I've had my ThinkPad T440 for over three years now, and though I've been exceptionally happy with it, I'm looking to upgrade. Biggest want? A fast processor. Everything else seems pretty fungible from one computer to the next, including screen resolution (the other place my T440 lacks), with the possible exception of ports. But as long as I have a USB in and video out, I'm fine, honestly. I like the "always on" charging port on my T440, which lets me charge my phone anywhere, but that's about the only "want".

Of course this means I'm wasting hours price comparing and processor spec studying. I'm also doing a really poor job putting all the info somewhere I can find it easily. So let's sum, just for me.

Pro tip: Don't get hung up on the huge red number. Also compare the "Single Thread Rating!

Processors (all scores from cpubenchmark.net)

Current Desktop (to make me feel badly):

Intel Core i7-4790K @ 4.00GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA1150 Clockspeed: 4.0 GHz Turbo Speed: 4.4 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 88 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790K CPU @ 4.00GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2014 CPUmark/$Price:  32.96     Overall Rank:  63 Last Price Change:  $339.99 USD (2014-07-09)	11206 Single Thread Rating: 2529 Samples: 9749

Current laptop (ThinkPad T440)

Intel Core i5-3320M @ 2.60GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: BGA1023 Clockspeed: 2.6 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.3 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 35 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3320M CPU @ 2.60GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2012 CPUmark/$Price:  16.66     Overall Rank:  558 Last Price Change:  $239.99 USD (2012-11-24)	3998 Single Thread Rating: 1626 Samples: 992

ThinkPad T460p (quad-core)

Entry price is $935. i7 not available yet.

Intel Core i5-6440HQ @ 2.60GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA 1151 Clockspeed: 2.6 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.5 GHz No of Cores: 4 Max TDP: 45 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6440HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q1 2016 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  285 Last Price Change:  NA	6443 Single Thread Rating: 1932 [I'm not buying this. Geekbench puts it 11% lower than the i7, below. See that there's only 12 samples -mfn] Samples: 12

Intel Core i7-6820HQ @ 2.70GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA 1151 Clockspeed: 2.7 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.6 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 45 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6820HQ CPU @ 2.70GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  163 Last Price Change:  NA	8640 Single Thread Rating: 1874 Samples: 127

ThinkPad T460 (dual cores, 3 options)

Entry prices by proc: $875, $922, and $1050.
P50s runs the same stuff, give or take. P50 speeds aren't significantly better.

Intel Core i5-6200U @ 2.30GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1356 Clockspeed: 2.3 GHz Turbo Speed: 2.8 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 15 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6200U CPU @ 2.30GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  575 Last Price Change:  NA	3902 Single Thread Rating: 1501 Samples: 388

Intel Core i5-6300U @ 2.40GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1356 Clockspeed: 2.4 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.0 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 15 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  508 Last Price Change:  NA	4296 Single Thread Rating: 1646 Samples: 227

Intel Core i7-6600U @ 2.60GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1356 Clockspeed: 2.6 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.4 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 15 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6600U CPU @ 2.60GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  434 Last Price Change:  NA	4777 Single Thread Rating: 1847 Samples: 161

Current MacBook Pro 13"

Entry prices by processor are $1300, $1400, and $1600.

Intel Core i5-5257U @ 2.70GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1168 Clockspeed: 2.7 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.1 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 23 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5257U CPU @ 2.70GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q1 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  491 Last Price Change:  NA	4375 Single Thread Rating: 1716 Samples: 56

Intel Core i5-5287U @ 2.90GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1168 Clockspeed: 2.9 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.3 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 28 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-5287U CPU @ 2.90GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  454 Last Price Change:  NA	4636 Single Thread Rating: 1873 Samples: 5

Intel Core i7-5557U @ 3.10GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1168 Clockspeed: 3.1 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.4 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 28 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-5557U CPU @ 3.10GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q1 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  5.42     Overall Rank:  413 Last Price Change:  $915 USD (2016-02-04)	4959 Single Thread Rating: 1899 Samples: 133

Current MacBook Pro 15"

Worth remembering that these are, entry-price for each proc, $2000, $2100, and $2300

Intel Core i7-4770HQ @ 2.20GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1364 Clockspeed: 2.2 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.4 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 47 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770HQ CPU @ 2.20GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2014 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  152 Last Price Change:  NA	8917 Single Thread Rating: 1888 Samples: 43

Intel Core i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1364 Clockspeed: 2.5 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.7 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 47 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4870HQ CPU @ 2.50GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2014 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  122 Last Price Change:  NA	9372 Single Thread Rating: 2058 Samples: 135

Intel Core i7-4980HQ @ 2.80GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1364 Clockspeed: 2.8 GHz Turbo Speed: 4.0 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 47 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4980HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2014 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  85 Last Price Change:  NA	10060 Single Thread Rating: 2234 Samples: 102

Alienware 15 r2

Though prices change on a dime, right now it's $1200, $1250, and $2550

Intel Core i5-6300HQ @ 2.30GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA 1151 Clockspeed: 2.3 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.2 GHz No of Cores: 4 Max TDP: 45 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300HQ CPU @ 2.30GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  335 Last Price Change:  NA	5734 Single Thread Rating: 1643 Samples: 123

Intel Core i7-6700HQ @ 2.60GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA 1151 Clockspeed: 2.6 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.5 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 45 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  190 Last Price Change:  NA	8030 Single Thread Rating: 1791 Samples: 1259

Intel Core i7-6820HK @ 2.70GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: LGA 1151 Clockspeed: 2.7 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.6 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 45 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6820HK CPU @ 2.70GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  142 Last Price Change:  NA	9069 Single Thread Rating: 1904 Samples: 120

Razer Blade Stealth & QHD+

$1000, $1800 (Pro is the same proc as QHD+, so not including it in "entry price" list)

Intel Core i7-6500U @ 2.50GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1356 Clockspeed: 2.5 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.1 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 15 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q2 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  497 Last Price Change:  NA	4331 Single Thread Rating: 1647 Samples: 499

Intel Core i7-4720HQ @ 2.60GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: BGA1364 Clockspeed: 2.6 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.6 GHz No of Cores: 4 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 47 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4720HQ CPU @ 2.60GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2014 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  187 Last Price Change:  NA	8100 Single Thread Rating: 1935 Samples: 1959

MacBook 2016

Intel Core m7-6Y75 @ 1.20GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: FCBGA1515 Clockspeed: 1.2 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.1 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 7 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) m7-6Y75 CPU @ 1.20GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q4 2015 CPUmark/$Price:  NA     Overall Rank:  622 Last Price Change:  NA	3704 Single Thread Rating: 1501 Samples: 27

My quick take home (again, for my specific use case; it is my blog, after all! ;^D) is that the MacBook Pros are impressively spec'd, and that the T460p, my initial choice b/c of price and quad-core proc, has an excellent single thread on the i5, tempered by there only being 12 samples taken.

I think the take-home is to wait on the new MacBook Pros this summer, to either get a deal on the old or to see if the new procs make sense. The real crux is whether I think I need mobile Mac hardware to write up some Xamarin apps for iOS. I have good but dated desktop Mac hardware, and can't figure out if $300-$500 is worth it to take a Mac on the road. I want to say yes, but with Xamarin Forms, it's not quite the deal breaker it used to be. And man, that T460p is cheap, relatively speaking.

EDIT: One more quick addition -- my Mac mini 2012, bottom of the line, as I try to convince myself to get a Windows laptop and use the mini as a Xamarin iOS build server...

Intel Core i5-3210M @ 2.50GHz  + Compare	Average CPU Mark
Description:  Socket: PGA988B Clockspeed: 2.5 GHz Turbo Speed: 3.1 GHz No of Cores: 2 (2 logical cores per physical) Max TDP: 35 W Other names:  Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz CPU First Seen on Charts:  Q1 2012 CPUmark/$Price:  17.18     Overall Rank:  606 Last Price Change:  $220.33 USD (2016-02-29)	3786 Single Thread Rating: 1518 Samples: 4334

Labels: alienware, hardware, hats of money, lenovo, razer, thinkpad