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The new MacBook Pro (MBP) line has two new features across the
board: Thunderbolt and Intel HD 3000 graphics. While the 13" MacBook
Pro only uses the integrated HD 3000 graphics, the 15" and 17" models
also have Radeon HD GPUs.
Intel and Nvidia have been at odds, which has prevented Nvidia from
developing graphics processors (GPUs) for Intel's newest Core i CPUs,
but AMD - Intel's most significant rival in the CPU field - has been
developing its Radeon processors to work with them. Apple has adopted
the AMD Radeon HD 6490M and 6750M GPUs in conjunction with the built-in
Intel HD 3000 graphics, using automatic switching as in previous
models.
Rather than jump in with a value equation article right away, I
wanted to see how things settled down in terms of benchmarks,
especially because of the Intel HD 3000 graphics. And the wait has paid
off. Yesterday I posted an overview of the first
benchmarks of the Early 2011 MacBook Pro line.
Macworld benchmarks show the 6750M is a big step forward (30%) over
the GeForce graphics used last year, while the 6490M does not fare as
well with about a 19% drop in frame rate when running Call of Duty
4.
Apple is reporting 7 hours of wireless productivity for the new
models, down from 8-9 hours claimed for last year's models, but that
may be due to Apple being more realistic in its testing - i.e., not
turning screen brightness down to 25% and only using the integrated GPU
to stretch battery life. In the real world, there's probably little
difference between the time you'll get running either the 2010 or the
2011 models from battery.
The Early 2011 MacBook Pro
Apple has gone with quad-core i7 CPUs across the board for 15" and
17" MBPs, which means 8 virtual cores thanks to HyperThreading.
The additional cores mean that the 2011 models can run at lower
clock speeds while offering more performance, as is borne out by
Geekbench scores. The 15" 2.0 GHz 4-core i7
scores 81% higher than last year's 2.4 GHz
entry-level 15" MacBook Pro and 49% higher than the 2.8 GHz
build-to-order dual-core i7 option. The 2.2 GHz 17" MacBook
Pro more than doubles raw computing power compared with last year's 2.53 GHz
model and bests the 2.8 GHz build-to-order machine by 72%.
In terms of sheer computing power, the 2010 models can't hold a
candle to the quad-core 2011 MBPs.
The original Turbo Boost let the CPU overclock individual cores by
up to 25%. Turbo Boost 2.0 allows the new CPUs to top out a single core
at up to 50% above rated CPU speed:
2.9 GHz for the 2.0 GHz Mobile i7 - 45% gain
3.3 GHz for the 2.2 GHz Mobile i7 - 50% gain
3.4 GHz for the 2.3 GHz Mobile i7 - 48% gain
And here are Geekbench scores for this year's 15" and 17" MBPs - and
some of last year's:
15" 2.4 GHz dual i5 2010: 4866
15"/17" 2.53 GHz dual i5 2010: 4985/4980
17" 2.53 GHz dual i5 2010:
15"/17" 2.66 GHz dual i7 2010: 5564/5559
15"/17" 2.8 GHz dual i7 2010: 5910/5837
15" 2.0 GHz quad i7 2011: 8804
17" 2.2 GHz quad i7 2011, 10026
15"/17" 2.3 GHz quad i7 2011: 9886/10164
In terms of raw processing power, thanks to four cores instead of
two and Turbo Boost 2.0, even the pedestrian sounding 2.0 GHz model
outperforms last year's top-end 2.8 GHz model by nearly 50%. You would
expect a 10% improvement at 2.2 GHz, but the Geekbench score is 3.9%
higher, thanks to an even higher Turbo Boost ratio.
The disappointment is the 2.3 GHz quad-core Mobile i7, which is a
bit under 1.4% faster than the 2.2 GHz one. Considering it's a $250
option that you'd expect a 4-5% boost from, that's underwhelming. I
can't imagine anyone seeing that as a cost effective upgrade. For
optimal performance, you'd be better off putting in maximum RAM and
perhaps a solid-state drive (SSD) - not cheap, but proven to
significantly improve overall system performance far more than the 1.4%
gain you'll see with the 2.3 GHz chip.
Macworld Labs takes a different approach to benchmarking and uses
real world apps and processes to measure performance. Speedmark 6.5
scores:
15" 2.4 GHz dual i5 2010: 132 - 63 fps
17" 2.53 GHz dual i5 2010: 137 - 62 fps
15" 2.66 GHz dual i7 2010: 151 - 62 fps
15" 2.0 GHz quad i7 2011: 175 - 51 fps
15" 2.2 GHz quad i7 2011: 209 - 81 fps
17" 2.2 GHz quad i7 2011, 210 - 81 fps
Macworld had not yet tested the 2.3 GHz build-to-order option, which
we don't consider a good value anyway. The 2.0 GHz quad-core beats last
year's 2.66 GHz dual-core by almost 16%, while the 2.2 GHz models have
38% more productivity power.
The 2.0 GHz 15-incher is the only model to use Radeon HD 6490M
graphics, and those who want the best frame rate for gaming are going
to want to avoid that machine and move up to the 2.2 GHz model with its
Radeon HD 6750M GPU - frame rates under Call of Duty 4 are 30% higher
than with last year's GeForce GT 330M and an even more impressive 59%
better than the Radeon HD 6490M used in the new entry-level 15"
MBP.
Looking forward, the most important change is probably Thunderbolt,
which is an extremely high bandwidth data bus that can support a
monitor, hard drives, networking, and more. Thunderbolt has twice the
bandwidth of USB 3, which Apple has not yet adopted (and may not in
light of Thunderbolt) and 12 times as fast as FireWire 800. Thunderbolt
has sufficient bandwidth to handle everything short of very high
resolution displays.
The Value Equation
Now it's time to look at performance vs. price. The new 15" models
retail at $1,799 (2.0 GHz) and $2,199 (2.2 GHz) and are available for
as little as
$1,700 and $2,060. The 2010 models are being closed out at:
2.4 GHz dual i5, $1,449
2.53 GHz dual i5, $1,619
2.66 GHz dual i7, $1,780
Further, Apple has refurbished 2010
units at $1,269, $1,439, $1,599, and $1,779 for the 2.4, 2.53,
2.66, and 2.8 GHz versions respectively.
The new 17" MacBook Pro retails for $2,499 and is available for
as little as
$2,350. Close-out pricing brings last year's 2.53 GHz dual-core i5
model to $1,950 and the 2.66 GHz dual-core i7 to $2,199. Apple has the
2.8 GHz version available refurbished for $2,119.
Question 1: Is the 2.2 GHz 15-incher model worth $300 (22%) more
than the 2.0 GHz model? And what about the 2.3 GHz option?
In terms of raw performance, no. Geekbench shows it benchmarks 12.3%
higher, so at a 22% price premium, it's not as good a value. As for the
$250 extra cost for the 2.3 GHz upgrade, you can't justify it based on
performance.
Looking at Speedmark numbers, the 2.2 GHz model scores 19.4% better
than the 2.0 GHz machine. Factor in the superior graphics processor and
higher capacity hard drive, and you may find it worthwhile. The 2.0 GHz
represents a slightly better value, but the 2.2 GHz one is close.
Question 2: How do the close-out 2010 models compare with each
other?
There's less than a 23% difference in price between the 2.4 GHz and
2.66 GHz dual-core 2010 15-inchers. Here's a quick breakdown of price
vs. Geekbench score:
2.4 GHz, 4866 / 1449 = 3.358
2.53 GHz, 4985 / 1619 = 3.079
2.66 GHz, 5564 / 1780 = 3.126
Based on these numbers, the 2.4 GHz model is the hands-down value
champion.
Let's do the same thing for the 2010 17-incher:
2.53 GHz, 4980 / 1950 = 2.554
2.66 GHz, 5559 / 2199 = 2.528
The 2.53 GHz 17" 2010 MBP barely edges out the 2.66 GHz version, but
the numbers are close enough that I'll call it a draw.
Question 3: And what about Apple Certified Refurbs?
The best value is always going to be buying a refurbished machine,
as it carries the same factory warranty and AppleCare eligibility as a
new-in-box machine. Here's the 15" breakdown:
2.4 GHz, 4866 / 1269 = 3.835
2.53 GHz, 4985 / 1439 = 3.464
2.66 GHz, 5564 / 1599 = 3.480
2.8 GHz, 5910 / 1779 = 3.322
Once again, the 2.4 GHz model is the value champion. If you want
more power than that, the 2.66 GHz 15-incher provides the next best
value at current prices.
At present, the only refurbished 17-incher is the 2.8 GHz model,
selling for $2,119. That's $80 less than the best current close-out
price for the 2.66 GHz 2010 edition, making it a great value.
Question 4: How do the new models compare to the old ones in terms
of value?
Let's ignore the $250 2.3 GHz build-to-order upgrade as a poor
value, which gives us just three new models to compare with last
year's. In comparing machines based on different CPUs - such as going
from dual-core to quad-core - I think where we're better off comparing
overall performance as determined by Macworld's Speedmark 6.5 tests, as
that factors in the whole computer, not just the CPU and memory.
This time we'll use the best available prices, including 2010
refurbs (unfortunately for this comparison, Macworld never tested the
2.8 GHz i7 models):
15" 2.4 GHz dual i5, 132 / 1269 = 0.104
15" 2.66 GHz dual i7, 151 / 1599 = 0.097
15" 2.0 GHz quad i7, 175 / 1700 = 0.103
15" 2.2 GHz quad i7, 209 / 2060 = 0.101
17" 2.53 GHz dual i5, 137 / 1950 = 0.070
17" 2.2 GHz quad i7, 210 / 2350 = 0.089
Among the 15" 2010 models, the 2.4 GHz is the clear winner, and at
$1,269 this is a steal for a 15" MacBook Pro. Based only on Speedmark
score vs. price, it even beats the quad-core 2011 models, which cluster
in the 0.101 to 0.103 range.
If you want a 17-incher, the new model blows the doors off last
year's 2.53 GHz model - mostly because Apple doesn't have refurbs of
that model.
If you're a gamer, the Nvidia graphics in the close-out 2.4 GHz 2010
model gives you a leg up over the 2.0 GHz quad-core 2011 machine, but
the faster quad-core models with their superior Radeon HD 6750M GPUs
give them the edge for gaming.
For everyone else, the refurbished 15" 2.4 GHz 2010 MacBook Pro
represents a great value and an incredibly low cost of entry to the 15"
size. Other than that, I'd look at the new quad-core models, possibly
making an exception for the refurbished 17" 2.8 GHz 2010 model.
Dan Knight has been using Macs since 1986,
sold Macs for several years, supported them for many more years, and
has been publishing Low End Mac since April 1997. If you find Dan's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
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