When you a purchasing a new Mac, you get the opportunity to fully customize it so that it will perform best for the tasks that you are going to hand it. The first option that Apple gives you, is what kind of processor you would like. Now remember, bigger is not always best, you need to think about the type of tasks your computer will be taking on.

First, I want to help you understand what exactly a processor, also known as a CPU does. A CPU basically runs your computer, whenever you are running a program, it mostly is ran through the CPU. Certain programs require a lot of CPU usage and some do not. You may notice that you can run programs faster on a desktop than a notebook.

Here is an example, I edit a lot of videos, and going from a MacBook to a Mac Pro, I could not believe the difference. It truly will enhance your Mac experience, I can edit a video within a few minutes, where it would take me 20 - 30 minutes per video!

Picking the Processor

Now it is time to learn which processor is best for you, are your a graphic editor, a gamer, or just use the computer for music and internet? The first one I am going to talk about is graphic editing or gaming.

The reason that I am doing these at the same time, is because they both require a lot from the CPU. First I am going to talk about is Graphic Editing. Now, I do a lot of Graphic editing myself, like creating websites, making movies, and a bunch of other stuff. If you are trying to save money, go for the cheapest one that is in your budget, that is what I did. After a while you get use to it; Apple has some good processors so you should be fine. Although if you want top quality, go for the best that Apple has to offer, you will not be disappointed. Switching from a MacBook to a Mac Pro, the change in processors was unbelievable!

Now maybe you are a gamer; which will require a top processor. I cannot tell you that going for the best your money can get, and say that everything is going to be alright. If you are a gamer, you are going to need to invest some big bucks into your machine, like graphic cards, RAM, and of course a powerful CPU. So if you are a hardcore gamer, go with the best processor that Apple has to offer; this way you will not see any lag or any other problems in your gaming experience.

Now maybe you have a computer just for the internet, storing photos, music, and just everyday stuff. Then what I would recommend is choosing the most powerful processor that fits in your price range. If you can afford the best processor that Apple has to offer, do not get it, you should not need more than 2.4GHz. So set your bar at 2.4GHz, and invest your money in something else like another display or more Hard Disk space.

Concluding Thoughts

A processor is part of the Mac that you need to really think about. Think about what programs you run, how big of programs you run, what you use your computer for, and all of that information. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!

What processor do you use? Are you satisfied with your speed, or do you wish you had more? What programs eat up your CPU’s usage?