The MBP for "Power users" Used to be the 17"

[gadgetfreaky]

We've got a lot of users upset about the thermals on the new 15" MBP. Basically if you buy an i9 or even the upgrades i7 your performance is likely to be throttled down to the the period year's laptop.

Isn't this a physics problem? Before the "Power Users" could get the 17" MBP for the best CPU/GPU combos. Apple was also a lot more able to keep specs higher because there was a ton more cooling in a 17" frame.

The 17" had issues because it didn't sell as well as the smaller MBP because it was too big and heavy but now with reduced bezels and other shrinkage we could make it much smaller and lighter. In the end it'd probably only have to be 1 inch bigger and a little heavier than the current 15".

isn't the problem that all the users who want the powerful creative tool- just have much smaller footprints to deal with now? Would brining back a larger screen option solve this?

 

[leman]

Isn't this a physics problem? Before the "Power Users" could get the 17" MBP for the best CPU/GPU combos. Apple was also a lot more able to keep specs higher because there was a ton more cooling in a 17" frame.

Erm, no, the 17" always had identical specs to the 15". It never had faster components. In fact, if I remember correctly, the only noteworthy difference between the two was the inclusion of an extension card slot in certain 17" models (of course, made obsolete by thunderbolt).

 

[gadgetfreaky]

Erm, no, the 17" always had identical specs to the 15". It never had faster components. In fact, if I remember correctly, the only noteworthy difference between the two was the inclusion of an extension card slot in certain 17" models (of course, made obsolete by thunderbolt).

the existing specs don't work in a 15 but could in a 17 because more room for cooling.

 

[leman]

the existing specs don't work in a 15 but could in a 17 because more room for cooling.

I still think that the way forward would be to get CPU innovation back on track (and improve energy efficiency). Designing a completely new chassis just because a single generation of CPUs tends to run hotter doesn't really make that much sense.

 

[gadgetfreaky]

I still think that the way forward would be to get CPU innovation back on track (and improve energy efficiency). Designing a completely new chassis just because a single generation of CPUs tends to run hotter doesn't really make that much sense.

It had the added virtue of brining back the 17inch - it's not the sole reason. The 17 inch didn't sell as well as the 15 since it was too heavy and big. They could shave off an inch and it wouldn't weight much more than the current 15 inch so it'd sell better and be a place to go for higher end configs that need more cooling.

and man....it's a lot more likely soon than either 1) intel successfully getting its die shrink in gear any time soon or 2) the years it will take Apple to have replacement chips of its own for high end i7/i9 chips. (low end different story)

 

[mikethebigo]

I think a lot of these issues will be resolved once Intel succeeds in shrinking to 10nm. These Coffee Lake chips basically were designed for that die shrink, and are overheating because Intel went with the design without the energy efficiency improvements.

I fully expect 10nm to be up to production volume by the second half of next year, and the 2019 MBPs will fix a lot of these issues without adding heft. But, we're not in 2019, so we take what we can get.

I don't think the 17" is coming back, it didn't sell enough, and by current standards, the 15 already seems pretty massive.

 

[gadgetfreaky]

I think a lot of these issues will be resolved once Intel succeeds in shrinking to 10nm. These Coffee Lake chips basically were designed for that die shrink, and are overheating because Intel went with the design without the energy efficiency improvements.

I fully expect 10nm to be up to production volume by the second half of next year, and the 2019 MBPs will fix a lot of these issues without adding heft. But, we're not in 2019, so we take what we can get.

I don't think the 17" is coming back, it didn't sell enough, and by current standards, the 15 already seems pretty massive.

that's just it- Intel is dysfunctional. could easily see them delaying the die shrink for the i7/i9 another year or two

 

[mikethebigo]

that's just it- Intel is dysfunctional. could easily see them delaying the die shrink for the i7/i9 another year or two

I just can't see that happening, we've already been delayed almost 2 years. Intel is desperate to keep Apple's business, and they know they'll be dropped like a bag of bricks if they can't get the die shrink online.

I'm absolutely positive if they can't pull it off Apple will switch to in-house ARM for their MacBooks. It may already be a done deal. There's no way they're happy about this negative press that is *mostly* Intel's fault. It's very possible when they greenlit this design, they were expecting 10nm chips.

 

[gadgetfreaky]

I just can't see that happening, we've already been delayed almost 2 years. Intel is desperate to keep Apple's business, and they know they'll be dropped like a bag of bricks if they can't get the die shrink online.

Another delay in the die shrink for I7/i9 is the most likely outcome right now.

 

[mikethebigo]

Another delay in the die shrink for I7/i9 is the most likely outcome right now.

I hope you're wrong, but at the same time, that would just make me feel better about buying this year lol.

 

[Nozuka]

If there's another delay, Apple might not wait for them. Because if that happens, AMD will likely be the new king.

 

[gadgetfreaky]

If there's another delay, Apple might not wait for them. Because if that happens, AMD will likely be the new king.

In 2021 Apple will likely shift to it's own processors (at least in the lower power models). They might do something like Macbook line=Apple ARM chips and MBP stays Intel.

But for now cooling seems to be the big barrier since Apple has shrunk all of the form factors down at each screen size. Bringing back the 17, we could put all the muscle and cooling into the form factor as a "Pro Machine" and leave the others at lower thermals but with option to plug into eGPU.