15" 2010 to 13" rMBP

[c1phr]

I've been using a refurbished 2010 15" MBP for the last few years now, and I love the machine. It still gets me through day to day for now, but there are lots of bugs with the dedicated graphics switching and I have a growing need for mobility and battery life and I use the machine more and more for school.

I've been looking at the new 13" Retina Pro, and the reviews seem very promising. I'm having a hard time finding decent information on graphics performance on the new machines, and I'm curious what it would be like dropping down to a smaller (but better) screen.

I know the 330m in my 2010 isn't the best performer, but it gets my gaming needs taken care of. I'm curious how the Iris graphics will stack against that. I occasionally play Dota 2 and a few other indie games, but I generally stay away from AAA titles (I have an Xbox if I really want to play something intense).

As for the screen, I spend 80% of my time writing code (getting into upper division Computer Science courses) and that's really what I need the computer for. I have the lower res 1440 x 900 on my 15" now, and I do use a 1080p external monitor at my desk. I was planning on using the retina display in at least 1440 x 900 mode, if not higher. Has anyone made the switch from a larger screen down to a smaller retina and have any input there?

Yes, I am aware of the image retention problems and such, though I'm not too concerned or worried. I'm planning on either the 16/256 BTO options, but I haven't decided on a CPU upgrade yet.

 

[tmiw]

I downsized from a high-res 2010 MBP and currently use the rMBP at 1680x1050 full-time. It's a definite improvement in performance. The extent of my gaming on the PC is Quake Live, and I get ~70fps at the display's native resolution (2880xsomething, I forget).

BTW, this laptop is the 16/512/2.6 BTO, if that helps. The i7 upgrade wasn't really worth the money to me, plus I didn't really want the (slight) battery hit.

 

[jz-]

I don't know how accurate or useful this is, but the 330M scored 370 on Passmark compared to Iris' 628, so it looks like the Iris is quicker by a reasonable amount.

I've started using a 13" rMBP after mostly using a 20" monitor for the last two years. 1280x800 definitely feels small, but 1440x900 is comfortable. One thing you should be aware of though, is that text isn't as clear in scaled resolutions. It's still a good screen, but not as good as it would be in the 'best for retina' setting.

 

[c1phr]

I downsized from a high-res 2010 MBP and currently use the rMBP at 1680x1050 full-time. It's a definite improvement in performance. The extent of my gaming on the PC is Quake Live, and I get ~70fps at the display's native resolution (2880xsomething, I forget).

BTW, this laptop is the 16/512/2.6 BTO, if that helps. The i7 upgrade wasn't really worth the money to me, plus I didn't really want the (slight) battery hit.

I was hoping to use the screen in that resolution whenever I'm away from my desk. Do you notice any performance issues? I've read some reports that there are, and then others that say that it's not noticeable.

I don't know how accurate or useful this is, but the 330M scored 370 on Passmark compared to Iris' 628, so it looks like the Iris is quicker by a reasonable amount.

I've started using a 13" rMBP after mostly using a 20" monitor for the last two years. 1280x800 definitely feels small, but 1440x900 is comfortable. One thing you should be aware of though, is that text isn't as clear in scaled resolutions. It's still a good screen, but not as good as it would be in the 'best for retina' setting.

I hadn't seen the Passmark scores, that's definitely helpful. I'm not looking for a huge upgrade, I just don't want it to be sub-par.

How bad does the text get? Is it enough to cause eye strain or be uncomfortable to look at, or something that's "just there"?

 

[tmiw]

I was hoping to use the screen in that resolution whenever I'm away from my desk. Do you notice any performance issues? I've read some reports that there are, and then others that say that it's not noticeable.

I haven't really noticed any slowness so far. In fact, I used Mission Control while Netflix was playing something earlier tonight with no issues. Netflix does seriously burn the battery though.

 

[c1phr]

I haven't really noticed any slowness so far. In fact, I used Mission Control while Netflix was playing something earlier tonight with no issues. Netflix does seriously burn the battery though.

That's good to hear! What about the sharpness and such of the display at the higher resolutions, is it anything too noticeable or annoying?