The refreshed MacBook Pro isn't the only Core i9 laptop with issues

[D13H4RD]

So, the biggest piece of news regarding laptop issues has got to be the new MacBook Pros encountering serious thermal throttling, especially in the Core i9 variant, where it is unable to maintain its base frequency of 2.9GHz, let alone turbo.

 

However, according to NotebookCheck, while the MacBook is a pretty big example, there are other laptops with the same i9 8950HK that have similar issues.

Quote

The Coffee Lake-H Core i9 series, however, has been a mixed bag. When compared to the Core i7-8750H, the Core i9-8950HK can range from anywhere between 0 percent to 30 percent faster in multi-threaded workloads. In other words, some laptops are selling at premium Core i9 prices while providing a performance level very similar to that of a cheaper Core i7 configuration.

We've already tested a handful of Core i9 laptops including the Aorus X9 DT, MSI GT75, Asus Chimera G703GI, Alienware 15 R4, and the Eurocom Q8. The latter two in particular return disappointing CineBench R15 results with scores not unlike some competing laptops with the less expensive Core i7-8750H

S: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Some-Intel-Core-i9-laptops-are-not-running-any-faster-than-a-Core-i7.317268.0.html

 

As it turns out, the MacBook and to an extent, the XPS15 aren't the only ones, with the Eurocom Q8 and A15 R4 having the same issues.

[Guest]

Core i9HK: Designed for use in arctic regions.

[DrMacintosh]

Ahh yes, I love a good dose of reality in the morning. 

[D13H4RD]

4 minutes ago, Densetsu said:

Core i9HK: Designed for use in arctic regions.

Or the freezer

[Guest]

1 minute ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

Or the freezer

That's the joke I was going for, but my brain blanked and couldn't think of the word freezer, lol.

[AskTJ]

What did people expect? A core i9 in a laptop was never going to work.

 

(Unless having 6 blowie-matrons with copper heatsinks and a thickness of 10cm was normal)

[D13H4RD]

2 minutes ago, AskTJ said:

What did people expect? A core i9 in a laptop was never going to work.

 

(Unless having 6 blowie-matrons with copper heatsinks and a thickness of 10cm was normal)

It only works in mega desktop replacements a la ASUS RoG G703

[TopHatProductions115]

LN2 challenge anyone? Nitrogen-cooling an entire MacBook for overclock? Anyone?!

[Mira Yurizaki]

4 minutes ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

It only works in mega desktop replacements a la ASUS RoG G703

I'd expect more of the massive Clevo boat anchors to be the only ones capable of housing it.

[D13H4RD]

Not really a good look, eh? 

[GoodBytes]

Well it is unacceptable... In the case of Apple, they have a laptop that targets professionals that demands high performance (that is their marketing). Putting the i9 inside, means that they have:

• Validated that the system is actually designed for this i9 CPU
• Validated that the system can manage pretty well the heat the chip produces.

A bit of throttling under extended load is expected on thin laptop. It is a drawback. Easy to get the chip to throttle is unacceptable.

What Apple did, is not acceptable, same for the other manufacture

[GoodBytes]

52 minutes ago, AskTJ said:

What did people expect? A core i9 in a laptop was never going to work.

 

(Unless having 6 blowie-matrons with copper heatsinks and a thickness of 10cm was normal)

That is like saying U series CPU in a Surface Pro is never going to work. But it was made thanks to engineering pushing the envelop in cooling solution. Apple (and looks like others) just slap the chip in, and called it a day... might as well put 4x desktop GeForce 1080Ti inside, with a 65W power supply, and cal it a day. Not enough power, insufficient cooling, who cares right?

[PlayStation 2]

Again, people wanted CPUs in laptops that weren't made for it, and they faced the wrath of it. And then people still have the audacity to complain about it.

The CPU's meant as a desktop replacement-tier CPU, like laptops that have desktop CPUs and high-end GPUs in them (like that Ryzen 7 1700 laptop from Asus), not as a high end laptop-built CPU.

Should Apple have put more thought into it? I think so, but on the other end, if multiple laptops are having the issue that are in its class? Maybe there's something with the CPU and not just the design.

[TVwazhere]

@Companies putting i9's in Laptops

[D13H4RD]

3 minutes ago, Dan Castellaneta said:

The CPU's meant as a desktop replacement-tier CPU, like laptops that have desktop CPUs and high-end GPUs in them (like that Ryzen 7 1700 laptop from Asus), not as a high end laptop-built CPU.

Funny enough, the GL702ZC (the laptop you mentioned) is actually based off the 17-inch version of my laptop, which isn't really a desktop replacement as it's rather compact for its size and caliber 

[DrMacintosh]

12 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

@Companies putting i9's in Laptops

I think Ian Malcolm sums up Core i9s in general pretty well. 

[D13H4RD]

2 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

I think Ian Malcolm sums up Core i9s in general pretty well. 

They only work on the G703, GT75 and anything bigger. 

 

Go smaller and you're much better off with the 8750H or 8850H on the MacBook Pro 

[Sir Asvald]

1 hour ago, Densetsu said:

That's the joke I was going for, but my brain blanked and couldn't think of the word freezer, lol.

More like your brain froze... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Ashleyyyy]

this is expected. look at this video:

and how massive that thing is. i'm not at all surprised thin laptops with the same cpu throttle so bad. 

(now yes i know the laptop in the video can overclock and stuff but still it's massive)

[avg123]

What are people up in arms about? The price difference between the i9 and i7 model is only $300. People who can afford overpriced $6000 laptop shouldnt really complain about wasted $300

[Mooshi]

In other obvious news, water is still wet.

[D13H4RD]

20 minutes ago, avg123 said:

What are people up in arms about? The price difference between the i9 and i7 model is only $300. People who can afford overpriced $6000 laptop shouldnt really complain about wasted $300

It's more like a $3000 laptop (that's in USD) 

 

Unless you opt for 4TB of SSD storage 

[avg123]

27 minutes ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

It's more like a $3000 laptop (that's in USD) 

 

Unless you opt for 4TB of SSD storage

Well still, $300 is only extra 10% for a $3000 laptop. If you can afford $3000, wasted $300 is nothing to lose sleep over.

[D13H4RD]

3 minutes ago, avg123 said:

Well still, $300 is only extra 10% for a $3000 laptop. If you can afford $3000, wasted $300 is nothing to lose sleep over.

Well, tbh, after seeing this, I think that $300/$400 is better spent on something like an external TB3 dock or something 

[ShadySocks]

How were they supposed to know that it would throttle to the point it was worse than an i7? It makes sense to release it anyway after all the money spent on R&D.