13" rMBP Haswell with Quad Core?

[e²Studios]

Id wait, the new refresh to haswell i think will also have wifi 5g

What is WiFi 5g? That makes no sense... If you're talking about AC considering there is little to no support for it yet there really is no reason to have it. I wouldn't be changing out my complete wifi infrastructure to support 1 device on AC, I would wait till it was more widespread. Just as most did with N.

If you need a laptop now buy the new MBP, if you can wait then wait, just be warned that when Haswell is released the same trolls on the "wait for haswell it will solve world peace" trip now will switch to whatever new tech is on the newswire. It is a never ending cycle.

My 13.3" i7 3.0 is great, no lag, no IR, Samsung 256GB Flash, I couldn't ask for anything more. It a huge step up from my core duo 2006 MBP.

 

[Sean76]

The current "2013" model is the exact same thing as the 2012 model except for the minor processor bump.

And yes, if it's in your budget the rMBP is an excellent choice.

Very much so agree...

 

[Serban]

Wait for Haswell version, we are in mid March already...i mean if you take one now, next year you will be 2 generation behind.

 

[dwj]

Hi. This is my first post as just finally moved over from windows and got my first macbook. Just wanted to confirm for the OP that any documented lag issues may have been cpu dependant. I have the 13 retina with the latest spec i7 3.0 and can confirm there is zero lag anywhere on this machine.

 

[maflynn]

Beside speculation, why do you think Haswell will be so great? It's not a die shrink...I'm hoping that it won't be so tempting, so I can get Ivy Bridge at a discounted price.

Performance and price. The GPU is reportedly faster then the Ivy Bridge and a decent jump in the CPU performance. As for price, why spend 2,000 on a laptop when you can wait a few months and get a faster model for the same price. If you wait a few months the Ivy Bridge MBPs will be discounted either by apple (in the refurb section) or other retailers looking to move them (since the Haswell model will be out).

 

[Brian Y]

Personally, I think the 15" rMBP is one of the best computers on the market. The 13" however, isn't worth it IMO.

 

[maflynn]

Personally, I think the 15" rMBP is one of the best computers on the market. The 13" however, isn't worth it IMO.

I can't answer for the 13" rMBP but I agree the 15" rMBP has been the absolute best laptop I've ever owned. Gorgeous display, thin form factor, lightening fast. It has everything I need and nothing I don't want. Its not perfect, I have to use the thunderbolt ethernet adapter which is held in place by friction instead of clicking in like the normal ethernet cable but these are minor irritants

 

[B...]

Hi. This is my first post as just finally moved over from windows and got my first macbook. Just wanted to confirm for the OP that any documented lag issues may have been cpu dependant. I have the 13 retina with the latest spec i7 3.0 and can confirm there is zero lag anywhere on this machine.

Hi everyone, great replies! Dwj, I dont know if that is good or bad news for me because I would get the i5 2.5 or 2.6. I thought it was software optimization thing. Anyone have a second opinion?

 

[B...]

Anyone know or hear anything about rMBP lag with i7 processor vs i5?

 

[Sean76]

Anyone know or hear anything about rMBP lag with i7 processor vs i5?

I cant speak for everyone...But I have a 13 inch Retina and don't see any of this so called lag that so many belly ache about!

My advice is this, if you need a machine now, go get one! Don't listen to this nonsense about being generations behind, and how this next generation is going to be the world beater some have said it will be. Honestly something that those people are missing is that it will be a brand new chip, and who knows if it has problems when it's first released like so many new components do.

Most of the people doing the complaining don't even own a rMBP, so with that said I'd venture down to Apple and take advantage of they're 14 day return policy and try it out for yourself.

 

[B...]

I cant speak for everyone...But I have a 13 inch Retina and don't see any of this so called lag that so many belly ache about!

My advice is this, if you need a machine now, go get one! Don't listen to this nonsense about being generations behind, and how this next generation is going to be the world beater some have said it will be. Honestly something that those people are missing is that it will be a brand new chip, and who knows if it has problems when it's first released like so many new components do.

Most of the people doing the complaining don't even own a rMBP, so with that said I'd venture down to Apple and take advantage of they're 14 day return policy and try it out for yourself.

Great advice! Just one question: what specs does your 13" have? Thanks!

 

[Sean76]

Great advice! Just one question: what specs does your 13" have? Thanks!

late 2012 13 inch rMBP, 8GB ram, 128GB storage

 

[vatter69]

late 2012 13 inch rMBP, 8GB ram, 128GB storage

You left the most important part out CPU?

As far as lag - i was also worried because i read so much about lag on the Internet until i finally went to the store and checked it myself.

Saying it's blown out of proportion is a bold understatement. Yes there are things which don't run at 60 FPS, doesn't mean they run at 2fps either.

Without hopefully stepping on anyones toes, but there are obviously so many people without the slightest idea how this FPS/lag issue is working and what's causing it but everyone is jumping on the bandwagon quickly. HASWELL TO THE RESCUE!!!1111

Note all i wrote is true for the 13" Retina which I tested myself. A lot. As far as the 15" goes, there are other people who can comment on that.

 

[Sean76]

You left the most important part out CPU?

As far as lag - i was also worried because i read so much about lag on the Internet until i finally went to the store and checked it myself.

Saying it's blown out of proportion is a bold understatement. Yes there are things which don't run at 60 FPS, doesn't mean they run at 2fps either.

Without hopefully stepping on anyones toes, but there are obviously so many people without the slightest idea how this FPS/lag issue is working and what's causing it but everyone is jumping on the bandwagon quickly. HASWELL TO THE RESCUE!!!1111

Note all i wrote is true for the 13" Retina which I tested myself. A lot. As far as the 15" goes, there are other people who can comment on that.

2.5 i5... And I can attest to nothing running at 2 FPS...lol

 

[jafingi]

Yes.

Take the iMac 27". Since 2009 it have had a resolution of 2560x1440 (vs retina's 2560x1600/2880x1800). And these have been running perfectly!

And the rMPB's have WAY better hardware than the 2009 iMac. The rMBP hardware is totally capable of running these resolutions.

The issue is definitely not with the hardware. It's software.

 

[joshhedge]

Yes.

Take the iMac 27". Since 2009 it have had a resolution of 2560x1440 (vs retina's 2560x1600/2880x1800). And these have been running perfectly!

And the rMPB's have WAY better hardware than the 2009 iMac. The rMBP hardware is totally capable of running these resolutions.

The issue is definitely not with the hardware. It's software.

What a perfect explanation!

 

[alan7467]

Yes.

Take the iMac 27". Since 2009 it have had a resolution of 2560x1440 (vs retina's 2560x1600/2880x1800). And these have been running perfectly!

And the rMPB's have WAY better hardware than the 2009 iMac. The rMBP hardware is totally capable of running these resolutions.

The issue is definitely not with the hardware. It's software.

The rMBP is quite different from a machine running native 2560x1440 in the fact that it has to scale everything to 2880x1800 which at the moment relies heavily on the CPU. One thing apple could do (and hopefully will) is to do more of the scaling with the GPU which should boost UI performance considerably. So in a sense the UI issues on the rMBP are both hardware and software related.

 

[Mr MM]

3-4 months would be June to July. Intel only releases the chips in June, and that is the Ultrabok chips. Apple will take a while to put them in to their computers, so I'm thinking more like October.

Beside speculation, why do you think Haswell will be so great? It's not a die shrink...I'm hoping that it won't be so tempting, so I can get Ivy Bridge at a discounted price.

Die shrinks are not that great, new archs matter much more

The current "2013" model is the exact same thing as the 2012 model except for the minor processor bump.

And yes, if it's in your budget the rMBP is an excellent choice.

no they arent, there are some internal changes

But the 13'MBP is still using the same internals as a Macbook Air.

If the 3D apps use OpenCL it shouldn't be a problem with the HD4000. Unless he needs something specific like CUDA then the 15 inch Retina would be good (or just a regular 15)

none of the pro line shared internals with the air, except in the 2012 SSDs, thats the only thing

The rMBP is quite different from a machine running native 2560x1440 in the fact that it has to scale everything to 2880x1800 which at the moment relies heavily on the CPU. One thing apple could do (and hopefully will) is to do more of the scaling with the GPU which should boost UI performance considerably. So in a sense the UI issues on the rMBP are both hardware and software related.

exactly the scaling and downscaling algorithm is not as good as its supposed to be.

The hardware aint the problem its the software, they need to fix that

 

[bkends35]

If you're studying engineering, you NEED a 15'' for the dedicated GPU, no way I could just use HD 4000 with my engineering software.

 

[Mr MM]

If you're studying engineering, you NEED a 15'' for the dedicated GPU, no way I could just use HD 4000 with my engineering software.

yes you could, I know engineer students that use more than 32gb of ram, and do enjoy overclocked 3920xm, all boils down to what you are using and your expectations

 

[B...]

I don't yet know what programs I would need to run, becsuse I am not in college yet. I would be a biochemical engineer, so creating 3D animations of molecules. I do not know what else.

I have heard some pretty conflicting viewpoints on whether the new 2013 version is diferent from the '12. The question is: is the 0.1 GHz processor increase and the POSSIBILITY of other internal changes worth $180 more?

As always, thank you all for your help.

 

[switon]

RE: engineering and Macs...

Hi B...,

Since you haven't started your engineering studies yet, you might try to find out what programs you will actually need to run. The reason I suggest this is threefold.

First of all, as a student, you may not need to run very many actual engineering codes. Your personal computer will be employed almost exclusively to write reports, do homework assignments, etc. --- which a Mac can do. The only "engineering program" you might need is something like MATLAB, which runs on both Macs and PCs.

Secondly, if you do find yourself needing to run "engineering codes" beyond the basic ones, then you may not be able to run these codes except on department workstations. In other words, you run the actual engineering codes on department workstations, and your personal computer is just a way of remotely controlling and interacting with your runs. For this either a Mac or PC should do.

Thirdly, if you do find that you can, or need to, run some of the actual engineering codes on your own computer, then you need to find out if these codes run on Macs. It might be the case that these engineering codes only run under Windows or Linux, but not under Mac OS X. Now you could always use BootCamp or a Virtual Machine to run Windows or Linux on a Mac, but this is another step and can have its own troubles. In other words, you may find that using a PC is a better solution than using a Mac for engineering, especially if you actually need to run "engineering codes" on your personal machine.

In summary, it is my opinion that you need to find out if a Mac or PC would be the best machine for your engineering studies. This depends on what your engineering college requires you to run on your own machine, and chances are you only need to run report generating programs, such as MS Office in which case either the Mac or PC will work. But if you are required to run other engineering codes, say MATLAB, Splice, FEM, EES, simulators, etc., then you need to check if these will even run on a Mac.

Good luck with school,
Switon

 

[B...]

Hi B...,

Since you haven't started your engineering studies yet, you might try to find out what programs you will actually need to run. The reason I suggest this is threefold.

First of all, as a student, you may not need to run very many actual engineering codes. Your personal computer will be employed almost exclusively to write reports, do homework assignments, etc. --- which a Mac can do. The only "engineering program" you might need is something like MATLAB, which runs on both Macs and PCs.

Secondly, if you do find yourself needing to run "engineering codes" beyond the basic ones, then you may not be able to run these codes except on department workstations. In other words, you run the actual engineering codes on department workstations, and your personal computer is just a way of remotely controlling and interacting with your runs. For this either a Mac or PC should do.

Thirdly, if you do find that you can, or need to, run some of the actual engineering codes on your own computer, then you need to find out if these codes run on Macs. It might be the case that these engineering codes only run under Windows or Linux, but not under Mac OS X. Now you could always use BootCamp or a Virtual Machine to run Windows or Linux on a Mac, but this is another step and can have its own troubles. In other words, you may find that using a PC is a better solution than using a Mac for engineering, especially if you actually need to run "engineering codes" on your personal machine.

In summary, it is my opinion that you need to find out if a Mac or PC would be the best machine for your engineering studies. This depends on what your engineering college requires you to run on your own machine, and chances are you only need to run report generating programs, such as MS Office in which case either the Mac or PC will work. But if you are required to run other engineering codes, say MATLAB, Splice, FEM, EES, simulators, etc., then you need to check if these will even run on a Mac.

Good luck with school,
Switon

Thank you for your reply, but I do not know what college I am going to, or what program i will enroll in. This question is very ahead of time, because I plan to have this computer during college. Therefore, I want to know it can do more than just typing and internet.

 

[switon]

Thank you for your reply, but I do not know what college I am going to, or what program i will enroll in. This question is very ahead of time, because I plan to have this computer during college. Therefore, I want to know it can do more than just typing and internet.

Hi once again,

Oh, sorry, I didn't understand from your original post ... so you aren't leaving for an engineering school next fall? Or are you leaving for college next fall and just haven't yet decided on which of your multiple college acceptances to take (congratulations if this is the case)? You probably won't like my following suggestion then, but here it is anyway. I'm now assuming that you will not be attending an engineering school in the fall.

Basically, my earlier post with my opinion giving recommendations was based upon what I personally know about engineering students at US colleges and what their personal computer requirements are for their studies.

If you don't yet know what engineering school you will be attending, nor what engineering program you will be studying (different engineering programs may require different engineering codes), then I believe you can't make an informed decision at this point as to what personal computer you will need in college.

Chances are either a Mac or a PC will do for your undergraduate studies, since your engineering studies needs will consist mostly of Word, Excel, and doing online homework assignments. But if you actually need to run real "engineering codes" (not all that likely, by the way), then a PC may be a better fit than a Mac.

So, my recommendation is not to purchase a computer today since you won't be attending an engineering school in the fall (or if you will be, then wait until you decide which school to attend), rather wait until the summer before you go to school and at that point you will be able to make a much better informed decision as to what your computer requirements will be. I certainly would not be worrying about the difference between Ivy Bridge/Haswell/Broadwell at this point, rather I'd wait until the summer before your college starts and then get whatever is the latest technology at that time.

Just my opinion, and you get what you paid for it -- it is worthless advice.

Regards and good luck with your engineering applications (or your decision on which school to attend),
Switon

 

[Crzyrio]

If you are able to wait, you should wait. Only about 3-4 months away

The Haswell Refresh will be fairly significant besides all the naysayers.

If it is important and you need it right away then go and get it now.