Apple releases new MacBook Pros with up to 6-Core Processors and 32GB of Memory

I just read an article yesterday that was saying that Apple was expected to revamp/update almost everything by the fall. My current RMBP is six years old. Crazy when I really think about it, but it's still going strong. The only things holding me back are the removal of the MagSafe port, and the "butterfly" keyboard. There are just so many stories and reports about what a screw-up the keyboard has been and how unreliable it is.

$6700 to max out a 15" with 32GB RAM and 4TB SSD, btw.
 
Run&Gun said:
I just read an article yesterday that was saying that Apple was expected to revamp/update almost everything by the fall. My current RMBP is six years old. Crazy when I really think about it, but it's still going strong. The only things holding me back are the removal of the MagSafe port, and the "butterfly" keyboard. There are just so many stories and reports about what a screw-up the keyboard has been and how unreliable it is.

$6700 to max out a 15" with 32GB RAM and 4TB SSD, btw.
Click to expand...

Does one realistically need a 4TB internal SSD storage however? I would never want to edit off of the internal storage if I didn't have to and a lot of video formats really don't require that level of speed today. Heck I still edit 4k off a single 7200RPM drive. Bumping up the internal SSD a little bit is realistic but 4TB is just throwing money away at that point.
 
Gary T said:
With 6 cores, 32gigs of RAM, improved security, and displays, I think I'm in love. Apple just got a bit more of my cash, but I just wish they still made a 17 inch model for my old man eyes. FCP probably screams on these beasts.


https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018...faster-performance-and-new-features-for-pros/

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/15-inch
Click to expand...

Agreed. I still have a 2011 17" MBP and while clunky and a giant beast compared to my 2015 MBP I do miss the larger Realestate. I run the 2015 at 1920 resolution but my eyes are not as good as they used to be and I'm pretty sure I'm making them worse.

Not that it will stop me from loving this new MBP however. My 2015 MBP already cuts through native GH4 4k with great ease. The extra rendering power will be very welcome indeed. This should put the MBP on par with the 4 core CPU on the top iMac. If apple ever works the kinks out of eGPU I have no problem adding one to match or exceed the GPU performance of the iMac. On the road work with the 560x and at home at my desk plug in the eGPU and go to town.

Anybody notice that neat new BMD eGPU Apple has on the new MBP page? In terms of guts its just a Radeon 580 so comparable to other eGPU options but it has a ton of nice ports making it double as a USB3 hub with a HDMI port. The ports kind of make it a great option.
 
Storage size shoots up price the most, if you'll opt for 1TB price is the same as last year model. Really you shouldn't need more than 1TB of SSD.
One thing to remember as not eveeryone will know this: you can almost always recover data from failed HDD while SSD's are nonrecoverable. Once it fails all data is gone.
 
Ah funny that this is the conversation! I was just on Apple's sit mocking up the specs I want (I have the late 2013 model w/1tb SSD internal storage) and the two things I was most excited about are 32gb of RAM and 4TB internal SSD.

Then I saw the 4TB SSD price... yikes!!

To answer the above questions, YMMV, but I really really want/wanted 4TB of internal SSD. I'll edit long form projects in 3rd world for extended time sometimes and have to travel very light. Sometimes, VERY light. Footage can add up quick (over 1TB in a single travel shoot) + Operating system files. Plus any games or movies brought along on the drive.

Plus, sometimes I'm working on an existing project when I hop on the plane and need to make progress or keep the ball rolling on things back at home. Sometimes 2. So having internal space to bring along a couple of those, plus log everything I am shooting on location. (On location, I keep everything I shoot in 2 places - on the SD memory cards in a pelican memory wallet as copy 1, and on the computer SSD as copy 2, until I am home where I clear the pile of SD cards after doing a triple backup (2 copies on-site, on additional copy off-site in case of physical harm).

I have made due with the 1TB SSD internal and an external 2TB Rugged HDD but I hate having to plug in an extra HDD to edit footage or see everything. For me the convenience of not needing an external drive while doing travel shoots and edits not only makes me a little smaller/lighter, but it feels "cleaner" to not be have to deal with extra USB cords and drives (especially on a plane). Also the external USB drives are nowhere near as fast as the internal SSD. (I was looking at upgrading to an external USB 3 SSD - 2TB for $800, which would work much better than my current setup for speed, but all else is the same).

So, yeah, I would love 4TB SSD internally.

I don't think I can swallow $6700 for the computer though.

Maybe $4700 for speced out with the 2TB SSD?
 
On the highest model, Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz is available...that seems pretty good? (of course if your software benefits from it vs. other specs/hardware)

The highest model of the iMac Pro is 4.5GHz (while it of course has other superior offerings).

I don't follow computers much but it seems like these processor improvements have been very slow over the last decade, and I feel like only recently I saw most numbers in the lower to mid 3GHz range.

Either way, I want one. (My current MBP is from 2015.)
 
The CPU update is huge. Great. Intel Coffee Lake. This is the one to get for some time, considering the slow pace of true CPU breakthrough. All good there.

The bump to 32GB of RAM is overdue and very welcome. Big improvement.

GPU situation is fine but disappointing. Would have like to see higher end Radeon option (Vega) in the 15-inch model as an option, and/or nvidia 1080 series. This is the big ding.

Touchbar, I could take or leave, lots of mixed reviews on that, but it's clearly here to stay. I do appreciate having TouchID though!

USB-C ports only... clearly the future... this is a ding for me as I love having a built in SD port to keep things clean, and will miss MagSafe (I truly think that was one of Apple's greatest laptop features!). So, pretty much always need to be adding an adaptor to import footage or plug in certain accessories with these.

Butterfly keyboard - didn't address the recent complaints, not enough time. It doesn't affect everyone though, but still a ding.

Hey Siri is a cool addition via the T2 chip. Also, I doubt I will use Hey Siri that much as I already have a watch that's always on me + the phone, so do I really need another device going off?

Anyway, I'm overdue for an upgrade. Editing 4K on my late 2013 model is no bueno anymore.
 
Gary T said:
With 6 cores, 32gigs of RAM, improved security, and displays, I think I'm in love. Apple just got a bit more of my cash, but I just wish they still made a 17 inch model for my old man eyes. FCP probably screams on these beasts.


https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018...faster-performance-and-new-features-for-pros/

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/15-inch
Click to expand...

I have been waiting for something like this. Glad to see continued improvement on laptop screens.

@Run&Gun, yeah those upgrade costs!
 
Thomas Smet said:
Agreed. I still have a 2011 17" MBP and while clunky and a giant beast compared to my 2015 MBP I do miss the larger Realestate. I run the 2015 at 1920 resolution but my eyes are not as good as they used to be and I'm pretty sure I'm making them worse.

Not that it will stop me from loving this new MBP however. My 2015 MBP already cuts through native GH4 4k with great ease. The extra rendering power will be very welcome indeed. This should put the MBP on par with the 4 core CPU on the top iMac. If apple ever works the kinks out of eGPU I have no problem adding one to match or exceed the GPU performance of the iMac. On the road work with the 560x and at home at my desk plug in the eGPU and go to town.

Anybody notice that neat new BMD eGPU Apple has on the new MBP page? In terms of guts its just a Radeon 580 so comparable to other eGPU options but it has a ton of nice ports making it double as a USB3 hub with a HDMI port. The ports kind of make it a great option.
Click to expand...

Another thing I miss about my 17" was the extra real estate allowed Apple to add additional ports. I would love to have a couple of USB 3.1 ports on this new model without having to sacrifice any of its Thunderbolt 3 ports. A larger model might be able accommodate more powerful GPU.

Sadly we were in the minority with our love for the larger model and from I recall it sold very poorly. So few people bought that whenever I pulled mine out people asked me what it was.

I didn't notice to BMD eGPU chassis. I'm a bit surprised it's apparently an Apple store exclusive, but it looks very attractive. Four USB3 ports and it provides power to MacBook Pro. Combine it with this Sonnet gizmo and you're ready for business!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1404413-REG/sonnet_solo10g_tb3_solo_10g_thunderbolt_3.html
 
filmguy123 said:
Ah funny that this is the conversation! I was just on Apple's sit mocking up the specs I want (I have the late 2013 model w/1tb SSD internal storage) and the two things I was most excited about are 32gb of RAM and 4TB internal SSD.

Then I saw the 4TB SSD price... yikes!!

To answer the above questions, YMMV, but I really really want/wanted 4TB of internal SSD. I'll edit long form projects in 3rd world for extended time sometimes and have to travel very light. Sometimes, VERY light. Footage can add up quick (over 1TB in a single travel shoot) + Operating system files. Plus any games or movies brought along on the drive.

Plus, sometimes I'm working on an existing project when I hop on the plane and need to make progress or keep the ball rolling on things back at home. Sometimes 2. So having internal space to bring along a couple of those, plus log everything I am shooting on location. (On location, I keep everything I shoot in 2 places - on the SD memory cards in a pelican memory wallet as copy 1, and on the computer SSD as copy 2, until I am home where I clear the pile of SD cards after doing a triple backup (2 copies on-site, on additional copy off-site in case of physical harm).

I have made due with the 1TB SSD internal and an external 2TB Rugged HDD but I hate having to plug in an extra HDD to edit footage or see everything. For me the convenience of not needing an external drive while doing travel shoots and edits not only makes me a little smaller/lighter, but it feels "cleaner" to not be have to deal with extra USB cords and drives (especially on a plane). Also the external USB drives are nowhere near as fast as the internal SSD. (I was looking at upgrading to an external USB 3 SSD - 2TB for $800, which would work much better than my current setup for speed, but all else is the same).

So, yeah, I would love 4TB SSD internally.

I don't think I can swallow $6700 for the computer though.

Maybe $4700 for speced out with the 2TB SSD?
Click to expand...

I use an external SSD drive which is pretty light and takes seconds to plug in. Unless you keep the MBP running while walking around I don't really see it as a major problem. I do agree doing everything internally would be great in your situation but 4TB of SSD costs a small fortune no matter what system you get. Apple charges a premium of course but 4TB of SSD is a massive amount of SSD storage.

Yet another thing I loved about my 17" MBP. I opened it up, took out the optical drive and added a second drive and replaced the system drive with a SSD.
 
filmguy123 said:
...the two things I was most excited about are 32gb of RAM and 4TB internal SSD.

To answer the above questions, YMMV, but I really really want/wanted 4TB of internal SSD. I'll edit long form projects in 3rd world for extended time sometimes and have to travel very light. Sometimes, VERY light. Footage can add up quick (over 1TB in a single travel shoot) + Operating system files. Plus any games or movies brought along on the drive.

Plus, sometimes I'm working on an existing project when I hop on the plane and need to make progress or keep the ball rolling on things back at home. Sometimes 2. So having internal space to bring along a couple of those, plus log everything I am shooting on location. (On location, I keep everything I shoot in 2 places - on the SD memory cards in a pelican memory wallet as copy 1, and on the computer SSD as copy 2, until I am home where I clear the pile of SD cards after doing a triple backup (2 copies on-site, on additional copy off-site in case of physical harm).

I have made due with the 1TB SSD internal and an external 2TB Rugged HDD but I hate having to plug in an extra HDD to edit footage or see everything. For me the convenience of not needing an external drive while doing travel shoots and edits not only makes me a little smaller/lighter, but it feels "cleaner" to not be have to deal with extra USB cords and drives (especially on a plane). Also the external USB drives are nowhere near as fast as the internal SSD. (I was looking at upgrading to an external USB 3 SSD - 2TB for $800, which would work much better than my current setup for speed, but all else is the same).

So, yeah, I would love 4TB SSD internally.
Click to expand...

You just so eloquently explained the reason for why the 4TB internal SSD is priced where it is.
 
Everyone is talking as this is a run of the mill 550mb/s Samsung ssd. This thing clocks in at up to 3200mb/s!!! If you price 4 TB of external storage at that speed, you'll see why its worth it. For a music video editor like myself, I plan on editing 6-9 streams of raw c200 footage with no transcoding in the Multicam editor on FCPX with this machine. If I can do that with nothing else plugged in on the plane, it's a steal.
 
Its also really important to factor in the speed of this storage. This is not your typical off the shelf SSD drive capable of 600MB/S. This is insanely fast flash storage cable of 3000MB/S. Speed costs money and even the Mac sales ThunderBlade 4TB is $2,800.

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc...58.1988382013.1531431940-954420248.1523661720

Combine that with the fact that its built in which is the main desire for those wanting the 4TB of internal storage and the high cost really isn't a mystery at all. One can of course always save money and get the ThunderBlade and use it externally but then it isn't as convenient. Convenience costs money.

Thats why I'm ok with 1TB SDD for small projects/content when it really is a pain to spend the 3 seconds to plug in a drive and use a more affordable option externally as needed. Yes its more work but again conveinance costs money in the business.
 
kurth said:
ah...yeah....that kinda of deserves it's own thread....like no one noticed !

https://www.cinema5d.com/blackmagic-egpu-graphics-superpower-for-macbooks-via-thunderbolt-3/
Click to expand...

To be fair it isn't anything special really except for the extra ports. The GPU is still the same Radeon 580 GPU used in every other eGPU out there. There are a ton of ready made eGPU solutions out there now for a year with that same exact GPU. Only cool thing with the BMD is the addition of ports. Ports of which I would be very hesitant to use since it eats into the bus speed for the GPU itself. I would rather use all USB devices and storage on a different bus and save the second bus just for the eGPU. It isn't really a big deal to add a USB3.1 hub to one of the other three ports on the MBP.

Its cool to have another option but its really a me too product.
 
Thomas Smet said:
To be fair it isn't anything special really except for the extra ports. The GPU is still the same Radeon 580 GPU used in every other eGPU out there. There are a ton of ready made eGPU solutions out there now for a year with that same exact GPU. Only cool thing with the BMD is the addition of ports. Ports of which I would be very hesitant to use since it eats into the bus speed for the GPU itself. I would rather use all USB devices and storage on a different bus and save the second bus just for the eGPU. It isn't really a big deal to add a USB3.1 hub to one of the other three ports on the MBP.

Its cool to have another option but its really a me too product.
Click to expand...

To be honest the Gigabyte Auros eGPU with a RX580 is only $500 and it also has 4 USB3 ports n the back and it has 4 HDMI ports provided by the GPU. Now I'm not really sure the BMD has a port advantage here. Sure it has an extra TB3 on the back to daisy chain but the MBP has 4 TB3 ports so I'm not exactly all that concerned about eating up one TB3 port. The Auros also provides power and charging so really the BMD now seems vastly over priced. It really provides nothing for that extra $200.

Its an odd market for BMD to get into since they don't make GPUs. Gigabyte on the other hand does so they could custom build a mini GPU to fit in their Auros products. They are likely affected by the higher than usual GPU cost right now due to bit mining. Gigabyte is custom building their chip[sets for the euros to make it more compact so they are not affected by the same supply and demand.
 
It is odd... but since selling hardware is BMD's bag, I guess it makes sense; capitalize on the fact that Apple didn't update the aging GPU in the new laptops, so they're still not competitive.

I was hoping they'd have Vega GPUs, but since they don't I'm leaning toward an AlienWare 15" i9 with a 1080 instead.
 
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