[TechSpot] Apple Tax or Not? Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks vs. 13" MacBook Air

post #1 of 163

6/17/12 at 2:05pm

Thread Starter

claes

Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 520
Rep: 34 (Unique: 28)
Reviews: 3
Select All Posts By This User

Quote:

So, is the “Apple Tax” real or not? When it comes to its base models Apple is relatively in line with the competition — or, rather, the competition has caught up with some real alternatives to the MacBook Air. Apple wins in some respects and loses in others, but there isn’t much of a price difference that can’t be justified by the quality of the components used. However, as soon as you start cranking up the specs you see that upgrades from Apple tend to carry a bigger premium than most of the competition.

http://www.techspot.com/guides/538-ultrabooks-vs-macbook-air/

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	Graphics
i5-760 3.8 + turbo	MSI P55-GD80	MSI GTX 470 SLI	MSI GTX 470 SLI
RAM	Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Hard Drive
8GB Ripjaws X 1600 c8	OCZ Agility 60GB	Kingston 60GB	Spinpoint F3 1TB
Optical Drive	Cooling	Cooling	OS
LG BR-RW	Noctua NH-U12P SE2	"The Mod" Kuhler 620 SLI	OS X 10.7.3, 7 Ultimate
Monitor	Monitor	Keyboard	Power
Asus VW246H	Ergotron Neo-Flex	CM Quick Fire Rapid	Seasonic S12D 850
Case	Mouse	Audio
Silverstone FT-02W	CM Spawn	Sennheiser HD 280
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
i3-2100	ASUS P8H67-M PRO/CSM	ASUS Passive GT 440	4GB Dominator 1600 c8
Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Hard Drive
Hitachi 1TB - OS	Hitachi 5k3000 2TB x3 RAID 5	Caviar Black 1TB	Caviar Black 500GB
Optical Drive	Cooling	OS	Monitor
LG BR-RW	CM GeminII S	OS X 10.7.3	Sony KDL-46NX700
Keyboard	Power	Case	Mouse
MK700	Antec EA-650	Zalman HD160XT	MK700
Other
3ware/LSI 9750-4i
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	Graphics
i5 2500k @ 4.5Ghz	P8Z68-V/GEN 3	MSI GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II 2Gb	MSI GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II 2Gb
RAM	Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Hard Drive
Corsair Vengeance 2x4Gb 1600Mhz	Corsair Force 3 60gb	Corsair F90 90Gb	Samsung Spinpoint F3 1Tb
Optical Drive	Cooling	OS	Monitor
Asus DVD +/-R	Corsair H100	Windows Seven Ultimate x64	Asus ASUS VG278H 27'' 120Hz 3D
Keyboard	Power	Case	Mouse
Logitech G15 1st Gen.	Corsair TX750 v2	Corsair 500r White Edition	Logitech G500
Mouse Pad	Audio	Audio
OCZ Ultra Large Behemoth	Plantronic GameCom 777	Sony 5.1 surround 1000 Watts
View all

CPU	Graphics	RAM	Hard Drive
i3-2310M	Intel HD 3000	8GB DDR3	Samsung 830 64GB SSD
Hard Drive	OS	Monitor	Case
640GB Hitachi HDD	Windows 7	13.3" LCD	Magnesium Alloy, 3.2lbs
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Phenom II X4 955 BE	Gigabyte GA-MA78GPM-UD2H	MSI Hawk R5770	3x2GB G.Skill DDR2 800 4-4-4-12
Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Optical Drive	Cooling
1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3	250 GB WD Caviar Black	Samsung 20X DVD-R/RW	Thermaltake MaxOrb
Cooling	OS	Monitor	Power
Noctua NF-B9-1600	Windows 7 Pro 64-bit	BenQ E2420HD, 24" 1920x1080	TT Purepower 500W
Case
TT Lanbox Lite
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Xeon X3440 OC 3.0Ghz	EVGA P55 LE	XFX Radeon HD 5770	4Gb Ripjaws DDR3 2000
Hard Drive	Optical Drive	OS	Monitor
WD Black 750Gb	Sony Optiarc	Windows 7 Pro	Sceptre 22'' Widescreen
Keyboard	Power	Case	Mouse
G15	Antec True Power 750 watt	CM Storm Scout	Microsoft
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Phenom 9750 (stock)	MSI MS-7548 (Aspen)	HD 6950 @ 971/1387 1.25v	8GB DDR2
Hard Drive	OS	Monitor	Power
750GB	Windows 7 64-bit	ASUS VH238H 1920x1080	Seasonic X-650 Gold
Case	Mouse	Mouse Pad
Rosewill Smart One	Razer Naga	Razer Scarab
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Intel Core i7 3770K @ 4.6GHz (1.365v)	Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H	2 x HD 7970 3GB @ 1125/1575 MHz	Kingston HyperX Predator 8GB DDR3-2400
Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Hard Drive	Cooling
Intel X25-M G2 80GB	Seagate Barracuda 500GB	2 x Seagate Barracuda 3TB	EK Supreme HF - Full Copper
Cooling	Cooling	Cooling	OS
2 x EK-FC7970 - Acetal CSQ	XSPC EX240	TFC X-Changer 360	Windows 7 Ultimate
Monitor	Keyboard	Power	Case
Dell UltraSharp U2711	Razer BlackWidow Ultimate	Corsair AX1200	NZXT Switch 810 Black
Mouse	Mouse Pad	Audio	Audio
SteelSeries Sensei	Ttesports Ladon	Corsair Vengeance 2000	Logitech Z-2300
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
3770k @ 5.0ghz HT	MSI z77 gd 65	Asus DirectCU 7970 @ 1300/1775	16gb Gskill 2400 @ 10-12-11-30
Hard Drive	Optical Drive	Optical Drive	Cooling
2xCorsair Gt 120gb Raid 0	2tb HDD (2x1tb [ Raid 0 ]64mb cache)	500gb HDD	Custom Watercooling Loop
Cooling	Cooling	Cooling	Cooling
XSPC 750	XSPC Raystorm	240mm Radiator Stealth	120mm Radiator
Cooling	Cooling	Cooling	Cooling
140mm Radiator	HyperX Dual Ram Fan Cooler	7 x Artic F12 Case Fans Custom Sleeved in White...	Xigamatek 4-in-3 HDD 5.25 to 3.5 bay.
OS	Monitor	Keyboard	Power
Win 7 64bit	3 x 21.5in Led 1080p Eyefinity	Corsair K90	750 Evo Blue
Case	Mouse
Haf 932	Ikari Laser & Rat 7 & Deathadder & Laichesis
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Amd 1100t x6@3.8ghz Stock voltage	MSI 890GXM-gd65	Crossfire 6870's @ 1000/1125	16gb Gskill DDR3 1600@ 8-8-8-24
Hard Drive	Optical Drive	Cooling	Cooling
750gb Western Digital	None	Sycthe Big Shuriken 2	Modded Titan TTC-HDC4 HDD
OS	Power	Case
Window 7 64bit	750w Evo Blue Modular PSU	White Silverstone Sugo sg02
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
i5 3570k @ 4.8 w/ 1.31v	Gigabyte z77x-UD3H	MSI GTX 670 Power Edition watercooled	G.Skill Ripjaws 2133mhz cl9 2x4gb
Hard Drive	Optical Drive	Cooling	OS
128gb Samsung 830 + WD 2TB + Seagate 1TB + WD 5...	DVD RW	Rasa loop w/ RX120 and RS240	Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Monitor	Keyboard	Power	Case
2x 27" PCBANK 1440p, 1x 21" 1600x1200 Syncmaster	Leopold 10keyless w/ red switches	XFX 750w Black Edition	CM Stacker 830
Mouse	Mouse Pad	Audio
Logitech G5	SteelSeries QCK	Fiio E10 USB DAC+AMP \| ATH-M50 \| JVC HARX700
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
AMD Phenom II x6 1055t	Gigabyte 890fxa-UD5	EVGA GTS 450	4gb 1600mhz CL8 DDR3
Cooling	OS	Power
Corsair h50	Ubuntu 10.10	Corsair CX430
View all

CPU	CPU	CPU	CPU
Intel Core i7 920	Intel Core i7 Extreme 965	Intel Core i7 Extreme 980X	Intel Core i7 3770K
Motherboard	Graphics	Graphics	Graphics
Gigabyte X58A-OC / Gigabyte Z77X-UD4H	BFG GTX 280	Diamond HD 4890 XOC	ATI HD 4890
Graphics	Graphics	Graphics	Graphics
Sapphire HD 4870X2	Asus HD 4870 1GB	Asus HD 4850 1GB	Diamond HD 3870 512MB
Graphics	Graphics	Graphics	Graphics
MSI GTX 280	EVGA GTX 280	EVGA GTX 275	EVGA 9800GTX+
Graphics	Graphics	Graphics	Graphics
EVGA 8800 GTS 512MB	EVGA 8800 GTS 512MB	BFG 8800 GTS 320MB	MSI GT 210 512MB
RAM	RAM	Hard Drive	Hard Drive
Corsair 2000 7-8-7 Hypers	Kingston HyperX 2000 9-9-9 BBSE	Kingston SSD Now! 128GB	Patriot Torqx 2 32GB
Hard Drive	Optical Drive	Cooling	OS
Seagate 80GB	Samsung CD/DVD+-RW	XPSC Rasa + EK VGA + HWLabs Black Ice GTX 360 +...	W7 Pro x64 SP1
Monitor	Keyboard	Power	Case
Dell 22" @ 1680x1050, Acer 22" 1680x1050	Ducky DK9008G2 Pro, Cherry Brown Switches	Corsair AX1200	Dimastech Easy V2.5! <3
Mouse	Mouse Pad
Logitech G5 Battlefield 2142 Edition	Puretrak Stealth
View all

CPU	Motherboard	Graphics	RAM
Intel Core i5 3570K	Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe	Diamond HD 5870	Corsair Dominator
Hard Drive	Hard Drive	OS	Monitor
Corsair Force Series 3 120GB	Sansung F3 1TB	Windows 7 Professional x64	2x Dell 22", 1x Acer 22" Eyefinity Enabled
Keyboard	Power	Case	Mouse
Ducky DK9008G2 Pro	Seasonic G-Series 450W Gold	White Bitfenix Prodigy	Logitech G5 BF2142 Edition
View all

Recent Images In This Thread

Featured Sponsors

Recent Reviews

[TechSpot] Apple Tax or Not? Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks vs. 13" MacBook Air

Recent Discussions

Recent Reviews

New Articles