New Retina MacBook Pro Processor Bumps Offer Minor 3-5% Performance Improvements

[MacRumors]

Following last week's introduction of new processors for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Primate Labs has analyzed benchmarks coming in from the new machines through the company's popular Geekbench 2 software.

Unsurprisingly, the benchmarks reveal a roughly 3-5% increase in Geekbench scores for each of the processor bumps. For the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Apple bumped each of the three available processors by 100 MHz, accounting for the minor benchmark improvements.

One thing to note is that the new mid-range Retina MacBook Pro has the same speed processor as the old high-end Retina MacBook Pro. However, the new mid-range model is slightly slower than the old high-end model. While this seems surprising at first, the difference is easily explained by comparing the two processors: the old high-end processor has more cache than the new mid-range processor.

For the 13-inch lineup, the 100 MHz speed bumps were limited to machines based on the high-end stock configuration starting at 256 GB of storage, with those machines also seeing a 3-5% improvement in Geekbench scores.

Aside from the processor improvements for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Apple also reduced pricing on the 13-inch models by $200-$300, increased RAM on the high-end 15-inch stock configuration, and reduced pricing on storage options.

Article Link: New Retina MacBook Pro Processor Bumps Offer Minor 3-5% Performance Improvements

 

[Smartass]

Stick to phones and tablets Apple.

 

[noiseordinance]

Stick to phones and tablets Apple.

I'm pretty sure that's what they are currently doing. There hasn't been a single update to the rMBP in over 4 months. I know I will not be buying an Apple laptop / desktop again unless they do a major overhaul in their approach at conducting business.

 

[barkmonster]

Stick to phones and tablets Apple.

But they're a computer company first and a gadget company second, it's just the gadgets are available for far less than a Mac and sell in far higher quantity. They've been offering very slim laptops with decent enough specs for quite some years before the Windows Ultrabook/Google Chromebook systems came out to "try" and compete with them and only beat them on cost.

 

[lunarworks]

Stick to phones and tablets Apple.

Well, they could have simply not bumped the processors... would that have been better?

 

[Imory]

I'm pretty sure that's what they are currently doing. There hasn't been a single update to the rMBP in over 4 months. I know I will not be buying an Apple laptop / desktop again unless they do a major overhaul in their approach at conducting business.

Not a single update in over 4 months? Is that considered a long time? Apple has pretty much always released a major overhaul/change once every year, and I don't see why that has to change when it comes to their laptops.

 

[G4DP]

I'm pretty sure that's what they are currently doing. There hasn't been a single update to the rMBP in over 4 months. I know I will not be buying an Apple laptop / desktop again unless they do a major overhaul in their approach at conducting business.

Bo bl***y ho, no update in 4 months try waiting 2 years to buy an updated damn computer.

 

[barkmonster]

still, macbooks are a waste of money.

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Yes it would be because then they wouldn't look like they're totally incompetent. 3-5% boost? really?

Based on what? The opinion of someone who just uses facebook and plays angry birds?

There's loads of uses for a Macbook that couldn't be done with some tablet toy or lousy netbook/chromebook that's only geared up as a glorified browser/email client. Think on-location video editing, DJs/EDM Producers, people in the design industry who need a decent system and OS to use with robust system-wide colour management and accurate font-rendering or people who simply want the option of not running Windows as their OS of choice and don't want to get all geeky and opt for a compromising nightmare of open source nonsense.

 

[noiseordinance]

Not a single update in over 4 months? Is that considered a long time? Apple has pretty much always released a major overhaul/change once every year, and I don't see why that has to change when it comes to their laptops.

Let's see... Safari is totally ruined on rMBP (CSS not rendered correctly on half the websites, blank white pages), mouse and keyboard become unresponsive when switching GPU, background resets after every reboot, stuttering audio, etc. Yeah, I guess you're right... I should have to wait a year for these to be fixed, as should countless others who complain about the same exact problems.

 

[noiseordinance]

Bo bl***y ho, no update in 4 months try waiting 2 years to buy an updated damn computer.

I'm talking about waiting several months for fixes to the plethora of issues plaguing the current generation of rMBP. See, I'm complaining about something that I've already paid for. You're waiting 2 years to buy an updated computer? How about you try getting a job and just buy a new computer that currently exists. That usually works well for people. Or you can just cry about it. Then maybe you can collect all your tears, bring it into the Apple store and see if you can trade them in for a magical new product that doesn't exist.

 

[stycool24]

I love my rMacbook pro, the screen is amazing, I bought it in the first week it came out. I am a software developer and it is one of the top investments I have ever made. I used HP's and Dell's before and their user experience is nothing compared to this laptop's. But I won't be upgrading it until a much better processor and GPU come out.

 

[alsec]

Stick to phones and tablets Apple.

I hope they don't just stick to phones and tablets. Apple's computers are awesome, especially considering the need for bootcamp. Makes my work life a lot easier!

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Sounds like most people here are confused. Apple does not make the CPU.

 

[JaySoul]

They hit a speed bump.

 

[Aluminum213]

Never buy first generation apple hardware, so many flaws with rMBP, even worse with the 13"

Can't wait to get gen 2 15"retina this fall though

 

[Mike MA]

Better than nothing.

 

[PinoyAko]

My safari will be much more snappier with these performance improvements.

 

[winston1236]

But they're a computer company first and a gadget company second, it's just the gadgets are available for far less than a Mac and sell in far higher quantity. They've been offering very slim laptops with decent enough specs for quite some years before the Windows Ultrabook/Google Chromebook systems came out to "try" and compete with them and only beat them on cost.

Apple is a phone tablet company first. Dont even get me started on the mac pro abandonment.

 

[ka-spot]

$200-300 less... holy-moly!

 

[centauratlas]

Just don't sell them in Brazil....

 

[h1r0ll3r]

It's still faster than my 2010 MBP that's for sure.

 

[ctdonath]

There hasn't been a single update to the rMBP in over 4 months.

...he says in response to an article starting with "Following last week's introduction of new processors for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup".

 

[gnasher729]

Just don't sell them in Brazil....

You're assuming that just because Apple gets sued for improving its products they couldn't be also sued for not improving their products. By the same people.

 

[barkmonster]

Build to order prices still a joke though.

I was just looking at the non-retina 15" and think £80 for a higher resolution matte display is fine, £160 for another 300Mhz of CPU and double the GPU RAM is just about bearable but £360 more for another 400Mhz, another 2Mb in CPU cache and double the GPU RAM is excessive. Then you look at the basic storage and RAM and it's even more money grabbing:

Drives

Give back 500Gb 5400rpm HDD -£0.00 (Approximate value £35 for Hitachi Travelstar) + either...

Option 1: A faster, bigger HDD
Add 750Gb 7200rpm HDD +£120 (Approximate value £62 for Scorpio Black)

Option 2: A faster, smaller SSD
Add 128Gb SSD +£160 (Approximately value £107 for Vertex 4)

Those drives are worth no more than a token amount more than that in BTO charges. £30 at most.

RAM

Give back 4Gb -£0.00 (Appoximate value £25.19 based on Crucial RAM prices) +

Add 8Gb +£80 (Approximate value £43.19 based on Crucial RAM prices)

The increase is worth no more than £20 at most. If user installable RAM was possible, you could get a 16Gb kit for £76.79!!!

 

[TomA]

For those saying Apple laptops are too expensive, have you seen the specs and pricing on Google's latest offering?

$1300, for a 13-inch, 3.3 lbs, 32 GB!HD, USB2 laptop.

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You're assuming that just because Apple gets sued for improving its products they couldn't be also sued for not improving their products. By the same people.

Brazillian courts are loony. Always have been.