I'm not following you here. First you say that they can't use a low-end CPU with integrated graphics and then you suggest that they could use an Arrandale CPU with integrated graphics. However, the latter would be an even worse option than Sandy Bridge, why would they use Arrandale which is last-year's CPU with even slower Intel integrated graphics?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Next 13" MacBook Pro Design Analysis
- Thread starter fpnc
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my posts. As a short follow-up, here is a explanation of why I chose TDP (Thermal Design Power) as a key element in my analysis (adapted from a response in another thread).
My original analysis targeted a TDP that would keep close to the existing MacBook and I did that because I wanted to reference against the single-fan cooling design used in the current 13" MacBooks. That given, if Apple chose to use a more elaborate and/or efficient cooling mechanism then it would probably be possible to design to a higher TDP. In that case, you might also have to use a more advanced or larger battery which again would have meant changes that I did not try to introduce in my analysis. Basically, if I had suggested a design with a higher TDP than the current MacBook I would have had to introduce some "hand-waving" to support that position which is something that I did not want to do.
Given the above, if Apple makes changes to create a 13" design with the ability to handle a higher TDP then all sorts of possibilities could emerge. That would include using a discrete GPU with the standard 35W TDP Sandy Bridge processor, but as I've said before it would probably cost you and I don't expect a discrete GPU in the next 13" MacBook Pro refresh.
My original analysis targeted a TDP that would keep close to the existing MacBook and I did that because I wanted to reference against the single-fan cooling design used in the current 13" MacBooks. That given, if Apple chose to use a more elaborate and/or efficient cooling mechanism then it would probably be possible to design to a higher TDP. In that case, you might also have to use a more advanced or larger battery which again would have meant changes that I did not try to introduce in my analysis. Basically, if I had suggested a design with a higher TDP than the current MacBook I would have had to introduce some "hand-waving" to support that position which is something that I did not want to do.
Given the above, if Apple makes changes to create a 13" design with the ability to handle a higher TDP then all sorts of possibilities could emerge. That would include using a discrete GPU with the standard 35W TDP Sandy Bridge processor, but as I've said before it would probably cost you and I don't expect a discrete GPU in the next 13" MacBook Pro refresh.
I'm sorry, I meant discrete graphics.
Anyway yesterady news proved me wrong and you right...we are going to have to swallow a crappy Intel graphics this time around...
I blame Intel in the first place, I really really hope we will see a new discrete graphic card in the next next (end of the year at the earliest) MBP iteration.
iFixit has already done a teardown on the new 15" MacBook Pro. Looking at the pictures I can see a few changes from the current MacBooks that would impact the 13" design.
First, both the Intel System Hub and the new Thunderbolt controller have small, passive heatsinks. However, neither is connected to the heat pipes that are used to cool the CPU and discrete GPU so I would still consider this to be a TWO heatsink design (same as the previous generation 15"/17" MacBook Pros and similar to the baseline 13" MacBook Pro I used for this analysis). So, no real change in the required space.
Also, I just realized that I omitted one set of chips that would be required to support a discrete GPU, that being the dedicated graphics memory for the GPU. Yes, a big oversight.
However, when looking at the current 15" MacBook Pro design you can see that Apple has mounted the graphics memory to the bottomside (or backside) of the motherboard and if you look at the pictures from the mid-2009, 13" MacBook Pro you can see that the backside of the motherboard has quite a bit of what looks to be empty space. So, it seems reasonable that Apple could also use that same space for any graphics memory that would be required for a 13" design that had a discrete GPU. So, I'm also calling this a non-issue (fortunate for my sake).
We'll have to wait to see what the inside of the new 13" MacBook Pro will look like, but I'm expecting one big difference that will highlight the changes that the Sandy Bridge architecture brings to the new design. It should have only one active heatsink, down from the two that are used in the baseline Core 2 Duo design. As previously noted, that means we have "room" for a second heatsink for a dedicated GPU (it would basically go into the same space occupied by the NVIDIA 9400M/320M in the previous 13" designs).
First, both the Intel System Hub and the new Thunderbolt controller have small, passive heatsinks. However, neither is connected to the heat pipes that are used to cool the CPU and discrete GPU so I would still consider this to be a TWO heatsink design (same as the previous generation 15"/17" MacBook Pros and similar to the baseline 13" MacBook Pro I used for this analysis). So, no real change in the required space.
Also, I just realized that I omitted one set of chips that would be required to support a discrete GPU, that being the dedicated graphics memory for the GPU. Yes, a big oversight.
However, when looking at the current 15" MacBook Pro design you can see that Apple has mounted the graphics memory to the bottomside (or backside) of the motherboard and if you look at the pictures from the mid-2009, 13" MacBook Pro you can see that the backside of the motherboard has quite a bit of what looks to be empty space. So, it seems reasonable that Apple could also use that same space for any graphics memory that would be required for a 13" design that had a discrete GPU. So, I'm also calling this a non-issue (fortunate for my sake).
We'll have to wait to see what the inside of the new 13" MacBook Pro will look like, but I'm expecting one big difference that will highlight the changes that the Sandy Bridge architecture brings to the new design. It should have only one active heatsink, down from the two that are used in the baseline Core 2 Duo design. As previously noted, that means we have "room" for a second heatsink for a dedicated GPU (it would basically go into the same space occupied by the NVIDIA 9400M/320M in the previous 13" designs).