06.04.2011

Review: the 2011 MacBook Pros

Apple have upgraded their flagship laptops, the MacBook Pros. The new models have new processors, new graphics processors, and also feature a new outboard connector. Screen sizes and resolutions are unchanged, as are the available ports - with one exception, which we'll come to later.

What they all have in common

All models have 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM and use Intel Core i5 and i7 processors which have an intergated GPU - the HD 3000.

As with the previous MacBook Pros, higher-end models also have an additional GPU that kicks in when extra performance is required, although these are now AMD Radeon HDs instead of the NVidia GeForce GT 330Ms previously used.

Multi-threading technology allows the systems to address virtual processor cores (effectively multi-tasking to increase performance) and also use Intel's Turbo Boost 2.0 to speed up temporarily at times of peak demand.

Ports: one FireWire 800, one Gigabit Ethernet, one audio in, one audio out.

The differences: at a glance

screen	13in	13in	15in	15in	17in
resolution	1280 x 800	1280 x 800	1440 x 900	1440 x 900	1920 x 1200
CPU	2.3GHz i5	2.7GHz i7	2GHz i7	2.2GHz i7	2.2GHz i7
virtual cores	4	4	8	8	8
hard disk	320GB	500GB	500GB	750GB	750GB
extra GPU	n/a	n/a	256MB *	1GB **	1GB **
USB 2 ports	2	2	2	2	3
ext interface	SDXC	SDXC	SDXC	SDXC	ExpressCard/34
price	£999	£1,299	£1,549	£1,849	£2,099

* 256MB AMD Radeon HD 6490M
** 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6750M

Meet Thunderbolt... well, not quite yet

The only visible external difference on the new models is that the Mini DisplayPort connector now has a small lightning bolt icon next to it. Why? Well, although it can still be used for Mini DisplayPort adaptors and Apple's LED Cinema Display, it is actually now a 'Thunderbolt' port.

Apple and Intel are claiming speeds of up to 10Gb/s (that's double USB 3 and twelve times FireWire 800) as well as the ability to daisy-chain up to six external devices using Thunderbolt, but at the time of writing, there are no Thunderbolt-equipped peripherals, so it's impossible to verify these statements.

Say goodbye to iSight

Apple's new webcam, FaceTime HD (already being used for iPhone 4 and the latest iPod Touch), replaces the older iSight, and offers significantly better image quality.

How much faster are the new MacBook Pros? 

Independent speed tests have shown the following for CPU performance, depending on the task:

• 13in 2.3Ghz dual-core i5 - 35-57% faster 
• 13in 2.7Ghz dual-core i7 - 13-26% faster
• 15in 2.0Ghz quad-core i7 - 33-51% faster
• 15in 2.2GHz quad-core i7 - up to 38% faster
• 17in 2.2GHz quad-core i7 - up to 53% faster

What about graphic performance?

However, graphically, performance varies considerably across the range and is not always an improvement on the outgoing models.

The 13 and 15 inch models do outperform the models they replace when it comes to watching DVDs or streaming media, but if you're a gamer then be aware that the frames per second offered by new 13 inch models are (sometimes significantly) lower than the most recent models using NVidia GPUs, and the 15 inch models offer performance is almost identical to the NVidia-equipped older models, but still not as good.

However the top two models' combination of 2.2GHz quad-core i7s and 1GB Radeon HD 6750Ms do present a significant improvement (from a third to double better) in both gaming and video graphic performance.

Battery Life

It's important to remember that MacBook Pros have built-in batteries that you cannot swap. Apple claims up to seven hours' use for the new models. What's confusing is that they claimed up to 10 hours for older models, but have apparently changed their testing procedures so no comparison can be made!

However independent battery life tests comparing new with older models show increased battery life across the range: about 5-6 hours across the range for fairly processor-intensive tasks.

Want to Customise your MacBook Pro?

There are a number of ways to do this.

RAM

Double up the RAM from 4Gb to 8Gb on all models. Price: £150

Hard Disk

1) Increase Hard Disk size to a maximum of 750Gb on the 13 inch models. Price: £80/120 (depending on model)
2) Swap Hard Disk from 5400rpm to 7200rpm 500Gb on the 15 and 17 inch models. Price: £free/80 (depending on model)
3) Swap Hard Disk for Solid State Drive up to 512Gb on all models. Price: up to £960 (depending on model)

Processor

Upgrade to a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 with 2Mb additional L3 cache on 15 and 17 inch models. Price: £200

Display

1) Increase screen resolution to 1680 x 1050 on the 15 inch models. Price: £80 - with an extra £40 for anti-glare.
2) The same upgrade but including anti-glare as standard on the 17 inch model. Price: £40.

Assembly Concerns

Some reviewers have expressed concerns about the quality of assembly on these new models. A 15 inch MacBook Pro that was taken to bits by iFixit was found to have not been put together properly and also had too much thermal paste, which could cause overheating issues.

In Conclusion

If you're a gamer then you should go for either the top 15 inch or 17 inch models; otherwise any of the models will offer increased performance over a longer period than the outgoing models.

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