The 15-inch MacBook Pro Gets 8 Cores! Apple Refreshes the MacBook Pro Lineup to Include 8-Core Intel Parts

[PlayStation 2]

BEFORE I GO ON: I am not following this thread. If there's any issue on information that I may have misstated, please quote me or tag me with @Dan Castellaneta. Thank you.

 

Source: Apple themselves at https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/05/apple-introduces-first-8-core-macbook-pro-the-fastest-mac-notebook-ever/

Wired - https://www.wired.com/story/apple-macbook-pro-2019-speed-bump/

 

Apple has refreshed the MacBook Pro line to add a top-end 8 core Intel Core i9 model (only available as a 15" model with the Touch Bar) that can either be had in parts that turbo up to 4.7GHz or 5GHz if you choose the respective option.

Quote

 

Apple updated MacBook Pro with faster 8th- and 9th-generation Intel Core processors, bringing eight cores to MacBook Pro for the first time. MacBook Pro now delivers two times faster performance than a quad-core MacBook Pro and 40 percent more performance than a 6-core MacBook Pro, making it the fastest Mac notebook ever. These new processors, combined with powerful graphics, the brilliant and colorful Retina display, super-fast SSDs, the Apple T2 Security Chip, all-day battery life and macOS, make MacBook Pro the world’s best pro notebook.

“Whether it’s college students mastering a course of study, developers building world-class apps or video editors creating feature films, we’re constantly amazed at what our customers do with their MacBook Pro,” said Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac Product Marketing. “Now with 8-core processors for an incredible performance boost, along with its stunning Retina display, fast storage, all-day battery life and running macOS, MacBook Pro continues to be the world’s best pro notebook and we can’t wait to get it into our customer’s hands to see what they do next.”
 

 

That being said, it seems like this is the only major update to the MacBook Pro line for now, having been controversially updated last year. No other real refreshes to the hardware themselves have been brought along outside of these two Core i9 models.

Apple largely touts it as being notably better than a quad-core MacBook Pro, bizarrely enough, advertising that:

That's not to say they didn't do any other changes: Apple is also said to have updated the keyboards themselves to help prevent some issues that users have had with the keyboards.

Quote

Apple’s newest MacBook Pros, which are being announced today and include significant bumps in power and performance, are still using Apple’s third-generation “butterfly” keyboard. But the company says these keyboards have a change in the physical material that exists within the butterfly mechanism that will address some of the issues that MacBook users have been experiencing. The company declined to say exactly what the material change was. Last year, Apple updated its MacBook Pros and MacBooks to include a silicone membrane under the keys, which was largely perceived as an effort to prevent dust and debris from making the keyboard unusable.

 

It seems like Apple is trying to make amends on the professional laptop throne, considering that they're stuffing an eight core CPU into that shell. I'll also be very interested to see if and how the keyboards hold up better than the current (or rather, previous) design. Whadaya think about this refresh?

[ManosMax13]

Now for only 75674367586345786578dollars.Apple is too expensive for anyone who is not a proffesional or does not make money with the maschine.But finally I think that apple is taking the right path.

[flibberdipper]

Can't wait for this to thermal throttle and become slower than the 6-core.

[SupaKomputa]

Wow, 8 core laptop, sounds nice.

 

...When compared with 4 core macbook pro... OFCOURRSEEE!

[Morgan MLGman]

3 minutes ago, flibberdipper said:

Can't wait for this to thermal throttle and become slower than the 6-core.

My thoughts exactly.

[Zando_]

Cooling system be like: 

[Camoxide]

Still no quad core Macbook Air though 

[Commodus]

3 minutes ago, Camoxide said:

Still no quad core Macbook Air though 

That would require going to a thirstier processor.  The Core family at that level doesn't have quad-core options (yet).

[SpookyCitrus]

STARTING at $1799... for a lap toaster? Dang.

[captain_to_fire]

23 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

Apple is also said to have updated the keyboards themselves to help prevent some issues that users have had with the keyboards.

I don’t know if Jony Ive got the memo that the design itself is inherently flawed or their design team is experiencing cognitive dissonance at best with the criticisms of their butterfly keyboard design. I have yet to read any reports of any laptop keyboards failing because it’s a scissor switch. What’s odd is that with their iMac line, they’re using scissor switches for the bundled keyboard. 

[Morgan MLGman]

16 minutes ago, Commodus said:

That would require going to a thirstier processor.  The Core family at that level doesn't have quad-core options (yet).

Well, it's 2019 and those laptops are still dual-cores which is appalling IMO. They could use an i5-8265U for instance, or a ULV Ryzen mobile chip.

[Drak3]

13 minutes ago, captain_to_fire said:

What’s odd is that with their iMac line, they’re using scissor switches for the bundled keyboard. 

Thinness isn't an issue.

 

3 minutes ago, Morgan MLGman said:

it's 2019 and those laptops are still dual-cores which is appalling IMO

1. The It's [current year] is not a valid argument
2. Dual cores are still useful for lighter tasks.

[BachChain]

Quote

When compared to the fastest quad-core 15 inch MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Pro with 8-core processors is up to two times faster to thermal throttle

 

[Morgan MLGman]

5 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

 

1. The It's [current year] is not a valid argument
2. Dual cores are still useful for lighter tasks.

 

1. I disagree.
2. Sure, though I've seen a MacBook Air from last year choke for 4-5 minutes on opening Outlook because it had "too many e-mails" to load and categorize It was literally stuck until it finished loading and that's still not a reason not to even give an OPTION to have a quad-core inside.

[Drak3]

Just now, Morgan MLGman said:

I disagree

You're wrong. There is no merit to that statement as an argument.

 

1 minute ago, Morgan MLGman said:

It was literally stuck until it finished loading and that's still not a reason not to even give an OPTION to have a quad-core inside.

The Air doesn't have the internal volume to house a heatsink that would cool a quadcore enough to maintain a decent clock.

[Morgan MLGman]

Just now, Drak3 said:

You're wrong. There is no merit to that statement as an argument.

 

Same as saying that someone's argument is "invalid" without proper (or any) reasoning.

1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

The Air doesn't have the internal volume to house a heatsink that would cool a quadcore enough to maintain a decent clock.

 

So you're saying that Apple has gone to the absolute edge of what is possible inside that chassis and there's no way in terms of improving the cooler design and materials used in it so the chassis can house a ULV quad-core CPU that's 15W?

[Drak3]

Just now, Morgan MLGman said:

So you're saying that Apple has gone to the absolute edge of what is possible inside that chassis and there's no way in terms of improving the cooler design and materials used in it so the chassis can house a ULV quad-core CPU that's 15W?

That 15W number doesn't mean much.

 

1 minute ago, Morgan MLGman said:

Same as saying that someone's argument is "invalid" without proper (or any) reasoning.

There is no logic behind "It's year XXXX!" All you've done is make an irrelevant statement in hope that no one would notice that it is irrelevant.

[Morgan MLGman]

Just now, Drak3 said:

There is no logic behind "It's year XXXX!" All you've done is make an irrelevant statement in hope that no one would notice that it is irrelevant.

1

Yeah, that was my hidden goal and agenda all along! You got me man! Looks like there's no point in explaining that any further

3 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

That 15W number doesn't mean much.

 

That response still didn't address the point I made in the slightest, Apple could restrict the CPU power-wise and even then it would still perform better than a dual-core.

[Drak3]

1 minute ago, Morgan MLGman said:

Apple could restrict the CPU power-wise and even then it would still perform better than a dual-core.

Very unlikely. Core count isn't the be all, end all to performance.

[Blademaster91]

3 minutes ago, Drak3 said:

Very unlikely. Core count isn't the be all, end all to performance.

A lower clocked quad core would still be faster, the argument was Apple is charging $1200 for a weak dual core.

[Morgan MLGman]

Just now, Drak3 said:

Very unlikely. Core count isn't the be all, end all to performance.

Considering how Intel manages per-core Turbos (especially in those ULV chips that have base clocks in the range of 1.6GHz and single-threaded boosts of over 4GHz) it seems like with a bit of work done with the cooler design it should be entirely possible to do that. Apple doesn't want to do that for some reason. Proof? Look at MS Surface laptops which are similar in terms of thickness and offer an i7-8650U inside for example...

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Morgan MLGman said:

Considering how Intel manages per-core Turbos (especially in those ULV chips that have base clocks in the range of 1.6GHz and single-threaded boosts of over 4GHz) it seems like with a bit of work done with the cooler design it should be entirely possible to do that. Apple doesn't want to do that for some reason. Proof? Look at MS Surface laptops which are similar in terms of thickness and offer an i7-8650U inside for example...

If a product sells well, don’t change it lol. People obviously don’t buy a MacBook Air for performance, a dual core is more than enough (With HT mind you), and the product sells well. Why should Apple change it?

[Drak3]

1 minute ago, Morgan MLGman said:

Look at MS Surface laptops which are similar in terms of thickness and offer an i7-8650U inside for example...

Surface Laptops also have different aims. The Air is a lightweight laptop with maximum battery life. The Surface is a balanced laptop with good battery life and performance.

[Morgan MLGman]

2 minutes ago, floofer said:

If a product sells well, don’t change it lol. People obviously don’t buy a MacBook Air for performance, a dual core is more than enough (With HT mind you), and the product sells well. Why should Apple change it?

Following your logic why did Apple upgrade the MacBook Pro with an 8-core? Did it sell so poorly that an 8-core option had to be made available just so it sells?
No - it's called progress. As a techie yourself you should kind of know that

1 minute ago, Drak3 said:

Surface Laptops also have different aims. The Air is a lightweight laptop with maximum battery life. The Surface is a balanced laptop with good battery life and performance.

That doesn't change the fact that the amount of space inside is very similar and miraculously Microsoft managed to squeeze a quad-core i7 inside that's perfectly usable and is faster than any dual-core. This argument started about cooling a quad-core inside of a MacBook Air and is now about entirely different things because I debunked the cooling myth with undeniable proof...

I would also like to point out that the MacBook Air is both heavier AND thicker than the Surface Pro (even with an i7 inside, that model is 14 grams heavier than the i5 variant).

[Drak3]

Just now, Morgan MLGman said:

I debunked the cooling myth with undeniable proof...

No, you didn’t.