Macbook pro performance comparison 13. Choosing the right MacBook from Apple. Comparison of some models

Test Results: Performance

The new MacBook Pro comes in three configurations with different CPUs and either integrated or discrete graphics. For comparison, we took the previous model with NVIDIA graphics, as well as the junior and top modifications of the 13-inch Broadwell Retina, the basic versions of the 2015 MacBook Air 13" and the new 12-inch MacBook.

Geekbench 3 64-bit

• In single threaded mode basic version The new 15-inch MBP differs little from both 13-inch versions, but still performs much better than the Air, or even more so the new ultra-compact MacBook.
• The first CPU firmware upgrade to i7-4870HQ brings more benefits than the second upgrade to i7-4980HQ.

• With multiple threads, of course, quad-core processors have no equal.
• The same pattern repeats itself: the first stage of a CPU upgrade is more valuable than the second.

Cinebench R15: CPU

• In this test, all quad-core CPUs are good, dual-core ones are no match. The result depends little on the clock frequency.

Cinebench R15: GPU

• Excluding configuration from comparison with different CPUs, let's focus on the differences between the graphics adapters of the old and new MBP 15" models, as well as other MacBooks of the current year.
• CINEBENCH has confirmed, albeit small, but the advantage of the Radeon R9 M370X over the GeForce GT 750M.
• Both discrete GPUs leave no chance for integrated graphics in both Haswell and Broadwell processors.

GFXBench 3.1

• In both GFXBench tests, the Radeon R9 M370X slightly outperforms the GeForce GT 750M.
• The integrated graphics of the Iris Pro 5200 does not look as bad as in CINEBENCH, and compares favorably with the younger modifications of Iris and HD Graphics in dual-core Intel chips.
• However, benchmarks at native resolution of 2880×1800 minimize the differences between multiple GPUs.

For tests in 3DMark, we took Acer laptop Aspire V17 Nitro Black Edition equipped with discrete graphics GeForce GTX 860M based on GM107, which could be a replacement for the GeForce GT 750M in the same TDP class. The results of two other machines with GeForce GT 840M and GTX 870M graphics cards are also included to place the Radeon R9 M370X and GT 750M in the context of lower and higher class discrete GPU performance.

But, unfortunately, we don't have 3DMark and game test results for Iris Pro 5200 graphics, and the sample MPB 15" with discrete GPU does not allow using the integrated GPU in Boot Camp.

• Percentage-wise, both 3DMark tests compare the Radeon R9 370X and GT 750M in the same way as the previous graphics tests: the advantage of the Radeon is undeniable, but at the same time small.
• The GTX 860M offers a very different level of performance than both of these adapters, especially under a heavier load in the Fire Strike test than in the forgiving Cloud Gate.
• Be that as it may, the Radeon R9 M370X is much better than the integrated GPU that the 13-inch MacBook Pro is limited to.

Blackmagic Disk Speed ​​Test v. 2

• In the new Macs, SSD speed is highly dependent on volume. Samsung Models at 128 and 256 GB differ little in read speed, but the older version has an advantage in write speed. The 512 GB SSD pushes the bar higher - up to 1.8 and 1.5 GB / s for read / write, respectively.
• If we compare the drives in the new and old MBP 15" model, then the performance of the new SSD is more than twice as high.

⇡ Test results: display

The screen of the large MacBook Pro is inferior in brightness and contrast (341 cd/m2, 871:1) to the screens of the 13-inch MBP and the new MacBook (up to 388 cd/m2 and about 1000:1), but in practice there can be no complaints - Work comfortably both indoors and outdoors. By the way, we got worse results from the MBP 15" sample of 2013. Either since then Apple has changed the matrix, or it's all about a different colorimeter model that we currently use.

With the native color grading profile, the range of colors available to the screen is slightly limited in the green area. But the white point is set very accurately, which affects the color temperature - almost ideal for most of the brightness range.

The gamma curves of the primary colors are fairly well matched for a display that has not been professionally calibrated. In general, the gamma slightly exceeds the standard value of 2.2, enhancing the contrast in mid-tones and highlights due to shadows, but this imperfection is not evident.

⇡ Test results: battery life

On this laptop, we tested a new method of measuring time battery life. The test is carried out with a screen brightness of 200 cd/m2, which is comfortable for indoor use. Load - update home page 3DNews in the browser with an interval of 5 seconds and disabled caching, WiFi connection. A more severe test case involves updating four copies of the page at the same time.

The result of almost 8 hours of continuous work under light load is close to what Apple guarantees (9 hours on the web). However, due to the difference in methods (Apple tests at a brightness of 75% of the maximum, which in this case is less than 200 cd / m 2), one does not refute the other. With a more serious load, the laptop lasted 5 hours in the ranks.

⇡ Conclusions

Updated 15-inch "Retina" makes no worse impression than three years ago. With a large screen and quad-core CPU, this is a great laptop for those who make a living sitting at the computer and are not burdened with the need to always have it with them.

But while the new Mac is still good, and in some ways unique in its class, the review still has to end on a minor note. Apple is not to blame for the fact that Intel actually failed to roll out a wide range of quad-core Broadwell processors, but this is bad consolation in a situation where the MacBook Pro 15 "remained the only one of the "apple" laptops that was stuck in the Haswell generation for an indefinite time. It's still a sin to complain about the performance of those CPUs among which Apple offers to choose, but Broadwell had to at least contribute to a further increase in battery life beyond what a slightly more capacious battery has already given.At the same time, the performance of integrated graphics in the younger version of the MBP 15 "would be pulled up.

However, Apple tried to brighten up the disappointment at the expense of other configuration items. The new Radeon R9 M370X discrete graphics card is a seemingly controversial choice, given that an NVIDIA Maxwell GPU would make the MacBook Pro much more playable. But it seems that here Apple preferred a uniform increase in performance on all fronts, including the acceleration of the "creative" applications of interest to it. In this capacity, the R9 M370X is quite appropriate, because buying a Mac mainly for games is not a good idea at all.

PCIe x4 storage is the most valuable addition Macs have received this year. The 512GB mod is even faster than the 256GB one, but both are extremely good and make a noticeable difference in system responsiveness. Touchpad Force Touch - it would seem a trifle, but one of those that you quickly get used to and which you can not refuse.

Finally, the traditional recommendations about the upgrade. Those who already bought a large Retina a year or two ago can relax. The 2015 version did not bring such a radical update, for which it would be worth updating urgently. Newcomers, buy now, because if Apple couldn't wait a little longer, then it means that the release of suitable Broadwell chips is seriously delayed. In the worst case, the platform change will already happen immediately to Skylake processors.

The editors of the site thanks the company "graphitek for providing the X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter.

Everyone wants their Mac to work as fast as the first day after purchase, even if it managed to exchange several tens of months of service. It's no surprise that productivity apps are popular. operating system and junk cleaners like Clean My Mac. But beyond that, there are many opinions about what can speed up or slow down a computer. As usual, not all of them are true.

More CPU cores always means more performance - fiction!

We already talked about this in the Mac Pro review, when we wrote that a 12-core model can be slower than a 6-core one. The thing is that not all processor cores are involved in undemanding operations, for example, when working directly with the operating system interface or simple applications. In this case, the speed of operation will depend on the frequency. And only the most resource-intensive applications will be able to use the full power of the processor, as a result, higher performance will be noticeable.

External monitor will make MacBook slower - Fiction!

If you plug an Apple Cinema Display into a late 2013 11-inch MacBook Air and run synthetic performance tests and then repeat them without an external monitor, there's no difference. However, under heavy load in real conditions, you can notice a difference, but it will be very insignificant - about 2-4%. For the sake of such a dubious increase, you should not think about disconnecting the monitor from the computer.

An SSD with less memory is slower than a larger one - really!

If we compare the 256 GB Toshiba Q series Pro SSD and the 512 GB Samsung EVO 840 SSD, the latter is 26% faster when working with 10 GB of data. Reading speed does not depend on volume, but even synthetic tests confirm slow writing, for example, Black tests Magic and AJA showed a 32% record lag for Toshiba.

More free space on boot disk will increase Mac performance - really!

If we take as a test sample a 27-inch iMac from the end of 2012 with Core processor i5 2.9 GHz, 8 GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive with a rotation speed of 7200 rpm, its speed will greatly depend on the free space on the HDD. For example, unpacking from an archive and copying 6 GB of information on a computer with 5% of the occupied space will take 4.3% and 8% less time than if HDD will be 50% full. The same operations on a drive that is 80% full will take 11% and 17.6% more time, and at 97% full, the indicators will drop to 21% and 35%. This does not apply SSD drives, in which the performance drop becomes noticeable only when it is 97% full, and even then during the unpacking of the archive, and not copying the files.

Increasing quantity random access memory always leads to better performance - fiction!

With an increase in the amount of RAM, only some applications start to work faster, for example, if you change from 4GB to 8GB, testing in Photoshop and Speedmark 9 will show a performance increase of 14%. But if you increase the memory to 16 GB, the increase will not be so significant - 15.5% compared to a computer with 4 GB of RAM.

Other tests, such as Cinebench CPU and Open GL tests, HandBrake, iMovie, Heaven and Valley graphics benchmarks, prove that there is no direct relationship between performance and amount of RAM, since different tasks use different computer capacities. For example, more productive work in Adobe Illustrator requires a powerful processor.

Air 13, Macbook 12 and Macbook Pro 13. At almost the same price, they offer excellent battery life, a good screen size and light weight, combined with a sufficient number of I / O ports.

Screen

The smallest screen among our contestants is the Macbook 12, which has a resolution of 2304x1440 16:10, which in turn is 226 pixels per inch (PPI). Apple calls these screens Retina Display. The brightness of the screen in the center is 390 cd/m2, the contrast is 823:1 (data for the 2016 model, in the 2015 model the brightness is slightly lower, and the contrast, on the contrary, is higher). sRGB color space coverage - 61%. The latter will disappoint professional photographers a little, but for ordinary users, the color reproduction quality is quite enough.

In general, a good IPS panel. You can only connect one external monitor to your MacBook 12 via USB cable or HDMI (via adapter) with a resolution of 3840x2160 at 30Hz or 4096x2160 at 24Hz.

The introduction of the MacBook Air in early 2008 revolutionized the notebook market. At that time, "laptop" equaled "suitcase." Or, even worse, "netbooks". In this historical context, Apple showed the world a very compact and lightweight laptop. And, as it turned out, this is exactly what everyone was waiting for.

The warm reception by the public of the laptop of the new format prompted competitors to create numerous models with the same weight and thickness, but at the same time on very vigorous, albeit economical, processors. Sales of the MacBook Air 13 itself are still high, but ten years later this is due to other reasons: this is the cheapest model among Apple laptops. In Russia, the younger version of 2017 can be bought for 65 thousand rubles, while, for example, the younger MacBook Pro 13 without the Touch Bar will cost 94,000 rubles.

What's Wrong with the Apple MacBook Air 13 Mid 2017?

For 65,000 rubles, it is quite possible to take a good ultrabook on Windows. But, unfortunately, Apple is very stingy on the stuffing for these models. And spending so much money on them in 2017 means condemning yourself to constant ridicule from the owners of Windows Books. And not only for this. It's not just about the number of megahertz, cores, and other numbers that don't always have a direct correlation with how the final product performs. Although it will not do without numbers either. For example, Full HD-screen resolution (1920x1080 pixels) has long been ubiquitous - you will find this (and even higher) in the vast majority of laptops. And the MacBook Air 13 has some 1440x900 pixels, and in 2017 this is already a real retro. And even in 2013, in my opinion, it would be doubtful to take a 13-inch laptop with such a low resolution.

As of early/mid 2017 the lineup Apple laptops are represented by six devices, and if Cupertino does not plan to reduce and replace individual products, it will soon become very difficult to navigate it. We will describe below how it is most convenient to do this in the realities of today.

All current Apple laptops in 2018

General information:

The lightest and smallest Apple laptop, the main features of which are - 4 colors and the presence of only one USB port-C(which is used for charging and also for connecting peripheral devices using adapters (sold separately)). The laptop is popular with women.

CPU:

Option 1. dual core Intel processor Core m3 with clock frequency 1.1GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.2GHz. Option 2. dual core processor Intel Core m5 1.2GHz, Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz.
Option 3. 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core m7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz.

Color: Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Rose Gold.

8 GB.

SSD drive: 256 GB or 512 GB.

GPU: Intel HD Graphics 515.

Ports: One USB-C connector(including for charging) and a 3.5 mm headphone output.

Weight: 0.92 kg.

Price: from 102,990 rubles to 134,490 rubles, depending on the configuration.

Macbook Air

General information:

The cheapest Apple laptop. Since 2016, only a 13-inch version with a "non-Retina" display has been released. The MacBook Air has the best battery life of any current Apple laptop.

The lid of the MacBook Air has a "glowing apple", unlike all new Apple laptops.

CPU:

Option 1. 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz). Option 2. 2.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz).

Color: Silver.

Amount of RAM: 8 GB.

SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB.

GPU: Intel HD Graphics 6000.

Ports: 1 Thunderbolt 2 port, 2 USB 2 ports, 1 SDXC card slot, MagSafe 2 for charging and 3.5mm headphone output.

Weight: 1.35 kg.

Price: from 76,990 rubles to 115,490 rubles, depending on the configuration.

Macbook Pro

General information:

Apple's most productive laptop. The choice of professionals (programmers, designers, photographers, editors, etc.) The laptop is presented in four models: two with a 13-inch, one with a 15-inch Retina display from 2016 and one 13-inch model from 2015.

Notebooks released in 2016 feature improved wide trackpads and a new butterfly keyboard. The main innovations of MacBook Pro 2016 are − Touchpad Touch Bar (instead of function keys F1-F12) and Touch ID fingerprint scanner. All of the above innovations are not available in other Apple laptops.

At the same time, the cheapest version of the 2016 MacBook Pro did not receive either the Touch Bar or Touch ID.

Macbook Pro 13" Retina display Release of 2015 is the only actual “firmware” whose cover has a “glowing apple”.

Besides, in new MacBooks Pro missing USB ports and HDMI.

Things to know when buying a 2016 MacBook Pro:

Macbook Pro with 13-inch Retina display (2015)

CPU:

Option 1. 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz). Option 2 Option 3. 3.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz).

Color: Silver.

Amount of RAM: 8 GB.

SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.

GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 6100.

Ports: 2 Thunderbolt 2 ports, 2 USB 2 ports, 1 HDMI port, SDXC card slot, MagSafe 2 for charging and 3.5mm headphone output.

Weight: 1.5 kg.

Price: from 102,990 rubles to 193,990 rubles, depending on the configuration.

Macbook Pro with 13-inch Retina display without Touch Bar and Touch ID (2016)

CPU:

Option 1. 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz).
Option 2. 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz).

Color:

Amount of RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB.

SSD drive: 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB.

GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 540.

Ports: 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and 3.5mm headphone output.

Weight: 1.37 kg.

Price: from 116,990 rubles to 193,990 rubles, depending on the configuration.

Macbook Pro with 13-inch Retina display (2016)

CPU:

Option 1. 2.9 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz).
Option 2. 3.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz).
Option 3. 3.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz).

Color:"Gray space" or silver.

Amount of RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB.

SSD drive: 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB.

GPU: Intel Iris Graphics 550.

Ports:Four Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Touch Bar and Touch ID.

Weight: 1.37 kg.

Price: from 137,990 rubles to 214,990 rubles, depending on the configuration.

Macbook Pro with 15" Retina display (2016)

CPU:

Option 1. 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boot up to 3.5 GHz).
Option 2. 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.6 GHz).
Option 3. 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boot up to 3.8 GHz).

Color:"Gray space" or silver.

Amount of RAM: 16 GB.

SSD drive: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB.

GPU (3 options): Radeon Pro 450 with 2 GB of memory, Radeon Pro 455 with 2 GB of memory, or Radeon Pro 460 with 4 GB of memory.

Ports:Four Thunderbolt 3 ports (each port can be used for charging) and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Touch Bar and Touch ID.

Weight: 1.83 kg.

Price: from 179,990 rubles to 312,990 rubles, depending on the configuration.