Afraid to take the plunge into rMBP land...

[luffytubby]

I recently bought a 13.3 rMBP and have had no heat issues. It barely even gets warm to the touch. The hottest it got was watching videos in bed but that wasn't uncomfortable either. Are you looking to get the dGPU card with the 15 or just the Iris Pro? The only thing that I think will add more heat would be the dedicated dGPU.

I would get the one with dGPU(750m 2GB GDDR5) for sure!


Good to hear that you guys have good models. I hope mine will be good as well!



As far as Quad-core i7 2.3 vs 2.6 GHz, is it the correct understanding that both CPUs are identical, besides that the 2,6 GHz model is one of the few chips that could handle a higher frequency?

So by design, a 2,6 GHz does run hotter and use more battery when idle at 2,6 ?

 

[TheStu]

I would get the one with dGPU(750m 2GB GDDR5) for sure!


Good to hear that you guys have good models. I hope mine will be good as well!



As far as Quad-core i7 2.3 vs 2.6 GHz, is it the correct understanding that both CPUs are identical, besides that the 2,6 GHz model is one of the few chips that could handle a higher frequency?

So by design, a 2,6 GHz does run hotter and use more battery when idle at 2,6 ?

It wouldn't be idling at 2.6. It'll idle MUCH lower, usually sub-1GHz.

 

[joshhedge]

It wouldn't be idling at 2.6. It'll idle MUCH lower, usually sub-1GHz.

The 2.6 will have slightly worse battery life under full load, but during light work you won't notice much difference. I think the chips would be binned so that the thermal output wouldn't differ much between the two?

 

[Patre]

As a Christmas gift, I'm looking to buy a 15.4 rMBP particularly this one: http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/ma.../A&step=config

But, can't seem to find any current deals anywhere......the last deal I saw was when Best Buy had a $250 discount. Any suggestions on this?

 

[_UP_]

I got the new 13 inch rMBP and it's fine. It does get hot, especially when watching videos or when the Android emulator is ruining, but I don't think it's too hot. The only time it became really hot (and loud for that matter) was when I was lying in bed and the blanket was covering the vents which was my bad anyways. As an acid Windows user, my main concern before getting it was the OS. I still prefer windows for my desktop, no doubt, but I do think OSX is great as a laptop OS. I also think that the rMBP (in either size) is the best laptop you can get these days. The only solution to your problem is to not get a laptop at all, as they all use the same components these days. Any machine you'll get well have the same thermal restrictions. So going for the one with the best quality and the best warranty is the right way to go I believe. So just get it.

Edit: forgot to mention that you should think what you need before you buy since it's not upgradeable. I got the 4gb one (was already stretching my budget) and I wish I had 8. And a better CPU. on the 15 it's more about CPU and storage, unless you're running virtual machines (in which case I'd consider getting 16gb of RAM).

 

[Patre]

Speaking of warranties, do people really get Apple's Protection Plan? (currently for the rMBP, it's $349)

 

[joshhedge]

Speaking of warranties, do people really get Apple's Protection Plan? (currently for the rMBP, it's $349)

Yes, but I paid something like £50 for the three years.

As a student it gives me peace of mind, I cannot afford to shell out another £2k on a laptop in the near future if anything goes wrong.

 

[Tyranicus]

Speaking of warranties, do people really get Apple's Protection Plan? (currently for the rMBP, it's $349)

I did. Yeah, it's a lot of money, but you're paying a lot of money for the laptop too. I like having the piece of mind knowing that anything that breaks in the first three years, including some extremely expensive parts, is completely covered.

 

[Rottie]

my 8 months old 2012 rMBP never experienced over 80 degree before. It is a great machine. I am not worried about it right now since I have an AppleCare+ and Apple original 1 year warranty so something happened to my rMBP, Apple will take care of it.

 

[joshhedge]

my 8 months old 2012 rMBP never experienced over 80 degree before. It is a great machine. I am not worried about it right now since I have an AppleCare+ and Apple original 1 year warranty so something happened to my rMBP, Apple will take care of it.

Genuinely regarding the 80 degrees? What do you do with the machine?

 

[Rottie]

Genuinely regarding the 80 degrees? What do you do with the machine?

Final Cut Pro X video editing, Photoshop CS6 photo touch up, playing The Sim 3 game, and FaceTime.

 

[Patre]

Just picked up the new rMBP with 16MB ram and 512GB SSD at Best Buy (last one they had in stock). I also got the extended warranty that Geek Squad offered (all hardware & software) a 1 year plan for $249.The sales guy said there's no deductible (like Applecare has) and they'll fix just about anything upto 3 computers.

Not having used any of Geek Squad's services, are they reliable/efficient?

 

[TheStu]

Just picked up the new rMBP with 16MB ram and 512GB SSD at Best Buy (last one they had in stock). I also got the extended warranty that Geek Squad offered (all hardware & software) a 1 year plan for $249.The sales guy said there's no deductible (like Applecare has) and they'll fix just about anything upto 3 computers.

Not having used any of Geek Squad's services, are they reliable/efficient?

All Apple computers come with 1 year of warranty coverage, and there's no deductible on them at all. The additional fee is for extending that coverage out to 3 years (including phone support for those 3 years).

AppleCare does NOT cover accidental damage, water, fire, theft, or anything like that, just hardware failure from standard use.

The only AppleCare plans that have deductibles are the AppleCare+ plans on the iPhone and iPad, which have deductibles ONLY for accidental damage issues. If your device fails of natural causes, there is no charge.

You got fleeced, unless you don't have an Apple Store within an hour of you.

 

[Patre]

All Apple computers come with 1 year of warranty coverage, and there's no deductible on them at all. The additional fee is for extending that coverage out to 3 years (including phone support for those 3 years).

AppleCare does NOT cover accidental damage, water, fire, theft, or anything like that, just hardware failure from standard use.

The only AppleCare plans that have deductibles are the AppleCare+ plans on the iPhone and iPad, which have deductibles ONLY for accidental damage issues. If your device fails of natural causes, there is no charge.

You got fleeced, unless you don't have an Apple Store within an hour of you.

Well, now I feel like dufus. D:

I just bought it last evening.....I wonder if they'll let me cancel this warranty.

 

[TheStu]

Well, now I feel like dufus. D:

I just bought it last evening.....I wonder if they'll let me cancel this warranty.

On the one hand, caveat emptor, on the other hand, they blatantly lied to you, so we'll see.