rMBP is bad for power users

UBS28 said:

I think OS X is not extracting maximum performance out of the rMBP hardware. In bootcamp, the machine can use more power than the power adapter can provide. This seems to never happen in OS X.

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There are multiple reports of OS X drawing more power than the power adaptor can provide, and I know I've seen it on my machine as well. I was playing a game in OS X. Started at full charge and plugged in. Quit the game and I was at 80%.

Can you let us know why you think so? I use my retina for after effects, logic fcp and motion and never found it to be under powered or that the charging block is peoviding less power however if i use the retina of the charger while using my these apps the magsafe connector does get fairly warm other then that i never felt the battery draining while charging or taking time to charge.

nickandre21 said:

Can you let us know why you think so? I use my retina for after effects, logic fcp and motion and never found it to be under powered or that the charging block is peoviding less power however if i use the retina of the charger while using my these apps the magsafe connector does get fairly warm other then that i never felt the battery draining while charging or taking time to charge.

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Taxing the Macbook Pro's CPU alone won't do it. The max wattage of the CPU is less than what the power adaptor provides.

When you fire up the GPU and the CPU and stress them, that's more power than the power adaptor provides, and it will also pull from the battery.

I'm guessing OP might be rebooting into Bootcamp to play games, which is why he's seeing this in Bootcamp, and then not playing games in OS X, which is why he's not seeing the "problem" in OS X.

goMac said:

Taxing the Macbook Pro's CPU alone won't do it. The max wattage of the CPU is less than what the power adaptor provides.

When you fire up the GPU and the CPU and stress them, that's more power than the power adaptor provides, and it will also pull from the battery.

I'm guessing OP might be rebooting into Bootcamp to play games, which is why he's seeing this in Bootcamp, and then not playing games in OS X, which is why he's not seeing the "problem" in OS X.

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Though i am not sure if i experience this problem since i was unaware but is the magsafe connector getting pretty warm a sign or indicator? I hardly play games on mine just only Rage. Then again i never paid close attention since im mostly running of battery. Based on cocunut battery and battery health it shows 46w being used

UBS28 said:

Ok, If this happens in OS X too, then this might not be the case then. I have personally never experienced it in OS X.

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Same thing happened to me. Was playing Dota 2 on discrete graphics, maxed out settings and my battery percent goes down a few percent despite being plugged in.

This is only really relevant for computer games (or some really specialised scientific software which no sane person would run on a laptop), and that under worst circumstances. I am a power user and I am very happy with my laptop

Well, yes. If you want to play games or do work, get a PC

The rMBP is a $2500 toy, everyone could tell you that.

UBS28 said:

Ok, If this happens in OS X too, then this might not be the case then. I have personally never experienced it in OS X.

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It would be a good idea to do your homework before you create a thread with an inflammatory title and levy a false accusation in your first line.

UBS28 said:

I think OS X is not extracting maximum performance out of the rMBP hardware. In bootcamp, the machine can use more power than the power adapter can provide. This seems to never happen in OS X.

So to me it seems Apple has engineered OS X to run the rMBP in some kind of energy saving profile which prevents the machine from not using more than 85W, while the hardware is capable of doing more.

We are basically paying for hardware which we cannot use to it's maximum. Apple should use larger power adapters (it's a 2000+ laptop) and let OS X use more power under heavy load.

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Quite obviously you don't run anything under OSX that constitutes "heavy load", also you don't sound like you have much knowledge or experience to base such a statement on.

Research, and try some of the OSX tools that will show you what load you are putting the machine under, then you will realize what your MBP is capable of and realize how foolish your last two paragraphs then sound.

thejadedmonkey said:

Well, yes. If you want to play games or do work, get a PC

The rMBP is a $2500 toy, everyone could tell you that.

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Not even close to being true.

Well if apple improved the video drivers and continued to improve them I think mac's could be a very capable gaming machine. There are developers coming on board to develop mac games (I have Steam/Valve in mind) and hopefully it will encourage apple to make a few changes at their end.

UBS28 said:

Ok, If this happens in OS X too, then this might not be the case then. I have personally never experienced it in OS X.

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This has happened since 2011. Most people notice it under Windows, because many of them use Windows for gaming. Many games can tax both cpu and gpu simultaneously.

I'd have to disagree with the original assessment. I'm able to run Photoshop, Aperture, MS Office and VMware on my rMPB. The performance of those apps is fine. So while you may think its being throttled too much, I'd say I've not seen yn performance issues.

UBS28 said:

I'm pretty sure I'm putting way more load than you on this machine. I even write my own codes because there doesn't exist software that do the types of calculations I do.

And for the really heavy stuff, I have access to servers that makes a $10.000 Mac pro look like nothing. If you claim what I do doesn't constitutes under heavy load, you're the fool.

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Oh my, give the man a medal, he is writing his OWN CODES!

(sorry, couldn't resist, its just too funny)

I assure you, no matter what 'codes you write', you won't be able to go over rMBP charger power limit (unless you are also taxing the GPU). And your comment with the servers is just ridiculous. If you are running computations that require a server farm, then just use that and not your laptop

P.S. If we are 'measuring' now, here is something that stands around in the lower floor of the building where I usually have my lunch. Imagine the rest of the servers when this is just a sofa

UBS28 said:

I'm pretty sure I'm putting way more load than you on this machine. I even write my own codes because there doesn't exist software that do the types of calculations I do.

And for the really heavy stuff, I have access to servers that makes a $10.000 Mac pro look like nothing. If you claim what I do doesn't constitutes under heavy load, you're the fool.

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If it was heavy load then the machine would heat up and the fans would come on, just like they do on MBPs everywhere. Load comes first. If the fans don't come on, the CPU isn't under enough load but every MBPS can do this.

Not sure what the value of the server has to do with it, if all your code says is "Hello World" then it isn't going to tax anything very much.

Good news though, if you are putting more load than me on it (not sure why that is relevant), then it is handling it fine, which shows your first statement is false.

Maybe your running inefficient code on the Windows side which is causing unnecessary cycles for the same result, that inefficiency would then generate more heat - that isn't a good thing by the way.

Surprised if you code in the way you say you do that you aren't familiar with different platforms, even if you are impressed by the price tag. LOL!

By the way, I didn't say you were a fool, I said your statements sounded foolish....

Out of interest, which language(s) do you program in?

leman said:

Oh my, give the man a medal, he is writing his OWN CODES!

(sorry, couldn't resist, its just too funny)

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I'm still chuckling about that.....

That and the "mines bigger than yours" attitude, it's my contender for Funniest Post of 2014 so far....

Ok, serious now.

Nope

leman said:

P.S. If we are 'measuring' now, here is something that stands around in the lower floor of the building where I usually have my lunch. Imagine the rest of the servers when this is just a sofa

Image

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Wow! It's been a while since I worked on anything with Big Blue capacitors and water-cooling

accountforit said:

Not even close to being true.

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I'm going to have to disagree with your disagreement. There's very little that a rMBP can do that a Macbook Air couldn't do. And of the things that a rMBP can do that a MBA cannot do, there's even less that a rMBP can do better than a $2000 Dell.

So at the end of the day, you can get a great little Air for play or light work, a dell for heavy work, but the rMBP is this awkward stepchild that can't do CPU + GPU intensive tasks for a long time without throttling, can't be upgraded, can't even use commonly available external storage, and generally just doesn't have a place in a computer lineup. I mean it has a gorgeous screen, the MBA screen is "good enough" for any work that doesn't require a $3000 screen. And the same could be said for just about any computing uses. See where I'm going with this?

But then you have a Dell. And then you have Windows. And in three years, the laptop is physically falling apart.

thejadedmonkey said:

I'm going to have to disagree with your disagreement. There's very little that a rMBP can do that a Macbook Air couldn't do. And of the things that a rMBP can do that a MBA cannot do, there's even less that a rMBP can do better than a $2000 Dell.

So at the end of the day, you can get a great little Air for play or light work, a dell for heavy work, but the rMBP is this awkward stepchild that can't do CPU + GPU intensive tasks for a long time without throttling, can't be upgraded, can't even use commonly available external storage, and generally just doesn't have a place in a computer lineup. I mean it has a gorgeous screen, the MBA screen is "good enough" for any work that doesn't require a $3000 screen. And the same could be said for just about any computing uses. See where I'm going with this?

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I think see where your are headed. Same line of thinking as a Ford Focus is better than a Porsche for driving day in day out right?

case2001 said:

I think see where your are headed. Same line of thinking as a Ford Focus is better than a Porsche for driving day in day out right?

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Wrong comparison. You're taking extremes and comparing. Like or not, the MacBook Air is very close to the rMBP aside from display. I don't know how much better the integrated Intel GPU is in the rMBP, but I going to assume it's not that much different and they're both integrated any way so...I'm going to agree with Jaded.

Wishbrah said:

But then you have a Dell. And then you have Windows. And in three years, the laptop is physically falling apart.

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Tell that to some of the people with 2011 macbook pros.