YouTuber Claims 15-Inch MacBook Pro With Upgraded Core i9 Chip is Severely Throttled Due to Thermal Issues

[MallardDuck]

Interesting that we have articles about this, but not so much about the iMac pro. Don't get me wrong, this is a completely credible story, but I can't believe that an all-in-one has remotely enough cooling power to run that CPU flat out.

In this case, it's not just light and thin, it's the lack of venting and cooling. Even on my 2015 I ran a cooling stand underneath it while encoding video - and that's why I also never run with the lid closed. There's a substantial heat flow through the keyboard.

Hey - I wonder if the key condoms are blocking that, and they didn't do an integrated test before release? So focused on salvaging the ultra-thin design and fixing the lousy keyboard, that they didn't have time to bang a full unit before going to production?

My net though, is that unless you have a specific need for the 2018 (like 32GB of RAM), wait for the redesign - and maybe one gen beyond the initial release. If you do get a 2018, don't max the CPU...you'll probably never see the full power.

 

[concept32]

Class action lawsuit in 3...2...1...

ThermalGate

 

[lec0rsaire]

Interesting that we have articles about this, but not so much about the iMac pro. Don't get me wrong, this is a completely credible story, but I can't believe that an all-in-one has remotely enough cooling power to run that CPU flat out.

In this case, it's not just light and thin, it's the lack of venting and cooling. Even on my 2015 I ran a cooling stand underneath it while encoding video - and that's why I also never run with the lid closed. There's a substantial heat flow through the keyboard.

Hey - I wonder if the key condoms are blocking that, and they didn't do an integrated test before release? So focused on salvaging the ultra-thin design and fixing the lousy keyboard, that they didn't have time to bang a full unit before going to production?

My net though, is that unless you have a specific need for the 2018 (like 32GB of RAM), wait for the redesign - and maybe one gen beyond the initial release. If you do get a 2018, don't max the CPU...you'll probably never see the full power.

The iMac Pro doesn't share the exact same chassis as the regular 5K iMac. The back protrudes further out than the other iMacs and the entire guts are a different design. They only look similar from the front.

As for the MacBook Pro. There will probably be a full redesign in 2020 going by how long they used the previous design. So there will probably be a final revision of the current design next year.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

So bottom line - stick to windows computers if you want to use premiere?

When you are using primarily one application - the Operating System is not that important.

 

[nvmls]

6K subs still fake?

 

[kodos]

The Apple Defense League needs to calm down. Same with all of us early adopters. I am guessing the thermals are just not up to the task of the i9. We'll see what happens with firmware updates and some other tests. Early days still. Part of the pain and pleasure of being an early adopter.

 

[Rogifan]

They want every article to generate traffic. It's how they eat.

So it’s not about good reporting but clickbait. These laptops haven’t been out a week yet but but let’s already declare them failures because that’s what pays the bills.

You're 100% right. Other machines are struggling with the i9. What does that have to do with this story about the MBP?

If thicker laptops are also struggling how is this an issue of Apple being obsessed with thin and light?

 

[darkinners]

My i9 32GB 2TB will deliver tomorrow.
I figure it will throttle before I click the checkout button.
But I didn't realize it will be slower than 2017 MBP. After I watch Dave2D's video 2 hours ago.
I am truly worried.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

Are they the same size though? The extreme desktop parts are much larger than their normal counterparts.

Extreme desktop parts tend to have a much higher TDP. The die size is meaningless, it sits in a package - the same package. 45 watts of heat / thermal is 45 watts regardless of size.

 

[kodos]

6K subs still fake?

No, no -- the 6k sub guy just wants to get millions of subscribers because he knows that hating Apple will generate tons of views which equals $$$. /s

You can spin anything

 

[pika2000]

"This CPU is an unlocked, overclockable chip but all of that CPU potential is wasted inside this chassis -- or more so the thermal solution that's inside here," says Lee.

Really? You want to overclock your CPU yet you bought a thin laptop?
I’m losing any respect I had for this Lee guy. It’s like the only YouTuber left who still has some common sense is mkbhd. The rest are simply ranting just for the sake of ranting.

 

[Zellio]

Seems like apple’s fault, not intel’s, if it’s true. Apple designed the thermal solution for the MBP.

Technically they didn’t do anything. They took last years chasis and shoved a much more power hungry cpu into it.............

 

[Rogifan]

Here's a video of him discussing thermal limitations on the Dell XPS 15, a Windows PC. This is the exact same criticism he had for the Macbook Pro today, so how can he be hating on Apple? The guy is being as unbiased as he can.

So it’s not just an issue with Apple. Perhaps the mods should update the original story so people know this isn’t just an issue with Macs.

 

[supercoolmanchu]

Correction: Apple failed at designing a cooling solution to prevent severe throttling for all use cases.

Correction: Adobe is the same company that denied their Flash performance was ever an issue.

They get plenty of advance notice and help from Apple, but time and time again, still manage to be terrible at supporting new software/hardware.

Premier likely needs an update for the new MacBook Pro models. Maybe by 2019 they’ll have worked out the 2018 support.

 

[teething1]

Utilization, 25%.. Try utilize 100% of the CPU power and post a screenshot of that.

Blah.. Looks like its still performing fine

 

[Rogifan]

Technically they didn’t do anything. They took last years chasis and shoved a much more power hungry cpu into it.............

And apparently that’s what Dell did with the XPS too...

 

[TimmeyCook]

Dave Lee is the real deal. You're just embarrassing yourself.

Yeah, I couldn't care less.

 

[supercoolmanchu]

So it’s not just an issue with Apple. Perhaps the mods should update the original story so people know this isn’t just an issue with Macs.

But what about the clicks?!

 

[lec0rsaire]

No, no -- the 6k sub guy just wants to get millions of subscribers because he knows that hating Apple will generate tons of views which equals $$$. /s

You can spin anything

Well hating on Apple is now as in vogue as loving Apple was a decade ago. Funny how times change. I still remember the days when everything Microsoft was trashed even long before Apple's second coming.

 

[teething1]

Utilization, 25%.. Try utilize 100% of the CPU power and post a screenshot of that.

 

[TimmeyCook]

I've been watching Dave2D since he had only 300k subs. He is NOT an Apple hater. In fact his current smartphone is the iPhone X and he even says in this video that he likes Apple products. He is just pointing out the facts in this video, which does not make him a hater. Stop your irrational defense mechanism please. He has tons of videos criticizing windows PCs too.

LOL @ this kind of defense.

He only poses with the iPhone X and the MacBooks to "legitimize" his attacks.

What he wants, we already know: pre-release Apple hardware and money.

 

[topgunn]

Blah.. Looks like its still performing fine

You’ll notice that the frequency was at approximately 2.8GHz. This is consistent with the video in the original post.

 

[wheelhot]

Another release another round of issue, Apple really need to improve their internal QC team. Perhaps TC should stop being CEO Politician and crack down on this issue that Apple is facing as of late.

 

[Quu]

To be fair, this isn't so much Apple's fault as it is Intel's. Intel has really dropped the ball in the past couple of years. If they don't right the ship soon, AMD will take over the CPU game for a while. They are late with everything and are having lots of trouble shrinking the dies.

I don't see how you can blame Intel for this. Intel did not make Apple put their Core i9 processor in a stupidly thin notebook with inadequate cooling.

There are lots of notebooks out there rocking six core processors from Intel which are thicker than the MacBook Pro and do not throttle under sustained 100% load scenarios because they designed their machines against the thermal design power rating of the chip.

I mean what kind of mental gymnastics makes this Intels fault? - I get that people are salty that Intel has not launched mainstream and high-end 10nm chips yet but even by Intels own projections 14nm++ outperforms 10nm so it wouldn't have helped in this situation any way.

 

[kodos]

Well hating on Apple is now as in vogue as loving Apple was a decade ago. Funny how times change. I still remember the days when everything Microsoft was trashed even long before Apple's second coming.

What was the line from the Dark Knight? "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

In some ways becoming #1 puts intense pressure on the leadership to stay there -- and do borderline shady things to stay there (or in Microsoft's case in the 90s -- crazy shady things). Look at all of the companies that go from scrappy underdogs to the big dog. Apple, Microsoft, Google. It's only when they lose their dominance do they start to play nice again (see today's Microsoft and its love affair with Linux, Mac, etc.)

Apple isn't the little guy to root for anymore. I kind of understand that. When everyone is walking around with an iPhone, "Think Different" just doesn't apply anymore.