Anyone upgrade from 2015 to 2016 rMB?

[jfischer]

I ordered a refurbished 2015 1.1GHz/8/256 machine last week. So far I'm happy with it, and at $929 was a reasonable price.

However, I still have 7 days to decide if I want to keep it, and I'm wondering if it's worth the extra money to get the 2016 instead? Most of the benchmarks show the 2016 to be faster, but not my a huge amount. Some of the graphics benchmarks are significantly better on the 2016 from what I've seen, but I'm not editing 4K video on it either.

So I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had to make this same decision, and if you thought the 2016 was worth spending the extra coin on or not.

Thanks!

 

[BeyondtheTech]

A brand new 2016 1.1/8/256 model with marginal spec increases over the 2015 model is $1299. That's $370 more, or 40% more than you paid. My opinion is no.

I picked up a used 2015 1.2/8/512 for $1000 on eBay, mint condition and still under warranty. That may be a better way to go.

 

[KPOM]

I'd say stick with the 2015. It worked great for me. Note that the m3 isn't that much faster than last year's base model, partly because the Turbo Boost is 200MHz slower than last year. There are more noticeable increases in the m5 and m7 models.

 

[jfischer]

Thanks for the input. Every time I think about getting the 2016, I also remember that I paid $370 less for my 2015 with full warranty. It seems to work fine for what I wanted it for, but was tempted by the 2016

 

[SteveJUAE]

Thanks for the input. Every time I think about getting the 2016, I also remember that I paid $370 less for my 2015 with full warranty. It seems to work fine for what I wanted it for, but was tempted by the 2016

It just depends on your personal preferences, if your the sort of person who spends $370 on a good weekend out then maybe you should get the 2016 however if it's the difference between getting a new monitor or Ipad or IPhone etc to accompany your rMB then the 2015 rMB is good value

 

[coreyk]

I bought a 2015 1.1GHz in August. I wasn't intending to upgrade to the early 2016 model since it worked well for me for what I threw at it. I'm a web software coder and database admin by day, and fiddle in Xcode in my spare time. Not really any gaming, except a little Simcity here and there.

Then I started seeing the Geekbench score differences between the 2015 1.1GHz and the 2016 m7 1.3GHz and decided that it looked like a pretty substantial speed bump in relative terms (not mentioning the faster SSD or anything else), and that shaving a little bit of time off of common tasks would be pretty nice. So I bit the bullet and ordered an m7, which arrived early last week.

After having used it for about a week, I can say (for my scenario and upgrade path) that it's a solid improvement over last year's base model. Kind of like how September rolls around and the new iPhones are announced, you order one anyway even though last year's model seems like it's still performing really well. Then you get the new one and realize "wow, things just seem... snappier". Same with the new rMB, I'm noticing my common tasks run just a little faster and smoother. Faster Windows VM processing, code compilations, app launches. Not to mention that the extra battery life is noticeable too (even comparing it to when I first bought the 2015 model), I'm regularly exceeding Apple's estimates using it for extended periods of time.

I feel more comfortable holding onto this year's high-end model for longer than the previous low-end model, that it will last longer overall.

 

[boltjames]

I feel more comfortable holding onto this year's high-end model for longer than the previous low-end model, that it will last longer overall.

Your point of comparison is last year's low end model against this year's high end model, correct?

"Snappy" is also how many interpreted the difference between last year's high and low end models. Interested to know what the high end vs the high end feels like.

BJ

 

[happyslayer]

I had the 2015 rMB 1.2/8/512 model. I was able to sell it to my wife's cousin for a good price so i went ahead and bought the new 2016 m7/256 (I never used more than 175GB of the 512) and have been happy. It's not night and day better, but it is better. I supposed it is a bit snappier but not a lot. For me the most noticeable thing is the battery time. I feel like I am easily getting at least 60-90 minutes more out of it. That made it worth it to me for sure.

 

[SteveJUAE]

I had the 2015 rMB 1.2/8/512 model. I was able to sell it to my wife's cousin for a good price so i went ahead and bought the new 2016 m7/256 (I never used more than 175GB of the 512) and have been happy. It's not night and day better, but it is better. I supposed it is a bit snappier but not a lot. For me the most noticeable thing is the battery time. I feel like I am easily getting at least 60-90 minutes more out of it. That made it worth it to me for sure.

Interesting thanks the snappier is probably more a function of the better SDD, too much emphasis on benchmarks in many comparisons for my liking

I guess those on a budget investing in a good power bank for a $100 that would double your battery life and have multiple other uses vs spending >$300 for a new 2016 model may appeal to some

 

[fugi]

I bought a 2015 1.1GHz in August. I wasn't intending to upgrade to the early 2016 model since it worked well for me for what I threw at it. I'm a web software coder and database admin by day, and fiddle in Xcode in my spare time. Not really any gaming, except a little Simcity here and there.

Then I started seeing the Geekbench score differences between the 2015 1.1GHz and the 2016 m7 1.3GHz and decided that it looked like a pretty substantial speed bump in relative terms (not mentioning the faster SSD or anything else), and that shaving a little bit of time off of common tasks would be pretty nice. So I bit the bullet and ordered an m7, which arrived early last week.

After having used it for about a week, I can say (for my scenario and upgrade path) that it's a solid improvement over last year's base model. Kind of like how September rolls around and the new iPhones are announced, you order one anyway even though last year's model seems like it's still performing really well. Then you get the new one and realize "wow, things just seem... snappier". Same with the new rMB, I'm noticing my common tasks run just a little faster and smoother. Faster Windows VM processing, code compilations, app launches. Not to mention that the extra battery life is noticeable too (even comparing it to when I first bought the 2015 model), I'm regularly exceeding Apple's estimates using it for extended periods of time.

I feel more comfortable holding onto this year's high-end model for longer than the previous low-end model, that it will last longer overall.

I am debating to get the m7 over m5. I had the 2015 1.2/512 model and returned it after the announcement of the 2016 version waiting for user reviews. My question is on the battery and thermals of the m7. In average daily use (emails, chrome, music, social media videos etc.) how does the battery compare? Also does the macbook get uncomfortably warmer compared to low end model of last year? My 2015 1.2/512 get really warm during some extensive chrome use.

Other users can also comment on the thermal output.

 

[Precursor]

I am debating to get the m7 over m5. I had the 2015 1.2/512 model and returned it after the announcement of the 2016 version waiting for user reviews. My question is on the battery and thermals of the m7. In average daily use (emails, chrome, music, social media videos etc.) how does the battery compare? Also does the macbook get uncomfortably warmer compared to low end model of last year? My 2015 1.2/512 get really warm during some extensive chrome use.

Other users can also comment on the thermal output.

Reviews show both 2015 and 2016 models have exact same thermal output during benchmarks. However, during normal use the 2016 model should stay a little cooler since it's burst speed is higher and should complete short commands/tasks faster than 2015 model. Faster RAM in 2016 contributes to that as well. Still, the difference would be unnoticeable by touch.

Also 2016 model gets 60-90 minutes battery time over 2015 model though 2016 model is only 2 watt-hour higher than the 2015 model. 2 watt-hours does not make 60-90 extra usage, it's the difference in CPU and RAM speeds that enable the extra usage.

 

[fugi]

Reviews show both 2015 and 2016 models have exact same thermal output during benchmarks. However, during normal use the 2016 model should stay a little cooler since it's burst speed is higher and should complete short commands/tasks faster than 2015 model. Faster RAM in 2016 contributes to that as well. Still, the difference would be unnoticeable by touch.

Also 2016 model gets 60-90 minutes battery time over 2015 model though 2016 model is only 2 watt-hour higher than the 2015 model. 2 watt-hours does not make 60-90 extra usage, it's the difference in CPU and RAM speeds that enable the extra usage.

Thanks mate for the information but I am guessing you don't have the device yet. These info are combination from other reviewers.

 

[Precursor]

Thanks mate for the information but I am guessing you don't have the device yet. These info are combination from other reviewers.

I don't know what else you expected to hear from people. Tech reviews show around 41 celcius degree above keyboard area, thermal imaging shows both 2015 and 2016 models are the same. And battery size difference is on Apple website. As an owner of 2015 model don't expect any difference from 2016 model.

 

[diggy33]

I had a 2015 gold rMB for a couple of months last year, but ended up giving it to my daughter after her Air crashed. My 2016 space gray just arrived yesterday, but I havent had much time to play around with it yet. One thing that I didnt think that I would have missed as much: the keyboard. Instantly felt comfortable typing on it again

 

[fugi]

I don't know what else you expected to hear from people. Tech reviews show around 41 celcius degree above keyboard area, thermal imaging shows both 2015 and 2016 models are the same. And battery size difference is on Apple website. As an owner of 2015 model don't expect any difference from 2016 model.

I am sorry I didn't mean it in a bad way. My questions was more for the m7 running hotter as my experience with intel. i7s are always run hotter.

 

[izzyfanto]

I am debating to get the m7 over m5. I had the 2015 1.2/512 model and returned it after the announcement of the 2016 version waiting for user reviews. My question is on the battery and thermals of the m7. In average daily use (emails, chrome, music, social media videos etc.) how does the battery compare? Also does the macbook get uncomfortably warmer compared to low end model of last year? My 2015 1.2/512 get really warm during some extensive chrome use.

Other users can also comment on the thermal output.

I can't understand why such a popular browser as Chrome is so horribly coded and optimized. It's not just a MB issue, my MBA would become like a hot skillet and all the fans would be on max. I've heard it even taxes MBPs. Absolutely insane for a browser to do that. I refuse to use it. I go for the more efficient, less strenuous options. I personally don't like gratuitously pushing my machines to their limits, whether computers or vehicles. That's why I always buy new if I can afford it, so I know exactly how the machine has been treated.

With that being said, my m3 has never got uncomfortably warm under normal use. It'll get slightly warm when indexing newly installed program's databases, or playing a light game, but always just warm and the temps quickly dissipate to not noticeable. One exception: I've tested a copy of COD4 and it definitely got toasty. But I didn't install it with the intention or expectation to actually play the game, just out of curiosity to see how the CPU and GPU responded.

 

[fugi]

I can't understand why such a popular browser as Chrome is so horribly coded and optimized. It's not just a MB issue, my MBA would become like a hot skillet and all the fans would be on max. I've heard it even taxes MBPs. Absolutely insane for a browser to do that. I refuse to use it. I go for the more efficient, less strenuous options. I personally don't like gratuitously pushing my machines to their limits, whether computers or vehicles. That's why I always buy new if I can afford it, so I know exactly how the machine has been treated.

With that being said, my m3 has never got uncomfortably warm under normal use. It'll get slightly warm when indexing newly installed program's databases, or playing a light game, but always just warm and the temps quickly dissipate to not noticeable. One exception: I've tested a copy of COD4 and it definitely got toasty. But I didn't install it with the intention or expectation to actually play the game, just out of curiosity to see how the CPU and GPU responded.

Thanks for the kind reply. I truly don't have a clue why chrome is so resource exhaust-er. The fan of my Core i7 laptop kicks in at %100 when I run multiple chrome tabs on Win10. Especially when I look at the CPU usage at the first launch, it max's two cores to %100 and then it drops to 8-10%. The reason I can't stop using the chrome, it is so customized and eliminate almost all ads on websites, I oversee the system overdrive it causes. I guess the situation is similar with Macbooks as well.

Can anyone else comment on the difference between m3 vs m5 vs m7 for the heat generation?

 

[bjet767]

I would like to also ask the same question as this thread.

I have the 2015 MB, 1.2 512, and would like to know if the performance of the 2016 I7 is really noticeable over the older 1.2?

I use xCode, MS Word, Email, Final Cut Pro, and a few others extensively.

So please give all of us some real world comparisons if you upgraded.

Thank you all very much!

 

[KPOM]

I would like to also ask the same question as this thread.

I have the 2015 MB, 1.2 512, and would like to know if the performance of the 2016 I7 is really noticeable over the older 1.2?

I use xCode, MS Word, Email, Final Cut Pro, and a few others extensively.

So please give all of us some real world comparisons if you upgraded.

Thank you all very much!

I sold my 2015 so I don't have any "hard" data, but scanning in Epson Scan seems faster. I'm seeing my mother tomorrow so if she has her MacBook I may be able to try some objective comparisons.

 

[xraydoc]

Anyone know if there's any significant battery life difference between the m5 and the m7?

 

[izzyfanto]

Thanks for the kind reply. I truly don't have a clue why chrome is so resource exhaust-er. The fan of my Core i7 laptop kicks in at %100 when I run multiple chrome tabs on Win10. Especially when I look at the CPU usage at the first launch, it max's two cores to %100 and then it drops to 8-10%. The reason I can't stop using the chrome, it is so customized and eliminate almost all ads on websites, I oversee the system overdrive it causes. I guess the situation is similar with Macbooks as well.

Can anyone else comment on the difference between m3 vs m5 vs m7 for the heat generation?

Yeah I feel you on the customization. The Chrome store has a lot, I know a lot people need what it has to offer. What I do with Safari is install AdBlockPlus, Ghostery, and JS Blocker. I find they those three work pretty well.