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This looks like throttling to me...

Ozy

Ozy

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 8, 2006
139
4
Goodyear, AZ
I had the first MacBook Air that throttled horribly. I'm starting to have flashbacks. I'm installing W8 in Parallels and the entire time the laptop has just decayed to a crawl. iStats menu is showing all the CPU in System time, which is what the MacBook air did when throttling. Disk activity was low, so it wasn't IOPS eating system time.

If this thing ends up throttling heavily like the MBA did, I will not keep it even though it is absolutely beautiful.

1.2Ghz/512GB model

IDFV7Du.png
 
18300 unread mails. That's the only problem I see
Edit: I don't know on a mac how to read the actual CPU freq. which is I think, the only way to see if a CPU is throttling
 
Last edited:
bibyfok said:
18300 unread mails. That's the only problem I see
Edit: I don't know on a mac how to read the actual CPU freq. which is I think, the only way to see if a CPU is throttling
Click to expand...

Lol, long story on the emails. I work for eBay, and we get a ton of server emails.

This thing is definitely throttling. I found a great tool "Intel Power Gadget" that shows me the IA (CPU) and GT (GPU) speed, package temp, and TDP profile. Notice how the CPU is being held at 65C pretty solid. It's throttling to keep it at 65C max it seems.

SFRvKS6.png
 
Ozy said:
Of course it feels slow. It feels like the thing is wedged solid pretty much when the CPU is stuck in System time, just like the MBA did when it throttled.
Click to expand...

Oh my. Definitely looks like throttling.

Then again Windows updates can cause weird CPU intensive behaviour even on my SP3 i5.

Seems like its throttling to around 1ghz.

Looking at getting a rMB but windows 8 on a parallels vm is crucial for me - please keep us posted.
 
thewusman said:
Oh my. Definitely looks like throttling.
Then again Windows updates can cause weird CPU intensive behaviour even on my SP3 i5.
Seems like its throttling to around 1ghz.
Click to expand...

I have to agree, Windows Update is garbage but it looks like it is throttling @ 1Ghz according to the CPU frequence graph.
 
Im buying this machine, but I wont run any Windows on it. I know people expect performance on such an expensive machine, but I remember my 1st gen Air which couldnt do anything (but was damn sexy).
 
I'm going to do some throttle testing on OS X only apps. Any suggestions on workload that would be interesting to see?
 
bibyfok said:
I have to agree, Windows Update is garbage but it looks like it is throttling @ 1Ghz according to the CPU frequence graph.
Click to expand...

GArbage? Some of us have to still use Windows as Apple's OS does not support all the software needed. I use BootCamp which should be less CPU intensive but I will be keeping my MAXed out MBAir 13. Seldom does the CPU MAX out as it can "breath" to handle the heat.

Apple's answer to a fanless design is to throttle the CPU tells me we are not quite ready for fanless laptops yet.:rolleyes:

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poobear said:
Im buying this machine, but I wont run any Windows on it. I know people expect performance on such an expensive machine, but I remember my 1st gen Air which couldnt do anything (but was damn sexy).
Click to expand...

So "sexy" is more improtant than performance for your laptop?:rolleyes:
 
Mnowell69 said:
parallels may be to blame. Just a thought
Click to expand...

I suspect its more along the lines of running Parallels/windows on a Core M processor. It may not be providing the level of performance, just because its not a fast processor (well as fast as some of Intel's other offerings).

A lot of the early benchmarks indicated that the MB is not a speed demon, so I'm not sure its best candidate to be running parallels.
 
Newtons Apple said:
GArbage? Some of us have to still use Windows as Apple's OS does not support all the software needed. I use BootCamp which should be less CPU intensive but I will be keeping my MAXed out MBAir 13. Seldom does the CPU MAX out as it can "breath" to handle the heat.

Apple's answer to a fanless design is to throttle the CPU tells me we are not quite ready for fanless laptops yet.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Yes Garbage, especially when it tells me "Installing update 1 of 218" on a fresh Windows 8.1 install.

Could you tell me what software you don't have an equivalent on OS X? As an Apple Certified Support and a Windows Tech Support I have difficulties to see any Windows program that has no equivalent on Mac.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Newtons Apple said:
Apple's answer to a fanless design is to throttle the CPU tells me we are not quite ready for fanless laptops yet
Click to expand...

By the same token, the current crop of Surface Pro 3s throttle as well (and it has a fan), while they're using Haswell Core i5s and not Core M, it throttles as well.

Apple has dabbled in fanless designs in the past and they've not really worked too well. They've also under-clocked their systems to manage the heat, Time will only say how well the rMB be when people start using it for real tasks.
 
bibyfok said:
As an Apple Certified Support and a Windows Tech Support I have difficulties to see any Windows program that has no equivalent on Mac.
Click to expand...


Not to be rude but come on, there are plenty.

Well Windows Remote Server Administration Tools to start. Then powershell. Then a proper Outlook as Mac outlook lacks many Exchange integration features. Then Internet explorer for those ****** websites that require it. Then MS project (sorry those Linux and Mac apps aren't Project). Then there are CAD packages which have Linux options but not Mac.

Anyways I'll stop there.
 
maflynn said:
By the same token, the current crop of Surface Pro 3s throttle as well (and it has a fan), while they're using Haswell Core i5s and not Core M, it throttles as well.

Apple has dabbled in fanless designs in the past and they've not really worked too well. They've also under-clocked their systems to manage the heat, Time will only say how well the rMB be when people start using it for real tasks.
Click to expand...

I use a Surface Pro 3 with i7 and the fans runs like crazy. It, without a doubt, throttles the i7 as it will slow to a crawl. I can not see the purpose in putting a processor in a device that throttles due poor thermal management. I guess for short bursts of CPU activity it would be faster . . . . .

I know some are really bothered by fan noise and for some that is the deciding factor.
 
Ozy said:
I had the first MacBook Air that throttled horribly. I'm starting to have flashbacks. I'm installing W8 in Parallels and the entire time the laptop has just decayed to a crawl.
Click to expand...


Have you tried using VMware Fusion? I was running Windows Server 2012 and Cisco ASAv VMs together last night without any speed issues. But I was using Fusion and not Parallels.
 
Newtons Apple said:
I use a Surface Pro 3 with i7 and the fans runs like crazy. It, without a doubt, throttles the i7 as it will slow to a crawl. I can not see the purpose in putting a processor in a device that throttles due poor thermal management. I guess for short bursts of CPU activity it would be faster . . . . .

I know some are really bothered by fan noise and for some that is the deciding factor.
Click to expand...

I have the i5 SP3, and fans crank up, when using flash or YT videos, most of the time, though they're ok. The temps in my SP3, are in the 50 celsius range. From what I've read, MS didn't throttle the SP2 at much as the SP3, and performs better.

I'd say Apple is probably a little more conservative, the machine stays cooler but at the expense of performance.
 
legioxi said:
Have you tried using VMware Fusion? I was running Windows Server 2012 and Cisco ASAv VMs together last night without any speed issues. But I was using Fusion and not Parallels.
Click to expand...

I have a copy of fusion I can try. This review seems to indicate fusion may be more efficient on the host machine.

http://www.tekrevue.com/parallels-10-fusion-7-virtualbox-benchmark/12/

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maflynn said:
I have the i5 SP3, and fans crank up, when using flash or YT videos, most of the time, though they're ok. The temps in my SP3, are in the 50 celsius range. From what I've read, MS didn't throttle the SP2 at much as the SP3, and performs better.

I'd say Apple is probably a little more conservative, the machine stays cooler but at the expense of performance.
Click to expand...

My rMP seems to throttle and hold around 70C on the CPU.
 
maflynn said:
I have the i5 SP3, and fans crank up, when using flash or YT videos, most of the time, though they're ok. The temps in my SP3, are in the 50 celsius range. From what I've read, MS didn't throttle the SP2 at much as the SP3, and performs better.

I'd say Apple is probably a little more conservative, the machine stays cooler but at the expense of performance.
Click to expand...

Same with my SP3.

Fan noise can get ridiculous at times, but it's not often.

Id be curious how Fusion7 performs installing the same Windows 8 image.
 
bibyfok said:
Yes Garbage, especially when it tells me "Installing update 1 of 218" on a fresh Windows 8.1 install.

Could you tell me what software you don't have an equivalent on OS X? As an Apple Certified Support and a Windows Tech Support I have difficulties to see any Windows program that has no equivalent on Mac.
Click to expand...


Flexicloud, stamps.com app the list goes on.
 
Heavy VM usage just doesn't seem like the target market for this computer.
 
maflynn said:
I have the i5 SP3, and fans crank up, when using flash or YT videos, most of the time, though they're ok. The temps in my SP3, are in the 50 celsius range. From what I've read, MS didn't throttle the SP2 at much as the SP3, and performs better.

I'd say Apple is probably a little more conservative, the machine stays cooler but at the expense of performance.
Click to expand...

Yep my Surface with the i7 get VERY warm to the touch on the back right side. I guess we are still waiting on powerful new processors that will only sip a few watts when at full speed. Might be a few more years before we get higher performance CPU that use much less power.
 
Ozy said:
My rMP seems to throttle and hold around 70C on the CPU.
Click to expand...
Wow that is toasty :eek:


Newtons Apple said:
Yep my Surface with the i7 get VERY warm to the touch on the back right side. .
Click to expand...
Wow, that is hot, To be honest, I don't have any issues with the i5 like that (other then the fans ramping up and being a bit loud), I guess that might be the difference between the i5 and i7 or you're pushing the computer harder then I am.
 
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