Macbook pro update, worth it?

[Julian シ]

So I have a 2.2ghz 4 core mid 2015 macbook pro, but it's struggling to play a youtube hdr 4k vid, gets hot really easily. I bought some screw drivers to open it, hoping that cleaning it up will help. 

If cleaning doesn't work, I have a couple options.

Sell the macbook for 1000 and buy a new one for 3500(maxed out cpu and gpu).
Keep the macbook for IOS building and buy a windows pc, if so which one, Rog Strix SCAR 3? It's hard to find one as light as a macbook pro, less shoulder strain is more important to me than performance to some extent...
Still hold out for a year, use the money to invest. Let the pc run hot. 

What do you all recommend? 

[GoldenLag]

Keep the 2015 machine.

 

Open it up and repaste it. Get some good thermal compund. Then clean it up if there is dust

 

Iirc the 2015 macbook is one of the few good ones.

 

Unless you specifically need a mac, id try having a look at windows laptops around newyear or early next year

[Sorenson]

I did exactly what @GoldenLag said on my 2014 MBP and it runs so much cooler now. 

[BrinkGG]

6 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

Keep the 2015 machine.

 

Open it up and repaste it. Get some good thermal compund. Then clean it up if there is dust

 

Iirc the 2015 macbook is one of the few good ones.

 

Unless you specifically need a mac, id try having a look at windows laptops around newyear or early next year

So, I own this year MBPr, just a higher end CPU. Repasting doesn't do as much as you think and I've got liquid metal on mine. Only about a 10% decrease in idle temps and very little difference under load. 

 

14 minutes ago, Julian シ said:

So I have a 2.2ghz 4 core mid 2015 macbook pro, but it's struggling to play a youtube hdr 4k vid, gets hot really easily. I bought some screw drivers to open it, hoping that cleaning it up will help. 

If cleaning doesn't work, I have a couple options.

If you need macOS specific features, get a temp monitor like Macs Fan Control and see what you're running at. It should not settle over 70C at idle or 90C when watching YT. If it is, open it, clean it, and put new thermal paste in. If it's still hot, then I would suggest an upgrade. 

 

For the price and lack of native I/O I really recommend getting a windows laptop unless you need tools that are exclusive to macOS. (Final Cut, Logic Pro, etc.)

[GoldenLag]

4 minutes ago, BrinkGG said:

So, I own this year MBPr, just a higher end CPU. Repasting doesn't do as much as you think and I've got liquid metal on mine. Only about a 10% decrease in idle temps and very little difference under load. 

that is an effect of MacOS pushing the thermal envelope. those 10% lower idletemps means an increase in performance. 

[DrMacintosh]

Repaste the 2015 with some high quality thermal compound and download MacsFanControl and set a fan curve based on CPU temp. I recommend starting the fans at 50C and maxing them out at 75C. 

[BrinkGG]

Just now, GoldenLag said:

that is an effect of MacOS pushing the thermal envelope. those 10% lower idletemps means an increase in performance. 

Not really. A lovely little tool called Turbo Boost Switcher makes sure that the clock speed stayed exactly the same for both tests and the problem isnt the interface material between the CPU cooler and the chip itself, it's the inadequate cooling solution in that year of macbooks. 

[GoldenLag]

2 minutes ago, BrinkGG said:

Not really. A lovely little tool called Turbo Boost Switcher makes sure that the clock speed stayed exactly the same for both tests and the problem isnt the interface material between the CPU cooler and the chip itself, it's the inadequate cooling solution in that year of macbooks. 

oh, fair enough. 

 

id still hang on to the 2015 macbook and look at the prospects of a Zen 2 mobile chip from AMD or finally one of the 10nm chips from intel. 

[GoldenLag]

Just now, comander said:

Apple isn't going to mess with their supply chain for a modest improvement in performance and a lot of manufacturing risk. Intel is big enough to be its own second source - AMD is not. 

you mean TSMC?

 

the guys who supply Apple with their mobile chips? we dont know the performance uplift the lower power consumption provides. 

 

Apple isnt going AMD unless there is a major reason to.

2 minutes ago, comander said:

You're sooner to see an ARM based MBP than an AMD based one.

which brings me to this point; i wasnt pointing to Apple devices. 

 

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, comander said:

If you swap the CPU, you'll likely have to swap the motherboard... 

and?

 

Apple does change mobo quite often (minor updates). and its not like Apple lacks in funds to have a mobo design team......

2 minutes ago, comander said:

and you might even want to swap DRAM and NAND and Fans and cooling

heatpipes, sure. 

 

rest can stay the same. 

 

2 minutes ago, comander said:

based on the logistics of assembling a system with different thermal and performance considerations along side different locations for key components. 

considering the invesment Apple has done in terms of cooling, i dont think that is the biggest concern since the heat of a 7nm chip would most likely be less. 

 

design changes does cost, but its not like companies arent able to do this every year for multiple products....... just look at every other laptop vendor. 

 

5 minutes ago, comander said:

Something to keep in mind - while Apple only sells premium devices, they are cost competitive within their class AND they manage to do this while having strong margins. A LOT of that comes down to supply chain logistics and economies of scale. 

Apple isnt fighting on price..... and they are most likely not strained when it comes to the logistics of creating a new product or changing one they allready make. its not like they are a small player. 

 

 

and again, i wasnt ever pointing to Apple actually using AMD as a CPU manufacturer. and after that, i was just pointing out Apple allready has a supply chain from the people who would actually be making the chips from AMD. 

[GoldenLag]

3 minutes ago, comander said:

AMD motherboards have different chipsets from Intel motherboards. 

and again, its not as if Apple hasnt changed chipsets before.....

4 minutes ago, comander said:

Making big changes just to change is VERY VERY expensive. 

and smaller players do these changes quite often with more products. 

 

you are making it seem as if its inconceivable due to some cost that involves changes to the heatpipe and mobo

[GoldenLag]

1 minute ago, comander said:

Explain how making such a change would generate more profit for Apple despite all the engineering and supply chain costs. 

other than AMD usually selling their chips for less. there isnt a reason. and im not saying Apple is even thinking of swapping to AMD. i know their history. 

1 minute ago, comander said:

This is the type of thing you'd want to do several years in advance and the current rumor mill shows Apple moving towards ARM. It makes 0 sense to do. Given the uncertainty over AMD's product line 3 years ago, it's highly unlikely that Apple would have had enough time to plan to make major changes. 

and i havent suggested they are changing to AMD. you are arguing over something i havent suggested. 

3 minutes ago, comander said:

This is not an issue for a desktop or a lower volume  part. Laptops, phones and tablets are essentially the perfect storm of needing tight integration and planning (part of the reason why Apple essentially uses the same phone design/template for 2 generations at a time). 

and there is nothing stopping stopping them from changin to having major design changes each gen. there simply isnt a reason to do so however. 

4 minutes ago, comander said:

it's highly unlikely that Apple would have had enough time to plan to make major changes. 

im pretty certain Apple could cook up a new mobo and heatpipe in a year if they wanted to. especailly considering most of the mobo design could be reused. and a heatpipe is a heatpipe. 

[dDave64]

1 hour ago, Julian シ said:

So I have a 2.2ghz 4 core mid 2015 macbook pro, but it's struggling to play a youtube hdr 4k vid, gets hot really easily. I bought some screw drivers to open it, hoping that cleaning it up will help. 

If cleaning doesn't work, I have a couple options.

Sell the macbook for 1000 and buy a new one for 3500(maxed out cpu and gpu).
Keep the macbook for IOS building and buy a windows pc, if so which one, Rog Strix SCAR 3? It's hard to find one as light as a macbook pro, less shoulder strain is more important to me than performance to some extent...
Still hold out for a year, use the money to invest. Let the pc run hot. 

What do you all recommend? 

 

Maxing it out isn't all that useful (the i9 thermal throttles pretty hard and therefore offers minimal improvement over the best i7). If that's your plan then I'd get an i7 and save a bit. The brand new 2019 ones have an undervolt built in to OSX but they still get really hot (just not quite as hot)

 

If you're hoping for less heat than you won't like the newer Macbook pros much either. 

 

Is there a reason other than the weight you're on a Mac? If you can bear it then you can get a lot more performance on a PC, especially a gaming laptop. There are just a lot of great options with far superior cooling. Otherwise, yeah, a new Mac would be great for you.

 

On a side note, are you sure there isn't something wrong with your 2015 mac? What you're describing sounds like a problem, not a specs issue.

[GoldenLag]

3 minutes ago, comander said:

Can you explain how such a change would be profitable? 

ive never claimed there is.......... like ive stated for the last 3 responses. 

4 minutes ago, comander said:

What's Apple's current supply chain delay?
What's their weighted average cost of capital? 
What are they doing in terms of insurance and re-insurance? 
How Apple compensate for reduced volume for other partners who had previous purchase agreements?

im not an accountant in the supply chain of Apple. one thing i do know, its a cost that Apple would gladly pay if there was a reason to swap. 

5 minutes ago, comander said:

Do you know any of those questions? Those are all very important issues that the average tech enthusiast wouldn't think about. I know 16 year old me would've been gungho on the idea of how switching to from a Pentium 4 to an Athlon 64 would be a no-brainer... here and now the benefits are a lot smaller and the risks and complexities are far larger. Also 16 year old me was an idiot. 

yeah...........

 

still not the brightest i assume because you are arguing over a point ive:

 

1. never claimed
2. stated doesnt make sense for Apple right now
3. stated that the history of Apple makes it so they wouldnt be doing it
4. specifically stated i was refferensing other laptop brands. 

 

 

 

and now i dont want you to think im saying "OMG APPLE IS GOING AMD". I will state this tho: the complexities are far from a major hurdle for Apple. if they wanted to, they could. just like any other laptop, mobo and Desktop manufacturer. there isnt some logistics magic that stops Apple. 

[Julian シ]

  @DrMacintosh @BrinkGG  and the rest, thanks for the advice! I just applied the macfancontrol. I did not even consider thermalpaste and you are all right, not worth upgrading right now. Will have to carry too many dongles as well... 

I'll buy some thermal paste and clean it as well. Can't hurt after so many years. 

Oh the main reason I want a macbook is so I can develop for macos/iphones, the weight is also a big part since I have to carry it often.

[Julian シ]

@dDave64
Temps just playing a 4k hdr video on youtube...

[BrinkGG]

2 minutes ago, Julian シ said:

@dDave64
Temps just playing a 4k hdr video on youtube...

Change your control to CPU PECI and make them ramp up at 70ish. You're cooking it. 

[dDave64]

2 minutes ago, Julian シ said:

@dDave64
Temps just playing a 4k hdr video on youtube...

 

Right, but my point is that it should be able to handle a lot more than that. Your computer should be able to easily handle that. 4K playback alone doesn't take a ton of resources.

 

I would try a repaste and reinstall OSX. There could be something wrong with the software (OSX) that is causing it to heat up more than it should.

[dDave64]

1 minute ago, BrinkGG said:

Change your control to CPU PECI and make them ramp up at 70ish. You're cooking it. 

Also this.

[Julian シ]

My apple theory: I think apple is trying to go for their own chips, make sure that in the future the bionic chips of theirs can run macOS. Then release an even more expensive iphone and just sell seperate screens with docs for them. Possibly even release a car with a dock for the iphone. This is based on nothing  

[Julian シ]

I put the fan to max at 70, this just happens. Clean OS, clean dust and reapply thermal sounds like a solid plan. 

[InFlightConsultant]

First post! I apologize for the rambling that will come: 

 

Clean up the 15" MBP and see if it will run cooler, that may keep you going. Since you mentioned buying a second system, I will suggest you consider getting a Mac mini to do your iOS builds. It's a much cheaper proposition overall. I've heard the 999 machine runs at fixed clocks constantly, 4C/4T and is silent under load. This might make a perfect machine for home development. I have the 6C/6T model for building and a couple of VM testing things and it will clock up there pretty good. It's beside my full tower 8086K build and there's something to be said for a major % of the power in fraction of the size. 

 

If you want one system that does it all, you know the 15" MacBook Pro is going to do a pretty good job if it but if it gets stolen or dropped and it's your only build environment that Mac mini sitting at home will feel real smart

 

Not sure why everyone starts talking about AMD or ARM immediately. It's way more likely that Apple gets Ice Lake before those things happen. ARM will be in the Air for a decade before it's in a MacBook Pro.