Earlier this week, Apple announced speed bumps for the MacBook line. The $1,099 MacBook with an Intel Core 2 Duo jumps from 1.83GHz to 2GHz. So, if you've been wondering just how much difference the increase from 2MB to 4MB of L2 cache (and the 0.17MHz bump, too) made, here're the first benchmarks. MacLife was able to get its hands around a $1,099 base unit and put this bad boy to work. The new machine was pit against the old base MacBook (at 1.83GHz) and the previous 2GHz BlackBook, and while increases in efficiency weren't exactly considerable, reviewers found them at least noticeable. The latest machine shaved seconds off here and there from iMovie exporting and Photoshopping, and while most tests showed just single digit improvements, the iPhoto test did display a 22-percent gain compared to the previous 1.83GHz MacBook.