This looks like throttling to me...

[Ozy]

So did we come to a conclusion if Fusion will be better than Parallels? or use bootcamp instead?

I just finished fusion, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY faster. There has to be a bug in parallels 10 on the core-m then. It literally took me 12 hours to apply all 200+ patches in Parallels using a 2 CPU/2048MB 64GB VMDK configuration. I replicated this setup in VMware and it was > 5 times as fast.

Neither Virtualization systems seem to be able to get the Core-M to spin up to a very fast turbo mode. VMware sits at ~ 1Ghz but has much snappier response.

So for now, until Parallels fixes their issue, use fusion. I am going to work on the BootCamp install around 2100 after a few meetings.

 

[vigilant]

Oh my. Definitely looks like throttling.

Then again Windows updates can cause weird CPU intensive behaviour even on my SP3 i5.

Seems like its throttling to around 1ghz.

Looking at getting a rMB but windows 8 on a parallels vm is crucial for me - please keep us posted.

If it's crucial you may be better served by a Macbook Pro, or Macbook Air.

I've heard that the previous generation Macbook Air had issues with running VM's over long periods of time as well. My Macbook Pro right now is running like a champ.

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Yes Garbage, especially when it tells me "Installing update 1 of 218" on a fresh Windows 8.1 install.

Could you tell me what software you don't have an equivalent on OS X? As an Apple Certified Support and a Windows Tech Support I have difficulties to see any Windows program that has no equivalent on Mac.

One immediate one that comes to mind is VMWare vSphere Manager. Also I'd imagine most internal tools at many companies are still written in Win32. I expect Win32 to die fairly soon though in corporations for that are looking to migrate their end point clients.

 

[Miltz]

It shouldn't throttle immediately. I am going to test on OS X only apps and try to capture when this happens more accurately. I also have an IR Temp sensor and can sample how wide the heat soak is. Obviously throttling is the ONLY way to prevent an overheat, but it should tolerate full speed for at least a reasonable time period. Reasonable is the key word. Should it be for under a minute? Over a minute? 5 minutes? I'm going to find out.

I think that this needs to start being a metric on fanless designs. We are seeing benchmarks that show the rMBP to run at about a 2011 MBA speed, but it can not sustain it, so its actually quite a bit less capable than a 2011 MBA.

First, I agree that running it on OSX only makes the most sense. The CPU is designed for a "Quick Burst" at turbo. I don't think 5 minutes is reasonable at all. Most "daily" tasks require a few seconds. Clearly this device is not meant for Pro users, hence why it's only "macbook". I had a chance to play with it today and I tried to stress the CPU but the Apple Store was SO cold that it really didn't affect the temperature of the device. It barely got warm. I think Ambient temperature will play a major role here. I can't image why someone who wants longer sustained performance would by the macbook over the macbook pro rentina 13" inch. The larger screen also makes a difference with "Pro" apps. Not to mention all the ports.

 

[vigilant]

I had the first MacBook Air that throttled horribly. I'm starting to have flashbacks. I'm installing W8 in Parallels and the entire time the laptop has just decayed to a crawl. iStats menu is showing all the CPU in System time, which is what the MacBook air did when throttling. Disk activity was low, so it wasn't IOPS eating system time.

If this thing ends up throttling heavily like the MBA did, I will not keep it even though it is absolutely beautiful.

1.2Ghz/512GB model

Image

I wouldn't be surprised if it's throttling based on temperature.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Parallels needs to update Parallels Desktop with better support for Core M.

 

[cheapa55]

I just finished fusion, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY faster. There has to be a bug in parallels 10 on the core-m then. It literally took me 12 hours to apply all 200+ patches in Parallels using a 2 CPU/2048MB 64GB VMDK configuration. I replicated this setup in VMware and it was > 5 times as fast.

Neither Virtualization systems seem to be able to get the Core-M to spin up to a very fast turbo mode. VMware sits at ~ 1Ghz but has much snappier response.

So for now, until Parallels fixes their issue, use fusion. I am going to work on the BootCamp install around 2100 after a few meetings.

Awesome! Thank you for taking the time for the feedback. I don't own either yet so this makes the decision easy to go with Fusion.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your bootcamp performance.

 

[johngwheeler]

Has anyone run Power Gadget for long-running CPU task?

Just wondering if anyone has run the Intel Power Gadget app during a long (> 1 hr) CPU-intesive task?

I'm interested to see whether the CPU maintains at least its base frequency (i.e. 1.1/1.2/1.3 GHz) when the CPU is close to 100% (on all cores/threads) for a long time.

(Hint: you can run "yes > /dev/null" from 4 different terminal windows to put all cores at close to 100%).

It would also be educational to see what the steady-state temperature is under prolonged load.

To my thinking, if the CPU can maintain its base clock under maximum load for lengthy periods, then it's not throttling performance. Turbo boost is a "bonus" that you get when for burst loads and when the CPU has thermal capacity.

 

[scottyy]

Not to mention most programs sensor and micro-controller related. You'll have an easier time finding Linux programs for these uses.

Also, 3D Studio Max, and RealFlight 7.5. RF is the best RC flight simulator available and the only reason I have a Dell desktop.

Using serial to usb cables can be a nightmare.
Some of my older machines need them and it can be a toss up at times if they will work correctly.

 

[Ozy]

I installed W8 natively via bootcamp and it runs pretty darn well. This thing can handle VMWare fusion with light tasks, Parallels needs some kind of bug fix, and Bootcamp feels as good as any other Atom or low end i3 machine.

 

[saifrc]

Has anyone tried this with Windows 7 instead of Windows 8/8.1? Would performance in Parallels be any better, or potentially worse?

Also, for the OP, how was performance after Windows Update finished?

I'd really rather use Parallels over BootCamp or a different virtual machine, since I own a copy. But the keyword is "use": it has to be usable. I currently find Win7 tolerable under Parallels on my 2008 MBP, for very light application use; hopefully performance on the rMB isn't any worse than what I'm used to.

 

[thewusman]

I installed W8 natively via bootcamp and it runs pretty darn well. This thing can handle VMWare fusion with light tasks, Parallels needs some kind of bug fix, and Bootcamp feels as good as any other Atom or low end i3 machine.

Do you think Office 2013 on VM will be fine (excel, outlook, etc) ?

Again, thanks for the awesome feedback - massive thumbs up.

 

[loccie]

I'm going to test that, and also test VMWare fusion.

Can you also test with your VM running with just one virtual CPU (in case you had 2 VCPUs previously)?