Waiting for Haswell MBP Mega Thread

[thundersteele]

With all the iMac discussion, I think people should not forget that the CPUs in the iMac are Desktop-Haswell CPUs. Among other things, they have much lower list prices than similar mobile CPUs.

Anyways, the missing refresh of the MBPs could be simply due to yield issues with Intel. Maybe the mobile CPUs are more difficult to produce.

Will be interesting to see what they do with the GPUs on the MBPs now. Seeing both Iris and dGPU on the iMacs is nice, but I guess it is not too surprising.

 

[Eidorian]

With all the iMac discussion, I think people should not forget that the CPUs in the iMac are Desktop-Haswell CPUs. Among other things, they have much lower list prices than similar mobile CPUs.

Anyways, the missing refresh of the MBPs could be simply due to yield issues with Intel. Maybe the mobile CPUs are more difficult to produce.

Will be interesting to see what they do with the GPUs on the MBPs now. Seeing both Iris and dGPU on the iMacs is nice, but I guess it is not too surprising.

I know there is a desktop BGA Iris Pro floating around but my gut keeps saying mobile processors in the iMac after all these years.

It is if you know where to look

http://semiaccurate.com/2013/09/24/intel-deliver-apple/

I am so close to subscribing to Charlie's site sometimes.

 

[mattburley7]

It all depends on what you need a new computer for - is your current one not up to snuff for your current uses?

The Haswell Air 2013 is a great machine, especially with the SSD, and you should get it if you need it now and that's all you can afford. But if you don't really need it right now, continue to save your money until you can afford an rMBP next year.

well i would like to keep my 756GB of hard drive space and i7 processor but that would make the computer cost a lot on an air or the retina macbook pro. I paid around $1,500 for my macbook pro mid 2011 and really don't want to exceed that limit.

 

[uniq]

Still hoping for a silent refresh. Guessing they're staggering releases from now until Octobers event to avoid releasing too many products at the same time.

 

[Autrement]

well i would like to keep my 756GB of hard drive space and i7 processor but that would make the computer cost a lot on an air or the retina macbook pro. I paid around $1,500 for my macbook pro mid 2011 and really don't want to exceed that limit.

Well you've answered your own question. If 756GB and an i7 are your requirements, you can't afford a new Mac.

Disc space on the Air maxes out 512GB, so that's out.
To get up to 756GB on an rMBP you're way over your budget.
You could afford 756GB normal HD on the cMBP but not the i7. And why would you even bother "upgrading" to that from a very similar 2011 model?

Save your money for a while, or get a PC or used computer now.

 

[Nee412]

The iMac release sheds some light on Apple's plans. There will definitely be a 1TB flash storage option now.

As for release, if it's just processors, storage, and wi-fi we now have hope for a silent refresh sooner than expected. A rumour time seems to have forgotten though is the 13" getting thinner this year to match the 15". Apple being thin mad as they are, that could be a reason for an event announcement.

Or maybe they do have something more coming. Who knows?

Basically my guess would be at least a silent update for the Mac Mini over the next few weeks, then the Mac Pro and rMBP alongside the new iPads on the 15th.

 

[mcarling]

So, Apple transitioned first the MBA, then the 13" rMBP, and now the 21.5" iMac from discrete GPU to integrated GPU and the devotees of discrete GPUs think the fact that Apple have not yet made the same transition with the 27" iMac somehow indicates that Apple will not do so with the 15" rMBP??? I take the contrary position that Apple continuing to transition Macs from discrete GPUs to integrated GPUs reinforces the likelihood that the 15" Haswell rMBP will not have a discrete GPU.

really cant afford to get retina display one im talking about the standard macbook pros is it worth upgrading to the latest one over the mid 2011 version?

I wouldn't buy a current (i.e. 2012) cMBP to replace a 2011 MBP but, if it's what you really want, then buy one. Like so many other posters, I would be surprised if Apple were to produce a Haswell cMBP.

 

[Wuiffi]

Has anyone subscribed to Semiaccurate and can tell us what they are talking about?!
Semiaccurate

Looking at the tags"
amd, Apple, CPU, GPU, GT3e, haswell, Intel, MacBook Pro, nvidia" and their last Apple article (Apple getting a special Haswell with improved Iris Pro) I guess the story should be something like this:
'Apple wanted to switch to integrated GPU (a special build of Iris Pro). But either they had production problems and there is no way that enough chips are produced or that Apple realized, that it was not powerful enough and decided now, that they are going the dGPU way'

 

[Vanilla35]

Sooo, surprised to see no comments on GPU yet

Prediction for rMBP 15" based on iMac:

Low (entry model) - Iris Pro only

Mid - 755M 1GB RAM

High - 755M 2GB RAM

 

[InfinitiG]

so now does anyone predict end of sept for MBP

looks like they will be a silent update along with the iMacs

 

[mattburley7]

So, Apple transitioned first the MBA, then the 13" rMBP, and now the 21.5" iMac from discrete GPU to integrated GPU and the devotees of discrete GPUs think the fact that Apple have not yet made the same transition with the 27" iMac somehow indicates that Apple will not do so with the 15" rMBP??? I take the contrary position that Apple continuing to transition Macs from discrete GPUs to integrated GPUs reinforces the likelihood that the 15" Haswell rMBP will not have a discrete GPU.


I wouldn't buy a current (i.e. 2012) cMBP to replace a 2011 MBP but, if it's what you really want, then buy one. Like so many other posters, I would be surprised if Apple were to produce a Haswell cMBP.

gonna just wait it out and see if apple releases anything that fits my buget by the end of october.

 

[rouss]

I would be hugely disappointed if Apple went with 755M in top tier MBPs.

These people who say that Iris Pro is sub par in their graphic apps don't know what they are talking about. In OpenCL test Iris Pro outperforms nVidia 655M by a wide margin, and that's what really counts. I don't give a damn how fast this card pushes textured triangles and any serious professional shouldn't either (especially if we're talking -15% decrease).

You need to understand that your Photoshop, Final Cut or what have you doesn't care about 3D gaming capabilities. If you're into serious gaming, well, let's be honest, MBP is not the best tool for the job, get a PC or a console.

755M is only marginally better than 650M in OpenCL-related tasks and this is disappointing.

https://compubench.com/device-info.jsp?config=16401864
https://compubench.com/device-info.jsp?config=12062576

 

[mrmanucadiz]

what??? i just came watch silent update for imac and not for mbp at all !!!!

that sucksssssssss, so i think, nearly sure, we won't see an update for macbook pros on october. for me it's clear signal updating imac, MBA in june and surely what we will see in october it's going to be his another star product in sales (ipad) and nothing about MBP with haswell leaving these last one (in my mind) obsolete and in consequence old

a real mess...whatever point of view....

 

[johnnylarue]

So, Apple transitioned first the MBA, then the 13" rMBP, and now the 21.5" iMac from discrete GPU to integrated GPU and the devotees of discrete GPUs think the fact that Apple have not yet made the same transition with the 27" iMac somehow indicates that Apple will not do so with the 15" rMBP??? I take the contrary position that Apple continuing to transition Macs from discrete GPUs to integrated GPUs reinforces the likelihood that the 15" Haswell rMBP will not have a discrete GPU.

This is officially the first time I've ever disagreed with one of your posts, mcarling! A truly momentous occasion.

I'm disagreeing based on the fact that the premium 21.5" model still comes with a discrete GPU, which as other posters have mentioned could be interpreted as an acknowledgement on Apple's part that the iGPU-only setup on a 'performance' machine is still not quite ready for prime time.

[Doing my best to conceal my bias for a dGPU here...]

 

[Vanilla35]

I would be hugely disappointed if Apple went with 755M in top tier MBPs.

These people who say that Iris Pro is sub par in their graphic apps don't know what they are talking about. In OpenCL test Iris Pro outperforms nVidia 655M by a wide margin, and that's what really counts. I don't give a damn how fast this card pushes textured triangles and any serious professional shouldn't either (especially if we're talking -15% decrease).

You need to understand that your Photoshop, Final Cut or what have you doesn't care about 3D gaming capabilities. If you're into serious gaming, well, let's be honest, MBP is not the best tool for the job, get a PC or a console.

755M is only marginally better than 650M in OpenCL-related tasks and this is disappointing.

https://compubench.com/device-info.jsp?config=16401864
https://compubench.com/device-info.jsp?config=12062576

I'm assuming the iMac's housing the 750M and 755M have Iris Pro as their iGPU. Therefore if you really wanted I suppose you could choose between the two, if they rMBP comes with the same setup. I am in class, so don't really want to look up the iMac end configuration, but the iGPU for the mid-high end is what I'd be curious about, because it should directly correlate to what they do with the rMBP.

 

[Autrement]

Sooo, surprised to see no comments on GPU yet

I'm also surprised you haven't seen any comments about GPU, especially because they comprised most of the last four pages of comments on the thread.

 

[Wuiffi]

I'm assuming the iMac's housing the 750M and 755M have Iris Pro as their iGPU. Therefore if you really wanted I suppose you could choose between the two, if they rMBP comes with the same setup. I am in class, so don't really want to look up the iMac end configuration, but the iGPU for the mid-high end is what I'd be curious about, because it should directly correlate to what they do with the rMBP.

No, they come with HD4600 NOT HD 5200 aka Iris Pro

Edit: Just for information: There are only 2 desktop i5 and 1 desktop i7 that come with Intel Iris Pro

 

[KUguardgrl13]

OMG stop repairing your MacBook so Apple will release the new rMBP already! lol

I wish. At this point it's pretty much a brick. Freezes on wake up and hd cable needs to be reseated all the time. And the battery's going bad.

But my parents are finally noticing how frustrating this is to deal with, so I should be getting a replacement. Hopefully it's a new rMBP! 13", base i5, 8gb RAM, 256gb SSD. Should be plenty for writing papers, web surfing, and iTunes, and watching movies

 

[ValSalva]

Sooo, surprised to see no comments on GPU yet

Prediction for rMBP 15" based on iMac:

Low (entry model) - Iris Pro only

Mid - 755M 1GB RAM

High - 755M 2GB RAM

I hope you are right. This has been a weird year. They updated the wrong line today I think the wait will be worth it and I do believe it's too soon to go iGPU for the entire rMBP lineup this year.

 

[Ifti]

Sooo, surprised to see no comments on GPU yet

Prediction for rMBP 15" based on iMac:

Low (entry model) - Iris Pro only

Mid - 755M 1GB RAM

High - 755M 2GB RAM

So do we think we'll see dGPU's now then?
I really hope so - Im looking to buy the max spec rMBP15" to last me the next few years!

 

[Freyqq]

Traditionally, Apple has put the high-end 21.5" iMac GPU in their macbook pros. That means, 750M

It also means that they acknowledge that the Iris Pro is worse than the 750M, as they sell it for $200 more. rMBPs cost almost 2x as much as the 21.5" imac. There is no way that they'd not put a higher-end GPU into that if they admit that it is a better GPU.

 

[Agent-P]

I'm in agreement with others that the lineup of the 21" iMac shows us what will happen with the 15" rMBP this year; Iris Pro in the base model and dGPU in the upgraded models. The Iris GPUs have taken huge steps over iGPUs in the past, but they aren't quite there yet to replace dGPUs. That's my official vote.

 

[GSPice]

So, Apple transitioned first the MBA, then the 13" rMBP, and now the 21.5" iMac from discrete GPU to integrated GPU and the devotees of discrete GPUs think the fact that Apple have not yet made the same transition with the 27" iMac somehow indicates that Apple will not do so with the 15" rMBP??? I take the contrary position that Apple continuing to transition Macs from discrete GPUs to integrated GPUs reinforces the likelihood that the 15" Haswell rMBP will not have a discrete GPU.

You usually come across as quite knowledgeable and detached in most of your posts - but its becoming increasingly clear that you'll have some explaining to do if the rMBPs are released with a dGPU option.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

I could actually see the dGPU as a negative at this point. That means using an HD 4600 in normal desktop operation, which is a fairly weak iGPU (minor improvements over the HD 4000). One of the big points you'd hope to see on a second gen rMBP is a UI and browsing experience at 60fps, instead of the frequent trips to the 30fps or lower range of the first model. Can HD 4600 really deliver that? If not it would put the machine in a strange position: With the lower end model providing a smoother overall experience compared to the high end machines while using the iGPU.

Obviously there's more to this than GPU. Software optimizations are important and the CPU itself can be a bottleneck (as seen in Anandtech's discussion of the low UI frame rates).

Either way I really can't see the reason for the dGPU aside from gaming performance. You're actually potentially taking a hit on desktop graphics performance, and you're definitely taking a hit on compute with Kepler.

 

[rasputin1969]

There can only be one reason for this delay.

The next Macbook Pro will have a dedicated power/touch id button!