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The new Mac Book pro
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[Bill Davis] “Well, if you say so.
(I’m presuming you have a computer hardware engineering degree and a clear understanding of their implementation, of course.)
“Any small form factor computer (be it desktop or laptop) will have to throttle a CPU like the i9 because there simply isn’t strong enough cooling to let the CPU go full tilt for any extended period of time (I’m working under the assumption that exotic cooling methods are not being employed). Couple that with the fact that Apple values low weight and low noise more than performance and it shouldn’t be surprising that Apple’s laptops will throttle more, and throttle sooner than, say, gaming laptops which will be much larger and have better cooling solutions because performance is valued above low weight and low noise.
The much bigger (relative to a laptop) iMacs can aggressively throttle their CPUs which leads some people to install software on their iMacs to manually control the fans. This allows them to run the fans sooner thus leading to less CPU throttling, but at the cost of having a louder machine. Even pro-Apple videos/websites (some of which wrongfully doubted the original reviewer’s results) are completely upfront that Apple will be more apt to throttle in order to get a thinner, lighter, quieter product out the door (and for many users this is a preferred trade off).
[Michael Gissing] “Unfortunately the heavy users like DITs on set in jungle and desert conditions or on the go graphics people who are pushing deadlines are the ones most likely to encounter issues.”
The original reviewer that started this whole thing was transcoding a five and half minute long 5K Scarlet-W clip into 4K H.264 in his home (which presumable is air conditioned). Not exactly an edge case. 😉
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[Andrew Kimery] “he original reviewer that started this whole thing was transcoding a five and half minute long 5K Scarlet-W clip into 4K H.264 in his home (which presumable is air conditioned). Not exactly an edge case. ;)”
Indeed not, but since then Apple have changed the power throttle software, it will be the power user that finds the breaking point now that Apple are letting those users get much closer to the edge.
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Bill, that’s pretty funny
Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852 -
[Andrew Kimery] “Couple that with the fact that Apple values low weight and low noise more than performance”
I’d just change that to “most Apple customers value low weight and low noise..”
And
[Andrew Kimery] “The original reviewer that started this whole thing was transcoding a five and half minute long 5K Scarlet-W clip into 4K H.264 in his home (which presumable is air conditioned). Not exactly an edge case. ;)”
Again, I’d argue that anyone working with 5K Scarlet-W clips is the very definition of an edge case. This is again the view that professional video editors are the CORE of MacBook Pro consumers.
You and I and others here at the upper end of the pro video market might WISH that (like their 3D rendering, MMPORPG and VR brethren) users who have a legit need for the fastest machines possible, could drive the entire product lines designs – but it’s something I doubt very much will ever happen.
IF constant GruntCrunch type of work is your goal – any laptop, really makes little sense.
It will always be a “when I can’t get to my serious rig” solution. That user will surely have a big desktop alternative available.I think this whole idea simply comes up because not everyone can afford to support dual systems – and these laptops – by still being “pretty darn good” at things we really should be letting desktop systems do – let LOTS more people participate in the creative content creation space.
That’s a great thing in and of itself. Not something to bash them for when theres a reasonable compromise necessary to seek BOTH performance and portability in the same unit.
Basically, if there was a MUCH better solution that could crank through more work faster and fit in a briefcase and didn’t look too ugly – a lot of folks would logically simply buy that and be done with it.
But I don’t hear much about people flocking away from MacBook Pros to laptops from PC manufacturers for purely performance reasons. That IS sometimes talked about when discussing price alone. But not so much performance alone, IME.
But I could be wrong. Like most editors, I tend to be stuck in my suite – and get out less than I’d sometimes like.
My 2 cents.
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Andy Field] “Bill, that’s pretty funny”
Thanks.
We surely need as many smiles and laughs as we can find in life.Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “Again, I’d argue that anyone working with 5K Scarlet-W clips is the very definition of an edge case. This is again the view that professional video editors are the CORE of MacBook Pro consumers. “
While I would generally agree, I’m not sure how much of an edge case it really is. Otherwise, why would Apple be offering this deal?
https://www.apple.com/us/search/RED+RAVEN+Camera+Kit+%2B+Final+Cut+Pro+X?src=globalnav
– Oliver
Oliver Peters – oliverpeters.com
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[Oliver Peters] “While I would generally agree, I’m not sure how much of an edge case it really is. Otherwise, why would Apple be offering this deal?”
To allow all the Millenium DXL and Weapon owners a safe space in which to keep arguing that Apple gear isn’t for “serious pro” users?
(I won’t tell Cioni if you don’t!)????
Creator of XinTwo – https://www.xintwo.com
The shortest path to FCP X mastery. -
[Bill Davis] “I’d just change that to “most Apple customers value low weight and low noise..””
Apple has a long history of praising what they have, condemning what they don’t and then praising what they just condemned as soon as they have it, so I’d say what most Apple customers value changes based on what they are being sold. ????
[Bill Davis] “Again, I’d argue that anyone working with 5K Scarlet-W clips is the very definition of an edge case. This is again the view that professional video editors are the CORE of MacBook Pro consumers. “
Replace “video editor” with ‘anyone with a CPU intensive task’ and all of a sudden you have a much larger demographic.
[Bill Davis] “But I don’t hear much about people flocking away from MacBook Pros to laptops from PC manufacturers for purely performance reasons. That IS sometimes talked about when discussing price alone. But not so much performance alone, IME.”
If Apple licensed MacOS out to other hardware makers I think you’d see a lot of people choosing to buy non-Apple laptops, but when the only option is to leave Apple’s walled garden the decision is a harder one to make (hence the point of the walled garden).
At least I’m glad we finally all agree that, by design, the 2018 i9 MBP doesn’t perform as well as other i9 laptops which don’t place as much emphasis on size and weight.
[Bill Davis] “IF constant GruntCrunch type of work is your goal – any laptop, really makes little sense. “
Obviously, though this splinter thread was about laptops vs laptop performance, not laptop vs desktop performance. No one expects desktop performance out of a laptop, but I’m sure most people that see the advertised max clock speed of the MBP just assume it can sustain that speed for more than a matter of seconds before getting throttled down to its base clock speed.
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