Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

motime

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 9, 2015
302
176
I bought a 13 inch rmbp last year and returned it due to really annoying UI lag. This year after being really disappointed with the new offerings I ended up purchasing a 15 inch refurbished model from last year. Came in a new box, everything works well and I have upgraded to Sierra. I wanted to ask if the UI lag is still an issue for people with the base model? It isn't drastic, mission control etc seem to be smooth, but resizing certain windows tend to be choppy. It really is inexcusable for a machine this expensive with a quad core CPU and decent integrated graphics. From what I have read people with dedicated graphics do not have this problem at all. I love the machine overall but the choppiness at times ruins the experience a little.
 
I don't think that's normal. I have a 2010 MacBook Pro with SSD that's running super smooth. It's hard to believe the 2015 model would not be.
 
Can you be specific about the model and the specs?
Yes, it is mid 2015 base 15 inch with 16 gb of RAM and Iris pro graphics.

Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.2GHz quad-core Intel i7 with Retina display.
[doublepost=1478281537][/doublepost]I have seen quite a few 13 inch mac book pros from last year lag but never encountered this problem on the 15 inch model.
 
I was wondering because even that base processor should be powerful enough. I am worried because I want to grab a 2.5ghz.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NoWayBehind
I was wondering because even that base processor should be powerful enough. I am worried because I want to grab a 2.5ghz.

The processor is more than enough powerful. It isn't the issue. The problem is either software related or a lack of dedicated GPU.
 
The 10.12 Sierra update caused annoying lag in Photoshop for me while zooming in and out of images. Not sure if it was more of an Adobe or Apple problem (didn't stick with it long enough to test other applications), but I restored to the previous Sierra version and it went away.
 
Also, I am still within the 14 day return period. The reason I am asking about this is because I will keep the machine if this is a common issue, but if most other people with the base models do not experience UI lag then I will ask for a replacement or return it. The base 15 seems to be out of stock at the refurbished website though so I might have to wait.
 
Also, I am still within the 14 day return period. The reason I am asking about this is because I will keep the machine if this is a common issue, but if most other people with the base models do not experience UI lag then I will ask for a replacement or return it. The base 15 seems to be out of stock at the refurbished website though so I might have to wait.

I've not read much around here about 2015 MacBook Pro lag, so I don't think it's a common issue. I have the 2.5 model, and other than a few occasional glitches like the one I mentioned above, everything runs smooth.
 
I've not read much around here about 2015 MacBook Pro lag, so I don't think it's a common issue. I have the 2.5 model, and other than a few occasional glitches like the one I mentioned above, everything runs smooth.

Thank you. So none of the applications drop frames when resizing etc? And you do not have the AMD gpu right?
 
I don't know why everyone is acting like this is a new issue.

YES the 15" has UI lag - I've owned a 2014 and 2015 that both had it (my 2012 cMBP didn't have it). The 13" had it too initially (not sure if it still does). I even went to the Apple Store and tested their display models and saw the same thing, a few years ago.

If you think that's bad - you should of tried large pdfs and saw the lag there. While it isn't as bad as it use to be, it's still not as smooth as on the surface book or xps.

I think this is one of those things people don't notice unless it's pointed out to them, they get use to it, or it simply doesn't bother them (which is where I am now).

It's still a very fast and good computer. But if you're going to use large pdfs, test them out while you're still in the return period.
 
I don't know why everyone is acting like this is a new issue.

YES the 15" has UI lag - I've owned a 2014 and 2015 that both had it (my 2012 cMBP didn't have it). The 13" had it too initially (not sure if it still does). I even went to the Apple Store and tested their display models and saw the same thing, a few years ago.

If you think that's bad - you should of tried large pdfs and saw the lag there. While it isn't as bad as it use to be, it's still not as smooth as on the surface book or xps.

I think this is one of those things people don't notice unless it's pointed out to them, they get use to it, or it simply doesn't bother them (which is where I am now).

It's still a very fast and good computer. But if you're going to use large pdfs, test them out while you're still in the return period.

Okay so it is quite normal then. That is okay I guess, the pros outweigh the cons and this is mostly a aesthetic issue. Just really surprising for an optimized OS and the price. Overall performance is fine. It really shouldn't be that hard to deliver a smooth experience. I guess I will keep it.
 
It's kind of disappointing because there has been UI lag ever since the release of Macbook Pro with the Retina display back in 2012 which I have. However it has gotten much better. When I got my rMBP back in 2012 with OSX Lion there was lag all over the place from the launchpad, resizing windows and etc.

It progressively got better with each new release of OSX. Now with El Capitan is quite good though still here and there. If you increase the 'scaled' resolution under 'Display' in settings to the 'more space' option on the far right slider, it gets worse. Though I was hoping this would of been resolved by now with the 2015 models. I have tinkered with the 2015 models in the store and they are miles better compared to the 2012 model of the Retina MacBooks when you scale up the resolution to the max setting. Though if you download the gFX app for OSX you can choose to run the dedicated GPU over the integrated one and it gets even smoother. Though you have the non-dedicated GPU model so you can't do this but you're still miles better off than the first gen models ;)







I don't know why everyone is acting like this is a new issue.

YES the 15" has UI lag - I've owned a 2014 and 2015 that both had it (my 2012 cMBP didn't have it). The 13" had it too initially (not sure if it still does). I even went to the Apple Store and tested their display models and saw the same thing, a few years ago.

If you think that's bad - you should of tried large pdfs and saw the lag there. While it isn't as bad as it use to be, it's still not as smooth as on the surface book or xps.

I think this is one of those things people don't notice unless it's pointed out to them, they get use to it, or it simply doesn't bother them (which is where I am now).

It's still a very fast and good computer. But if you're going to use large pdfs, test them out while you're still in the return period.

Okay so it is quite normal then. That is okay I guess, the pros outweigh the cons and this is mostly a aesthetic issue. Just really surprising for an optimized OS and the price. Overall performance is fine. It really shouldn't be that hard to deliver a smooth experience. I guess I will keep it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: motime
Well I am not about to splurge another $500 on a dedicated GPU just to get rid of the lag! The AMD gpu from last year is quite mediocre from what I have heard anyway.
 
is it mostly happening with the 2015? maybe a graphics driver issue??

I dunno

Nope, it's a retina issue, and has been present on the 13/15 since launch. It has become better, but is still there.

Truth be told, on my XPS15 I get a slight frame slip when I do a swipe to change desktops. So..I kind of think it's just an issue with high resolution screens.
 
Nope, it's a retina issue, and has been present on the 13/15 since launch. It has become better, but is still there.

Truth be told, on my XPS15 I get a slight frame slip when I do a swipe to change desktops. So..I kind of think it's just an issue with high resolution screens.

gotcha, I must not be overly sensitive to this lag that people speak of, since the inception of retina Mac,
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.