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If your MBP is slow, it might be your monitor

L

LincolnsiPod

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 20, 2009
665
98
Just wanted to post this as a note to others with similar setups:

If you have a 4K monitor and use clamshell mode, depending on the hardware your MBP has it could cause a significant drain on resources. I didn't realize a 4K monitor could be such an energy vampire until I bought one to use with my mid-2014 MacBook Pro. Namely, while my MBP CAN support a 4K resolution, it seems to sap a lot of CPU power to do so (namely through the WindowServer process), so it's harder to multitask.

The biggest issue I've noticed though is that it severely drains the bluetooth power. When it's connected to my 4K I have no range at all with any of my bluetooth devices. When my MBP is disconnected from the monitor I could be 2 rooms away and still have a perfect bluetooth signal. Really disappointing.

I was really hoping this was specifically a High Sierra issue, but it's likely I have to get a more recent MBP (although I won't know for sure until I actually get one and run the same tests).

Hope this helps MacBook users troubleshoot if they've been wondering why their bluetooth sucked whenever they used their MBP in clamshell mode.
 
savagewatts said:
Do you have the the MBP with the designated GPU or are you using the integrated one?
Click to expand...

I'm using the designated GPU (nVidia GT 750M), I don't think it's actually possible to use the integrated one when an external monitor is connected.
 
Absolutely. A 4k display definitely reduces performance, and it is very pronounced with the 15-inch 2014 dGPU models. I've found it elevates the idle temp by 40-50+ degrees in some cases...and, as a consequence, the CPU seems to throttle much more.
 
ZapNZs said:
Absolutely. A 4k display definitely reduces performance, and it is very pronounced with the 15-inch 2014 dGPU models. I've found it elevates the idle temp by 40-50+ degrees in some cases...and, as a consequence, the CPU seems to throttle much more.
Click to expand...

Are you still using 2014 or have you upgraded since then? I'm curious to see if this is less of an issue in newer models.
 
The newer 2016/2017 models do 4K @ 60Hz with less stress. I used a 4K display sometimes with mine and it seems to work very well. I haven't tested bluetooth distance though.
 
Miltz said:
The newer 2016/2017 models do 4K @ 60Hz with less stress. I used a 4K display sometimes with mine and it seems to work very well. I haven't tested bluetooth distance though.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's something I'll be testing for sure before committing to a new upgrade.
 
cambookpro said:
Have they changed the keyboard..?
Click to expand...

I've noticed a slight improvement from 2016 to 2017, but still horrible overall, and supersized touchpad doesn't help either. Thankfully I use my MacBook most of the time in clamshell mode.
 
cambookpro said:
Have they changed the keyboard..?
Click to expand...
no, they made some slight improvements to it. It feels a little different, and I hope its more reliable. I have a 2016 model and the keyboard failed and was replaced with a 2017 keyboard.
 
The nTB starts feeling sluggish with a 1080p connected - atleast in my experience. Didn't realize it would be that bad.
 
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