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RustyFirestar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2012
7
0
EDIT: After taking the MacBook in to the local Apple repair specialists, they eventually found that there is an issue with the logic board, with low voltage in a certain area. They've ordered a replacement logic board, and the MacBook should be back to me within the next week.

Hi all,

I've had my Retina MacBook Pro (stock high-end model, 512GB SSD and 8GB RAM) for over a week now, and have noticed some strange performance issues with the dedicated GPU – it is performing, in both Mac OS X and Windows under BootCamp, much worse than I think it should be reasonably performing. I am therefore wondering whether there might be an issue with the 650m GPU, and if so, what I am to do about it.

My first example is CineBench on OS X, although Windows is one FPS off. I've read scores of around 40fps from others for the 650m in my computer, but when I run CineBench's OpenGL test, I score 14fps consistently. I know this isn't a CPU issue, as the benchmark for that is in line with what others have reported. What really set alarm bells ringing is that when I tried to re-run the benchmark with the integrated GPU forced through gfxCardStatus I got a score of 22fps – in other words, my integrated GPU is registering as more powerful than my dedicated GPU. For comparison, my iMac (Late '07, C2D 2.4GHz, Radeon HD 2600M Pro) scores 13fps. I've tried Cinebench on Windows with the same result – 14fps.

I've also run some gaming tests. With both my iMac and rMBP running the beginning of Half-Life 2: Episode 1 on identical settings (1680x1050, medium-high, vsync and AA off), the rMBP consistently gets one or two FPS higher, ranging between 20 to 40fps – hardly what you'd expect from a computer four years newer. Other, more demanding games on Windows have also shown performance under what I'd expect – although Crysis 1 defaults to High settings on my machine, I need to turn it down to 800x600 to get 30fps consistently. Mass Effect 1 also works similarly – with all settings on medium-low at 1280x800, it never reaches 60fps consistently.

Strangely, performance is consistent in games regardless of settings (excluding resolution); in Episode 1, on both OS X and Windows, I can switch between lowest and highest settings (including 8xMSAA) and get a delta in framerate of usually no more than around 8fps.

I'm not quite sure what to try next, apart from more comparisons. If I take it in to the local Apple maintenance store (Yoobee, as there are no Apple Stores in New Zealand) it would be difficult to prove anything is amiss, as the computer functions without artifacting on both cards. I'd obviously rather not lose the computer for a few weeks if this is something I could fix myself. If anyone has experienced similar numbers or could run a comparison then please let me know.
 
Last edited:

Slivortal

macrumors 6502
Jun 14, 2012
399
2
He actually is using paragraphs. But he didn't line space between the paragraphs. If you do, it'll become a lot more readable (trust me).
 

01mggt

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2010
309
11
Sorry i went cross eyed trying to read that so I never finished. At first I would think it was driver issues but not if it is doing this in both Windows and Osx. You have nothing to lose by trying smc and pram reset. Never know till you try.
 

RustyFirestar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2012
7
0
Sorry about the legibility. I've spaced it out so that it should be a bit more readable.
Just reset the PRAM, enabled SMC fan control, absolutely no difference. Another side note – running Mass Effect, GPU-Z reports that the 650m is running at the correct clock of 900Mhz.
 

Slivortal

macrumors 6502
Jun 14, 2012
399
2
That's much better.

And yeah, I'd definitely take it in to your Apple store/semi-store to get it checked out. There's definitely something wrong if your GPU isn't working that well. Just explain your problem to them (similarly as you did to us) and see what they say. If they say that there's nothing they can/will do about it, you can just return it and get a new one (since there would obviously be nothing wrong with it at that point).

As for waiting a few weeks... I'd rather have a fully-functional computer for a couple of years than a faulty graphics card for a few extra weeks.

EDIT: 650M running at 900MHz... problem solved?
 

RustyFirestar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2012
7
0
Perhaps the integrated chip is being used in OS X when the OP is running tests?

It isn't – using gfxCardStatus, I get consistently higher scores when I force the integrated chip (in line with what others have reported), as opposed to the consistently lower scores on both Windows and OS X using the dedicated graphics. There's enough of a difference to show that these are two separate cards.
 

01mggt

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2010
309
11
Take it back for sure. Oddly it's nice to see someone with a pretty realistic complaint vs some of the other stuff thats clogging up the forums recently :)
 

katmeef

macrumors 6502
Jul 20, 2010
404
28
I tested cinebench on OSX on my 2.6/8/512 rMBP, (note both tests were run while XP was idling in the background in parallels).

discrete graphics:
OpenGL: 37.00fps
CPU: 6.5pts

integrated graphics:
OpenGL: 22.21fps
CPU: 6.44pts

edit: should have mentioned I found after running the test on discrete and rerunning on integrated I got the same fps result for OpenGL (even though it was clearly less smooth while using integrated), so I closed and reopened the cinebench and ran again on integrated and it then gave the lower score of 22.21fps
 
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ivoruest

macrumors 6502
Jul 12, 2010
398
28
Guatemala
I tested cinebench on OSX on my 2.6/8/512 rMBP, (note both tests were run while XP was idling in the background in parallels).

discrete graphics:
OpenGL: 37.00fps
CPU: 6.5pts

integrated graphics:
OpenGL: 22.21fps
CPU: 6.44pts

Im guessing this may be a drivers problem as well in OSX. Mine (Late 2011 with 6770m 1Gb card) gets over 42 fps on OpenGL. Now the CPU test is below, about 5.7pts on my best run.
 

RustyFirestar

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2012
7
0
discrete graphics:
OpenGL: 37.00fps
CPU: 6.5pts

integrated graphics:
OpenGL: 22.21fps
CPU: 6.44pts

I got slightly higher on the CPU (with no programs running), the same on the integrated graphics, but much, much lower on the dedicated graphics on both OS X and Windows (not drivers then). I guess that confirms there's a problem.
Thanks, everyone who has replied. I've taken it in to get looked at and will update this with their diagnosis in case anyone else encounters similar issues.
 
Last edited:

katmeef

macrumors 6502
Jul 20, 2010
404
28
Im guessing this may be a drivers problem as well in OSX. Mine (Late 2011 with 6770m 1Gb card) gets over 42 fps on OpenGL. Now the CPU test is below, about 5.7pts on my best run.

True, also should have mentioned I'm using the Lion GM currently
 
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