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Likelihood of an i5 and dedicated GPU in 13" revision?

H

Hornzog

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 3, 2011
54
0
Long time reader, first time poster here.

What do you think the chances are? I see a lot of talk about the possibility of an i3 in the base model 13". Is it wrong of me to find that absolutely absurd as you can pick up a PC with i5 for ~£500. Should we not be expecting AT LEAST i5 with perhaps BTO for i7? Now that would give the MBP 13" the 'Pro' title it acclaims (along with other aspects of course).

Also, how about the current outlook for dedicated graphics in any of the new models? For it to be worth adding a dedicated GPU it must be a worthy leap ahead of the integrated GPU in sandy bridge, is that sort of performance increase do-able in a laptop?

FYI i'm a current PC owner looking to make the big switch to accompany my Music Production degree at university, I've been holding out for a new MBP for some time now. I really hope it's worth the wait.

And as for hoping for dedicated graphics, i'm a keen gamer and would very much like to be able to use one computer for everything and ditch my old desktop.
 
GGJstudios said:
MBP 13" with i5 CPU and discreet GPU
Will there ever be an i3/i5/i7 Macbook Pro 13"? If so, when ...
2011 Mac Book Pro 13" - predictions?
Cire i3/5/7 and the 13inch Macbook Pro
Do you think the next 13" MacBook Pro will have a dedicated graphics card?
Click to expand...

Alright, alright i'll take that as a 'use the search function before posting'. As well as a database for interesting speculation.

Thanks

mulo said:
unlikely, unless they scrap the superdrive, there simply isn't enough room otherwise.
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I'd gladly see the superdrive scrapped. It's surely the way the distribution of media is heading whether it be sooner or later. Why not speed the process up by supporting alternative methods (the app store).
 
Hornzog said:
I'd gladly see the superdrive scrapped. It's surely the way the distribution of media is heading whether it be sooner or later. Why not speed the process up by supporting alternative methods (the app store).
Click to expand...

Because 99% of software/data will not be available through (the app store.) Still a very relevant technology. Why chop off your left hand even though you are right-handed?
 
i3 sandy bridge likely with new intel hd graphics.

But actually there's a chance they keep core2duo chip and put SSDs in their 13" MBPs instead if old c2ds plus nvidia gpu are much cheaper than new i3 and at least as power efficient as new i3. Reality is users would see better experience from ssd except from the capacity perspective than from any processing power boost from sandy bridge.

haven't done the math on all that though. Don't have all the numbers. Can they add a decent sized SSD to a 13" MBP and keep the $1200 pricepoint? What is performance per watt of sandy bridge? Not sure. But the fact they haven't updated it for this long means they are going to have quite a bit of room to work with. Should be a nice sized update/revision.

would not surprise me in the least if they killed the optical drive in MBPs too.

They now have the app store built-into OSX. You can buy an optical drive on the side worst case ala external super drive and they have OSX on a usb key as the MBA has shown.

STeps are in place. And Apple is usually the first to drop obsolete tech.

Could even do both sandy bridge & ssd and drop optical drive.
 
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aCondor said:
Because 99% of software/data will not be available through (the app store.) Still a very relevant technology. Why chop off your left hand even though you are right-handed?
Click to expand...
The only software I've ever needed to install on my Mac that came on a DVD was Microsoft Office. Every other app I've installed (and there have been plenty) I downloaded and I don't even have access to the Mac App Store. You absolutely don't need an optical drive to distribute software anymore.
 
trip1ex said:
Also chance they keep core2duo chip and put SSDs in their 13" MBPs instead.
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I detect an outrage if that were the case. Maybe more so for the next generation of MPA's but not a pro line. Purely an SSD upgrade would not be a sufficient to compete with even average laptop PC's from other brands. Not to mention the price of SSDs dropping over the near future. I'd rather they kept HDD for now along with the same price point and focus on CPU/GPU
 
Hornzog said:
I detect an outrage if that were the case. Maybe more so for the next generation of MPA's but not a pro line. Purely an SSD upgrade would not be a sufficient to compete with even average laptop PC's from other brands. Not to mention the price of SSDs dropping over the near future. I'd rather they kept HDD for now along with the same price point and focus on CPU/GPU
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WEll it would compete. Your system would be much snappier. Battery life greater. Would be smaller/lighter. More reliable.

So not sure how it wouldn't compete.

But yes I can see internet nerds some would be outraged because they are so trained to get the latest cpu tech that they wouldn't know how to process this.

At least on the surface.

But look at the MBAs. I believe the 1.8ghz MBA benchmarks mostly faster than the 13" MBP despite its cpu being roughly 75% as fast in the Mhz dept. 2.4 vs 1.86 Mhz C2D. Or at least it holds its own despite 25% slower cpu. Remember the hard drives in 13" MBPs are 5400rpm I believe.

Apple has done similar things in its iMac line. Instead of noteworthly cpu and gpu upgrades they kept the same pricepoint before but delivered a 24" screen instead of a 20" screen as the major upgrade. They've done that sort of move a few times.

It's all about what improves the experience the most for the money. If during one revision cycle it makes more sense to upgrade a machine in areas other than pure cpu power in order to hold the pricepoint and provide a better experience then Apple will do it.
 
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trip1ex said:
WEll it would compete. Your system would be much snappier. Battery life greater. Would be smaller/lighter. More reliable.

So not sure how it wouldn't compete.

But yes I can see internet nerds some would be outraged because they are so trained to get the latest cpu tech that they wouldn't know how to process this.

At least on the surface.
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You said it yourself - at least on the surface. But when it comes to 'pros' using Macbook 'pros' as they should; video encoding, audio effects processing etc. all stuff that requires raw CPU power, a simple storage device upgrade would not cut the mustard.
 
Hornzog said:
You said it yourself - at least on the surface. But when it comes to 'pros' using Macbook 'pros' as they should; video encoding, audio effects processing etc. all stuff that requires raw CPU power, a simple storage device upgrade would not cut the mustard.
Click to expand...

Those pros aren't going to be using a 13" MBP.

They would use the 15" which already has the i5 and i7.

Outrage would be superficial. Not the benefits of a SSD.
 
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trip1ex said:
Those pros aren't going to be using a 13" MBP.

They would use the 15" which already has the i5 and i7.
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But that's not the point. The OP is saying that it should be possible for "pro users" to use a 13" MBP for those purposes, rather than having to buy a 15" i5/i7.
 
trip1ex said:
Those pros aren't going to be using a 13" MBP.

They would use the 15" which already has the i5 and i7.
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Absolutely false statement. Blanket statements like this are pretty silly.

I do professional audio production (licensing for TV/Film). I use a 13". Sure, I'm considering upgrading to a 15", but the 13" does it's job very well at the moment. And the form factor fits my needs very very well, especially when I'm on the go. In my office I use it with a 23" monitor.

Also, a friend of mine owns a commercial recording studio, who records albums for major label bands. And although he has an 8-core Mac Pro in-studio, he often works on mixes at home and elsewhere on his 13" MBP.

So, yes, there are professionals that use the 13", so don't write it off as some kind of toy masquerading as a professional piece of gear.
 
AlphaDogg said:
But that's not the point. The OP is saying that it should be possible for "pro users" to use a 13" MBP for those purposes, rather than having to buy a 15" i5/i7.
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Well semantics. He's wondering if it possible and likely. I'm sure he thinks it should be possible because that's what he wants. :)

But the reality is if you want max power then you step up to the 15" which is always going to be faster because of it's bigger form factor and higher pricepoint.

The 13" is always going to lag in power because it is smaller at a lower pricepoint.

Smaller means not as much room for larger cpu/gpu, bigger heatsinks to dissipate heat and ample battery to provide expected battery life for faster cpu/gpu.

So the likelihood isn't high that it gets an i5.

Look at the entry iMac. i3. Probably another indication i5 ain't coming to 13" MBP.

And then you have to look at who the 13" is aimed at. And that's the consumer market.

Would the consumer benefit more from a SSD or from some more cpu power? I think folks would notice the speed of a SSD much more. SSD also goes hand in hand with the goals of a mobile computing device. IT's smaller, more shock proof and uses less power while being much faster.

CPU power is getting to be overkill for most computer tasks. And for laptops it is much more about performance per watt than anything.

My guess is Apple does something new with the 13" mBP not just upgrade the cpu/gpu. Ditches the optical drive or replaces hard drive with SSD or both.

That is going to win over more folks than a cpu power increase they can't feel in their typical computer usage. Also will make laptops lighter, more efficient.

MBP could even get the trifecta - i3, sandy bridge plus no optical drive along with SSD.
 
skiltrip said:
Absolutely false statement. Blanket statements like this are pretty silly.

I do professional audio production (licensing for TV/Film). I use a 13". Sure, I'm considering upgrading to a 15", but the 13" does it's job very well at the moment. And the form factor fits my needs very very well, especially when I'm on the go. In my office I use it with a 23" monitor.

Also, a friend of mine owns a commercial recording studio, who records albums for major label bands. And although he has an 8-core Mac Pro in-studio, he often works on mixes at home and elsewhere on his 13" MBP.

So, yes, there are professionals that use the 13", so don't write it off as some kind of toy masquerading as a professional piece of gear.
Click to expand...

ISn't calling my statement absolutely false also a blanket statement? :D

Anyway I think you missed the point and took it out of context. The point being anyone that needs max power in a laptop is going 15". a 15" is always going to have the most power because of the higher pricepoint and bigger form factor. My statement was a reply to the OP's post which said people need all the cpu power they can get to do video encoding etc. Hence the taking it out of context aspect of your reply.

Never said you couldn't use the 13" for whatever you wanted to. :rolleyes:

People use the iPHone to do professional audio/video work for criminy sakes. Hell you can use a Nintendo DS. Different point.
 
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i hope the 13" MBP gets a decent CPU/GPU upgrade, but i also hope to get a higher res display and option for on board SSD flash drive as in the air. I can live with 128gb SSD.
 
elhungarian said:
I can live with 128gb SSD.
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Most people cannot, by judging the people on this forum. I have a 500GB HDD with ~150GB available. There are plenty of forum users here who have 1TB drives. For some, even 1TB is not enough, so they have an optical drive bay adapter to allow them to use a 750GB drive in a RAID setup. Some have a normal HDD (usually the stock one of 160GB or higher), along with an SSD of 60GB or higher. Please let me know if I am wrong.
 
the 500GB was a must when I got my 13"
49GB free at the moment.
Interested in a 1TB upgrade eventually.
 
AlphaDogg said:
Most people cannot, by judging the people on this forum. I have a 500GB HDD with ~150GB available. There are plenty of forum users here who have 1TB drives. For some, even 1TB is not enough, so they have an optical drive bay adapter to allow them to use a 750GB drive in a RAID setup. Some have a normal HDD (usually the stock one of 160GB or higher), along with an SSD of 60GB or higher. Please let me know if I am wrong.
Click to expand...

You are correct. I have a 500gb drive with about 200gb free. I have tons of drum sample content and other sample libraries. Also my iTunes library which comes in at over 75gb, though it might be more.

I already use one external FireWire drive for audio recording. I couldn't bear the thought of two ext drives hanging off my laptop. At that point I might as well get a desktop.
 
trip1ex said:
My guess is Apple does something new with the 13" mBP not just upgrade the cpu/gpu. Ditches the optical drive or replaces hard drive with SSD or both.
Click to expand...

They have that - they call it the Air. That way, if people want to ditch the optical drive they can.

The problem with ditching the optical drive is there isn't a good, low-cost, portable removal storage option available to replace it. Flash drives are expensive relative to DVDs and external hard drives are one more thing to carry, as is an external optical drive. A lot of people don't have reliable internet access when traveling; which makes it problematic as a storage media as well.

Until a decent replacement comes along, optical media is here to stay.
 
jlc1978 said:
They have that - they call it the Air. That way, if people want to ditch the optical drive they can.

The problem with ditching the optical drive is there isn't a good, low-cost, portable removal storage option available to replace it. Flash drives are expensive relative to DVDs and external hard drives are one more thing to carry, as is an external optical drive. A lot of people don't have reliable internet access when traveling; which makes it problematic as a storage media as well.

Until a decent replacement comes along, optical media is here to stay.
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The SD card says hello.


IT is a good point though that the MBA provides Apple with a way of making tomorrow's laptop today while keeping the legacy MBP laptop design. It's probably the best argument to be made for Apple not ditching the optical drive in the upcoming MBP update.
 
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trip1ex said:
ISn't calling my statement absolutely false also a blanket statement? :D

Anyway I think you missed the point and took it out of context. The point being anyone that needs max power in a laptop is going 15". a 15" is always going to have the most power because of the higher pricepoint and bigger form factor. My statement was a reply to the OP's post which said people need all the cpu power they can get to do video encoding etc. Hence the taking it out of context aspect of your reply.

Never said you couldn't use the 13" for whatever you wanted to. :rolleyes:

People use the iPHone to do professional audio/video work for criminy sakes. Hell you can use a Nintendo DS. Different point.
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Fair enough. :)

I also agree with someone a couple posts above that said the primary target for the MacBook Pro, is not professionals. So I totally understand what you were saying. I get touchy when it comes to my 13". It serves me well and I don't want to see anyone hurt it's feelings. lol. That said, I have my sights dead set on a 15" in 2011. I don't NEED the extra power for what I do, but it sure would make life easier.
 
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