2018 i9 MacBook Pro throttling discussion [merged]

[simonmet]

Results are in for Unreal Engine 4. Got really spiky for the last 5% of the rendering for both tests, 0.8-3.5ghz up and down.

Test 1: View attachment 771413
Test 2: View attachment 771415
Spike at the end: View attachment 771418

Thanks very much for posting these. You seem to be getting around 2.4 GHz under load with full utilisation. Significant throttling under base.

 

[Aea]

Im afraid your only choice is to increase the fan speeds manually when you are doing something intensive and replace the thermal paste in the MBP.

I'm sorry man but you sound like an apologist. Open up a $4.5K machine and replace the TIM myself? Puh.

 

[zshane1125]

Apple insider full test review on the throttling issue:

https://appleinsider.com/articles/1...acbook-pro-dramatically-hampering-performance

TLDR: same results as ours.

 

[Standard]

Results are in for Unreal Engine 4. Got really spiky for the last 5% of the rendering for both tests, 0.8-3.5ghz up and down.

Test 1

View attachment 771413

Test 2

View attachment 771415

Spike at the end

View attachment 771418

Thanks so much for doing this. How long did the builds take? Also, did it continue to spike when the render finished and it was applying the textures?

I agree.


I ran the Unreal Engine benchmark. I don't know what my average CPU frequency was but I'm guessing around 1.4Ghz. Drops to 800 Mhz CONSTANTLY.

Here's the screen recording of the entire test:

(still processing)

And here's a screenshot if you don't care to watch the whole thing.

Thanks !! This is very interesting. I wonder why there is such a big differnce from yours and zshanes?

Thank you both for doing this.

 

[kylepro88]

Interesting.

https://twitter.com/jfpoole/status/1019740723002961925

I forgot about Quicksync ...

 

[Aea]

Interesting.

https://twitter.com/jfpoole/status/1019740723002961925

I forgot about Quicksync ...

I'm skeptical to say the least.

 

[zshane1125]

Less than 5 min for those renderings. Didn count exact

 

[semajm85]

I9 user here. Since we are using prime95 I've been using that as a base to compare with you guys.

Prime 95 Testing
Prime95 Test 1 and 3 will give me the most stable and flattest line.

Prime95 Now Test 2 and Test 4....goes ALL over the place. Give it a try and see if it happens on yours.


Cinebench
Test 1 : 859
Test 2 : 808 (Fans Kick in)
Test 3 : 824
Test 4 : 767
Test 5 : 758
Test 6 : 839
Test 7 : 744
Test 8 : 683(starts to spike all over the place)
Test 9 : 681
Test 10 :745

 

[koyoot]

I'm skeptical to say the least.

He is 100% correct.

 

[Eason85]

Is that something to do with macOS? I've seen that people have been undervolting their Dell XPS 15s https://www.reddit.com/r/Dell/comments/8m2u6f/undervolting_the_xps_15_9570_i9_2018_coffee_lake/.

You can't undervolt on any of the new MacBooks I believe because Apple locked the voltage from being adjusted. There is literally no reason to do this.

 

[Aea]

He is 100% correct.

Do you have any idea why a CPU-only load would be causing the CPU to run at 800 Mhz coincidentally with a high load?

The machine at idle doesn't drop to 800 Mhz frequency, but somehow in a the middle of a demanding test it offloads everything to the GPU and falls asleep?

Again I'm not buying it. Too many assumptions.

Here's a screenshot at (more or less)

idle...

 

[fate0311]

I’m sitting down with my lawyer tomorrow. This is class action material.

 

[Aea]

I’m sitting down with my lawyer tomorrow. This is class action material.

Spicy

 

[Eason85]

Do you have any idea why a CPU-only load would be causing the CPU to run at 800 Mhz coincidentally with a high load?

The machine at idle doesn't drop to 800 Mhz frequency, but somehow in a the middle of a demanding test it offloads everything to the GPU and falls asleep?

Again I'm not buying it. Too many assumptions.

Here's a screenshot at (more or less) View attachment 771431 idle...

As I detailed the 3 types of throttling in an earlier post, 800Mhz under load is usually either power-limit throttling or VRM throttling (either way the CPU isn't getting enough current).

Also, not to toot my own horn, but: https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-n...nd-clearly-beaten-by-the-XPS-15.317264.0.html

The basic 8th gen i7-8750H should get around 1200 CB points in cinebench multi. The new MBPs are around 25% slower than they should be.

 

[kylepro88]

AppleInsider comparing the stock 2.2 i7 with the 2.9 i9.

 

[PTLove]

Interesting.

https://twitter.com/jfpoole/status/1019740723002961925

I forgot about Quicksync ...

Wouldnt explain the lower performance.

 

[kylepro88]

Jonathan Morrison has been doing a lot of FCPX vs. Premiere tests with his i9, regardless of heat... ouch.

https://twitter.com/tldtoday/status/1019751344939315200

 

[darksithpro]

Gee, who would've thought putting a core i9 into a super thin laptop wouldn't have it's drawbacks. Almost every desktop gamer, or enthusiast usually runs these high end CPUs with beefy towers and liquid cooling.

 

[blackberrycubed]

so is the i9 a flop in the MBP ?

 

[Eason85]

Something to consider is that these laptops are also brand-new. Laptops fill up with dust, thermal paste dries out, and people who aren't confident with their computers are going to be stuck in a much worse situation in 6-12 months.

 

[darksithpro]

so is the i9 a flop in the MBP ?

Would putting a Corvette engine in a Prius be a flop?

 

[tcador]

Would putting a Corvette engine in a Prius be a flop?

Coming from a car guy this is a horrible analogy. Or a great one, depending on the point you’re trying to make.

 

[Kevinfinity]

I’m sitting down with my lawyer tomorrow. This is class action material.

Please let us know if this class action goes real.

 

[fate0311]

Please let us know if this class action goes real.

My guy doesn't have the resources. He does however have the ability to sit me down with a corporate firm.

 

[Aea]

Coming from a car guy this is a horrible analogy. Or a great one, depending on the point you’re trying to make.