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Question about Macbook Pro Processor Speed

K

kjvmartin

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 11, 2016
372
667
Detroit
I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro with a 2.4 GHz Intel i5 processor.

I have been considering ordering the latest version, but the base 13" is equipped with a 2.0 GHz processor. This has given me some pause, as it's "on paper" not as good as my 2.4 GHz, correct?

The touch bar version 13" has a 2.9 GHz Intel i5 processor.

Is there something "behind the scenes" that would make the newer 2.0 GHz processor machine work as well as my 2.5 GHz or do I need the touch bar version to see a noticeable increase? Also, does an average user need to spring for 16 gigs of ram? I don't use much software besides the default apps. Mine still runs great and is under AppleCare until June 2017. What will I notice if I switch as far as usability/performance? Thanks

kjvm
 
GHz is one of the last things you should look at when comparing different processors from different years. GHz is just a measure of cycles. What the processor can do in a cycle is what matters. L3 cache and other things are important. But in the end, it's about how the processor performs. What you should look at is benchmarks.

GHz doesn't provide you with any "on paper" information, on its own.

Where GHz does matter if you're comparing effectively the same two processors, and one clocks higher than the other. Similarly, if a nearly identical processor has a bigger L3 cache, it potentially will perform better in benchmarks. Don't pay attention to GHz, or cache, or anything else when making a decision. Just look to benchmarks.
 
The Skylake CPU can sustain a turbo frequency up to 3.1GHz on both cores, which is where a good chunk of the difference comes in when compared to your 2013 which maxes out at 2.9GHz, and only on a single core I believe.
 
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mikeo007 said:
The Skylake CPU can sustain a turbo frequency up to 3.1GHz on both cores, which is where a good chunk of the difference comes in when compared to your 2013 which maxes out at 2.9GHz, and only on a single core I believe.
Click to expand...

Interesting.

Thanks for the reply. I know the SSD is newer technology, the ram is newer technology, but I assumed since it said i5, everything was the same. I wasn't sure if I had to spring for a higher price tag to see much improvement.
 
Decided to pull the trigger thanks to Microcenter having it on sale....I went from my late 2013 MBP with the 2.4GHz and just upgraded to the base 2016 MBP 2.0GHz.

Overall, it feels like a side grade in terms of performance. The new one takes a bit longer to boot up, but runs a hair faster doing day-to-day tasks.
 
kjvmartin said:
Decided to pull the trigger thanks to Microcenter having it on sale....I went from my late 2013 MBP with the 2.4GHz and just upgraded to the base 2016 MBP 2.0GHz.

Overall, it feels like a side grade in terms of performance. The new one takes a bit longer to boot up, but runs a hair faster doing day-to-day tasks.
Click to expand...
Surprised to hear that the new one takes a bit longer to boot up, consider not restoring from Time Machine if you did, and start fresh. If not, I'm not sure why either.
 
It's interesting. I was always surprised by how well the 2013 maintained a fast boot speed, even after multiple OS updates and running it hard over 3 years. This one takes just slightly longer to fully boot after entering my login. It gets to the login screen in the same amount of time. I did not restore from a Time Machine, since everything is pretty much in the cloud these days anyway. I do have a time machine backup on a Time Capsule.

I like the feel of the new keyboard, I like the display (though it's actually too bright at night at full on), and I like the feel of the machine.

Can you believe, there are like ZERO cases available for sale anywhere. Can't take this space gray scratch magnet anywhere for a while.

kjvm
 
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