Intel i5-540M Dual Core vs Intel i7-720QM Quad Core for my laptop

[svchiefs19]

I'm looking at getting the hp dv6tse and I'm getting hung up with the processors. I'm considering the following:

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz

The quad core processor costs $150 more than the dual core.

Im having trouble trying to compare the two processors. The i5 has a higher clock rate and higher turbo boost than the i7, but the i7 is qaud core and has more cache than the i5. I also understand that the quad core is better at multitasking than dual core, but that almost seems to be counterbalanced by the i5's higher clock rate.

Which processor would you go with if you had to chose? Which one would you suggest? Keep in mind the i7 is $150 more than the i5. Is the i7 worth the extra money? I guess I'm just looking for words of wisdom as I'm stumped right now.

Thanks in advance!

 

[spynoodle]

I'm looking at getting the hp dv6tse and I'm getting hung up with the processors. I'm considering the following:

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-540M Dual Core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 3.06GHz
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Quad Core processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.8 GHz

The quad core processor costs $150 more than the dual core.

Im having trouble trying to compare the two processors. The i5 has a higher clock rate and higher turbo boost than the i7, but the i7 is qaud core and has more cache than the i5. I also understand that the quad core is better at multitasking than dual core, but that almost seems to be counterbalanced by the i5's higher clock rate.

Which processor would you go with if you had to chose? Which one would you suggest? Keep in mind the i7 is $150 more than the i5. Is the i7 worth the extra money? I guess I'm just looking for words of wisdom as I'm stumped right now.

Thanks in advance!

It always depends on what you're doing. If you were using programs that would take advantage of 4 cores, then the i7 would definitely beat the i5. Also, when it's in its max turbo frequency, it would probably beat the i5 in programs that don't take advantage of 4 cores. Is it worth the extra $150? That's your decision. In terms of future-proofing your laptop, the i7 would be better.