New Vega 16 and 20 GPU available

[Scott Sherman]

So now if you were smart enough or lucky enough to have waited for these new options for your upgraded MBP and don't mind laying out the extra Benjamins, you can have a MBP with a graphics card that is balanced to the rest of the components. SST, multi cores, higher ram etc. While I am not (yet) into gaming, I do feel that I ask a lot of my portable computer.

I am one of those who buy the highest end version of what ever apple product I buy. In this case, I have the 2018 MBP i9, 32 gig ram, etc. Unfortunately, I had no idea that the graphics card was going to be upgraded just 3 months after the release of the previously current model. I am not really using the MBP to it's full potential... mostly. By that I mean that I have the new LG external 5k ultra wide monitor, (34WK95u). I love to watch 4k streaming movies Youtube, and TV with an external sound bar and speakers and I also use a Wacom Tablet with Painter 2019 and photo editing software aside from the usual multi tasking online. My thought was when buying the MBP was that while it is over kill for me today and manages everything I want it to do, I want it to also be able to do what might be available to do in the next five years. I anticipate that streaming media will eventually will get even better in 4k ultra wide format as wifi and band width improves and software gets more demanding as do peripherals.

My question is would the improved Vega internal graphic memory card benefit me for the things I do as described above or is it only for those who want to game in AAA titles? Does increased iGPU enhance streaming videos on an external monitor at high and ultra high resolutions? Also will it in some way give me a better experience overall if I am not gaming or doing extreme editing in video etc. I don't really understand the actual relationship between the iGPU I have vs. the newer offering and what they will do for the computers ability to display beautiful images on an external monitor. I know that I could put an eGPU on my MBP and get most of the benefits but is it worth the very high cost?

thanks.

 

[markusberger]

forgive me if this sounds blunt, but based on the rather unspecific needs described in your post you could probably manage with a current gen macbook air as it sounds like you generally use it to consume media. or are you crunching through 100mb raw files and edit them with multiple layers in ps for a living? media consumption needs will not really change a lot in the coming years, aside from maybe 8k but then the new vega gpu and/or the usb c bus probably wouldn't handle it nicely anyway.

playing aaa titles on the vega mbp might sound tempting but given the construction of the mbp it probably will not work nicely, at least not for a longer gaming sessions. there is a reason those ugly windows gaming laptops are several centimeters thick.

then again, if you are set on buying the latest and "greatest" regardless of your actual computing needs anyway (to "future proof"), go for it and drop another 4k on an updated mbp ... or wait for the 64gb ram 2019 mbp model as netflix might just require that much memory by then - kidding!

but for real: it sounds like you own a decent setup, so why not just enjoy what you have and stop worrying about an over priced gpu marketing hype?

 

[Scott Sherman]

thanks for your response, it is appreciated. First, I am happy with my current setup for my current needs. I kind of used all my a-lotted financial resources to obtain it so I am not ready to just recycle this new computer for the next version. It seems to do all that I ask and more.

I am retired and use my computer as entertainment. I suppose, my curiosity is based on the use of a high res external monitor and streaming media. Not as much on the gaming potential. I want to be able to enjoy the best images a computer monitor can render in streaming media such as Youtube or Netflix or Xfinity for examples and also be able to use apps or programs used to edit single photos in many layers such as Corel Painter at the same time as watching videos. Since my new monitor only has a refresh rate of 60 Mhz I probably wouldn't benefit by the graphics card improvement for gaming even if I did want to play a game on the MBP. So I am ruling out the use of the computer for gaming at this time.

This monitor seems to produce very nice images and videos but I don't really have a way of measuring whether I am getting the best image it can produce or if it is limited due to the graphic card set up I have. I would be happy with what I have if I knew it could not be improved on. But if it could get even better, by say adding a Black Magic eGPU for example. I guess what I am asking is this; Does streaming in high resolution on an external monitor benefit from newer more powerful VRAM such as the new Vega 14 and 20 video cards now offered?

I know this is a very first world discussion and I feel a little self indulgent for even asking, but why not, in my last years I want to enjoy my toys and even the discussion of their use.

 

[puma1552]

I'll assume the computer you bought is maxed out except for the SSD, and I'll assume you have a 1TB SSD, at which point we are talking about a computer well in excess of $4k.

If you are looking to sell that computer and buy another one with Vega, you will be paying a substantial amount of money to do so - probably over a grand. I'd pass - what if Apple never released Vega? You'd be happy as a clam. A decade ago it was common for Apple to do major updates every 8 months with speedbumps every 4 months, so this isn't really that out of line based on Apple's past - they've just been soooo bad about updating things these last few years.

 

[Scott Sherman]

True Dat. Selling this new computer just to upgrade graphic card was never an option but the new add on eGPU from apple and black magic is a possibility if it could be justified. That’s why I’m asking.

 

[deadworlds]

The new Vega you will be great if you create 3D art assets and work in 3D environments. The type of software for this would be some type of CAD application used for modeling parts of a new iPhone that will be machined into a real part. Or it could be using Maya to model a complex 3D model for use in a movie or video game. The higher end GPUs are really meant for heavy 3D asset creation. However there is no reason why someone could also do some gaming with it.

 

[Pangalactic]

My question is would the improved Vega internal graphic memory card benefit me for the things I do as described above

Not in the slightest, you could probably get away even with a baseline quad-core MacBook Pro.

or is it only for those who want to game in AAA titles?

Gaming is horrible on Macs at the moment (and I've tried gaming on an Imac Pro - conclusion: Bootcamp only), so it's not for them either

Does increased iGPU enhance streaming videos on an external monitor at high and ultra high resolutions?

Ultra high? 8K? 16K? Anything below like 4K will not be affected in any shape or form

Also will it in some way give me a better experience overall if I am not gaming or doing extreme editing in video etc

No, it won't.


Honestly, I don't get why people get frustrated when new tech comes out. Technology improves all the time, and soon the Vega MBPs will get outdated and so on. For 99% of people who don't game or do super hardware intensive work, there is absolutely no reason to upgrade.

 

[littlepud]

Honestly, I don't get why people get frustrated when new tech comes out. Technology improves all the time, and soon the Vega MBPs will get outdated and so on. For 99% of people who don't game or do super hardware intensive work, there is absolutely no reason to upgrade.

I think people are riled up because this was essentially a not-quite-mid-cycle refresh with no prior warning. If it was included in the normal refresh or included in the next refresh, it would have not had as much of an impact.

 

[lJoSquaredl]

Gaming is horrible on Macs at the moment (and I've tried gaming on an Imac Pro - conclusion: Bootcamp only), so it's not for them either

I've played League of Legends, DOTA, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and a few other games on my Mac and they run just fine. Just depends on what you wanna play honestly. (and even then if you got an eGPU problems should be completely solved unless a dev just doesn't design a game for MacOS)

 

[JPack]

I think people are riled up because this was essentially a not-quite-mid-cycle refresh with no prior warning. If it was included in the normal refresh or included in the next refresh, it would have not had as much of an impact.

I think what Apple did was quite reasonable.

The average sales price of a Mac is just under $1,400, based on the previous quarter results. Not many people are in the market for a MacBook with Vega, which starts at $3,000.

Between the July announcement and October, it was a full 3 months.

 

[Padsterman]

Will the Vega options help much with photo editing large files with many layers, plus video editing? I plan on doing more video for clients now. I will be using Lightroom, capture 1 and photoshop for stills and Final Cut and. / or Premier Pro for video. Currently my mid-2012 MBP struggles with even small 4K.

 

[Ma2k5]

Will the Vega options help much with photo editing large files with many layers, plus video editing? I plan on doing more video for clients now. I will be using Lightroom, capture 1 and photoshop for stills and Final Cut and. / or Premier Pro for video. Currently my mid-2012 MBP struggles with even small 4K.

Well if you even had a base 2018 model you’d see huge improvements. I wouldn’t say you need the Vega.

 

[TheRealAlex]

So now if you were smart enough or lucky enough to have waited for these new options for your upgraded MBP and don't mind laying out the extra Benjamins, you can have a MBP with a graphics card that is balanced to the rest of the components. SST, multi cores, higher ram etc. While I am not (yet) into gaming, I do feel that I ask a lot of my portable computer.

I am one of those who buy the highest end version of what ever apple product I buy. In this case, I have the 2018 MBP i9, 32 gig ram, etc. Unfortunately, I had no idea that the graphics card was going to be upgraded just 3 months after the release of the previously current model. I am not really using the MBP to it's full potential... mostly. By that I mean that I have the new LG external 5k ultra wide monitor, (34WK95u). I love to watch 4k streaming movies Youtube, and TV with an external sound bar and speakers and I also use a Wacom Tablet with Painter 2019 and photo editing software aside from the usual multi tasking online. My thought was when buying the MBP was that while it is over kill for me today and manages everything I want it to do, I want it to also be able to do what might be available to do in the next five years. I anticipate that streaming media will eventually will get even better in 4k ultra wide format as wifi and band width improves and software gets more demanding as do peripherals.

My question is would the improved Vega internal graphic memory card benefit me for the things I do as described above or is it only for those who want to game in AAA titles? Does increased iGPU enhance streaming videos on an external monitor at high and ultra high resolutions? Also will it in some way give me a better experience overall if I am not gaming or doing extreme editing in video etc. I don't really understand the actual relationship between the iGPU I have vs. the newer offering and what they will do for the computers ability to display beautiful images on an external monitor. I know that I could put an eGPU on my MBP and get most of the benefits but is it worth the very high cost?

thanks.

A 14nm hot Vega 20 inside a 15” MBP with a 14nm Intel i7 or i9 is. A recipe for disaster. Two 14nm chips.
A well configured 15” MBP with Vega 20 will cost $3,000 roughly.

I’d rather spend $1,500 on a 13” MBP and $1,500 building a Gaming PC.
Or $2,000 on a new 13” MBP with 8th Gen Intel and $1,000 on an iPad Pro.

But dumping $3,000 into a 15” MBP with Vega 20 is a big fail.

 

[_Kiki_]

A 14nm hot Vega 20 inside a 15” MBP with a 14nm Intel i7 or i9 is. A recipe for disaster. Two 14nm chips.
A well configured 15” MBP with Vega 20 will cost $3,000 roughly.

I’d rather spend $1,500 on a 13” MBP and $1,500 building a Gaming PC.
Or $2,000 on a new 13” MBP with 8th Gen Intel and $1,000 on an iPad Pro.

But dumping $3,000 into a 15” MBP with Vega 20 is a big fail.

$1500 it's a small budget for gaming PC, good monitor alone is $1000

 

[leman]

But dumping $3,000 into a 15” MBP with Vega 20 is a big fail.

Spending $350 extra to significantly increase the gaming capability of a machine you need for work anyway is anything but a fail. Certainly less of a fail than buying a dedicated gaming station, unless you are really into serious gaming. I don't want a gaming desktop and I certainly don't want to deal with two laptops.

 

[Ma2k5]

Spending $350 extra to significantly increase the gaming capability of a machine you need for work anyway is anything but a fail. Certainly less of a fail than buying a dedicated gaming station, unless you are really into serious gaming. I don't want a gaming desktop and I certainly don't want to deal with two laptops.

I am still weary of how it will perform. I know the Dell comes with a 130W charger for it's 9570 with the 1050 TI and some are predicting 1050-1050TI performance from these new Vega's. Given that the MacBook Pro 15 has the dGPu likely limited to 35W (to keep overall draw <87W that the charger can handle), wonder if this will negatively impact the gaming performance increase of these new Vega's?

 

[Padsterman]

I live and work in two states so some ability to game as well as work (photo and video editing) would be nice. I am away from my desktop for extended periods of time.

 

[leman]

Given that the MacBook Pro 15 has the dGPu likely limited to 35W (to keep overall draw <87W that the charger can handle), wonder if this will negatively impact the gaming performance increase of these new Vega's?

I’m sure we will have some benchmarks by the end of the week.

 

[Trebuin]

Keep in mind that Apple has allowed the Watt draw to exceed the power adapter in the past. It drew what it needed from the battery. I don't know if they referred back or not.

 

[macness]

What MBP is best for me if I need to run Final Cut Pro and Photo shop. I usually have about 10 safari tabs open as well

 

[Padsterman]

A 14nm hot Vega 20 inside a 15” MBP with a 14nm Intel i7 or i9 is. A recipe for disaster. Two 14nm chips.
A well configured 15” MBP with Vega 20 will cost $3,000 roughly.

I’d rather spend $1,500 on a 13” MBP and $1,500 building a Gaming PC.
Or $2,000 on a new 13” MBP with 8th Gen Intel and $1,000 on an iPad Pro.

But dumping $3,000 into a 15” MBP with Vega 20 is a big fail.

Not sure the Vega will run hotter:

 

[TheRealAlex]

Not sure the Vega will run hotter:

The Vega 20 while better hands down. Is a slap in the face the MBP 15” owners
Imagine buying a new 11” iPad Pro like me and 2 months later with zero warning a New iPad Pro with a faster GPU is released with no word.

 

[IdentityCrisis]

The Vega 20 while better hands down. Is a slap in the face the MBP 15” owners
Imagine buying a new 11” iPad Pro like me and 2 months later with zero warning a New iPad Pro with a faster GPU is released with no word.

It’s technology. It happens pretty often. Be happy for what you got when you bought it. You were the first to get the mbp 18 model. Those who waited got something better. Remember, it’s always better to wait than be the first in line.

 

[Scott Sherman]

I get the OP's frustration. I am in the same boat. I would have purchased the upgrade or waited until it was available if I had known it was coming. I get that tech is always on the move, but just two months after I bought my MBP maxed out seems like a bit of an insult. They must have know it was coming, I doubt they just woke up one morning two months after the refresh and said ok time for a bump. Those who would like to have waited and bought the Vega upgrade, which would be relatively few could have waited and the vast majority would be able to buy the refreshed version. Now I either have to buy the eGPU or lose lots of money trading this one in or just watch as those who were lucky enough not to have jumped in at the refresh enjoy the computer I would like to have had. I knew there would be a bump but historically, I think they are much further apart and I chose not to wait for what would have been the normal refresh period based on past practice.

 

[John-117]

Just to make the timeline of releases more precise, the first 2018 revision of the MacBook Pro was announced on July 12th, and the updated Vega GPUs were announced as coming in late November on October 30th. That's 3 months, 19 days, or 4 months and 3 days between when you could order the two products.

Not to give Apple too much slack, but the Vega options may not have been guaranteed to be ready to launch or in enough supply for this fall at that point.