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MB. Apple could make room by changing the battery cells dimensions or shaving altering the thickness of the case, so that there is greater internal space. They just did both these things for the Macbook Pros, according to iFixit. But you are essentially correct that there is no empty free space for them to place it with the current components.
 
MB. Apple could make room by changing the battery cells dimensions or shaving altering the thickness of the case, so that there is greater internal space. They just did both these things for the Macbook Pros, according to iFixit. But you are essentially correct that there is no empty free space for them to place it with the current components.
Not going to help - not enough PCI-e lanes. They can't even route one USB-C 3.1 gen 2 port instead of gen 1. They either need 1-2 more PCI-e lanes in the CPU (have never been in Intel roadmap so not likely to happen), next PCI-e version for better throughput with the same amount of lanes (will likely happen not earlier than 2022) or controller included (was in Intel roadmap for Cannonlake). Currently there is no way to include anything but one USB-C 3.1 gen 1 port.
 
Not going to help - not enough PCI-e lanes. They can't even route one USB-C 3.1 gen 2 port instead of gen 1. They either need 1-2 more PCI-e lanes in the CPU (have never been in Intel roadmap so not likely to happen), next PCI-e version for better throughput with the same amount of lanes (will likely happen not earlier than 2022) or controller included (was in Intel roadmap for Cannonlake). Currently there is no way to include anything but one USB-C 3.1 gen 1 port.

You are probably correct. However, Intel has not revealed the specifics for Amber Lake, and there is hope they have increased the number of cpu lanes. We should know for sure shortly.
 
Not going to help - not enough PCI-e lanes. They can't even route one USB-C 3.1 gen 2 port instead of gen 1. They either need 1-2 more PCI-e lanes in the CPU (have never been in Intel roadmap so not likely to happen), next PCI-e version for better throughput with the same amount of lanes (will likely happen not earlier than 2022) or controller included (was in Intel roadmap for Cannonlake). Currently there is no way to include anything but one USB-C 3.1 gen 1 port.
I thought the Gen 1 vs Gen 2 was a chipset limitation?
 
I am rocking a 2017 MacBook Pro No TB and to be honest, I am seriously considering switching to a MacBook. Even though I have the i7 version of it, portability and mobility really trumps over everything else. 900 grams laptop is way better on your back and shoulder on a daily basis compared to 1.4 KGs. In addition, I am not a fan of the huge touchpad as it actually makes my cursor go crazy sometimes when typing. While I appreciate the 13" screen and the crispness of it, the 12" is good enough for me for a reduced size.
 
I also have the 2017 MBP w/o TB with 16gb ram which is nice but the battery draining so fast.
Using the MacBook 12" is light and really good battery life but I will definitely not getting the m3 with 8gb ram next time. Should be i5 (I understand this is the "fake" i5) with 16gb ram but afraid the battery life is not good as the m3 one.

Anyone got comment with their upgraded spec MacBook 12"?
 
I also have the 2017 MBP w/o TB with 16gb ram which is nice but the battery draining so fast.
Using the MacBook 12" is light and really good battery life but I will definitely not getting the m3 with 8gb ram next time. Should be i5 (I understand this is the "fake" i5) with 16gb ram but afraid the battery life is not good as the m3 one.

Anyone got comment with their upgraded spec MacBook 12"?
I have the 16 GB m3 12" MacBook and IMO battery life is decent, but I don't have an 8 GB version with which to compare.
 
I have the 16 GB m3 12" MacBook and IMO battery life is decent, but I don't have an 8 GB version with which to compare.
The 12" MacBook I have is Early 2016. It's laggy when scrolling Gmail website on Safari. Does it happened on yours?
 
My m5/8/512 2016 model is fast enough to edit photos, use Scrivener, Chrome, Spotify, Safari (yes, I use two browsers at once), Evernote, Sonos app all at the same time. The only time I ever noticed throttling was when I connected a DVD drive and used Handbrake. And I LOVE the form factor. Now that I worry less about the keyboard dying on me it's more or less perfect for all I do. I use my Hackintosh perhaps once a week when working on music. Depending on the speed and price of next gen I might replace my 2016 with a maxed out 2018 and get rid of the Hackintosh entirely.
 
The 12" MacBook I have is Early 2016. It's laggy when scrolling Gmail website on Safari. Does it happened on yours?
It doesn't feel laggy to me. Do you have the 2016 Core m3? Because if so, the 2017 Core m3 is significantly faster.

2017 m3-7Y32 is roughly 20-35% faster than 2016 m3-6Y30. 2018 is probably going to be significantly faster again.
 
It doesn't feel laggy to me. Do you have the 2016 Core m3? Because if so, the 2017 Core m3 is significantly faster.

2017 m3-7Y32 is roughly 20-35% faster than 2016 m3-6Y30. 2018 is probably going to be significantly faster again.
Yup. Mine is 1.1 GHz Core m3 (M3-6Y30)
 
I also have the 2017 MBP w/o TB with 16gb ram which is nice but the battery draining so fast.
Using the MacBook 12" is light and really good battery life but I will definitely not getting the m3 with 8gb ram next time. Should be i5 (I understand this is the "fake" i5) with 16gb ram but afraid the battery life is not good as the m3 one.

Anyone got comment with their upgraded spec MacBook 12"?


Is there anything specific you would like to know? I've been a little silly . . . I purchased a 2015 Macbook (mid range cpu). And then upgrade to a 2017 Macbook (mid range cpu; 16gb ram). I usually update my computers far less often, and while this is not my "workhorse" machine and I find that I can do much more, concurrently, than before.

I suspected that having double the ram would be the biggest change, and it definitely has been. I can run three small to medium-sized VMs (obviously not very cpu hungry, but reasonable installations). I am very "tab happy" in my browsers, and I can keep a lot of them open . . . especially when I use Chrome. I use FF, Safari, and Chrome, and while Safari definitely seems to perform the best overall in that it uses less resources, I do use some Chrome-specific plugins and have reason to use more than one browser at a time. I do not really use it that much, but I do use Final Cut, and the added memory has been noticeable there, too. Finally, I use some poorly optimized (I think) work applications that are memory hungry.

Less important but still noticeable have been the cpu/gpu changes. The 2017 cpu is both faster in cpu demanding tasks, but it is also faster in gpu tasks. Redrawing the screen with lots of windows doing things on an external monitor is noticeably faster on the 2017 machine. This is true for a 3440 x 1440 at 60hz monitor, and a 4k at 60hz monitor (though the 2015 was only able to run the 4k monitor at 30hz). Some of that may have gotten better with the latest OS, but some of it was immediately apparent when I switched (so same OS).

If you can want and/or can handle the small screen (or where necessary use an external monitor), it has been a great machine for me. I have TBs of data and media, so it is never going to be my only machine. Even so . . . I do a lot of work on this computer, and I would guesstimate I use it 50-60% of the time and rarely run into an issue.

Like others, I have to stress that the weight difference is noticeable and pleasant. I still need to move around a modern 15" and 13" Macbook Pro at times, and the differences of 2lbs and 1lbs are noticeable and unpleasant. I feel like a bit of a wuss for thinking that, but it is definitely true. I am right there with everyone who would prefer Apple put in a second USB C port (or even TB3). But I am not willing to give up the form factor to achieve it. If it was my only machine, I probably would . . . especially with the extra cores and ram options in the newest Pros.
 
Less important but still noticeable have been the cpu/gpu changes. The 2017 cpu is both faster in cpu demanding tasks, but it is also faster in gpu tasks. Redrawing the screen with lots of windows doing things on an external monitor is noticeably faster on the 2017 machine. This is true for a 3440 x 1440 at 60hz monitor, and a 4k at 60hz monitor (though the 2015 was only able to run the 4k monitor at 30hz). Some of that may have gotten better with the latest OS, but some of it was immediately apparent when I switched (so same OS).
1) I wonder how much of the window redrawing etc. is CPU limited. The reason I ask is because both Broadwell's 5300 GT2 and Kaby Lake's HD 615 GT2 have the same paper specs of 24 execution units, 192 shaders, and 900 MHz clock speed (for m3), with a max speed of 345.6 GFlops (for m3).

But then again when I look at the PassMark G3D scores, the HD 615 is way faster.

https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+5300&id=2921
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+615&id=3593

I'm not sure how this test works though, and I wonder if some of the speed is CPU dependent.

2) The 2015 MacBook now supports 4K 60 Hz.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/ht206587

You need the right HDMI adapter though.

BTW, How would you rate the the 4K 60 Hz experience on the MacBook 2017? I understand it's much faster than on the 2015, but is it sufficient for all your needs? Or do you wish for even faster?
 
1) I wonder how much of the window redrawing etc. is CPU limited. The reason I ask is because both Broadwell's 5300 GT2 and Kaby Lake's HD 615 GT2 have the same paper specs of 24 execution units, 192 shaders, and 900 MHz clock speed (for m3), with a max speed of 345.6 GFlops (for m3). But then when I look at the PassMark G3D scores, the HD 615 is way faster.

https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+5300&id=2921
https://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=Intel+HD+615&id=3593

I'm not sure how this test works though.

2) The 2015 MacBook now supports 4K 60 Hz.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/ht206587

You need the right HDMI adapter though.

How would rate the the 4K 60 Hz experience on the MacBook 2017? I understand it's much faster than on the 2015, but is it sufficient for all your needs? Or do you wish for even faster?

1) Indeed maybe CPU(frequency)-limited/related. I am not sure. Could be more about memory throughput/timings, too. I am not sure if the percentage gain I saw is around the same as these benchmarks show . . . this was an eyeball thing for me at the time . . . but it seems reasonable.

2) Good catch. I definitely had not seen this when I upgraded . . . not quite sure when this happened. . . presumably on or before the last page update, but that was Feb of this year. I tried everything I could think of at the time, including spending some time with a senior "Genius".
 
I had seen this Japanese article over a month ago but then forgot the details. I just reviewed it again today and realized one important point. That article suggests that while Cannon Lake 10 nm is missing in action, the Platform Controller Hub developed for Cannon Lake will be used with Amber Lake, which makes sense since this PCH is 14 nm, not 10 nm.

https://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/column/ubiq/1126720.html

Why does this matter? Because according to that article, CNL's PCH includes 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB-C 3.1, which is double the speed of the current 5 Gbps USB-C.

That's the good news. The bad news is that it confirms there will no be Thunderbolt 3. That article suggests Thunderbolt 3 will arrive with Ice Lake's PCH, in 2019 at the earliest.

BTW, judging by these various specks of information, my guess is that Thunderbolt 3 was originally supposed to be integrated by 2017, but now that has been pushed back until at least 2019.
 
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...Why does this matter? Because according to that article, CNL's PCH includes 10 Gbps Gen 2 USB-C 3.1, which is double the speed of the current 5 Gbps USB-C...

That would be good enough for me! 4K display + USB 3 speeds is what I and many others (I assume) want.

Will most current docks, adaptors, USB-C monitors support this or are they technically stuck at Gen 1 speeds? It will be interesting to see how they market these things. It's already quite confusing for the non techy user.
 
Was just wondering, coz I’m a non-techie person, how does performance differ between cannon lake, amber lake and kaby lake? Is it noticeable when you do simple tasks like word processing, surfing the Net with multiple tabs open and watching videos on Netflix or something?
 
That would be good enough for me! 4K display + USB 3 speeds is what I and many others (I assume) want.

Will most current docks, adaptors, USB-C monitors support this or are they technically stuck at Gen 1 speeds? It will be interesting to see how they market these things. It's already quite confusing for the non techy user.
USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 won't give you 4K + USB 3.

Was just wondering, coz I’m a non-techie person, how does performance differ between cannon lake, amber lake and kaby lake? Is it noticeable when you do simple tasks like word processing, surfing the Net with multiple tabs open and watching videos on Netflix or something?
Cannon Lake Y doesn't really exist yet.

Amber Lake Y hasn't been seen in the wild yet, so we have no benchmarks. However, it should be faster than Kaby Lake Y.

However, for all the things you mentioned, it probably won't make a huge difference. It may make a difference with really complex websites when you're running a whole bunch at a time, but for the most part I find even my Kaby Lake Y setup is fine.

This is not true for the 2015 Broadwell models though. Those felt slower to me.

Personally if I were looking to buy now, I'd probably just go for a Core i5 2018 model. The Core m3 2017 is fine, but the Core i5 2018 should be significantly faster, giving it more of a cushion for future usability, esp. if you get it with 16 GB RAM.
 
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I'd probably just go for a Core i5 2018 model.
I assume you mean 2017, right?

Cannon Lake Y doesn't really exist yet.

Amber Lake Y hasn't been seen in the wild yet, so we have no benchmarks. However, it should be faster than Kaby Lake Y.
And this is why I no longer try to figure out anything more complicated than "8th gen". You haven't even mentioned Coffee Lake, Whiskey Lake, and possibly upcoming Espresso Lake, I've Got A Headache Give Me Paracetamol Lake, and The Pit Of Confusion Lake.
 
EugW’s “now” means couple of months lol
“Looking to buy” as in weighing the options. Most people have an existing functional computer so they can usually afford to wait a bit. However, if you had asked me in January, I would have recommended the 2017 m3 or i5, depending upon how much storage was needed.
 
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“Looking to buy” as in weighing the options. Most people have an existing functional computer so they can usually afford to wait a bit. However, if you had asked me in January, I would have recommended the 2017 m3 or i5, depending upon how much storage was needed.

That’s exactly the position I’m in at the moment “weighing up the options”, if it was January or earlier and Apple had released the new MacBook Pro’s I would of brought one rather than wait for the 2018 MacBook update, BUT considering we are probably going to see updates in either September or October it would be very silly of me to buy last years model now, especially when I have a functioning MacBook Pro (even tho it’s a slow 2011 one) and 2012 iMac at home.

My current position is in waiting to see what the 12” MacBook gets but also what the LONG rumoured/leaked 13” MacBook will have before ultimately deciding.

If the 12” has a nice spec update, True Tone display then it will be a buy for me on day one

Or

If the rumoured 13” has a Retina display and True Tone, I will be tempted (depending on design). If it’s the same as the 12” MacBook but bigger then I will probably get the 13” version.

The MacBook Pro 13” is tempting especially with the quad core processor but the 12” MacBook has a great design and is probably more suited to what I need rather than over doing it spec wise with the MacBook Pro.
 
That’s exactly the position I’m in at the moment “weighing up the options”, if it was January or earlier and Apple had released the new MacBook Pro’s I would of brought one rather than wait for the 2018 MacBook update, BUT considering we are probably going to see updates in either September or October it would be very silly of me to buy last years model now, especially when I have a functioning MacBook Pro (even tho it’s a slow 2011 one) and 2012 iMac at home.
Which MacBook Pro do you have? If you have something like an i5-2435M, an Amber Lake Y i5-8200Y would be significantly faster, but may not be quite as fast as you might have hoped considering it's 7 years later.

Furthermore, your 2012 iMac is likely faster than all of the 2018 MacBooks.

In contrast, a 2018 MacBook Pro quad would wipe the floor with all the above machines.

My current position is in waiting to see what the 12” MacBook gets but also what the LONG rumoured/leaked 13” MacBook will have before ultimately deciding.

If the 12” has a nice spec update, True Tone display then it will be a buy for me on day one

Or

If the rumoured 13” has a Retina display and True Tone, I will be tempted (depending on design). If it’s the same as the 12” MacBook but bigger then I will probably get the 13” version.

The MacBook Pro 13” is tempting especially with the quad core processor but the 12” MacBook has a great design and is probably more suited to what I need rather than over doing it spec wise with the MacBook Pro.
I would be quite surprised if it got a True Tone display. Apple needs to keep costs down on these.
 
Which MacBook Pro do you have? If you have something like an i5-2435M, an Amber Lake Y i5-8200Y would be significantly faster, but may not be quite as fast as you might have hoped considering it's 7 years later.

Furthermore, your 2012 iMac is likely faster than all of the 2018 MacBooks.


I would be quite surprised if it got a True Tone display. Apple needs to keep costs down on these.

I have the 2011 MacBook Pro core i7 I think it was.
 
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