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Macbook Pro - give up and get previous gen i7?

S

schnb

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 18, 2008
27
0
Hello everyone! Long time lurker..

I bought the new 15" Macbook Pro, the one with the 1gb gfx, 15" hi-res antiglare.. I'd been using an early 2008 model before that, so this glimpse in to the unibody madness is quite satisfying.

However, as many people have, been having a few problems... mainly the battery life, which seems to be worse than my 2008 model, even when I use only integrated graphics.

I mainly use these machines for audio work.. and also for a bit of gaming on the side.

Also appalled to see XP boot camp compatibility dropped - would have liked to have kept that, and a virtual machine doesn't quite cut it when you're doing audio programming etc.

The question is, do you reckon I'd be better off returning this pro in the next 30 days (when I'm allowed), and purchasing the 2010 2.8GHZ DUAL core i7 (with all the same specs, apart from NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, 512MB gfx), or holding out and seeing if any of these battery/heat issues are later solved?

Not sure how useful the quad core is in my particular case.. Decisions decisions..
 
schnb said:
Hello everyone! Long time lurker..

I bought the new 15" Macbook Pro, the one with the 1gb gfx, 15" hi-res antiglare.. I'd been using an early 2008 model before that, so this glimpse in to the unibody madness is quite satisfying.

However, as many people have, been having a few problems... mainly the battery life, which seems to be worse than my 2008 model, even when I use only integrated graphics.

I mainly use these machines for audio work.. and also for a bit of gaming on the side.

Also appalled to see XP boot camp compatibility dropped - would have liked to have kept that, and a virtual machine doesn't quite cut it when you're doing audio programming etc.

The question is, do you reckon I'd be better off returning this pro in the next 30 days (when I'm allowed), and purchasing the 2010 2.8GHZ DUAL core i7 (with all the same specs, apart from NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, 512MB gfx), or holding out and seeing if any of these battery/heat issues are later solved?

Not sure how useful the quad core is in my particular case.. Decisions decisions..
Click to expand...

Personally I would hold out, for no other reason than the ThunderBolt port. If that doesn't interest you, and you're not decoding genomes, the dual core will likely be enough for you.

Also, I like XP a lot better than another Windows, although Windows 7 is not bad. I agree, appalling to drop XP support, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't install. Remember Boot Camp used to not officially support Windows 7, but as far as I know, it always (usually) installed.

Just my 2¢

Spike
 
If the heat is your main issue, the 2010's aren't that much cooler. I don't see any reason to get a slightly older model when they're so similar anyway. It sounds like you have used the 2008 model for a while, just give the 2011 a chance and I'm sure you'll adapt to the changes.
 
Personally I would hold out, for no other reason than the ThunderBolt port. If that doesn't interest you, and you're not decoding genomes, the dual core will likely be enough for you.

Also, I like XP a lot better than another Windows, although Windows 7 is not bad. I agree, appalling to drop XP support, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't install. Remember Boot Camp used to not officially support Windows 7, but as far as I know, it always (usually) installed.
Click to expand...

Thunderbolt definitely looks promising... I guess it depends how long it'll take to be utilised properly. By that time perhaps I'll be ready to upgrade once again!

XP won't install. It hangs on the 'configuring setup'... I tried every other method I've normally done (my other Pro had a broken optical drive so I have experience getting OS to run)... but it seems Apple would prefer to block it altogether, rather than let people run it and it not work. Keeps the support track record up but a bit of an annoying move!


Just thought I'd point out, as far as I know, return is 14 days. Good luck with everything.
Click to expand...

Oops yes 14 days.. just been reading the FAQ. Apparently I wouldn't be able to return it due to it being 'personalised' (guessing that's the hi-res screen.. what a pile of poop).
I'm taking it to the so-called Geniuses, see if I can get it marked as faulty...


If the heat is your main issue, the 2010's aren't that much cooler. I don't see any reason to get a slightly older model when they're so similar anyway. It sounds like you have used the 2008 model for a while, just give the 2011 a chance and I'm sure you'll adapt to the changes.
Click to expand...

It's not the main issue, but going to 92C inside is a bit much isn't it? That's without even doing anything CPU intensive.. It's mainly the battery life and the other problems that everyone is talking about - which haven't happened to me yet, but it's only 3 days out the box.
I am tempted to give them a chance, but going by the amount of complaints this line has, I'm worried they're a bad bunch.
 
Are you running Chrome or the Firefox 4? They will cause the dedicated graphics to be used. You can check it using gfxCardStatus.
 
Blackforge said:
Are you running Chrome or the Firefox 4? They will cause the dedicated graphics to be used. You can check it using gfxCardStatus.
Click to expand...

Yeah using gfxCardStatus to keep it integrated, and switched to Safari for the time being... still only got about 2:10. Which is pitiful really. Also taken about 5 hours to recharge.. I'm hoping it's just a faulty unit. During this time, the time-to-charge has been spinning about listing up to 11 hours (this was when the gfx was on dedicated..)
 
schnb said:
Yeah using gfxCardStatus to keep it integrated, and switched to Safari for the time being... still only got about 2:10. Which is pitiful really. Also taken about 5 hours to recharge.. I'm hoping it's just a faulty unit. During this time, the time-to-charge has been spinning about listing up to 11 hours (this was when the gfx was on dedicated..)
Click to expand...

man u got a dud,it happens,just return asap,sounds like anyhow,now i found with mine,2.2 15-that its taken about 2 weeks for it to settle,ive redone thermal paste,and added 8 ram,and its running like a dream,bcamp and osx,ive given it a hiding too,no probs,battery last bout 4-5 hrs,maybe more with light usage and brightness turned down,u could try a battery reset or calibration[apple website f details],have to make sure its charged f 2 hrs,then unplug and drain till shuts off,leave for 5 hrs,then plug back in,will reset calibration of battery,try smc reset too,could be that,sometimes the default factory install of osx is well dodgy,i usually do reistall moment i git it,

honestly,they are a kick-a$%e machine .
 
schnb said:
Oops yes 14 days.. just been reading the FAQ. Apparently I wouldn't be able to return it due to it being 'personalised' (guessing that's the hi-res screen.. what a pile of poop).
I'm taking it to the so-called Geniuses, see if I can get it marked as faulty...
.
Click to expand...


Call apple directly. I returned a 2010 i7 16 days after I received it, two days after the 2011 ones came out. It was a build to order system directly off of the website, and they let me return it regardless.
 
schnb said:
XP won't install. It hangs on the 'configuring setup'... I tried every other method I've normally done (my other Pro had a broken optical drive so I have experience getting OS to run)... but it seems Apple would prefer to block it altogether, rather than let people run it and it not work. Keeps the support track record up but a bit of an annoying move!
Click to expand...

When I get this problem, it usually helps to have Windows run a quick format on the drive you are about to install onto, even though it should already be formatted. It may not help, but if nothing else works...


schnb said:
Oops yes 14 days.. just been reading the FAQ. Apparently I wouldn't be able to return it due to it being 'personalised' (guessing that's the hi-res screen.. what a pile of poop).
I'm taking it to the so-called Geniuses, see if I can get it marked as faulty...
Click to expand...

They are usually willing to work with you, but be polite. They work a stressful job with a lot of ungrateful customers. Having a smile and a thankful attitude goes a long way.
 
mediasorcerer said:
man u got a dud,it happens,just return asap,sounds like anyhow,now i found with mine,2.2 15-that its taken about 2 weeks for it to settle,ive redone thermal paste,and added 8 ram,and its running like a dream,bcamp and osx,ive given it a hiding too,no probs,battery last bout 4-5 hrs,maybe more with light usage and brightness turned down,u could try a battery reset or calibration[apple website f details],have to make sure its charged f 2 hrs,then unplug and drain till shuts off,leave for 5 hrs,then plug back in,will reset calibration of battery,try smc reset too,could be that,sometimes the default factory install of osx is well dodgy,i usually do reistall moment i git it,

honestly,they are a kick-a$%e machine .
Click to expand...

ah really... yeah I have 8gb of RAM, first thing I put in! It runs very fast, and Windows 7 on bootcamp is indeed great. It really is a great machine, I'm just worried abotu the slight issues, and am thinking if there is a time to return it, it may be now whilst I'm in the returns limit!
Yeah might do a callibration soon.. Whilst I was testing battery, I had the display on lowest though. Which is why it surprised me so much.

Good idea bout the SMC, might do - might wait til Apple have a look though and see if it's dodgy, don't wanna be wasting my time at all!




systole said:
Call apple directly. I returned a 2010 i7 16 days after I received it, two days after the 2011 ones came out. It was a build to order system directly off of the website, and they let me return it regardless.
Click to expand...

Oh really.. I may give them a call tomorrow then, cheers!
 
Spikestrip said:
When I get this problem, it usually helps to have Windows run a quick format on the drive you are about to install onto, even though it should already be formatted. It may not help, but if nothing else works...
Click to expand...

Quite a few. Although been having some other issues (which are my fault not the machines) - Apple is refusing to read NTFS whilst in OSX, I think it's because of the drivers I had when I migrated my past Mac account on to my new machine. Makes no difference though, as it does read whilst booting in any other OS, e.g. how I got Windows 7 installed (and I did 3 clean installs of that, whilst I was trying to troubleshoot everything). Looked on other forums too, and apparently everyone else is having the same problems. Tried XP SP1, SP2 and SP3 install disks... nothing.


Spikestrip said:
They are usually willing to work with you, but be polite. They work a stressful job with a lot of ungrateful customers. Having a smile and a thankful attitude goes a long way.
Click to expand...

Oh yes of course. I have nothing but respect for these guys, I never rant and rage - especially not to Apple, bit of a fanboy (I'm on Macrumors so guessing there are a few of those here)
 
i had had the 2010 i5 model, and jsut upgraded to 17" MBP 2.0
there is no real comparison, - the 17" rock, i have the optical drive out with and owc/hdd7200 500Gb set-up
i think it actually runs a lot cooler than the 2010 model

i've had this MBP for past 2 days, pretty much s8, and not noticed any heating issues

im using the justmobil istand btw,
 
I just received my 2.2 MBP 15 500GB 7200RPM 4GB AG yesterday and have been doing some light use today and I know I have at least had more than 3.5 hours of usage out of it. The most work it did was probably Outlook 2011 syncing my 850MB Exchange 2010 mailbox over the 802.11g wireless at work, so it took awhile. Interspersed with web surfing and some youtube stuff.

It hasn't been on the charger since about 9AM Central this morning (10PM now). Still shows an hour and half left. Also just slightly warm to the touch relatively idle (42C fans at ~2000RPM). Doing 8 threads of "yes > /dev/null &" pushes it up temporarily to 90C, but drops to 80C (according to iStat). Not too bad so far.

So definitely seems like you might have a bum unit.
 
Last edited:
johnnyturbouk said:
i had had the 2010 i5 model, and jsut upgraded to 17" MBP 2.0
there is no real comparison, - the 17" rock, i have the optical drive out with and owc/hdd7200 500Gb set-up
i think it actually runs a lot cooler than the 2010 model

i've had this MBP for past 2 days, pretty much s8, and not noticed any heating issues

im using the justmobil istand btw,
Click to expand...



Ah really, awesome.. that's interesting. I only said something about the heat because it reaches 80-90 quite a bit, and I assumed that was unusual?
What kind of temps were you reading? Assuming you have smcFanControl
 
Blackforge said:
I just received my MBP 15 500GB 7200RPM 4GB AG yesterday and have been doing some light use today and I know I have at least had more than 3.5 hours of usage out of it. The most work it did was probably Outlook 2011 syncing my 850MB Exchange 2010 mailbox over the 802.11g wireless, so it took awhile. Interspersed with web surfing and some youtube stuff.

It hasn't been on the charger since about 9AM Central this morning (10PM now). Still shows an hour and half left. Also just slightly warm to the touch relatively idle (42C fans at ~2000RPM). Doing 8 threads of "yes > /dev/null &" pushes it up temporarily to 90C, but drops to 80C (according to iStat). Not too bad so far.

So definitely seems like you might have a bum unit.
Click to expand...


I don't think I've ever seen it on 42. It's idle temp is about 60-65...
 
schnb said:
Quite a few. Although been having some other issues (which are my fault not the machines) - Apple is refusing to read NTFS whilst in OSX, I think it's because of the drivers I had when I migrated my past Mac account on to my new machine. Makes no difference though, as it does read whilst booting in any other OS, e.g. how I got Windows 7 installed (and I did 3 clean installs of that, whilst I was trying to troubleshoot everything). Looked on other forums too, and apparently everyone else is having the same problems. Tried XP SP1, SP2 and SP3 install disks... nothing.
Click to expand...

Well thanks for trying all that to save me the time. Although I'm probably still going to try a few times myself. Maybe someone will find a way to squeeze XP onto there, I know more than a few people would be happy to see it.

rEFIt is a great little program, but it stopped working for me with the latest 10.6.7 update, and because of that I think it's unlikely to work on such a new machine, at least until an update for rEFIt comes out.

Spike
 
Spikestrip said:
Well thanks for trying all that to save me the time. Although I'm probably still going to try a few times myself. Maybe someone will find a way to squeeze XP onto there, I know more than a few people would be happy to see it.

rEFIt is a great little program, but it stopped working for me with the latest 10.6.7 update, and because of that I think it's unlikely to work on such a new machine, at least until an update for rEFIt comes out.

Spike
Click to expand...

Indeed - I'm sure someone will have found a way within a few months! Shame about rEFIt too... and without 10.6.7 there are display issues on the new machines, so not worth rolling back.. Let's hope they update rEFIt soon- I get quite paranoid without it!
 
Blackforge said:
Whoops, should have said I had the 2.2 in my MBP stats above. Right now my idle is between 39-42C :D So definitely happy so far.
Click to expand...

same one i have.
admittedly it's on my lap right now, but i'm currently on 71C and i'm typing in to safari using integrated. with 2% cpu. come on.



but yes sounds like i'm possibly with a defect... so i'll see what they recommend.
thanks for your advice everyone! :D
 
schnb said:
same one i have.
admittedly it's on my lap right now, but i'm currently on 71C and i'm typing in to safari using integrated. with 2% cpu. come on.



but yes sounds like i'm possibly with a defect... so i'll see what they recommend.
thanks for your advice everyone! :D
Click to expand...

Yep on my lap too. Sooooo unless you run about 30C hotter than me...
 
schnb said:
I don't think I've ever seen it on 42. It's idle temp is about 60-65...
Click to expand...

If it's idling at 60-65 C, take it back right away for a new one. That's too hot for just idling. That would make me think that something is running in the background causing it to idle that hot. :eek: My MBP hits 60-65 C only if I'm watching videos on YouTube, or anything else that uses flash.
 
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