New MacBook Pro i9 Slower than the old MacBook Pro i7

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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David Lee is upset about the Intel i9 in the new MacBook Pro 15 throttling when using its cores to the fullest. He shows us this happening in the video below. And then he goes as far as putting it in the freezer for testing. (I like this guy.) Bottom line is that the 2017 MacBook Pro i7 is faster than the 2018 MacBook Pro i9....unless you put it in the freezer. At least are you Alaskan Apple fans are in the clear.

Check out the video.

Dave2D review of the 2018 15" Apple Macbook Pro. The Core i9 runs hot and throttles harder than any of the MacBooks I've ever used.
 
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Did they expect it to throttle less? It's a hotter chip.

Apple isn't the only one to blame here, unfortunately.
 
Elios said:
pretty sure they are they know the TPD of the parts they could made the cooling better but they didnt
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Exactly.

How in the world they didn't think it would not be severely throttled under load I don't get.

What a dumb move.
 
Kwaz said:
Exactly.

How in the world they didn't think it would not be severely throttled under load I don't get.

What a dumb move.
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Could just put an Atom based Pentium in them, lol. I have one (an HP x360). Tad slow (SSD helped A LOT over HPs shitty 5400rpm spinner), but runs cool as can be.
 
I don't like Apple but I read that Dell XPS has the same issue with i9 vs i7. i9 is basically just a few hundred mhz higher clocked chip, it doesn't have more cores like the desktop version, so once it throttles it's equal or worse to i7.
 
I get the feeling that the base of the new macbook probably has some oddly placed and shaped rubber pads on it and that Apple sells a proprietary laptop cooler to go with the new macbook.
 
LOL so what??

it is meeting its design goal.. to look impressive on ads, and to allow apple to say.. hey.. we ARE updating the line..see.. a new i9 laptop.



when you look at it from that angle..it makes complete sense
 
I really hate the thin laptop trend, everything in them is a compromise. Unfortunately if they would have released a faster, slightly thicker model, the public would have lost their shit. Much more so than their new "faster" thinner model throttling under full load.

I have no trouble traveling with my old thick ass 8560p everyday for work.
 
I want to see someone like Dell come out with a aluminum shell laptop as thick as it needs to be to support a good 6 or 8 core processor with dedicated graphics and a display that rocks the world.

Oh wait.. that's called an Alienware laptop. (other than the astetics of the aluminum shell.) A solid business laptop as well would be appreciated.
 
So Apple (and probably other laptop manufacturers) produce a powerful laptop that can't be run to its full potential because of heat issues. Why are they allowed to do this? If an auto manufacturer produced a car that had overheating issues in every single unit produced they would recall it. Hell they issue recalls on cars for less than that. Most of the people buying the new i9 MBP probably just assume it's faster and never do any real testing or comparing.
 
Holding it wrong?

Better yet, with a subscription service they will increase the fan speed and give you 'bonus performance'.
 
kzrider said:
So Apple (and probably other laptop manufacturers) produce a powerful laptop that can't be run to its full potential because of heat issues. Why are they allowed to do this? If an auto manufacturer produced a car that had overheating issues in every single unit produced they would recall it. Hell they issue recalls on cars for less than that. Most of the people buying the new i9 MBP probably just assume it's faster and never do any real testing or comparing.
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The difference here is if a car engine overheats, the engine will eventually break. In the case of a CPU, thermal throttling will prevent any lasting damage.

So yeah, under US law nothing "wrong" is being done.
 
So, I'm thinking use a 2018 Macbook Pro i9 outside in the summer in Phoenix is a non-starter?

Yep. Look at these lame specs for 15" Macbook Pros: Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F. (Specs)

So outdoors during the winter in most places is out, too.
Macbook Pro : a laptop for indoors only.
 
auntjemima said:
HOW?!

Have you seen how small that laptop is? I am surprised they can cool anything in that small of an enclosure.

Really, to solve this issue they should have never offered the i9 at all.
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OR made it thicker / bigger
 
auntjemima said:
Did they expect it to throttle less? It's a hotter chip.

Apple isn't the only one to blame here, unfortunately.
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I'm pretty sure Apple is to blame in this, Intel give them a TDP range to play with and they use a higher TDP in the (most likely) same design, if the machine throttles with a quad core, do you expect any different with a 6-core?

Marketing vs engineering department
 
auntjemima said:
Regress?! Not likely. Apple would rather close its doors than go back on the thinness of their devices.
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the laws of thermodynamics dont change for anyone not even apple you what a fast CPU and more cores your going to have make a bigger cooling solution for it you cant keep making it smaller
 
Grimlaking said:
I want to see someone like Dell come out with a aluminum shell laptop as thick as it needs to be to support a good 6 or 8 core processor with dedicated graphics and a display that rocks the world.

Oh wait.. that's called an Alienware laptop. (other than the astetics of the aluminum shell.) A solid business laptop as well would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Lenovo makes GREAT workstation laptops. Check them out sometime.
 
I would venture a guess that matters would be helped with clever heat piping and actual unibody aluminum... Hell i don't know why they have not come up with flexible heatpipes an use the back of the screen as a heatsink also ( to off load heat in part at least)
 
This could be their excuse to stop using intel chips for future macs. I remember reading an article that they wanted to put their own processors back. Just like the old days... before they went to intel. The last time i had a macbook pro was core 2 duo and even then it ran hot...
 
chanvathana said:
This could be their excuse to stop using intel chips for future macs. I remember reading an article that they wanted to put their own processors back. Just like the old days... before they went to intel. The last time i had a macbook pro was core 2 duo and even then it ran hot...
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I think you are giving them too much credit for some nefarious master plan. This is lazy copy pasta engineering. They A didn't even know it throttled, or B knew it and just let it fly hoping no one would call them out on it.
 
chanvathana said:
This could be their excuse to stop using intel chips for future macs. I remember reading an article that they wanted to put their own processors back. Just like the old days... before they went to intel. The last time i had a macbook pro was core 2 duo and even then it ran hot...
Click to expand...
Apple does not need an "excuse", especially one as lame as "We knew the chip specs/tdp and also knew EXACTLY how it would perform even before we built the first unit, because reasons..."
This isn't exactly rocket science and it's not the first time a manufacturer made a HOT Throttling laptop.
 
I sold my 2015 MBP and I couldnt be happier. The build was nice, amazing screen, good battery life, and simple. However, under duress when needing raw power and macOS bitching about communicating with other non Apple devices- it made me put it in the grave. Only apple thing im willing to use now are their phones- only because I cant stand android and would be willing to change to something better.
 
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