Apple Refreshes MBP Retina 15", 5K iMac price drop [Graphics & Compute comparison UPDATE]

[Aniallation]

There, shitposted my way to page 6.  Now you can all keep commenting.

[Aniallation]

But yeah, this is probably because AMD started offering Apple a better deal with the release of the 5K iMac, because before then iMacs used Nvidia GPUs (750M optional in the 21.5", 755M standard in the 27" with optional 775M and 780M) and so did MBPs (750M)

[Deletive]

Fancy to see Apple is really pushing AMD gpu's and OpenCL on their software and hardware.

[Victorious Secret]

Fancy to see Apple is really pushing AMD gpu's and OpenCL on their software and hardware.

Even though OpenCL is a dead end for a decent chunk of users. Maxwell mobile chips are superior in performance and thermals. It's amazing that Apple got that big a discount to go with such a weak chip that is barely better than the 750m.

[Dabombinable]

Even though OpenCL is a dead end for a decent chunk of users. Maxwell mobile chips are superior in performance and thermals. It's amazing that Apple got that big a discount to go with such a weak chip that is barely better than the 750m.

I still can't believe that mobile R9 290's exist. All of the power required.

[Opcode]

Even though OpenCL is a dead end for a decent chunk of users. Maxwell mobile chips are superior in performance and thermals. It's amazing that Apple got that big a discount to go with such a weak chip that is barely better than the 750m.

What? I'm willing to bet you've got at least one software installed on your PC that leverages OpenCL. The framework is not going anywhere and since it's 2.0 revision it has actually gotten that much better. People love adopting it because of how universal it is. Maxwell is multiple times slower than GCN with 1/32 rate double precision. Maxwell just isn't a workstation architecture and if Nvidia keeps it up most of Apple products will move to AMD. Especially next year when GCN 2.0 comes with 2x the power reduction (lower power than Maxwell) while retaining a superior performance margin.

[Victorious Secret]

I still can't believe that mobile R9 290's exist. All of the power required.

If you've got power (and thermals) to burn, but I don't get it. I gotta hand it to Apple. Paying pennies on what FirePros cost on the Mac Pro to the 295M and now 370M.

I suspect the MacPro is headed back to Quadros anyways, come refresh time.

[Sammael]

This will be quite the dilemma for the apple lovers and amd haters.  Do they get their retina 15 with amd graphics, or stick with intel.  

 

 

On the hp hatred, the best ultrabook on the market right now is actually an hp, not the dell xps 13.  The spectre x360.  The i5 is the best bang for the buck:

 

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-spectre-x360-2-in-1-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-natural-silver/4570018.p?id=1219630510290&skuId=4570018

 

 

Linus should review that since it's essentially the best windows notebook on the market now.  The dell xps has thinner bezels, and not much else over that machine.

[Dabombinable]

If you've got power (and thermals) to burn, but I don't get it. I gotta hand it to Apple. Paying pennies on what FirePros cost on the Mac Pro to the 295M and now 370M.

I suspect the MacPro is headed back to Quadros anyways, come refresh time.

The problem is that laptops have very little in the way of thermal headroom, and need as little power used as possible on battery-which AMD just can't manage at the moment (they've royally screwed Ati). And considering just how good Quadro's are (judging them based on my NVS110M-its driving a 1440x1050 main display with no problems-and manages just fine even when using a program such as 3DS Max-128MB dedicated vRAM, up to 386MB shared system memory. Then there is the whole set of features that predate their implementations in Linux and Windows by several years), they are a card that Apple would consider 'worthy of being used'.

[randomhkkid]

The problem is that laptops have very little in the way of thermal headroom, and need as little power used as possible on battery-which AMD just can't manage at the moment (they've royally screwed Ati). And considering just how good Quadro's are (judging them based on my NVS110M-its driving a 1440x1050 main display with no problems-and manages just fine even when using a program such as 3DS Max-128MB dedicated vRAM, up to 386MB shared system memory. Then there is the whole set of features that predate their implementations in Linux and Windows by several years), they are a card that Apple would consider 'worthy of being used'.

 

 

If you've got power (and thermals) to burn, but I don't get it. I gotta hand it to Apple. Paying pennies on what FirePros cost on the Mac Pro to the 295M and now 370M.

I suspect the MacPro is headed back to Quadros anyways, come refresh time.

 

 

I still can't believe that mobile R9 290's exist. All of the power required.

 

 

But yeah, this is probably because AMD started offering Apple a better deal with the release of the 5K iMac, because before then iMacs used Nvidia GPUs (750M optional in the 21.5", 755M standard in the 27" with optional 775M and 780M) and so did MBPs (750M)

 

It's bizarre, though I assume it was less to do with price and more to do with Apple throwing a hissy fit over Nvidia suing them for graphics IP infringement. Then again the fact that AMD was looking to get rid of their uncompetitive mobile chips probably got them a favourable price as well.

[TroubleKlef]

It's bizarre, though I assume it was less to do with price and more to do with Apple throwing a hissy fit over Nvidia suing them for graphics IP infringement. Then again the fact that AMD was looking to get rid of their uncompetitive mobile chips probably got them a favourable price as well.

 

I think it's more to do with price. Apple has historically switched between Nvidia and AMD (meaning they clearly have no brand preference) and Apple continues to work with Samsung in their mobile division (even though these two companies have been entangled in legal battles for quite some time). I think AMD just offered Apple the better deal.