Intel Skylake Processors: Up to 20% Performance Boost, 41% Faster Graphics and 30% Longer Battery Life

[Serban]

So October is the event for the macbook pro/imac and ipad pro
I wonder if they update the macbook too

 

[dragje]

What about an upgrade to a new Mac Pro then?? Once again Mac Pro users are being ignored?

 

[derbladerunner]

What about an upgrade to a new Mac Pro then?? Once again Mac Pro users are being ignored?

I think they want to wait for Thunderbolt3 as well. It's coming in late 2015 or early 2016:

https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-does-it-all

Then it will make sense to update the Mac Pro in one go, processors and I/O (maybe alongside new Apple-branded 4K or 5K monitors).

 

[cube]

Will we get a 13" with a quad core CPU?

Make it a 17" cMBP with at least hexa core CPU.

 

[kungpaaao]

I disagree. It adds in support for several new connections that I expect will become standard shortly after its release. IE, support for 4K+ external displays. That's why I've been waiting for Skylake - if I buy something before Skylake I'll be limited to HD screens that were made before 2015 when I'm still using the laptop in 2020. Skylake seems more future proof. 4K+ external displays that are released in 2020 will work with my Skylake laptop. Probably/hopefully.

A agree with both of you. However, it gets tiresome over the decades that people say they are waiting for "the" chip. Gotta wait for the best. Then the best comes and people will wait years for the next one. Which is fine. We all want faster computers. But we are never satisfied (nothing wrong with that).

cheers, I would love to have a Skylake that replaces my 2009 MacBook!

 

[dragje]

I think they want to wait for Thunderbolt3 as well. It's coming in late 2015 or early 2016:

https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-does-it-all

Then it will make sense to update the Mac Pro in one go, processors and I/O (maybe alongside new Apple-branded 4K or 5K monitors).

Thanks for your information. Very much appreciated.

This seems worth the patiance, I was planning to buy a new MacPro in 2016. New 5 K stand alone monitors would be great.

 

[pat500000]

i had it with intel...where's mac pro, huh? answer me, intel...um i meant un-intel.

 

[RevToTheRedline]

I'm glad I didn't wait, just not a big enough improvement over the fact I've been enjoying my machine since the 2015 update and already editing videos, plus you can't play the tech waiting game, you will never win.

 

[MH01]

Awesome! This looks like a nice update!!!

 

[MH01]

i had it with intel...where's mac pro, huh? answer me, intel...um i meant un-intel.

Probably a question to Ask apple.

 

[MH01]

I wouldn't go that far. There's really nothing special about Skylake, it's just the next iteration of ever-improving processors.

It's worth holding out for an update and free extra power if you can.

 

[manu chao]

Why can't we play games on the Mac? Basically means you have to choose Windows. Also when you're paying that much money, you should better hardware, on the Windows side I can get an Nvidia 970m and storage I can upgrade myself.

Because Apple is not interested in producing computers that would fit gamers' requirements. The same way they are not interested in producing a 17" laptop. If a category has too small an appeal (where the category is people who (a) want a Mac and (b) want to do serious gaming), Apple doesn't cater to them.

 

[McGiord]

Because Apple is not interested in producing computers that would fit gamers' requirements. The same way they are not interested in producing a 17" laptop. If a category has too small an appeal (where the category is people who (a) want a Mac and (b) want to do serious gaming), Apple doesn't cater to them.

I guess this will eventually change over time, and some key Apple employees may make it happen. Currently the main focus had been iOS devices. Future will tell how they manage to do a good implementation of Metal, developers, Apple TV, iOS-OS X consolidation and a game store. I wish this happens sooner than later...

 

[bladerunner2000]

Because Apple is not interested in producing computers that would fit gamers' requirements. The same way they are not interested in producing a 17" laptop. If a category has too small an appeal (where the category is people who (a) want a Mac and (b) want to do serious gaming), Apple doesn't cater to them.

The PC gamer community is not small, lol.

 

[prospervic]

I couldn't take my aging MacBook Pro anymore and ended up buying a new MacBook Pros when they were released a couple months ago. Given that I'm sure Apple would have had Skylake samples quite a while beforehand, would it have killed them to delay the new MacBook Pros just a little bit and go for Skylake instead? I'm now stuck with this miserable, already past it's effective end of life Haswell piece of junk for a few years before I'll be upgrading again...

Still new? Still in excellent condition? Still have the box? Don't moan and nash your teeth --- SELL IT! I've sold many Macs on Craigslist over the years for good prices. If you're unfamiliar with Craigslist, do your research (Plenty of info out there) on the dos and don'ts see before dipping your toe in.

 

[Eduardo Forneck]

will the 64 mb eDRAM solve the UI lag caused by low memory bandwidth in the 13" retina? i hope so

 

[HangmanSwingset]

Than why not just go with a standard 4790?

Oh wait, I think I just figured it out (correct me if I'm wrong);

The iMacs airflow is so bad that theres no i7 CPU capable of running at full speed. The 4790 (non-k) at stock speed would hit the threshold the same way as the 4790k at stock, but you can't throttle the 4790 as it doesnt allow you to adjust the clock speeds. SO, because Apple prefers form over function and insists on the design despite the bad airflow, they're FORCED to go with the 4790k, essentially a compromise.

If that's the case; WOW, that's lame.

The non-k CPU can change clock speed to save power or to reduce heat output. It's a standard feature on every modern CPU in the last 10 or so years.
Just because it doesn't have a "k" at the end doesn't mean it's magically stuck at 3.6GHz.

 

[Shirasaki]

It seems that Apple computer heat removal design is still a serious problem. Even under their own system, I can sometimes feel serious performance drop.

How long apple would try to end their thickness magic and produce a product which is much more practical to use?

 

[bladerunner2000]

The non-k CPU can change clock speed to save power or to reduce heat output. It's a standard feature on every modern CPU in the last 10 or so years.
Just because it doesn't have a "k" at the end doesn't mean it's magically stuck at 3.6GHz.

Ok, but it seems like Apple's got some kind of custom controller for it to downclock, forcing it to take a 5-15% hit in performance for the sake of the iMac being thin at the cost of shoddy air flow. Is that possible on the non-k?

But suppose that isnt the case... why then pay extra for devils canyon?

 

[UltimaKilo]

A agree with both of you. However, it gets tiresome over the decades that people say they are waiting for "the" chip. Gotta wait for the best. Then the best comes and people will wait years for the next one. Which is fine. We all want faster computers. But we are never satisfied (nothing wrong with that).

cheers, I would love to have a Skylake that replaces my 2009 MacBook!

I was waiting for Cannonlake to replace my 2008 Unibody MacBook with a Cannonlake MacBook, but with its delay, I'll have to jump in on a Sandy Bridge MBP.

I wouldn't go that far. There's really nothing special about Skylake, it's just the next iteration of ever-improving processors.

I have to agree that the numbers will make people apathetic, even though the dGPU upgrade is welcome, though also underwhelming. With LPDDR4 support coming to Macs a year or two later, along with a jaw-dropping 10nm die, I'm sure a lot of enthusiasts will be holding out.

As soon as Skylake comes out you'll have people clamoring over Cannonlake.

Lots of people have been clamoring for Cannonlake and it's beautiful 10nm architecture for a long time.

 

[manu chao]

The PC gamer community is not small, lol.

Yes, but what matters is not the size of the PC gamer community but the number of those that would be willing to buy a Mac.

 

[bladerunner2000]

Yes, but what matters is not the size of the PC gamer community but the number of those that would be willing to buy a Mac.

They're not willing to buy a Mac for 2 reasons;

1) They're overpriced.
2) Apple's stupidity with making everything disposable. Try telling PC gamers all GPUs will be soldered to their motherboards.

Reason #2 is why I don't bother with Macs anymore. No choice in PCIe graphics cards means Apple doesn't get my money anymore.

 

[z31fanatic]

Why?



I wasn't aware that MacRumors was a University English class, lulz.

If you are going to do it, do it right! It's 'TEH LULZ'

 

[MacBH928]

16% improvement on macbook pro?
I guess my lifetime waiting was over nothing

 

[Shirasaki]

They're not willing to buy a Mac for 2 reasons;

1) They're overpriced.
2) Apple's stupidity with making everything disposable. Try telling PC gamers all GPUs will be soldered to their motherboards.

Reason #2 is why I don't bother with Macs anymore. No choice in PCIe graphics cards means Apple doesn't get my money anymore.

I agree that mac is overpriced. But making all parts disposable is good for environment, and thus this should be encouraged. So if this is the reason keeping you away from mac for gaming, I would keep silent.

The fact I think is apple is not eager to design a well performance cooling system, which would break their design a lot. Forcing to throttle device would surely impact application performance.