are you happy w/ 16" 5600m?

[sco]

Your numbers look phenomenal.
Have you tried running those monitors at highly scaled resolutions and under load? If yes, does it draw more power or get hot?

Yes I can get the fans up to noisy under load. But it doesn't happen as quick as on the 5500M.

The reality is if you pack 100W+ of heating capability in such a small space you're going to have to move a lot of air to cool it. Under usage that most people would call "normal" i.e. a bit of web browsing my machine is dead quiet with fans under 2000RPM.

It's a different story if I fire up some VMs with developer tools or do a big compile in XCode - the fans will spin up while work is happening and then spin down. If I did similar on my previous MBPro (2015 i7 Quad Core) the CPU would be throttled via kernel_task going high CPU. So far no sign of throttling like that.

To keep the fans at a low speed under high load does require using third party tools (e.g. Turbo Boost Switcher or Volta or voltage shift). But I'm happy enough with that. I do want the ability to chose between less grunt and a quiet machine versus using the full capabilities at the expense of fan noise. I would be happier if Apple included an option to choose between the two modes rather than needing third party tools.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

Yes I can get the fans up to noisy under load. But it doesn't happen as quick as on the 5500M.

The reality is if you pack 100W+ of heating capability in such a small space you're going to have to move a lot of air to cool it. Under usage that most people would call "normal" i.e. a bit of web browsing my machine is dead quiet with fans under 2000RPM.

It's a different story if I fire up some VMs with developer tools or do a big compile in XCode - the fans will spin up while work is happening and then spin down. If I did similar on my previous MBPro (2015 i7 Quad Core) the CPU would be throttled via kernel_task going high CPU. So far no sign of throttling like that.

To keep the fans at a low speed under high load does require using third party tools (e.g. Turbo Boost Switcher or Volta or voltage shift). But I'm happy enough with that. I do want the ability to chose between less grunt and a quiet machine versus using the full capabilities at the expense of fan noise. I would be happier if Apple included an option to choose between the two modes rather than needing third party tools.

Thanks for good news.
I have realized that if I need 4 screens, I am better of with 2 MacBooks. Two MacBooks make it so much easier to manage workload and neither machine gets overloaded.

 

[Tom Kilikidis]

I am not at all, basics tasks I get 3 hours of battery life..

 

[ocnitsa]

I have the i9 with the 5500M. Most of the time, I have hyperthreading (TurboBoost Switcher Pro) turned off, for light/normal work and the fans are rarely (i.e. never) noticeable. I don't have any complaints about battery life. With my aging 2012 MBP, I kept it plugged in most of the time because I was only getting 2-3 hours. With this, I actually use it on battery all the time because it's much better.

You can have the best of both worlds and turn all the bells and whistles back on when you need performance.

 

[Corncab44]

Mine was only $2800?

This was in reference to people who purchased the 5600. You got a model with a 5600 for$2800?

 

[poematik13]

This was in reference to people who purchased the 5600. You got a model with a 5600 for$2800?

I could have gotten an i7/16GB/512/5600 for $2900 actually, but the 16GB was a bottleneck for me.

 

[Corncab44]

I mean yea, sure. But no point blowing that much on a graphics card with only 16GB of ram!

I assume you're not counting Tax or AppleCare, which add around $600 here in the US.

 

[applesed]

Anyone know if the 5600 runs cooler in general vs 5300/5500 for general use, gaming, the open lid+external high res test case aside?

 

[kp98077]

You are just cheap and bought an almost base model.

yes and base model runs great!!

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

yes and base model runs great!!

Until you attach an external monitor.

 

[filmak]

Thanks for good news.
I have realized that if I need 4 screens, I am better of with 2 MacBooks. Two MacBooks make it so much easier to manage workload and neither machine gets overloaded.

At this price point isn't a MacPro a better buy for multiple displays?
You won't have any throttling problem as a bonus.
Or an iMac and a MBP 16"? (to have a portable)

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

At this price point isn't a MacPro a better buy for multiple displays?
You won't have any throttling problem as a bonus.
Or an iMac and a MBP 16"? (to have a portable)

Yes, MacPro might be a better choice for many people.
But not for me - I am among those few who prefer traditional keyboard and trackpad layout - I like having my trackpad under my keyboard and my main display just above the keyboard. It's pure ergonomics for me.

Also, having two independent computers makes some workflows more convenient.

 

[filmak]

Yes, MacPro might be a better choice for many people.
But not for me - I am among those few who prefer traditional keyboard and trackpad layout - I like having my trackpad under my keyboard and my main display just above the keyboard. It's pure ergonomics for me.

Also, having two independent computers makes some workflows more convenient.

The wireless Apple keyboard and trackpad can be positioned as you like, near or far away from your display.

Anyway, you know better what it is the most convenient way to do your work, I hope you will find the best possible combination.

 

[Karza]

I have been using a MacBook Pro 16" with the 5600M and, for the most part, I am incredibly pleased with the purchase. Note, I'm on the extreme end with 64GB RAM but I have a few use cases where it's applicable that probably don't apply to most folks.

My prior laptop was a 15" Late 2013 model so I my comparison is a bit skewed but the 16' w/ 5600M is much quieter even with fans fully engaged. I also wear headphones while working so fan noise is not something that really bothers me nor negatively impacts my use cases or workflows.

The only issue I've run into thus far is the drivers for the 5600M still feel a little half baked. I get artifacts from time to time but the last two patches have slightly improved the issue. I'd give it another three to six months for Apple to get them dialed in and optimized.

Overall, worth the price if you need the power and portability and desire staying with Apple and the ecosystem.

 

[mouthster]

I have the i9 with the 5500M. Most of the time, I have hyperthreading (TurboBoost Switcher Pro) turned off, for light/normal work and the fans are rarely (i.e. never) noticeable. I don't have any complaints about battery life. With my aging 2012 MBP, I kept it plugged in most of the time because I was only getting 2-3 hours. With this, I actually use it on battery all the time because it's much better.

You can have the best of both worlds and turn all the bells and whistles back on when you need performance.

Not to be that guy, but to be clear TurboBoost Switcher doesn't disable hyperthreading, it disables the Turbo Boost functionality of Intel CPU's. So, if you start a heavy task, your i9 will cap at 2.3/2.4 instead of boosting to 4.8/5.0.

 

[ocnitsa]

Not to be that guy, but to be clear TurboBoost Switcher doesn't disable hyperthreading, it disables the Turbo Boost functionality of Intel CPU's. So, if you start a heavy task, your i9 will cap at 2.3/2.4 instead of boosting to 4.8/5.0.

Sorry...I mispoke back in July. Everything else pretty much stands though. The machine overheats less, less fans/fan noise, good battery life. Etc.

 

[ght56]

I've owned a 5500M version and I own a 5600M version. I am delighted with the 5600M version and can highly recommend it whether you are using the system for Word and Excel or whether you want something that is close to being a legitimate desktop replacement. It's a great computer with a GPU that does the "Pro" label justice. The 5500M version I cannot personally recommend without knowing someone's specific workflow.