does haswell really live up to its 8 hour battery life claim?

[Hookemfins]

According to MacTracker (and based on your first post), the early-2013 15-in rMBP has NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (discrete) and Intel HD Graphics 4000 (integrated) graphics, thus what I wrote will have relevance. Having said that, I do not have any experience on the early-2013 rMBP, but I believe that a lot of it will apply.

I can confirm that graphic switching works in the early 2013 15" MBPr. When u switched to Mavericks battery time dropped but when I enabled the HD graphics 4,000 I'm getting between 7-8 hours.

 

[cmm]

I can confirm that graphic switching works in the early 2013 15" MBPr. When u switched to Mavericks battery time dropped but when I enabled the HD graphics 4,000 I'm getting between 7-8 hours.

So, I should set the setting to integrated only from dynamic switching to get the better battery life? Is that what you mean?

 

[simon48]

So, I should set the setting to integrated only from dynamic switching to get the better battery life? Is that what you mean?

If your dGPU is running when you don't want it to, yes.

 

[cmm]

OK, and how do I know when the dGPU is running?

 

[simon48]

OK, and how do I know when the dGPU is running?

gfxCardStatus will tell you and allow you to force the dGPU or iGPU.

 

[Hookemfins]

So, I should set the setting to integrated only from dynamic switching to get the better battery life? Is that what you mean?

Here's what I mean. Go to system preferences>Energy Saver> and check automatic graphics switching.
Plus I reduced screen brightness.

 

[cmm]

Thanks, already checked though.

 

[Serban]

For the topic, my haswell 15" base model i get for web browsing in safari around 8h and 10-20 minutes. In videos around 5-6 hours but you can get much more but it depends of the resolution. Hard work or gaming 3-4 hours

 

[5to1]

They don't always work.

Wow thats poor, guess I've just been lucky, although I don't use either of those airlines (LHR is my HUB).

Back to the topic, my Haswell rMBP 13 seems to be hitting Apples estimates or more. Thats with several browser tabs open (Safari), messaging, Excel, Word. I have noted Chrome (use it to trawl through one of my companies Gmail hosted email addresses) does hit that somewhat. Its been on power for the more intensive stuff so can't provide estimates when processor/etc is under greater load.

I've only had it a couple of weeks, but so far I'm extremely happy with the battery life.

 

[thundersteele]

Hmmm, is that with only the web browser open though? On planes I don't have the web going, obviously, but I'm working in pages and in mathematica, matlab as well as evernote and catching up on emails. I don't mind a dark screen. I'm just really apprehensive that I'll be disappointed by the battery life. I don't mind spending 2k+ if I get the battery life apple promises.

I have in many cases seen Mathematica trigger the discrete GPU. I have a 2011 MBP, maybe it behaves better on more modern machines. So gfxcardstatus might help you. I'm not sure how well Evernote and Matlab behave, Chrome is obviously an issue...

Beyond that, I hope it is clear that if you perform any kind of long calculation, it will cost you battery life. My rule of thumb (maybe wrong) is that if you put heavy load on your machine for a minute, it will cost you 5 minutes of battery life. On the other hand if you spend most of the time writing text and code, then it shouldn't matter if the programs are well behaved.


My last episode of being battery OCD was when I bought my current 2011 15'' MBP, advertised with 7 hours. Bottom line:
- I get my 6-7 hours with decent brightness if I work mostly on text or web browsing
- Serious work (including e.g. Mathematica) and some compiling here and there usually brings it down to 5
- any kind of video watching -> down to 3-4, less if the dGPU comes on
- full load: empty in 50 minutes


From what I hear the newer rMBPs are doing better, and Apples estimates are more conservative (among other things they are now done at 75% brightness instead of 50%). If it is really such a big concern you should however consider the 13'' model!

 

[JD92]

Alternatively, get gfxcardstatus and force into integrated graphics mode if your rMBP has both integrated and discrete graphics.

Actually I don't think it's entirely related to the discrete GPU. If you set gfxcardstatus to allow the integrated graphics only then run Safari and Chrome for a bit, Activity Monitor will still report that Chrome uses noticeably more energy than Safari.

 

[yjchua95]

Having said that, if I need to fly to Geneva from Zurich (rather than take a train, which is very very rare), which is on an Airbus A321, business class in Europe is just like economy, just with leather seats and better service (and sometimes food). My 15 rMBP fits fine on these flights, but truthfully, I rarely use it as I can only use it for about 20 minutes, so if I use any electronics, it's my iPad... Sometimes, if the person in front of you reclines, you have to position the laptop's screen about 3 cm towards you, but you can still see the screen just fine.

I've flown on LH's service between Zurich and Frankfurt (I'm a Swiss), and I think the difference between C and Y class on the LH's A320s/A321s are just the seat spacing. In C, the middle seat is left empty, but otherwise it's the same 3-3 configuration as Y.

Plus, you get all the perks of flying C on the ground, like lounge access, priority boarding...

 

[yjchua95]

Can I ask how the 15" is to use on planes? I just got the 13" rMBP but I am really thinking about giving it to the wife and get myself the 15" instead. I am a bit scared that it will be too big to use in cramped spaces like on a plane though.

Here's my 2011 15" MBP in a MH flight (business class), from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland.

Fortunately, the seat next to me was empty, so I had the stewardess set my food courses on the table of the empty seat next to me. It's impossible to do anything else on the table once you put the 15" on the table.

Speaking of which, I found MH's business class to be subpar compared to other flag carriers like LX and LH. The food is great, but the seats were a huge let down. On a Boeing 777, it was in a 2-3-2 configuration. And for crying out loud, the seats were only angled-flat, while most other flag carriers are already using fully-flat seats.

 

[Davidkoh]

Here's my 2011 15" MBP in a MH flight (business class), from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland.

Fortunately, the seat next to me was empty, so I had the stewardess set my food courses on the table of the empty seat next to me. It's impossible to do anything else on the table once you put the 15" on the table.

Speaking of which, I found MH's business class to be subpar compared to other flag carriers like LX and LH. The food is great, but the seats were a huge let down. On a Boeing 777, it was in a 2-3-2 configuration. And for crying out loud, the seats were only angled-flat, while most other flag carriers are already using fully-flat seats.

Thanks for the information . I might get another tablet (just sold my iPad Air) if I decide to get the 15", just for trips where I do not need to use a laptop during the flight.

Nice book choice by the way . I need to finish that one soon.

 

[yjchua95]

Nice book choice by the way . I need to finish that one soon.

Yeah, I was reading Dan Brown's Inferno because MH's IFE was a complete joke.

Can't say I enjoyed the book as much as I did for the previous 3 books in the series because the plot kept skipping from one part to another.

 

[esskay]

Thanks for the answer. Although I recently decided to try to make all long-haul trips in at least C I do not really care for short-haul so there I might try to fit it in economy. Sounds like it could work though, maybe I can ignore that fear then and focus on the other differences.

I'm no longer on the corporate teat, so fly in the back of the bus now... On a few recent trips I found my cMBP13 just barely worked on the tray tables in coach. In particular, to open the screen far enough to comfortably work without hitting the seat in front of me, I had to pull the base way toward me. I can't imagine how cramped it would be to try to use a 15 in coach.

 

[alphaod]

I can do a full work day on one charge. That's 8-9 hours no problem.

That said, many airlines even in economy have power outlets now.

Anyways if you want a watch a movie, get something like an iPad instead. Much easier to deal with.