New MacBook Pro 6,1 on Geekbench!!

[mastermind6192]

Marketing 101

This is all simply a marketing gimmick. They are releasing a controlled leak to get our faith in a new MBP. This creates hype for the company, which is priceless.The specs could be a fake, but it's a bit too much of a coincidence seeing that they are due for an update.Apple is known for doing this, simply look at the post before any refresh or new product (the iPad is an big example).You can't fool me Steve

 

[localoid]

This is all simply a marketing gimmick. They are releasing a controlled leak to get our faith in a new MBP. This creates hype for the company, which is priceless.The specs could be a fake, but it's a bit too much of a coincidence seeing that they are due for an update.Apple is known for doing this, simply look at the post before any refresh or new product (the iPad is an big example).You can't fool me Steve

Apparently, "Steve" was too cheap to pay the $19.95 to buy Geekbench, otherwise we'd be able to review the 64-bit results.

 

[commander.data]

The future CPU parts are easy to figure out. The difficultly is what to do for the GPU. Calling a notebook a "pro" with intel's awful integrated GPU would be a joke.

The key is Nvidia's new switchable Optimus 40nm 40 "CUDA core" GPU that I think loses its NDA this upcoming week - Feb 8-12 - based on a well placed source. For comparison, the 9400M only has 16 "CUDA cores". It will be designed to use as little power as possible, especially when the Intel GPU is suitable for 2D use like internet and video decoding, so it doesn't have a huge impact on battery life.

13" MB (possibly not released until May along with new MBA, possible lower price)
$999 - 2.26Ghz Core i3 350M (w/ Intel GPU)

13" MBP
$1200 - 2.4Ghz Core i5 520M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech
$1500 - 2.53Ghz Core i5 540M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech

15"
$1600 - 2.53Ghz Core i5 540M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech
$2000 - 2.53Ghz Core i7 620M + real discrete GPU (Nvidia 335M, or ATI 5650M)

17"
$2500 - Core i7 620M + real discrete GPU
Plus BTO options of better GPUs

If nVidia Optimus tech requires a nVidia IGP, then it doesn't seem relevent to the Core i3/i5/i7 seeing that nVidia doesn't have a DMI license to connect their own chipset. If they connect it via PCIe link, then it's basically a discrete GPU and you might as well go with ATI's 5000 series which is more forward looking supporting DX11 and supposedly OpenCL 1.1. Unless Optimus is some breakthrough to allow nVidia to make chipsets for Nehalem and family, Optimus is simply the last gasp of nVidia's Core 2 Duo/Quad FSB license.

The other way would be that Optimus has nothing to do with nVidia IGPs, and actually works with Intel IGPs and nVidia discrete GPUs. Which would be very generous of nVidia. Of course, dynamic GPU switching would probably be more of a driver feature than hardware feature so ATI could probably implement something similar.

 

[Hexero]

LOL more than 8GB ram on a notebook?!

I think he ment the standard RAM that comes with the computer.

 

[Cali3350]

Please note that these CPU's actually run 4 threads as opposed to the 2 threads Core 2 Duo's worked on. While Hyperthreading is not equivalent to a new core it does give a nice performance boost in heavily threaded applications like photo and video manipulation. I wouldn't be surprised to see ~60% performance improvement in these apps on the new MBP's.

 

[gfiz]

If nVidia Optimus tech requires a nVidia IGP, then it doesn't seem relevent to the Core i3/i5/i7 seeing that nVidia doesn't have a DMI license to connect their own chipset. If they connect it via PCIe link, then it's basically a discrete GPU and you might as well go with ATI's 5000 series which is more forward looking supporting DX11 and supposedly OpenCL 1.1. Unless Optimus is some breakthrough to allow nVidia to make chipsets for Nehalem and family, Optimus is simply the last gasp of nVidia's Core 2 Duo/Quad FSB license.

The other way would be that Optimus has nothing to do with nVidia IGPs, and actually works with Intel IGPs but nVidia GPUs. Which would be very generous of nVidia. Of course, dynamic GPU switching would probably be more of a driver feature than hardware feature so ATI could implement something similar.

it doesn't require an nVidia IGP, that's the whole point and how Nvidia is still trying to stay relevant in the notebook graphic department since they can't license the Nehlalems with their chipsets . This technology (which really already existed, just being re-branded with better features apparently) simply lets their discrete solution work with any integrated solution more optimally.

 

[Demon Hunter]

17"
$2500 - Core i7 620M + real discrete GPU
Plus BTO options of better GPUs

If Apple already underclocks its GPUs, why would it offer a BTO option for an even hotter and higher TDP GPU?

 

[rob2809]

The future CPU parts are easy to figure out. The difficultly is what to do for the GPU. Calling a notebook a "pro" with intel's awful integrated GPU would be a joke.

The key is Nvidia's new switchable Optimus 40nm 40 "CUDA core" GPU that I think loses its NDA this upcoming week - Feb 8-12 - based on a well placed source. For comparison, the 9400M only has 16 "CUDA cores". It will be designed to use as little power as possible, especially when the Intel GPU is suitable for 2D use like internet and video decoding, so it doesn't have a huge impact on battery life.

13" MB (possibly not released until May along with new MBA, possible lower price)
$999 - 2.26Ghz Core i3 350M (w/ Intel GPU)

13" MBP
$1200 - 2.4Ghz Core i5 520M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech
$1500 - 2.53Ghz Core i5 540M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech

15"
$1600 - 2.53Ghz Core i5 540M + Nvidia "Optimus" tech
$2000 - 2.53Ghz Core i7 620M + real discrete GPU (Nvidia 335M, or ATI 5650M)

17"
$2500 - Core i7 620M + real discrete GPU
Plus BTO options of better GPUs

If this were the future specs of de 13"MBP then nobody would buy the higher spec i think. We can be sure that both 13" MBP's are going to have 4GB of ram so the only difference between them would only be 0.1ghz and a bigger HD, which i think isn't enough incentive to buy the higher spec.

I guess that you are right for all the cpu specs but the 13" low spec will have a core i3 and integrated graphics. The 13" higher spec will have 2.4 or 2.53 i5 with dedicated graphics...the same specs as the entry level 15".

It's just guessing ofcourse

 

[neondrgns]

If this were the future specs of de 13"MBP then nobody would buy the higher spec i think. We can be sure that both 13" MBP's are going to have 4GB of ram so the only difference between them would only be 0.1ghz and a bigger HD, which i think isn't enough incentive to buy the higher spec.

I guess that you are right for all the cpu specs but the 13" low spec will have a core i3 and integrated graphics. The 13" higher spec will have 2.4 or 2.53 i5 with dedicated graphics...the same specs as the entry level 15".

It's just guessing ofcourse

the lower end macbook pro will have the same specs as the macbook in the future...I mean if you look at the line up now the macbook pro and the macbook share the same specs...the higher end 13" shares the same specs as the 15" barring the screen size increase...

so mbp 13" low end probably gonna be an i3 and prob not any discrete graphics

 

[rhysmorgan]

Even though LP was demonstrated on a MacPro class machine, I think its main driver is iPad. iPad plug real estate has to be leveraged and since Touch OS is full MacOS with a different GUI, it wouldn't hurt for iPad to be able to talk with a variety of devices with a single dongle, aka dock. I suspect the first iPad will have a Geekbench score of a 2007 MacPro or a 2008 iMac.

Rocketman

Hahaha. Hahahaha!
Are you hoping or joking!?
The iPad will have a Geekbench score of nowhere near the 2007 Mac Pro.
Are you out of your mind!?
And no, iPhone OS isn't full Mac OS with a different GUI.
It's based upon Mac OS X, but nothing like the same thing...

 

[10THzMac]

Well this a fun leak but for me without the i7-720/820/920 genuine 4-core it's a mild performance boost rather than anything usefully new. In UK we can get HP 15in dv6 i7-720 laptops for about 850 GBP now, and the Sony 16in F series are just hitting streets at just over 1k GBP. So paying maybe 50-100% more for OS X on a 620 is a non-starter, especially when there is now so much info on making a hackint0sh. I love my '06 Macbook with the first C2D, so being forced back to windows to get quad core will be ******* annoying.

 

[commander.data]

it doesn't require an nVidia IGP, that's the whole point and how Nvidia is still trying to stay relevant in the notebook graphic department since they can't license the Nehlalems with their chipsets . This technology (which really already existed, just being re-branded with better features apparently) simply lets their discrete solution work with any integrated solution more optimally.

Then I really hope they don't limit to low-end GPUs like this supposed 40SP Optimus tech GPU. I think the real importance of real-time dynamic IGP/GPU switching is for mid and high-end GPUs where the benefits would be greater.

 

[gfiz]

Then I really hope they don't limit to low-end GPUs like this supposed 40SP Optimus tech GPU. I think the real importance of real-time dynamic IGP/GPU switching is for mid and high-end GPUs where the benefits would be greater.

well when they launch "Optimus", it will be a driver application that will be likely be available through all their newer products. And I don't think it will be just switching from one to the other, but also offer you the ability to use both. Like their previous "hybrid" technology.

 

[Andrew07]

Just out of curiosity .... What's wrong with 8GB Ram in a Notebook?? Are you really doing those type of tasks to justify more then 8GB Ram?? Are you aware of the financial ramifications if more ram were to be added for such a notebook at todays current prices??

I do songwriting with quite a few virtual instruments. I actually have no idea what current limitations there are regarding laptop RAM (hence my question) . My current mbp is 28 months old and has 4gb RAM, so 8 gigs will be a nice upgrade. Just was wondering if the next revolution would set that bar higher

 

[SecretAsianMan]

I want the 17". To me the extra screen real estate trumps the decreased portability. Plus I want the ExpressCard slot. All in all if the new MBPs were identical except for screen size I'd still choose the 17".

Honestly, I never found a MBP 17 to be any less portable than a MBP 15. I see both every day at work, and they're so close in size that it takes me a few seconds to discern the size. I seriously doubt there are many surfaces where the 15 fits but the 17 does not.

The increased resolution, however, is fantastic.

 

[SecretAsianMan]

LOL more than 8GB ram on a notebook?!

Yeah. The current EliteBooks, Precisions, and ThinkPad Ws — you know, pro computers — max out at 16GB. Two of my use cases (VMware and Hauptwerk) definitely would benefit from 16GB RAM.

 

[commander.data]

Yeah. The current EliteBooks, Precisions, and ThinkPad Ws — you know, pro computers — max out at 16GB. Two of my use cases (VMware and Hauptwerk) definitely would benefit from 16GB RAM.

Intel only officially supports 1 DIMM per channel so these 4 slot solutions are completely the manufacturers responsibility in terms of stability and warranty.

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/322812.pdf

See the diagram on page 11 and the blurb on page 12.

Using 2-Gb device technologies, the largest memory capacity possible is 8 GB,
assuming dual-channel mode with two x8, double-sided, un-buffered, non-ECC,
SO-DIMM memory configuration

 

[apolloa]

OH MY GOD.... some actually credible news at last!!!!!! Shame we still don't know the GPU but that's the exact CPU I would want to get. Here's hoping for an ATI 5X

 

[cmaier]

Intel only officially supports 1 DIMM per channel so these 4 slot solutions are completely the manufacturers responsibility in terms of stability and warranty.

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/322812.pdf

See the diagram on page 11 and the blurb on page 12.

Oh, how scary. Because the first thing I do when my PCs or Macs die is go get warranty service at Intel.

 

[borcanm]

Would have preferred a 4 core not a 2 core.

 

[SecretAsianMan]

Huh? Yet another dual core MacBook? What is everyone smoking here? Why isn't this buried in negative votes?

Thumbs down from me. Way down.

This is all simply a marketing gimmick. They are releasing a controlled leak to get our faith in a new MBP. This creates hype for the company, which is priceless.

If the GeekBench listing is legit, then sure, it's probably a controlled leak. Given how the online communities are buzzing with anticipation over a MBP refresh, and the talk of non-Apple products, a leak makes sense right now. The supposed leak sends the messages "hold on, the refresh is coming" and "look, people, they may not be quad core, but they're going to perform great". Finally, if it was a leak, it was released in a way that is visible only to the online enthusiast crowd, leaving the great majority of the customer base unaffected.

Pretty smart, if you ask me.

 

[Bumble Bee]

If the GeekBench listing is legit, then sure, it's probably a controlled leak. Given how the online communities are buzzing with anticipation over a MBP refresh, and the talk of non-Apple products, a leak makes sense right now. The supposed leak sends the messages "hold on, the refresh is coming" and "look, people, they may not be quad core, but they're going to perform great". Finally, if it was a leak, it was released in a way that is visible only to the online enthusiast crowd, leaving the great majority of the customer base unaffected.

Which goes to show that they do care about the iPad and the leaks won't hurt the publicity from the main websites and shows

 

[SecretAsianMan]

I didn't buy the new MBPs because of that. They look awful. I like the keys though, but not in black. Silver would be perfect.

This is like on a guitar forum, and I'm telling you that the paint does not make any sound.

 

[commander.data]

Oh, how scary. Because the first thing I do when my PCs or Macs die is go get warranty service at Intel.

I meant it more that supporting 4 SODIMMs per channel isn't just a feature checkbox, but a conscious decision on the part of the manufacturer because any CPU related problems Intel will probably just blame it on the unsupported configuration and the manufacturer takes the full loss instead getting a warranty replacement from Intel. The end user of course wouldn't see any difference from a warranty perspective, but the manufacturer would need to assume additional liability on their books just in case.

And it seems unlikely that Apple would support 4 SODIMMs in the MacBook Pro, when they didn't support 4 SODIMMs in the roomier iMac when it was using mobile chipsets.

 

[jamesryanbell]

Would have preferred a 4 core not a 2 core.

That's the first thing I thought of too. Having said that, the GeekBench scores looks pretty awesome.

Maybe it's a power consumption thing.