Apple Quietly Announces AMD Radeon Pro Vega Graphics Options Coming to MacBook Pro

[nt5672]

Maybe Apple is finally understanding that no one is going to do leading edge VR work with Apple hardware (and its lackluster performance per $) and lack of gaming interest.

 

[macduke]

I think I’m done with portable Macs. It’s iPad Pro 12.9 3rd gen and a new desktop Mac for me going forward, aside from my work issued MBP which I’m replacing with an iMac next autumn when I’m eligible for a new device.

 

[Zargot]

It depends if this is an upgrade option on-top of the 560x or if this is in replacement for the same price. It isn't that they updated it, but the Vega 56 is years old, and they definitely had this technology a few months ago when they refreshed the MBPs. To update the MBP just a few months ago, and then update it again a few months later and get more bang for your buck is what's upsetting.

Again, if this is a MORE expensive option over what currently exists, that's fine... I wouldn't spend more money than I did on this MBP, but if it's the same price, few months later, with a 60% graphics improvement... that's just wrong man. They should wait at least 6 months... I can't remember them ever releasing 2 hardware updates in a single year, let alone one with a 60% speed bump so close to one another.

With respect to the 60% speed improvement, from what I gather they are meaning as compared to the new Air. Here's the footnote from the press release:

1 Testing conducted by Apple in October 2018 using preproduction 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-based MacBook Air systems with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.

 

[iSimx]

ffs just bought a fully specced one yesterday. Wonder if it's worth swapping...

 

[DTechtor]

I just contacted sales customer service supervisor level and....... they approved a 1 time 90 day return exception. SOOO HAPPY

Apple has the best customer service. bar none.

I hope they will treat me the same too, just bought mine a month ago. and it’s my first mac. And I made sure it’s the high end one. But then I receive this news, I need a good cry now.

 

[CarlJ]

Also note that the suggestion was to see what they offer and not “complain”. I’ve had a lot of luck saying “this is my situation..., but I wish it was more like this... what do you think?”

Precisely this. A while back I broke my iPad's screen (only screen break I've ever experienced), and went in to Apple and said, "well, I broke my screen, it's entirely my fault, and my AppleCare+ ran out a month ago - what are my options?" I was expecting a regular repair charge, hoping for maybe a slight discount. Instead, the rep went away for a minute and came back and said, "well, since you never had any incidents under AppleCare on this, we're going to treat it as an AppleCare incident", so I got a replacement iPad for [something between $50 and $100, whatever it was at the time]. It pays to present the facts and be nice.

 

[farewelwilliams]

You update the specs as soon as you can and on a regular basis and people complain.

You don't update very often and people complain.

They literally can't win or please all the people (or really anyone on this forum)

updating once a year seems to be a sweet spot. like they already do with the iPhone.

 

[clutchm3]

updating once a year seems to be a sweet spot. like they already do with the iPhone.

But the value drops so much for computer so fast.

 

[farewelwilliams]

But the value drops so much for computer so fast.

updating a few months after the last release will make the value drop even faster.

 

[dannys1]

It depends if this is an upgrade option on-top of the 560x or if this is in replacement for the same price. It isn't that they updated it, but the Vega 56 is years old, and they definitely had this technology a few months ago when they refreshed the MBPs. To update the MBP just a few months ago, and then update it again a few months later and get more bang for your buck is what's upsetting.

Again, if this is a MORE expensive option over what currently exists, that's fine... I wouldn't spend more money than I did on this MBP, but if it's the same price, few months later, with a 60% graphics improvement... that's just wrong man. They should wait at least 6 months... I can't remember them ever releasing 2 hardware updates in a single year, let alone one with a 60% speed bump so close to one another.

It's not a Vega 56 and no they didn't have this a few months ago. Of course it's a more expensive option over what exists - you'd have to be a bit daft to think they were REPLACING a graphics option a few months later. Radeon obviously just finished the mobile glass Vega architecture and so Apple have introduced it as a shipping option. People asked for this thing over and over and over on here.
[doublepost=1540928543][/doublepost]

They just released the external GPU with Blackmagic Design,

No "They" didn't. Blackmagic released that, Apple just has exclusive supply for it on the Apple store. It's not by or anything to do with Apple themselves.

They obviously didn't know when Radeon would finish the mobile Vega architecture and it's not a very good business idea to release MacBook Pros and say "by the way at some point down the line in maybe 2, 3, 6 months we'll have better graphics cards available" that'd be suicidal.
[doublepost=1540928594][/doublepost]

updating once a year seems to be a sweet spot. like they already do with the iPhone.

i personally totally agree with this - but others on here go bats*** mental at once a year cycles and demand that every time an incremental Intel update is released it should be slapped into the MacBook Pro that month.

 

[inhalexhale1]

Wow, mine is being delivered today. I'll definitely swap it for this in 14 days.

 

[drlunanerd]

Glad I returned my 15" MBP 2.2/16GB/1TB/560X the other week.

 

[spshulem]

It's not a Vega 56 and no they didn't have this a few months ago. Of course it's a more expensive option over what exists - you'd have to be a bit daft to think they were REPLACING a graphics option a few months later. Radeon obviously just finished the mobile glass Vega architecture and so Apple have introduced it as a shipping option. People asked for this thing over and over and over on here.
[doublepost=1540928543][/doublepost]

No "They" didn't. Blackmagic released that, Apple just has exclusive supply for it on the Apple store. It's not by or anything to do with Apple themselves.

They obviously didn't know when Radeon would finish the mobile Vega architecture and it's not a very good business idea to release MacBook Pros and say "by the way at some point down the line in maybe 2, 3, 6 months we'll have better graphics cards available" that'd be suicidal.
[doublepost=1540928594][/doublepost]

i personally totally agree with this - but others on here go bats*** mental at once a year cycles and demand that every time an incremental Intel update is released it should be slapped into the MacBook Pro that month.

I didn't even know they had anything below the 56, especially considering Apple says on their website "Featuring the same graphics architecture used in iMac Pro." But that makes a lot more sense that it's a lower end Vega 16 and 20.

What I think people are frustrated by is just that though, are they going to still offer the 560X, or is this relating their 560X.

 

[clutchm3]

It depends if this is an upgrade option on-top of the 560x or if this is in replacement for the same price. It isn't that they updated it, but the Vega 56 is years old, and they definitely had this technology a few months ago when they refreshed the MBPs. To update the MBP just a few months ago, and then update it again a few months later and get more bang for your buck is what's upsetting.

Again, if this is a MORE expensive option over what currently exists, that's fine... I wouldn't spend more money than I did on this MBP, but if it's the same price, few months later, with a 60% graphics improvement... that's just wrong man. They should wait at least 6 months... I can't remember them ever releasing 2 hardware updates in a single year, let alone one with a 60% speed bump so close to one another.

Agree with everything you said. 100%

 

[Val-kyrie]

With Office, Vmware, and just a handful of other apps, I push 350GB. Not sure how Fusion or Office would handle being installed and run from a USB drive.

I run VMs on spinning HDDs over TB2 on my 2012 Mac Mini and they are as fast is as if they were internal HDDs. SSDs would be faster still. I would suggest TB over USB.

 

[twistedpixel8]

Some of the comments in this thread reminded me of this SNL sketch:

 

[magbarn]

Wow, the HBM will speed up the GPU bigly. You also can't compare numbers of CU's of Vega vs Polaris as they aren't the same. The Vega version will also have more ROP's than Polaris. It should hopefully beat the 1060 Max Q.

 

[transpo1]

With respect to the 60% speed improvement, from what I gather they are meaning as compared to the new Air. Here's the footnote from the press release:

1 Testing conducted by Apple in October 2018 using preproduction 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-based MacBook Air systems with 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.

Not true, that was a typo and disproven over on the Appleinsider thread. It's compared to the 560x 2018 models.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...-radeon-pro-vega-graphics-options-in-november
[doublepost=1540953971][/doublepost]

It's not a Vega 56 and no they didn't have this a few months ago. Of course it's a more expensive option over what exists - you'd have to be a bit daft to think they were REPLACING a graphics option a few months later. Radeon obviously just finished the mobile glass Vega architecture and so Apple have introduced it as a shipping option. People asked for this thing over and over and over on here.
[doublepost=1540928543][/doublepost]

No "They" didn't. Blackmagic released that, Apple just has exclusive supply for it on the Apple store. It's not by or anything to do with Apple themselves.

They obviously didn't know when Radeon would finish the mobile Vega architecture and it's not a very good business idea to release MacBook Pros and say "by the way at some point down the line in maybe 2, 3, 6 months we'll have better graphics cards available" that'd be suicidal.
[doublepost=1540928594][/doublepost]

i personally totally agree with this - but others on here go bats*** mental at once a year cycles and demand that every time an incremental Intel update is released it should be slapped into the MacBook Pro that month.

Yeah, but they need to keep their customers happy and offer some 90 day returns and other exceptions to people who bought a top of the line machine just 2 months ago and would have gladly jumped at the chance to have a higher end GPU.

Releasing them a new option after only 3 months just pisses people off.

 

[DVD9]

Finally decent gpus. This is the update I wanted. Hopefully the vega upgrade isn't too expensive of an upgrade

ROFLOL!

Everything Apple sells is too expensive!

 

[fastasleep]

Sweet. Glad I held off a few weeks, I’ll definitely wait and go for this one. Hope it’s not going to raise the top end price too much though, already just prepared to drop $4500 but much more than that’s going to be a tough sell.

 

[kissmo]

I almost bought a new 15inch MBP but now I will hold back a couple of months until pricing and reviews kick in.
A proper GPU upgrade is important, even more than a CPU for me and this is mainly because I would like to use the machine for 3-4 years before replacing.

I am only wondering what will be the price difference.....

 

[LJC94512]

I bought mine when it was first refreshed in mid July. It would be 5 months when I can go back to Hong Kong (where I bought mine) to speak to the Apple Store. I feel really sick right now because I definitely would have waited if I knew a new graphics option is coming. My MBP is top spec except 2TB storage not 4TB. Do you think I'll have any luck with the Apple Store?

 

[avkills]

Crap, my new job just bought me an i9, 32GB, 1TB. Oh well. I doubt it will be much faster, the thermal envelope of the 15" is pretty low considering how thin it is.

*edit* So this is mentioned on the website now. The footnote says it was compared to the current released i9 with the 560x, with a 60% boost. I'll wait for barefeats to confirm it.

 

[johnniefp]

I'm not really into the hardware numbers of stuff so bow to the knowledge of others here, but I have a question.

I do a lot of PhotoShop work (I don't game) but do plan to run a 38" monitor off my MBP, would I be a good candidate to get the Vega GPU? Obviously a better card would be less taxed by this than the 560x, on the face of it it seems like the Vega would suit my scenario.

 

[avkills]

I'm not really into the hardware numbers of stuff so bow to the knowledge of others here, but I have a question.

I do a lot of PhotoShop work (I don't game) but do plan to run a 38" monitor off my MBP, would I be a good candidate to get the Vega GPU? Obviously a better card would be less taxed by this than the 560x, on the face of it it seems like the Vega would suit my scenario.

Just wait for some 3rd party real world benchmarks.