The Apple MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.66 17-Inch (Unibody - Early 2009) is powered by a 45 nm "Penryn" 2.66 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (T9550), featuring two independent cores on a single chip and a 6 MB shared L2 cache. It includes a 1066 MHz frontside bus, 4 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) in pairs, a 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, and an 8X DL "SuperDrive." This model features dual graphics processors: a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 SDRAM and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of shared DDR3 SDRAM. Its display is an LED-backlit 17.0-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" screen with a 1920x1200 native resolution; an "anti-glare" version was a US$50 build-to-order option.
Connectivity includes an ExpressCard/34 slot, AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire "800" port, optical digital/analog audio in/out, and a "Mini DisplayPort" for external displays up to 2560x1600.
Similar to the 15-inch "Unibody" models released earlier, this 17-inch version uses a case milled from a single block of aluminum for greater strength and a superior finish. However, the 17-inch model boasts a faster processor, support for 8 GB of RAM, a third USB 2.0 port, an anti-glare display option (unlike the glossy-only 15-inch models), and a distinct built-in (non-swappable) battery design.
Like its 15-inch counterparts, this 17-inch "Unibody" system offers a new "no button" glass "multi-touch" trackpad with four-finger gesture support and programmable zones. Compared to the "Early 2008" 17-inch model it replaced, it features a faster architecture with an improved system bus, faster memory, and, most notably, quicker dual graphics processors.