Description
The MacBook Pro “Core i7” 2.2 17-Inch (Early 2011/Thunderbolt) features a 32 nm “Sandy Bridge” 2.2 GHz Intel “Core i7” processor (2720QM), with four independent processor “cores” on a single silicon chip, a 6 MB shared level 3 cache, 4 GB of 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-10600) installed in pairs (two 2 GB modules), a 750 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, an 8X DL “SuperDrive”, dual graphics processors — an AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory and an Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics processor that shares 384 MB of memory with the system — and an integrated FaceTime HD webcam.
The standard configuration of this model has an LED-backlit 17.0″ widescreen TFT active-matrix “glossy” display (1920×1200 native resolution), but it also was offered with an “anti-glare” (matte) display for US50 more.
Connectivity includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a Firewire “800” port, three USB 2.0 ports, separate audio in and out ports, an ExpressCard/34 expansion slot, and a new “Thunderbolt” port that is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort and, likewise, supports an external display at 2560×1600 and passes an audio signal. Thunderbolt also supports other peripherals that use the Thunderbolt standard which provides up to 10 Gbps of bandwidth in both directions.
This model uses a “Unibody” aluminum case design — milled from a single piece of aluminum — and has a backlit keyboard, a “no button” glass “inertial” multi-touch trackpad, and a non-swappable battery design that provides an Apple estimated 7 hours of battery life.
Compared to its predecessor, this model has a very similar external enclosure, apart from a higher-resolution webcam and the aforementioned Thunderbolt port. Internally, however, it has a significantly faster architecture, faster RAM, and improved graphics.
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