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Apple Can’t Handle the Heat: Severe Core i9 Throttling Found on New MacBook Pros

Question asked by kingfish on Jul 19, 2018
Latest reply on Jul 21, 2018 by leyvin

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Apple’s new top-end MacBook Pro 15-inch, with the optional Core i9 CPU, is markedly slower than last year’s Core i7 design despite fielding two more CPU cores. That’s the result of empirical tests of the system, which show that under full load, Apple’s redesigned MacBook Pro can’t handle the heat its top-end CPU dissipates. It also means Apple has copied one of the worst habits of the boutique PC laptop industry.

Here’s a fact about boutique laptops that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: Generally speaking, the manufacturers of these systems will cheerfully outfit them with CPUs and GPUs that demand more cooling performance than the laptop can provide. As a result, the highest-end systems available often throttle back their own performance to avoid damage.

Apple Can't Handle the Heat: Severe Core i9 Throttling Found on New MacBook Pros - ExtremeTech

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black_zion Jul 19, 2018 11:08 PM

Updated article says the i7 version has the same problems, so they must just be using the same chassis as last year's model...It's bad news for AMD as they have a discrete Radeon graphics option as the Macbook Pro line isn't bought by the same sheep which buy the rest of Apple's products, these people will tell Apple where to stick them if they're duff.

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leyvin Jul 21, 2018 12:00 PM

Apple "Values" Quietness over Coolness... it isn't that the Cooling Solution they have isn't physically capable of dissipating the Heat., as you can actually perform a manual override to force the Fans to any state you want., and at about 70% they're typically capable of keeping pace with the demanding heat production.

The thing is that Apple has set the Profile (which you can't change., you know given their infinite wisdom in such things) so that it won't even activate the Fans *until* the Processor hit 85c (remember that 95c is the Peak). Even then they're hard capped at like 40-50%., which results in noticeable throttling while remaining "Relatively Quiet".

On the outside it sounds find and dandy... it's a relatively thin Laptop with a Powerful Processor and doesn't sound like an Aircraft under-load... good times, right?

Sure, until the damn thing essentially burns out various components or even warps the System Board.

The absolute kicker being, is not only do you simply not get the Performance you'd expect (or would get from Similar High-Performance PC Laptops) but rather WHEN (not if) damage is caused., Apple "Genius" (a fast and loose usage of said term if I've ever heard one) will then cite a $500-1,000 bill to "Repair" the problem, even within Warranty.

They're frankly an absolute joke... but, eh.. they're popular because of strong brand recognition, the mindshare of being a "Quality Product"; which sure, perhaps a decade ago was a fair assessment but today., they're just taking advantage of the fact their Consumers aren't Tech Savvy enough to know when they're being conned.

The saddest aspect being is in the past maybe 3-4 years, we're seen them pull a PR slight-of-hand to where their own Consumers now believe when it breaks it's THEIR Fault (with a fairly rabid Community willing to reinforce that).

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black_zion Jul 19, 2018 11:08 PM
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Updated article says the i7 version has the same problems, so they must just be using the same chassis as last year's model...It's bad news for AMD as they have a discrete Radeon graphics option as the Macbook Pro line isn't bought by the same sheep which buy the rest of Apple's products, these people will tell Apple where to stick them if they're duff.
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leyvin Jul 21, 2018 12:00 PM
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Apple "Values" Quietness over Coolness... it isn't that the Cooling Solution they have isn't physically capable of dissipating the Heat., as you can actually perform a manual override to force the Fans to any state you want., and at about 70% they're typically capable of keeping pace with the demanding heat production.

The thing is that Apple has set the Profile (which you can't change., you know given their infinite wisdom in such things) so that it won't even activate the Fans *until* the Processor hit 85c (remember that 95c is the Peak). Even then they're hard capped at like 40-50%., which results in noticeable throttling while remaining "Relatively Quiet".

On the outside it sounds find and dandy... it's a relatively thin Laptop with a Powerful Processor and doesn't sound like an Aircraft under-load... good times, right?
Sure, until the damn thing essentially burns out various components or even warps the System Board.
The absolute kicker being, is not only do you simply not get the Performance you'd expect (or would get from Similar High-Performance PC Laptops) but rather WHEN (not if) damage is caused., Apple "Genius" (a fast and loose usage of said term if I've ever heard one) will then cite a $500-1,000 bill to "Repair" the problem, even within Warranty.

They're frankly an absolute joke... but, eh.. they're popular because of strong brand recognition, the mindshare of being a "Quality Product"; which sure, perhaps a decade ago was a fair assessment but today., they're just taking advantage of the fact their Consumers aren't Tech Savvy enough to know when they're being conned.
The saddest aspect being is in the past maybe 3-4 years, we're seen them pull a PR slight-of-hand to where their own Consumers now believe when it breaks it's THEIR Fault (with a fairly rabid Community willing to reinforce that).
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Apple Can’t Handle the Heat: Severe Core i9 Throttling Found on New MacBook Pros

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