New MacBook Pro's Dedicated AMD Graphics Chips Are 'Significantly' Faster and Support Dual 5K Displays (macrumors.com)

Whereas Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pros feature integrated Iris Pro graphics, the 15-inch MacBook Pros feature dedicated AMD graphics, resulting in significant performance improvements over previous MacBook Pro models. Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham found the Radeon Pro 455 graphics chip in particular to be a "significant boost" over the dedicated GPUs available in the 2012-2015 MacBook Pro models, such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 650M, Nvidia GeForce GTX 750M, and AMD Radeon R9 M370X. MacRumors reports: AMD's Polaris-based Radeon Pro 450, Radeon Pro 455, and built-to-order Radeon Pro 460 GPUs in the new 15-inch MacBook Pro support up to six displays, whereas Intel's integrated GPUs affixed to the logic board can drive a total of three displays. The expanded support enables the new MacBook Pro to drive two of Apple and LG's new UltraFine 5K displays at 60Hz simultaneously. Intel's GPUs can't because, due to bandwidth limitations of the DisplayPort 1.2 spec, the two 5K displays technically function as four displays. This method is known as Multi-Stream Transport (MST). Apple could have used Nvidia's faster Pascal-based GPUs, which support DisplayPort 1.3, but Thunderbolt 3 and most monitors do not support the higher-bandwidth spec yet. In the meantime, Nvidia's GPUs can only drive up to three displays beyond the main MacBook Pro screen -- not enough for dual 5K displays over MST. Apple officially says the 15-inch MacBook Pro offers up to 130% faster graphics performance, and up to 2.5x more computing power per watt, compared to the previous-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro, but those stats are based on the built-to-order Radeon Pro 460 chip that costs between $100 and $200 extra.

Comments

Not exactly a high bar to clear

[Solandri]

The older 650m, 750m, and M370X were all mid-tier laptop GPUs when released, and passed on to low-tier within a year even though Apple kept selling them for 2-3 years. Benchmarks for the 455 aren't in yet, but it's expected to come in around the 950m or 960m. Which leaves the MBP dedicated GPUs a distant runner up against laptops equipped with a 970m or 980m. It'll fall even further behind the newer 1060m-1080m when they're released, and Apple doesn't update the MBP GPU for 2-3 years as per the pattern.

The problem stems from Apple's insistence on using a unibody aluminum chassis without any vent holes. That traps hot air inside (the superior heat-conducting properties of metal make no difference when there's an insulating layer of air between the hot components and the chassis). That makes the MBP designs extremely heat-constrained. They're already using special Intel quad core CPUs with a 25W TDP instead of the regular 45W TDP. And the GPU is limited to about a 35W TDP while other laptops use GPUs with up to a 120W TDP.

Re:Not exactly a high bar to clear

[Kindaian]

The TDP limitations is not only due to heat issues, but also to maintain the battery levels.

Sure you can ran the hardware at a higher speed with more TDP / wats, but you will also drain the batteries way faster.

That is why you will never see one of the "gamer" laptops with better battery then 2 hours (which is nothing as those numbers are of average use).

Not defending the "technical" solutions of Apple, because i think they missed the mark with MBP this time.

The touch bar is a gymnick, and the hardware a bit sub-scale.

I will wait for better CPUs and faster memory / SSD combos... maybe next year?

Re:Not exactly a high bar to clear

[kuzb]

Except if you can't run it with modern hardware because it'll overheat it's not a good design at all. Certainly not deserving of the premium label Apple ascribes to their highest end hardware. This might be different if there weren't tons of laptops already running nvidia's 10 series chipsets, but once again Apple proves that they'd rather sell you old hardware at inflated prices using sub-par designs.

5 years

[110010001000]

5 years and only a 130% improvement in graphics processing. Moore's Law is dead.

Re:Comparison to Current GPUs?

[vux984]

Maybe if they shouldn't make it so thin then? That way it could support performance parts.

Basically I've said it before -- the new macbook pro is the very best macbook air they could make. And if you want a really nice macbook air you are in luck... but if you wanted something that could actually perform in the same league as a Dell Precision, and were willing to carry around a little extra size and weight to get that performance... well ... tough.

Apple doesn't make design compromises to meet performance targets... apple just makes performance compromises until it fits into their design targets. Just be happy... no be *delighted*... that the new macbook pro is faster than the one they made 4 years ago... because based on Ars Technica this is a somehow an achievement.