Intel Launches New Skylake Chips Appropriate for 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro

[MacRumors]

As noted by AnandTech, Intel this week quietly released an updated processor price list which includes several new Skylake chips that could be used in an updated 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

The direct upgrade path for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro would use the following quad-core chip options: a 2.6 GHz Core i7-6770HQ, a 2.7 GHz Core i7-6870HQ, and a 2.8 GHz Core i7-6970HQ, all coming in at the same price points as the Haswell variants currently used in the MacBook Pro.

Perhaps a more intriguing but less likely scenario involves a series of new mobile Xeon E3 chips. These chips could offer even better CPU, graphics, and memory performance, although pricing becomes an issue with the highest-performing chip in the family.

As for the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, Intel announced chips appropriate for those machines back in September, although it suggested the chips would not actually be launching until early 2016. Those chips have been included on Intel's price lists for several months, but have been slow to show up in the wild. A claimed benchmark for a 13-inch MacBook Pro running one of these chips last week appears to have been a fake.

Most of Apple's Mac lineup is in need of updates, as Intel's Skylake delays have hampered Apple's ability to launch refreshed models. But with the Skylake logjam finally starting to break, Apple appears set to update its entire notebook lineup over the next several months. Opportunities for major product introductions could come at Apple's rumored March media event or at WWDC likely scheduled for mid-June, although smaller updates could come at any time via press release.

Article Link: Intel Launches New Skylake Chips Appropriate for 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro

 

[Chuck Kostalnick]

Any word if those Xeon processors will hit the Mac Pro?

 

[oneMadRssn]

Intel really made a mistake by going with their tick-tock release schedule. It gave people the unreasonable expectation of a a huge leap in performance every 2 years, with a minor revision every other year in between. This is clearly an unrealistic schedule to keep up with, as they have consistently missed self-imposed deadlines.

 

[codewrangler]

Sweet! Can't wait for the new MacBook inspired MacBook Pro's....take my money!!!

 

[gpat]

Actually they're no more suitable than the 6700hq that has been available for some time now. Still no quad-core i7 with Iris Pro, which would be the most natural fit.

 

[drumcat]

As long as they can handle a 4k screen, I'm in.

 

[sunapple]

Waiting for that 15" "MacBook" style MacBook Pro. In gold obviously.

 

[guychicago]

Finally!!!!

 

[wlossw]

Any word if those Xeon processors will hit the Mac Pro?

Those are mobile parts, so not for the Mac pro

 

[bladerunner2000]

These processors are great and all, but, is there any macbook that can have more than 16gb of RAM? It's been a limitation for a long time.

 

[Crosscreek]

Apple, please throw the Mac Mini a bone and put one of those quad cores in it.

 

[Zakzilla]

I remember *almost* waiting to buy a retina 15" MBP last year because everyone was saying Intel would be launching the new quad core Skylake any day.... Glad I bought the MBP then, took Intel almost a year to get it together.

 

[leman]

We still have no idea what CPUs these are, so don't get too exited. If they do no include the Iris Pro 580, these CPUs will be a regression for the current Haswell owners.

 

[Xil3]

These processors are great and all, but, is there any macbook that can have more than 16gb of RAM? It's been a limitation for a long time.

Are you a video editor, or work with really large images on a daily basis? Other than that, I don't see a good reason for having anything over 16gb (RAM).

As a developer, there have been times when I ran out of memory (on my 8GB machine), but that can easily be fixed by optimizing code. Even the newest games don't need anywhere near that much memory.

 

[WigWag Workshop]

Would this be the same processor for an updated iMac?

 

[Goaliegeek]

I need to upgrade my Late 08 MBP. It just can't handle GoPro footage at all at 1080p 60fps. Unable to edit in FCP on it. Been holding out for Skylake.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Just in time for an update at WWDC.

 

[Gudi]

For the prices of these INTL chips, you can buy whole ARM-based iPads.

 

[koyoot]

Any word if those Xeon processors will hit the Mac Pro?

No.

Would this be the same processor for an updated iMac?

No.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Are you a video editor, or work with really large images on a daily basis? Other than that, I don't see a good reason for having anything over 16gb (RAM).

As a developer, there have been times when I ran out of memory (on my 8GB machine), but that can easily be fixed by optimizing code. Even the newest games don't need anywhere near that much memory.

I agree that 16 GB is fine for today. The issue is that I want my next computer to last me for 7-10 years (I bought my current iMac in October 2007. It's still my main machine now in January 2016, 8.25 years later.) I anticipate that the 16 GB is the thing that's going to limit its life the most. I would anticipate that 32 GB of RAM should be fine for the next several years.
[doublepost=1453916447][/doublepost]

Any word if those Xeon processors will hit the Mac Pro?

They will not. These Xeon processors are a new class of mobile chip - Intel hasn't previously made Xeon processors suitable for laptops. They are unrelated to the desktop Xeon processors that Apple would be most likely to put in the Mac Pro.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Are you a video editor, or work with really large images on a daily basis? Other than that, I don't see a good reason for having anything over 16gb (RAM).

As a developer, there have been times when I ran out of memory (on my 8GB machine), but that can easily be fixed by optimizing code. Even the newest games don't need anywhere near that much memory.

I don't need to explain why I need it. My question still stands:

When will MacBooks feature 32gb of RAM?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Are you a video editor, or work with really large images on a daily basis? Other than that, I don't see a good reason for having anything over 16gb (RAM).

As a developer, there have been times when I ran out of memory (on my 8GB machine), but that can easily be fixed by optimizing code. Even the newest games don't need anywhere near that much memory.

I heard of this OS X feature called multitasking which apparently runs more than 1 program at a time. So even very optimized programs might collectively need abundant RAM so that each can get the memory they need. I have 24GB on one of my Macs, am not doing daily video editing or editing large image files, but can easily- and often- bump into that 24GB capacity.

 

[MacsRgr8]

Mobile Xeon?
Never heard that one, but I'm not an Intel-insider.

I wonder if that could be of any use to MacBook Pro?

 

[jonnysods]

Please Apple! Stop killing me with this wait. Ready to pull the trigger on this bad boy. Hoping for that new keyboard too!

 

[rneglia]

I make short films. Should I get the iPad Pro or wait for a Skylake MBP? (I shoot on iPhone and Nikon DSLR)