will have an opinion on processor and other things.

All that said, in keeping things simple... look at it this way, the newer the processor the newer the notebook, and the better the battery life.

Also the i7-8550U has the slightly better built in graphics processor vs. the 7500U, though both are 620's the 8550 has the UHD vs. the standard 620 in the 7500U.

In the end I'd go with the notebook with the newer latest processor given the same price range. The newer processors denote the newest laptops.

As I said, this is all opinionated so let the games begin...

--
Look kid, there’s the beginning and the end; all that stuff in the middle is positioning for where you finish.

 

[Giklab]

This is a tough one... On one hand, I am a Lenovo advocate simply because of the design, build quality and keyboard, on the other hand, you can't argue with a flat out better processor and battery. You can always upgrade the SSD later on to a larger model. How much are the comparable newer Lenovos with the same CPU?

 

[ADMint]

I'm also an Lenovo fan having just bought a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga X1 June of last year. Mine came with an i7-7600U, 16gig of RAM and a 1TB SSD drive. At the time of purchase only the 7th gen processors were available.

Anyway you can get a Lenovo laptop with an 8th gen processor (example i7-8550U) but like anything else it all comes down to what you want vs. what you want to spend. My configuration was over the 2K mark at time of purchase.

--
Look kid, there’s the beginning and the end; all that stuff in the middle is positioning for where you finish.

 

[CAcreeks]

I need a laptop for multi-purpose use. I am not a gamer. The laptop will be used for occasional editing, and I am fairly flexible on editing programs. Lightroom and Capture1 are my likely choices.

I am looking at a couple laptops and am wondering about processor selection, particularly since the I7-8xxx now offer quad core processing.

Lenovo 710S: i7-7500U

HP ProBook 430 G5: Intel Core i7-8550U

Both machines come with 16 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM. The machines are roughly the same price. The Lenovo has a 512GB SSD, the HP a 256.

I don't understand these choices. Both cost near $1000, which seems a lot for a mere 13" laptop. So called "business" laptops are overpriced I guess. You get more PC for your money with a "gaming" laptop.

To answer your question with numbers, the i7-7500U benchmarks at 5215 Passmark, while the i7-8550U benchmarks at 8239, quite a difference.

You can buy a replacement 512GB SSD for $130.

 

[searun]

I'm also an Lenovo fan having just bought a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga X1 June of last year. Mine came with an i7-7600U, 16gig of RAM and a 1TB SSD drive. At the time of purchase only the 7th gen processors were available.

Anyway you can get a Lenovo laptop with an 8th gen processor (example i7-8550U) but like anything else it all comes down to what you want vs. what you want to spend. My configuration was over the 2K mark at time of purchase.

 

[ADMint]

Yeah, laptops can get pricy. Anyway I've got both 2013 Asus (13 inch) and a 2017 Lenovo (14 inch) Ultrabook. But while my Asus looks prettier than the Lenovo, the Lenovo is well built with a solid reputation. But like everything else it depends on level (model skew) and cost.

What size are you looking for? If you're a mobile person some monstrous 17-inch gaming laptop is going to be too big and heavy to carry around all the time.

People sometimes equate size with quality which is a fallacy. The reason most people (me included) opt for smaller lighter laptops is mobility. You don't want to be carrying some monstrous sized laptop around all day every day. You also need to consider space when out and about as well as battery life. Ultrabook's tend to have better battery life due their smaller screen size, less power-hungry graphics, and lower power requirements vs. gaming laptops.

And yes, smaller laptops (aka Ultrabook's) can be more expensive than some their bigger brethren due to the complexity of cramming all those component into a smaller form factor while keeping heat down.

Anyway, when I first looked into getting a laptop I was convinced I would be getting a 17-inch gaming one until I realized I was going to me using the laptop away from home and had to carry it around all the time. I also decided I wasn't going to game on it because I had a gaming rig at home, so Ultrabook I went. Have no regrets their and wouldn't get anything but an Ultrabook.... even if I gamed on it.

Regardless the first thing you need to consider is use, followed by size, then cost. I'm sure you did this, but it might help to state it to keep the noise down.
Peace

--
Look kid, there’s the beginning and the end; all that stuff in the middle is positioning for where you finish.

 

[searun]

I need a laptop for multi-purpose use. I am not a gamer. The laptop will be used for occasional editing, and I am fairly flexible on editing programs. Lightroom and Capture1 are my likely choices.

I am looking at a couple laptops and am wondering about processor selection, particularly since the I7-8xxx now offer quad core processing.

Lenovo 710S: i7-7500U

HP ProBook 430 G5: Intel Core i7-8550U

Both machines come with 16 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM. The machines are roughly the same price. The Lenovo has a 512GB SSD, the HP a 256.

I don't understand these choices. Both cost near $1000, which seems a lot for a mere 13" laptop. So called "business" laptops are overpriced I guess. You get more PC for your money with a "gaming" laptop.

To answer your question with numbers, the i7-7500U benchmarks at 5215 Passmark, while the i7-8550U benchmarks at 8239, quite a difference.

You can buy a replacement 512GB SSD for $130.

Thanks...really appreciate the benchmark numbers. Makes it hard to go with the older processor under most circumstances.

 

[searun]

Yeah, laptops can get pricy. Anyway I've got both 2013 Asus (13 inch) and a 2017 Lenovo (14 inch) Ultrabook. But while my Asus looks prettier than the Lenovo, the Lenovo is well built with a solid reputation. But like everything else it depends on level (model skew) and cost.

What size are you looking for? If you're a mobile person some monstrous 17-inch gaming laptop is going to be too big and heavy to carry around all the time.

People sometimes equate size with quality which is a fallacy. The reason most people (me included) opt for smaller lighter laptops is mobility. You don't want to be carrying some monstrous sized laptop around all day every day. You also need to consider space when out and about as well as battery life. Ultrabook's tend to have better battery life due their smaller screen size, less power-hungry graphics, and lower power requirements vs. gaming laptops.

And yes, smaller laptops (aka Ultrabook's) can be more expensive than some their bigger brethren due to the complexity of cramming all those component into a smaller form factor while keeping heat down.

Anyway, when I first looked into getting a laptop I was convinced I would be getting a 17-inch gaming one until I realized I was going to me using the laptop away from home and had to carry it around all the time. I also decided I wasn't going to game on it because I had a gaming rig at home, so Ultrabook I went. Have no regrets their and wouldn't get anything but an Ultrabook.... even if I gamed on it.

Regardless the first thing you need to consider is use, followed by size, then cost. I'm sure you did this, but it might help to state it to keep the noise down.
Peace

 

[Lert]

Yeah, laptops can get pricy. Anyway I've got both 2013 Asus (13 inch) and a 2017 Lenovo (14 inch) Ultrabook. But while my Asus looks prettier than the Lenovo, the Lenovo is well built with a solid reputation. But like everything else it depends on level (model skew) and cost.

What size are you looking for? If you're a mobile person some monstrous 17-inch gaming laptop is going to be too big and heavy to carry around all the time.

People sometimes equate size with quality which is a fallacy. The reason most people (me included) opt for smaller lighter laptops is mobility. You don't want to be carrying some monstrous sized laptop around all day every day. You also need to consider space when out and about as well as battery life. Ultrabook's tend to have better battery life due their smaller screen size, less power-hungry graphics, and lower power requirements vs. gaming laptops.

And yes, smaller laptops (aka Ultrabook's) can be more expensive than some their bigger brethren due to the complexity of cramming all those component into a smaller form factor while keeping heat down.

Anyway, when I first looked into getting a laptop I was convinced I would be getting a 17-inch gaming one until I realized I was going to me using the laptop away from home and had to carry it around all the time. I also decided I wasn't going to game on it because I had a gaming rig at home, so Ultrabook I went. Have no regrets their and wouldn't get anything but an Ultrabook.... even if I gamed on it.

Regardless the first thing you need to consider is use, followed by size, then cost. I'm sure you did this, but it might help to state it to keep the noise down.
Peace

--
Look kid, there’s the beginning and the end; all that stuff in the middle is positioning for where you finish.

--------

Thanks. Yes, I have done my homework as to size, and this one needs to be small. I have a 17" It really does come down on this decision to the processors. As to brand, I sold these some years ago, worked for a VAR, and have seen issues with all. Stuff happens, but with Asus I have seen incredibly poor customer service. YMMV, many people like their gear. I am trying to justify 7th generation I7 in the Lenovo, but it does look like a big performance hit.

I recently purchased a Lenovo ideapad 520 with the i7 8550U, 16GB RAM, Nvidia MX150 4GB GPU, 2TB HDD and matte IPS screen. I'm pretty happy with it for what I do, mainly photo processing and general duties. I understand the 8550U will throttle down the speed when it comes to some strenuous work but that's what you get with low power processors. Maybe you can find similar..

 

[CAcreeks]

Thanks...really appreciate the benchmark numbers. Makes it hard to go with the older processor under most circumstances.

You say above that you already have a 17" laptop, so I understand the choices you presented.

The only item I found that meets your requirements is an HP Envy 13t with i7-8550U and 360GB SSD for $849, however it can't be configured with > 8GB memory.

Loading…

store.hp.com

 

[Robert Zanatta]

Online reviews show the Lenovo having a better full HD IPS display with better colour coverage. The HP's HD display is listed as 1366 x768. That could be quite a difference if display quality is important.

 

[searun]

Yeah, laptops can get pricy. Anyway I've got both 2013 Asus (13 inch) and a 2017 Lenovo (14 inch) Ultrabook. But while my Asus looks prettier than the Lenovo, the Lenovo is well built with a solid reputation. But like everything else it depends on level (model skew) and cost.

What size are you looking for? If you're a mobile person some monstrous 17-inch gaming laptop is going to be too big and heavy to carry around all the time.

People sometimes equate size with quality which is a fallacy. The reason most people (me included) opt for smaller lighter laptops is mobility. You don't want to be carrying some monstrous sized laptop around all day every day. You also need to consider space when out and about as well as battery life. Ultrabook's tend to have better battery life due their smaller screen size, less power-hungry graphics, and lower power requirements vs. gaming laptops.

And yes, smaller laptops (aka Ultrabook's) can be more expensive than some their bigger brethren due to the complexity of cramming all those component into a smaller form factor while keeping heat down.

Anyway, when I first looked into getting a laptop I was convinced I would be getting a 17-inch gaming one until I realized I was going to me using the laptop away from home and had to carry it around all the time. I also decided I wasn't going to game on it because I had a gaming rig at home, so Ultrabook I went. Have no regrets their and wouldn't get anything but an Ultrabook.... even if I gamed on it.

Regardless the first thing you need to consider is use, followed by size, then cost. I'm sure you did this, but it might help to state it to keep the noise down.
Peace

 

[Roland Wooster]

Intel's Ark that is.

https://ark.intel.com/compare/122589,95451

The 8th Gen part is a quad core, hyper threaded processor with 8 threads. The 7th Gen part is a dual core, hyper threaded to 4 threads.

Both have 620 graphics, the 8th gen about 10% faster at 1.15Ghz.

Turbo clock speed is ~15% faster on the 8th gen.

Faster memory is supported on the 8th Gen, at 2400Mhz, vs 2133 - which will have most impact on the graphics performance.

Oh, and the processor cache is double the size on the 8th Gen.

Yes, the base frequency is lower on the 8th Gen, but that's because of the core count, and the turbo takes care of that when you're not thermally throttled anyway.

Intel's 8th Gen is an unusually large increase in performance generation over generation, much more than usual.

Roland.

 

[searun]

Online reviews show the Lenovo having a better full HD IPS display with better colour coverage. The HP's HD display is listed as 1366 x768. That could be quite a difference if display quality is important.

Oh yeah! Thanks. That is a huge difference.

 

[searun]

Intel's Ark that is.

https://ark.intel.com/compare/122589,95451

The 8th Gen part is a quad core, hyper threaded processor with 8 threads. The 7th Gen part is a dual core, hyper threaded to 4 threads.

Both have 620 graphics, the 8th gen about 10% faster at 1.15Ghz.

Turbo clock speed is ~15% faster on the 8th gen.

Faster memory is supported on the 8th Gen, at 2400Mhz, vs 2133 - which will have most impact on the graphics performance.

Oh, and the processor cache is double the size on the 8th Gen.

Yes, the base frequency is lower on the 8th Gen, but that's because of the core count, and the turbo takes care of that when you're not thermally throttled anyway.

Intel's 8th Gen is an unusually large increase in performance generation over generation, much more than usual.

Roland.

Thanks for your analysis and explanations, Roland. The Lenovo has all I need except 8th Gen and it is plain that I will appreciate the newer tech.

 

[ADMint]

Thanks. Yes, I have done my homework as to size, and this one needs to be small. I have a 17" It really does come down on this decision to the processors. As to brand, I sold these some years ago, worked for a VAR, and have seen issues with all. Stuff happens, but with Asus I have seen incredibly poor customer service. YMMV, many people like their gear. I am trying to justify 7th generation I7 in the Lenovo, but it does look like a big performance hit.

For clarity I wasn't pushing you towards a particular brand. I just listed the two I have.

That said, and sidetracking for a moment, it's funny you mention Asus's bad customer service because I too had a bad experience with them (actually before I bought my Asus laptop), which is why I swore their products would never grace any of my custom build PC's I do. And they don't. To this day I refuse to buy their motherboard or graphic cards. For motherboards I go Gigabyte. For GPU's I go Sapphire. As you say YMMV.

Anyway I see you decided on smaller seeing you already have a big 17 inch one. Yeah, for the mobile, smaller is better.

Good luck in your purchase.

Peace

 

[ADMint]

Intel's 8th Gen is an unusually large increase in performance generation over generation, much more than usual.

Roland.

Agreed.

What really stood out to me though is the cache. I really doubt anyone is going to use the machine where it's running full bore quad @2gig each.

The cache though is more useful here as you can access more data from memory. That allows more frequently programs to open faster. This is where I wish my lappy came with an 8th gen processor. My 7600U only does 4meg as well.

 

[ADMint]

Thanks for your analysis and explanations, Roland. The Lenovo has all I need except 8th Gen and it is plain that I will appreciate the newer tech.

Lenovo does have models with 8th gen processors coming. It's just a matter of when they arrive, how long you can wait, and how much you want to spend. Now I know you've answered some of those questions but...

That said, when you need it you need it. I get it, and it's precisely why I don't have a Microsoft Surface Book 2.

I was all hyped and ready to get one but wasn't willing to spend the type of money I would have on last years model when we all knew a new one was on the horizon. In the end I could wait no longer and Microsoft was out, Lenovo in. BTW the new Surface Book Pro 2 didn't release until late November 2017. Five months after I purchased the Lenovo.

But yeah, when you need it you need it. But if you can hold out, the 8th gen ones should be released sooner rather than later.

Peace

 

[searun]

Thanks for your analysis and explanations, Roland. The Lenovo has all I need except 8th Gen and it is plain that I will appreciate the newer tech.

Lenovo does have models with 8th gen processors coming. It's just a matter of when they arrive, how long you can wait, and how much you want to spend. Now I know you've answered some of those questions but...

That said, when you need it you need it. I get it, and it's precisely why I don't have a Microsoft Surface Book 2.

I was all hyped and ready to get one but wasn't willing to spend the type of money I would have on last years model when we all knew a new one was on the horizon. In the end I could wait no longer and Microsoft was out, Lenovo in. BTW the new Surface Book Pro 2 didn't release until late November 2017. Five months after I purchased the Lenovo.

But yeah, when you need it you need it. But if you can hold out, the 8th gen ones should be released sooner rather than later.

Peace