The MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.8 17-Inch (Mid-2009) is equipped with a 45 nm "Penryn" 2.8 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (T9600), featuring two independent cores on a single chip, a 6 MB shared L2 cache, and a 1066 MHz frontside bus. It comes with 4 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) installed in pairs, a 500 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, and an 8X DL "SuperDrive." This model boasts 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. It also includes an integrated iSight camera and a 17.0-inch LED-backlit widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" display with a 1920x1200 resolution; an "anti-glare" version was a US$50 build-to-order option.
Connectivity features include AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, a FireWire "800" port, three USB 2.0 ports, optical digital/analog audio in/out, a "Mini DisplayPort" for external displays up to 2560x1600, and an ExpressCard/34 slot. It does not have an SD card slot.
This model uses a "Unibody" case, milled from a single block of aluminum, which is essentially the same as the previous 17-inch MacBook Pro it replaced. It retains the backlit keyboard and "no button" glass "multi-touch" trackpad with four-finger gesture support. The internal architecture is also largely unchanged. However, this model is configured with a slightly faster processor, a larger hard drive, and was introduced at a price US$300 lower.