How's the quality of the 2012 cMBP? How about some reviews?

[macguy360]

Yes, and the simple fact is that due to the two extra vent holes (more like strips) to the sides, rMBP's airflow is better than cMBP, and rMBP runs cooler + quieter as a result.

rMBP's air vents at the hinge have also been improved. the hinge opens up a lot of space, and the vents are slanted upward instead of being horizontal like the cMBP. The end result is that more air is moved.

I find my rMBP a lot quieter and cooler than my old 2011 cMBP 15"...

You are absolutely correct.

The problem is that people here get really upset if you identify a product they own as possibly inferior to another product even if its another product that Apple makes.

They ignore the facts and make up their own according to their personal opinions regardless of tests that have been conducted by reputable tech companies such as anandtech.

 

[bill-p]

You are absolutely correct.

The problem is that people here get really upset if you identify a product they own as possibly inferior to another product even if its another product that Apple makes.

They ignore the facts and make up their own according to their personal opinions regardless of tests that have been conducted by reputable tech companies such as anandtech.

To be fair, I think some of Anandtech's testing methodology is questionable...

I'm an active commenter on the site (under a different name), and I have constantly suggested that they tweaked their testing methods. It has gotten a lot better, but still not quite there.

But that's Anandtech.

From my own personal opinion, though, I still think the cMBP has its own benefits. Just that I can clearly see that Apple has "improved" their design with the rMBP. Nothing is a "compromise" or a "regression" on this machine, or at least... not without reasons (mostly related to size and dimensions).

At the end of the day, though, the rMBP is clearly the next step Apple would take in their laptop design. Whether one likes it or not, it'll come sooner or later.

 

[nizmoz]

Yes, and the simple fact is that due to the two extra vent holes (more like strips) to the sides, rMBP's airflow is better than cMBP, and rMBP runs cooler + quieter as a result.

rMBP's air vents at the hinge have also been improved. the hinge opens up a lot of space, and the vents are slanted upward instead of being horizontal like the cMBP. The end result is that more air is moved.

I find my rMBP a lot quieter and cooler than my old 2011 cMBP 15"...

vs a 2011 yes, vs a 2012 no.

 

[bill-p]

vs a 2011 yes, vs a 2012 no.

vs a low-end 2011 model, dear sir.

My 2011 base model with 2.0GHz Core i7 was up to 25% cooler and quieter than the bigger models with beefier graphics processors and more VRAM. I got it mostly because I did not need to game, and I valued silence and heat over the rest of the specs.

Also many people here have testified to the rMBP being superior to the cMBP (even the 2012 model) in cooling. Why do you insist the opposite?

 

[clyde2801]

Yes, and the simple fact is that due to the two extra vent holes (more like strips) to the sides, rMBP's airflow is better than cMBP, and rMBP runs cooler + quieter as a result.

rMBP's air vents at the hinge have also been improved. the hinge opens up a lot of space, and the vents are slanted upward instead of being horizontal like the cMBP. The end result is that more air is moved.

I find my rMBP a lot quieter and cooler than my old 2011 cMBP 15"...

Did your "old" 2011 have an SSD or the stock HDD?

 

[bill-p]

Did your "old" 2011 have an SSD or the stock HDD?

Stock HDD and then I switched to a Samsung Spinpoint M8 1TB.

I know you are about to say that the HDD noise is noticeable, but I'm quite certain it wouldn't make my computer "hotter" by any stretch. Especially when the heat is close to the hinge and not at the palm rest area where the HDD is situated.

 

[nizmoz]

vs a low-end 2011 model, dear sir.

My 2011 base model with 2.0GHz Core i7 was up to 25% cooler and quieter than the bigger models with beefier graphics processors and more VRAM. I got it mostly because I did not need to game, and I valued silence and heat over the rest of the specs.

Also many people here have testified to the rMBP being superior to the cMBP (even the 2012 model) in cooling. Why do you insist the opposite?

The 2011 has different CPU architecture. The 2012 has new Ivy Bridge, which uses less current, and creates less heat than the 2011.

Of course people with the rMBP are going to say that because they won't admit they got a machine for more money has issues.

Because I have been a tech for 25 years, and working on computers most of that time. Been through enough to know how things work.

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Stock HDD and then I switched to a Samsung Spinpoint M8 1TB.

I know you are about to say that the HDD noise is noticeable, but I'm quite certain it wouldn't make my computer "hotter" by any stretch. Especially when the heat is close to the hinge and not at the palm rest area where the HDD is situated.

There you go. Another reason why it got hot. mechanical HD's create a lot of heat. SSD is virtually cool. Which my 2012 cMBP has SSD. And the airflow has to go out somewhere.....reason why it got hotter in the back.

 

[bill-p]

The 2011 has different CPU architecture. The 2012 has new Ivy Bridge, which uses less current, and creates less heat than the 2011.

Of course people with the rMBP are going to say that because they won't admit they got a machine for more money has issues.

Because I have been a tech for 25 years, and working on computers most of that time. Been through enough to know how things work.

Well, if hard data and concrete tests from Anandtech can't convince you, I guess nothing else would work.

Honestly, I think we have been through this before... when the 2008 unibody design was introduced and people criticized the new unibody design with the vent holes at the hinge. And we all know how that ended, yes?

I don't have to make up things about my computer to justify the purchase. I'm simply trying to provide as much information as possible, and also trying to be as truthful as possible. Is my rMBP without faults? No. Am I bothered by the faults? Yes. But I also appreciate the improvements that Apple has brought to the new design vs the old one.

Not everyone here is trying to make themselves feel good about their purchase, dear sir.

 

[nizmoz]

Well, if hard data and concrete tests from Anandtech can't convince you, I guess nothing else would work.

Honestly, I think we have been through this before... when the 2008 unibody design was introduced and people criticized the new unibody design with the vent holes at the hinge. And we all know how that ended, yes?

I don't have to make up things about my computer to justify the purchase. I'm simply trying to provide as much information as possible, and also trying to be as truthful as possible. Is my rMBP without faults? No. Am I bothered by the faults? Yes. But I also appreciate the improvements that Apple has brought to the new design vs the old one.

Not everyone here is trying to make themselves feel good about their purchase, dear sir.

Sorry but like others on the net say, you can't trust andandtech.com for everything. They have been wrong many times in the past.

IMHO, Apple went backwards other than the screen on the rMBP. Losing all the ports which makes it a Pro was a big no no. Pro's use Firewire, Ethernet, on a daily basis. And getting rid of all those hurts. Yes you can have adapter cables, but guess what, I am not going to be carrying extra cables with me just so I can use those ports when I am working on a network switch and having to hold the laptop in one hand and type with the other especially when those like to pull out.

IMHO, the rMBP is a rMBA 15" and shouldn't be called a Pro.

 

[clyde2801]

Sorry but like others on the net say, you can't trust andandtech.com for everything. They have been wrong many times in the past.

IMHO, Apple went backwards other than the screen on the rMBP. Losing all the ports which makes it a Pro was a big no no. Pro's use Firewire, Ethernet, on a daily basis. And getting rid of all those hurts. Yes you can have adapter cables, but guess what, I am not going to be carrying extra cables with me just so I can use those ports when I am working on a network switch and having to hold the laptop in one hand and type with the other especially when those like to pull out.

IMHO, the rMBP is a rMBA 15" and shouldn't be called a Pro.

Or, maybe MacBook Air BAE (Bad Ass Edition). At least they're still selling (for now) the non retina to quell some people's fears.

 

[bill-p]

Sorry but like others on the net say, you can't trust andandtech.com for everything. They have been wrong many times in the past.

While I admit that they have been wrong (mostly with their software tests), it's usually not with their hardware tests and measurements... because the testing method is about as good as it gets (not infallible, but good enough), short of getting better instruments. Plus even when some owners are testifying that the rMBP has better cooling, there is not much room to foul Anandtech on this one.

Now... assuming the 2012 cMBP also improves on cooling and heat by introducing a newer architecture, then how do you quantify that it's better or inferior to the rMBP? Well, you can't. Aside from the Anandtech article, that is. Both of us are saying that the rMBP and cMBP 2012 models are better than older models at cooling, and both of us would be right. But that doesn't mean anything for rMBP vs cMBP. So I'm going with Anandtech because I think I can trust their measurements, plus it's consistent with my findings about the 2011 model.

 

[nizmoz]

While I admit that they have been wrong (mostly with their software tests), it's usually not with their hardware tests and measurements... because the testing method is about as good as it gets (not infallible, but good enough), short of getting better instruments. Plus even when some owners are testifying that the rMBP has better cooling, there is not much room to foul Anandtech on this one.

Now... assuming the 2012 cMBP also improves on cooling and heat by introducing a newer architecture, then how do you quantify that it's better or inferior to the rMBP? Well, you can't. Aside from the Anandtech article, that is. Both of us are saying that the rMBP and cMBP 2012 models are better than older models at cooling, and both of us would be right. But that doesn't mean anything for rMBP vs cMBP. So I'm going with Anandtech because I think I can trust their measurements, plus it's consistent with my findings about the 2011 model.

If it was me, and I had the ability to manufacture stuff. I would come out with an aftermarket bottom cover, and have some extra vent holes on it.

But either way, they are the only one that I have seen make a test on it. So let's wait for some others.