Apple's time travel survey.
Apple's time travel survey.
I felt a bit mixed about this setup. On one hand, I’d like to extract more value from what I have now, but on the other, I really want to upgrade. It’s probably just my greed, though. I’m stuck between the 2015 15-inch model with its 256GB SSD and quad-core i7, and the 2016 13-inch version that has 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM (planning a upgrade), and a dual-core i5. The price difference between them isn’t huge. Personally, I prefer the 2015 15-inch because it gives me a quad-core processor and a larger screen, which suits my everyday tasks and some programming work well.
I understand this well. For your needs, everyday activities and basic coding, the Dual Core i5 is ideal. Although the CPU seems modest, it performs impressively. The 2016 13" model offers a sleeker design, improved keyboard feel, enhanced speakers, a brighter screen, and a more responsive trackpad, plus a quicker SSD. The 2015 version brings stronger processing power with a quad-core processor, built-in ports, and a larger display. However, it will be heavier and bulkier than the newer 13" model.
Also just a note... I can't represent the DAC and AMP from the 2015 MBP... but wow, with the 2016 model if you use top-tier headphones, your ears might get really warm!
@DrMacintosh oh.. since you are using 2016 13 inch one. I really wanna ask this: My macbook pro goes really warm and loud when connecting to external display. If I don't watch video stream on it, it is fine, the machine is basically silent. However if I watch 1080 p videos on external display,(full screen) the fans are gonna kick up (as high as 6500 rpm according to istatus menus), the whole machine is gonna be a lot warmer. (cpu core as high as 90 degree) Here is a screenshot of the temperature I am having now. (no videos playing, just browsing the forum). I figured there are a few reasons that the fans are kicking up and the machine is getting warmer than usual: Video streaming is using a lot of cpu power to decode. (or something like that, I am not a pro when it comes to this. but I do know that twitch.tv uses a lot of cpu power if you watch stream at source quality ) my iGPU is honestly too weak. HD4000 to power up a 1440p external display. And that display is playing a 1080p video full screen. Google chrome uses more system resources than safari especially when watching videos on it. So the reason I consider the quad core machine are these: So watching video on an external monitor will be easier and therefore does not kick up the fans to 6000 rpm. If I want to do some serious programming, running vms and such , a quad core might help ? Does your machine get warm when watching stream on an external display? Mine is fine doing all these kind of tasks alone, but when it connects to a 1440p monitor, it starts to struggles a bit. Edited May 13, 2017 by mrchow19910319 a word
It's the opposite side of things. In the past, AMD GPUs on Macs have had many issues. The 2011 models often broke down, while the 2012 ones with Nvidia GPUs and the same hardware didn't. The Mac Pro's Fire Pros also seem to fail frequently. I'm taking both cautiously because of what Louis Rossman shared—he knows a lot about fixing Macs but sometimes misses clear signs. I own a late 2013 15" model, and its built-in DAC works well with my DT990. @mrchow19910319 if I stop being lazy, I could try connecting my 2013 15" to a 4K TV. Also, a 15" is better than a 13", and a quad-core chip will always outperform a dual-core, plus the iGPU tends to be pretty similar (Iris Pro 5200 vs. Iris 540).
Thanks for the idea! Except for the rare visual issues, my MacBook is still running smoothly, probably until the new generation arrives. By then, I hope Apple will reduce the price of MacBook Pros a bit. We’ll find out soon enough.
They might try again, aiming for a 15" Pro version of Iris Pro. I’m avoiding a fresh Mac right now and doubt I’ll get one in another three years or so, but I’m not looking for a dedicated GPU.
A dedicated GPU in a MacBook Pro isn't inherently bad; it can boost performance for gaming or creative tasks.
More power consumption, higher chance of issues, frequent GPU changes, increased temperature, added expense. Since I'm not heavily graphically demanding, Iris works well for me, and I prefer avoiding all the downsides.