Apple’s newest MacBook Pros are now on sale – but the upgrades may not be all they’re cracked up to be
Apple has at last launched the latest upgrades to its MacBook Pro line – but not to widespread acclaim. There are two brand-new 2018 MacBook Pros available, both of which have seen only minor upgrades from the 2017 versions. As well as some spec upgrades, Apple has flattered its new MacBook Pros with a hefty price bump – the highest spec 15in MacBook Pro with i9 processor costs in excess of £6,000.
And there are some early warning signs about the 15in MacBook Pro with the i9 chip, too. Tech journalist and professional YouTuber Dave Lee put one of the Intel Core i9 MacBook Pros to the test, reporting that the overclockable chip struggles to run at even base clock speeds when completing high-performance tasks such as video rendering.
Apple MacBook Pro i9 throttling fix
New information about the i9 throttling issue has come to light via a post by Reddit user randompersonx on the r/MacBookPro subreddit. After experiencing CPU throttling with the i9 15in MacBook Pro multiple times, the anonymous tech-savvy Redditor discovered a workaround a Cinebench score of 1,000 to 1,100. Apparently, the throttling issue is not caused by the thermal output and eventual overheating from the i9 processor itself, but rather by the voltage regulator module (VRM), which prevents the i9 chip from getting the power it needs to run effectively.
Essentially, the VRM overheats after a certain period of time, which trips the motherboard and decreases the output of the i9 processor until the VRM has been cooled. This repeats in an endless cycle, thus the throttling issue never goes away. Unless you follow randompersonx’s instructions, that is. Beware: the process requires a considerable amount of technical knowledge; it may also compromise your MacBook Pro’s warranty because it involves disabling some of the security settings by entering a custom System Inegrity Protection mode.
Apple MacBook Pro 2018: Everything you need to know about the new MacBook Pros
MacBook Pro 2018 specs: Base configurations
Have a look at the table below for a breakdown on the tech specs of the newest MacBook Pro models. On the left is the unchanged 13in MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar, while the two newer 13in and 15in models are on the right. Of course, these are only the base models, and their internal specs can be upgraded on Apple’s website. Be warned, though: these hardware configurations don’t come cheap.
MacBook Pro 13in non-Touch Bar
- Dual-core 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD – £1,249
- Dual-core 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – £1,449
MacBook Pro 13in Touch Bar
- Dual-core 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD – £1,749
- Dual-core 2.3GHz Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD – £1,949
MacBook Pro 15in Touch Bar
- Hexa-core 2.2GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD – £2,349
- Hexa-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – £2,699
Apple MacBook Pro 2018 release date: When do the new MacBook Pros come out?
The MacBook Pro 2018 upgrades are now available to buy online, from select retailers such as John Lewis. Previously, it was expected that Apple would announce – and subsequently launch – the newest MacBooks in September 2018, after they received no mention at WWDC. September is typically a major month for the Californian tech giant, and we’re gearing up for the reveal of the next iPhone (or, indeed, iPhones) instead.
Apple MacBook Pro 2018 price: How much do the new MacBook Pros cost?
The cheapest 13in MacBook Pro model with Touch Bar is now £1,749, which is £500 more than the older non-Touch Bar model, and that’s only for the base version with an Intel Core i5 and 256GB SSD.
Apple fans will have to drop a bare minimum of £2,349 if they want to sink their teeth into the 15in MacBook Pro. The standard edition has an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM but, like the 13in 2018 MacBook Pro, its hardware can be pimped out on Apple’s website for maximum performance. Only on Apple’s website will you get the full set of configuration options. How much does the 15in MacBook Pro with an i9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and 4TB of SSD cost? Oh, only a mere £6,210.
Apple MacBook Pro 2018 design: What do the new MacBook Pros look like?
So little has changed with the external design of the 13in and 15in MacBook Pros that it’s a genuine struggle to tell them apart from their predecessors. Prior to release, the internet was swirling with rumours of a dual-screen MacBook but, for better or worse, such crazy talk has been put to bed. There have been a couple of design tweaks, though; both models now have a new True Tone display and True Tone Touch Bar, the latter now including advanced security features such as an enhanced Touch ID unlock.
There’s also a new third-gen butterfly keyboard, which is designed to be quieter than last year’s efforts. Although Apple hasn’t officially announced it, iFixIt has discovered that there are now dust covers under each key. Clearly, Apple has learned from its past mistakes, following issues with the keyboard failing when dust became trapped under a single key..
Apple MacBook Pro 2018 features: What’s new with the latest MacBook Pros?
We’ve already talked about the upgraded base technical specs and alternative configurations, but there are a few other new features worth talking about, too. One such feature is the enhanced True Tone display, but we’ll have to reserve judgement until we’ve had a chance to review the MacBook Pro and put its display to the test. Apple has its own T2 chip to power the upgraded Touch Bar, too, which includes Hey Siri and advanced security integration.
There are no new ports on the latest MacBook Pros, which is a major disappointment given how easy it is to implement those compared to other hardware upgrades. Instead, we’re stuck with the same four USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack.
There’s no new operating system for the MacBook Pro, but Apple is expected to roll out the sequel to macOS High Sierra, macOS Mojave, alongside the next iPhone launch in September 2018, so stay tuned!
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
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