13 rMBP Performance with Scaled Resolution

[JayDH]

I've been going back and forth between the 13" and 15" rMBP. I don't really need the extra performance of the 15", but like the larger display. After playing with both models, I decided to get the 13" because, for me, it offers the best comprise between performance and portability.

The factor that made my decision was the ability to scale the resolution of the 13" to 1440x900 (the same as the 15" MBP I'm replacing). I'm getting the same exact screen real estate I've used for years in a much smaller package.

Has anyone run into problems with performance when scaling in this way? Is there any advantage to using the native resolution? I understand that it might be "clearer", but to be honest, I can't tell a difference in clarity between native and scaled.

 

[neteng101]

1440x900 scaled works wonderfully for me. Its when you get to 1680x1050 scaled that you can start seeing some performance issues.

And its sharper by far than any screen with a native resolution of 1440x900 like my old 13" MBA had.

 

[nyc999]

1440x900 scaled works wonderfully for me. Its when you get to 1680x1050 scaled that you can start seeing some performance issues.

And its sharper by far than any screen with a native resolution of 1440x900 like my old 13" MBA had.

So you are saying that 1440 by 900 resolution looks better on the retina then the MBA? What is different about the retina that allows this to happen?

 

[PDFierro]

So you are saying that 1440 by 900 resolution looks better on the retina then the MBA? What is different about the retina that allows this to happen?

The 13-inch rMBP has a total resolution of 2560x1600, but shows things at a default of 1280x800. Everything is going to be much more clearer. Not to mention that the Retina MBP also uses way better display technology than what is in the MBA.

 

[neteng101]

So you are saying that 1440 by 900 resolution looks better on the retina then the MBA? What is different about the retina that allows this to happen?

Its actually running at 2560x1600, using HiDPI mode it just renders screen elements to look larger by scaling them properly. If you get a utility like SwitchResX, you can see the difference between non-HiDPI mode where the screen is really scaled down to 1440x900 vs. HiDPI which is running at 2560x1600 with screen elements rendered to make it look like 1440x900.

The only difference with 1440x900 vs. 1280x800 ie. best for retina is that its easier to do the HiDPI operation/calculations ie. less taxing on processing power.