The No Touch Bar 13 Macbook Version

[ncm34]

one thing I think people overlook with nTB vs TB 13"

is lack of the side vents which people complain is sharp feeling in transit

not photographed well because you'd have to see it from the proper angle but

This was something I realized when I played sound out of the internal speakers. You'll distinctly hear the sound coming out of the sides / bottom of the TB model, while on the nTB it comes straight up out of the speaker grilles.

 

[WickedPorter]

Add me to the list of those that want to exchange my TB for a nTB.

I have a question for those that have a base 2.0Ghz nTB. Do you have any stuttering when playing 4K Youtube videos, specifically with Chrome? I realize stuttering can be caused by bandwidth constraints so hopefully someone can confirm that 4k plays stutter-free. And I know Safari is more efficient than Chrome, especially with Youtube, but I have my reasons for wanting to use Chrome so don't want this to turn into a Safari vs Chrome discussion.

Here is an example video:

Thanks in advance.

No problems here, though I am using the 2.4Ghz i7 version... shouldn't be much difference from the 2.0 version though. Output was on a 32" 4K BenQ BL3201PH hooked up via Accell USB-C to DP 1.2 cable. Also extending desktop using the laptop as a display, and another 1080p display at the same time. There was stuttering due to buffering (slow Internet) but during buffered playback it looks phenomenal.

 

[Dexter4]

What screen resolution are you using?

Scaled up. Unable to recreate it.
I hope its a one time incident. 2 days no incidents. No other problems with the machine
[doublepost=1482672155][/doublepost]

This was something I realized when I played sound out of the internal speakers. You'll distinctly hear the sound coming out of the sides / bottom of the TB model, while on the nTB it comes straight up out of the speaker grilles.

Yep. The sounds on this are definitely better. Been using the speakers a lot lately.

 

[RCElectricFlyer]

Scaled up. Unable to recreate it.
I hope its a one time incident. 2 days no incidents. No other problems with the machine...

I ask because between a few of us the problem is prevalent at 1280 X 800. Is this the resolution you were using when you had the problem?

 

[Dexter4]

I ask because between a few of us the problem is prevalent at 1280 X 800. Is this the resolution you were using when you had the problem?

Yes it happened at 1280x800. But I have reverted back to this for the past 4 days and yet to have this issue again. A bit confusing.

 

[dillonbradley4]

I'm a soon to graduate graphic designer looking for some advice on my replacement for my Mid 2010 13"MBP. Before I explain the options let me give you a bit of background of my general usage: I use the Adobe suite (mostly photoshop, illustrator, indesign and a little bit of after effects) on a daily basis. Plus the normal web surfing, video & music streaming and some word processing. I have also recently started to experiment with Cinema 4D and may start to use this more in the future.

I am torn between the nTB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM vs TB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM. I am personally not fussed about the TouchBar, only reason for the dillema is the difference in processor speed. I'm interested in how much a difference I would experience in my day to day design work?

Thanks for your help

 

[ncm34]

I'm a soon to graduate graphic designer looking for some advice on my replacement for my Mid 2010 13"MBP. Before I explain the options let me give you a bit of background of my general usage: I use the Adobe suite (mostly photoshop, illustrator, indesign and a little bit of after effects) on a daily basis. Plus the normal web surfing, video & music streaming and some word processing. I have also recently started to experiment with Cinema 4D and may start to use this more in the future.

I am torn between the nTB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM vs TB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM. I am personally not fussed about the TouchBar, only reason for the dillema is the difference in processor speed. I'm interested in how much a difference I would experience in my day to day design work?

Thanks for your help

You probably won't notice the difference for your use cases. In theory, the 15W CPUs in the nTB would throttle more quickly than the 28W CPUs in the TB, but I have yet to see that be a problem for me. I owned both the TB and non-TB i7 models for a week and did not notice a tangible difference in performance.

 

[dillonbradley4]

Okay interesting. That is very helpful..

Do you see any worth in upgrading the nTB to 2.4ghz? I know this may seem like a wierd option vs getting the base TB model, but there is something putting me off that model because of the multiple issues I have heard with it.. the main being battery life.

 

[Qwe9203]

Okay interesting. That is very helpful..

Do you see any worth in upgrading the nTB to 2.4ghz? I know this may seem like a wierd option vs getting the base TB model, but there is something putting me off that model because of the multiple issues I have heard with it.. the main being battery life.

Stick with 2.0GHz for max battery time.

 

[vatter69]

Is there any proof to your claim that clock speed has a negative effect on battery time?

I get the 2.4. Max power, higher resale value on reseller websites.

 

[wiseoak1]

Is the no touchbar 13" (2ghz, 16gb ram) powerful enough to run smoothly with the new LG Ultrafine 5K screen? I have read that the performance is bad but Apple tells me it should be no problem. Whats the most important spec you need in a laptop to run a 5K external screen? Processor? Graphics card? Ram?

 

[vatter69]

Apple says 2 4k or 1 5k on the 13". iGPU has plenty of power.

 

[conifer]

Battery lasted for 7 1/4 hours on 50%-70% brightness, with Netflix streaming for about 4 hours and light browsing. The biggest draw seems to be the screen as I had it on auto brightness the first hour and so it dimmed the Netflix window when I wasn't actively using and only used 10% that hour.

Interestingly, once I turned off auto brightness I forgot to turn it back on. I left the Mac open on 40% brightness overnight (no use except for an hour copying a disk that I set before I went to sleep) and it lasted 10 hours.

I have the lowest config NTB

 

[k2743]

I'm a soon to graduate graphic designer looking for some advice on my replacement for my Mid 2010 13"MBP. Before I explain the options let me give you a bit of background of my general usage: I use the Adobe suite (mostly photoshop, illustrator, indesign and a little bit of after effects) on a daily basis. Plus the normal web surfing, video & music streaming and some word processing. I have also recently started to experiment with Cinema 4D and may start to use this more in the future.

I am torn between the nTB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM vs TB 13" upgraded to 16gb RAM. I am personally not fussed about the TouchBar, only reason for the dillema is the difference in processor speed. I'm interested in how much a difference I would experience in my day to day design work?

Thanks for your help

Hi, I am in the same position as you! (graphic design, same uses)

I got a 13 inch touch bar (2.9GHz i5, 8GB) and returned it due to the terrible battery reports and also I didn't really want the touch bar as I find it a bit gimmicky. I'm also going to get 16GB of RAM, just wondering whether I should upgrade the 2.0Ghz i5 processor to the 2.4Ghz i7. Also was wondering what the difference is between 2.4Ghz i7 and a 2.9Ghz i5 on the model I returned (as it is i5 but a faster clock speed), and how much I am compromising due to not wanting the touch bar.

Getting a massive headache deciding and wasting a lot of time- could someone please help? Much appreciated!

 

[zedsdead]

Hi, I am in the same position as you! (graphic design, same uses)

I got a 13 inch touch bar (2.9GHz i5, 8GB) and returned it due to the terrible battery reports and also I didn't really want the touch bar as I find it a bit gimmicky. I'm also going to get 16GB of RAM, just wondering whether I should upgrade the 2.0Ghz i5 processor to the 2.4Ghz i7. Also was wondering what the difference is between 2.4Ghz i7 and a 2.9Ghz i5 on the model I returned (as it is i5 but a faster clock speed), and how much I am compromising due to not wanting the touch bar.

Getting a massive headache deciding and wasting a lot of time- could someone please help? Much appreciated!

There is no difference because of the naming scheme i5 or i7 on these processors; they have the same feature set. The difference is that the 2.9ghz i5 will not throttle as quickly under heavy loads and is overall slightly faster. For most usage though you will not notice a difference. There is also a difference in the iGPU on each model, with the non Touch Bar being slightly worse.

In reality there is not much difference though unless you are doing things very graphic or rendering intensive, but you will definitely notice the extra battery life in the non touch bar model.

 

[k2743]

There is no difference because of the naming scheme i5 or i7 on these processors; they have the same feature set. The difference is that the 2.9ghz i5 will not throttle as quickly under heavy loads and is overall slightly faster. For most usage though you will not notice a difference. There is also a difference in the iGPU on each model, with the non Touch Bar being slightly worse.

In reality there is not much difference though unless you are doing things very graphic or rendering intensive, but you will definitely notice the extra battery life in the non touch bar model.

What is the benefit of the 2.4GHz i7 then even though it has a slower clock speed than the 2.9Ghz i5? (i5 vs i7?)

I will be getting the non touch bar model so really the question is just should I go for the 2.4Ghz i7 over the 2.0Ghz i5.. although I was curious about the above question. I would like it to still be working well in 5 years time, so if it is worth upgrading I would do so.

Also wondering if anyone's had any problems with the space grey colour? Had decided on this colour but then heard it shows scratches more!

 

[zedsdead]

What is the benefit of the 2.4GHz i7 then even though it has a slower clock speed than the 2.9Ghz i5? (i5 vs i7?)

I will be getting the non touch bar model so really the question is just should I go for the 2.4Ghz i7 over the 2.0Ghz i5.. although I was curious about the above question. I would like it to still be working well in 5 years time, so if it is worth upgrading I would do so.

Also wondering if anyone's had any problems with the space grey colour? Had decided on this colour but then heard it shows scratches more!

The Space Grey does scratch more easily, happened on my tbMBP that I returned...got two dots near the speaker grill and I take very good care of my stuff, happened rather quickly (nothing large or anything, but I noticed).

The i5 and i7 on Desktop processors means that the i7 adds hyper threading. On the mobile processors that is not the case, both have the same features. The difference between on 2.0 and 2.4 on the non-touch bar model is simply the speed. If you want to keep it for a while get the 2.4 ghz (10-20% potential difference when using multi core, not much difference on single core applications).

 

[peter1984]

Hi, I am in the same position as you! (graphic design, same uses)

I got a 13 inch touch bar (2.9GHz i5, 8GB) and returned it due to the terrible battery reports and also I didn't really want the touch bar as I find it a bit gimmicky. I'm also going to get 16GB of RAM, just wondering whether I should upgrade the 2.0Ghz i5 processor to the 2.4Ghz i7. Also was wondering what the difference is between 2.4Ghz i7 and a 2.9Ghz i5 on the model I returned (as it is i5 but a faster clock speed), and how much I am compromising due to not wanting the touch bar.

Getting a massive headache deciding and wasting a lot of time- could someone please help? Much appreciated!

According to benchmarks, the 2.4 is faster than the 2.9 but it will throttle after a bit of time. This may result games becoming slower after some time of playing or under heavy load (e.g. late-game Civ 6). The TB version avoids this due to the higher wattage CPU and two fans. For programming or watching videos, you won't notice a difference.

The Intel 540 GPU is better on the 2.4 i7 than the 2.0 i5 by about 10%, but it's 10% less than the 550 in the 2.9 i5 of the TB.

All this means that with a 2.4 i7 you will have about the same experience as with the 2.9 i5 and you will have longer batter life, but you won't be able to sustain performance the same way as the with the latter CPU.

 

[zedsdead]

According to benchmarks, the 2.4 is faster than the 2.9 but it will throttle after a bit of time. This may result games becoming slower after some time of playing or under heavy load (e.g. late-game Civ 6). The TB version avoids this due to the higher wattage CPU and two fans. For programming or watching videos, you won't notice a difference.

The GPU is better on the 2.4 i7 than the 2.0 i5 by about 10%, but it's 10% less than the 550 in the 2.9 i5 of the TB.

All this means that with a 2.4 i7 you will have about the same experience as with the 2.9 i5 and you will have longer batter life, but you won't be able to sustain performance the same way as the with the latter CPU.

This is nice analysis of the difference. I say go for the 2.4 model, but make sure you get the 16gb of RAM if you want to keep it for a while. That will be the single biggest upgrade that affects longevity in these machines (and disk space).

 

[k2743]

The Space Grey does scratch more easily, happened on my tbMBP that I returned...got two dots near the speaker grill and I take very good care of my stuff, happened rather quickly (nothing large or anything, but I noticed).

The i5 and i7 on Desktop processors means that the i7 adds hyper threading. On the mobile processors that is not the case, both have the same features. The difference between on 2.0 and 2.4 on the non-touch bar model is simply the speed. If you want to keep it for a while get the 2.4 ghz (10-20% potential difference when using multi core, not much difference on single core applications).

According to benchmarks, the 2.4 is faster than the 2.9 but it will throttle after a bit of time. This may result games becoming slower after some time of playing or under heavy load (e.g. late-game Civ 6). The TB version avoids this due to the higher wattage CPU and two fans. For programming or watching videos, you won't notice a difference.

The Intel 540 GPU is better on the 2.4 i7 than the 2.0 i5 by about 10%, but it's 10% less than the 550 in the 2.9 i5 of the TB.

All this means that with a 2.4 i7 you will have about the same experience as with the 2.9 i5 and you will have longer batter life, but you won't be able to sustain performance the same way as the with the latter CPU.

Thanks so much, both really helpful answers!

Would I be compromising at all on battery life with the upgraded processor option?

And yes I will be getting 16GB of RAM as many people have advised me to! So just deciding between processor and colour now.

 

[peter1984]

Thanks so much, both really helpful answers!

Would I be compromising at all on battery life with the upgraded processor option?

And yes I will be getting 16GB of RAM as many people have advised me to! So just deciding between processor and colour now.

I was curious about this as well and here is what I found. A higher clock speed *will* increase battery usage up to 20%. At lower usage, both consume the same. With greater CPU usage, the higher clock speed will demand more power.

In the article below, the 30% increase in CPU (i5 1.3 -> i7 1.7) resulted in about 20% increase in battery consumption. Going from 2.0 to 2.4 appears to be a smaller increase and understandably a smaller battery consumption increase, but only during mega-loads. In day to day, I would imagine, the diff is closer to 5-10%.

Source: http://www.anandtech.com/print/7113/2013-macbook-air-core-i5-4250u-vs-core-i7-4650u

 

[neoelectronaut]

After about a week with my 2-port 2016 Macbook Pro I gotta say I love the thing.

No complaints here. It's my first Mac portable after over 15 years of being a Mac user and I couldn't be more pleased.

Super anal about washing my hands before using the thing, but I'm sure that'll wear off over time.

 

[Mainsail]

Like many folks, I was initially put-off by the pricing of the base 2016 MBP. So, I did a little research into prior releases and found that the current MBP pricing is about par for the course. Here is what I found:

MacBook Pro retina 13in (late 2012 at release)
Retina Display
8gb RAM
128 GB SSD
Standard Track Pad
3.6 lbs
lots of ports
Up to 7 hours battery life
Starting Price: $1699
Note: Over the course of 4 years, Force Touch Track Pad was added and Battery Life improved substantially. Also, the starting price dropped to $1299

MacBook Pro non-Touch Bar (late 2016)
Retina Display
8gb RAM
256 GB SSD
Force Touch Track Pad
3 lbs, smaller footprint
2 Thunderbolt 3 ports
Up to 10 hours battery life
Base Price: $1499
Note: At $1499, the Base 2016 MBP is close to the same price as the older model bought today for $1299 plus upgraded to the same 256GB storage.

As another example, when the MacBook Air 13in was released in 2010, it offered 7 hours battery life, without keyboard backlighting, 4GB RAM at a starting price of $1299. At launch, there weren’t many deals or sales on these machines. Today, the MacBook Air 13in offers up to 12 hours of battery life, with keyboard backlighting, 8GB RAM at a starting price of $999. It isn’t uncommon to find MBA on sale for $800 at big box stores.

Bottom-line: The trend is pretty clear for new MacBook releases …… over time, there will be added features, better battery life, and lower prices.

Of course, this does nothing for folks that need to upgrade immediately.....but, if you can wait a couple of years, you are likely to be rewarded.

 

[k2743]

Still unsure whether to upgrade the processor.. Seems like most people on here didn't. I would definitely not be considering it if I didn't use Adobe Photoshop/illustrator etc.

Also thinking maybe I should just go with 8GB memory? Advice?

 

[neoelectronaut]

Still unsure whether to upgrade the processor.. Seems like most people on here didn't. I would definitely not be considering it if I didn't use Adobe Photoshop/illustrator etc.

Also thinking maybe I should just go with 8GB memory? Advice?

I'm no pro, but Photoshop and Illustrator performance have always been tied more to RAM than processor, so I feel like that would be a wasted upgrade, but definitely get a second opinion on the matter.

If you're willing to spend the money on the processor upgrade I'd probably push you into dropping the cash on the 16GB of RAM instead, but even that is something you may not notice unless you're regularly handling HUGE photoshop documents.