MBP with R9 M370X

L

Liver

Supreme [H]ardness
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Oct 24, 2005
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I need to buy a new computer in the next week. It's a spend the money or lose the money situation. It's an expense account that I thought I had until the end of the year.

I'm looking at the MBP 15 inch with R9 M370X. Deciding if it's worth getting that one. Either I get it with that graphics card or I get some peripherals. Quite honestly I do not NEED either. Just seeing if it is worth a damn.
 
If it is on an expense account and you can get it, I would go for it. The specs on that model with the PCIe SSD makes for quite the machine with pretty good battery life.
 
I was dealing with the same situation and ended up just getting a Macbook. Most of my work is via VPN to my office so I didn't need a ton of horsepower. So far I love this new Macbook. The weight, screen and performance are fantastic.
 
StryderxX said:
I was dealing with the same situation and ended up just getting a Macbook. Most of my work is via VPN to my office so I didn't need a ton of horsepower. So far I love this new Macbook. The weight, screen and performance are fantastic.
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That's exactly what I realized. I don't game and I don't need the extra power. I decided to get a maxed out 13 inch. I would definately use that machine better.

On the positive note the expense account has been extended. Company is getting restructured so things are in flux.
 
Liver said:
That's exactly what I realized. I don't game and I don't need the extra power. I decided to get a maxed out 13 inch. I would definately use that machine better.

On the positive note the expense account has been extended. Company is getting restructured so things are in flux.
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I can vouch for the 13". I have new one (March 2015) maxed out except for the SSD (512). Great machine.
 
I think the higher spec model is the better buy if you plan to sell due to the higher re-sale value.
 
Vengance_01 said:
I think the higher spec model is the better buy if you plan to sell due to the higher re-sale value.
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That makes zero financial sense. You wouldn't do that with any other investment, especially one that will depreciate in value.

Following your logic, a family should buy a Mercedes over a Corolla because the Mercedes will sell for more when that time comes.

No. Buy what you need, you'll get the value out of it that it's worth and that is fine. In his situation, if he's just intending to burn out his account and buying the most expensive thing(s) possible, that is one thing. But as a general principal buying something for more so you can sell it for more down the line (but with the same depreciation curve) isn't a wise decision.

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As to answer the question, new the MBPr is stupid quick. They over doubled the speed of the PCI-E SSD by moving to M.2. The processors are top of the line. And the graphics card is more than most anyone will need for mobile applications (unless you're a gamer)... but for Photoshop, Premiere, CAD, and other desktop productivity apps that would utilize the graphics card, this thing is a beast. Whether you like OSX or not of course is another factor. If you hate OSX, then I wouldn't even bother. Just get something else. It's not worth it to buy Mac hardware and run Windows on it 100% of the time. The battery management in Windows is crap and the touchpad doesn't operate as well nor with as many gestures. So in terms of which OS you're running, that is a choice you would have to decide. If you're going to be running Windows/Nix, you may as well buy a nice Sager, Lenovo, etc that will suit your needs much better.
 
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Unless your company is a Mac shop or you prefer Mac, I'd look elsewhere. I've owned MBPs for years, love the build quality, but really don't do anything that requires OSX. I'm going to get a maxed-out XPS 15 or Precision 5510 in December. The 4K touchscreen is amazing and the build quality has come a long way. Again, nothing at all against Mac. I just don't live or work in an OSX world. If you do, then you're gonna love your new rMBP.
 
A note about the M370X - as of right now, Apple hasn't sorted out major throttling issues with the card. I'm going to take mine in to see if it's there's something faulty, but if you google 'm370x throttling', you can see plenty of people talking about it.

Everything I've read seems to say the 2014 MBPr is the better buy.
 
maxiedaniels said:
A note about the M370X - as of right now, Apple hasn't sorted out major throttling issues with the card. I'm going to take mine in to see if it's there's something faulty, but if you google 'm370x throttling', you can see plenty of people talking about it.

Everything I've read seems to say the 2014 MBPr is the better buy.
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Despite your graphics card issue, I would argue the 2015 is still much better just because of the significantly faster storage solution and ability to use 'true' 4k video over Thunderbolt 2. I suppose if the speed boosts and 4k output don't matter, then it's moot... but I can say the M370X is going to be way faster than the previous 750m once everything gets sorted for you.
 
maxiedaniels said:
A note about the M370X - as of right now, Apple hasn't sorted out major throttling issues with the card. I'm going to take mine in to see if it's there's something faulty, but if you google 'm370x throttling', you can see plenty of people talking about it.

Everything I've read seems to say the 2014 MBPr is the better buy.
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I understand people are talking about it. That doesn't mean everyone is talking about or it's an issue for everyone.

What problems were you having that made you suspect the GPU? What impact does it have on what you're doing? Why do you believe the previous model (with the 750M) does not have this issue?

Not arguing your issues. I find little value in searching google for complaints unless they have solutions. ("No way! Someone on the internet doesn't like something!") I'm genuinely curious about your issues. I can tell you that I have a MacBook Pro from work with the 650M. It gets very hot. The strip above the function keys gets too hot where it starts to irritate my fingers if they type near that area. I'm sure the 650M and the i7 throttle (I know the i7 does) however it has had no impact on my work so far.
 
I'm probably going to grab a XPS 15 over a rMBP. I just can't decide if I want 1080P or 4k...
Edit: ordered the XPS.
 
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Dayaks said:
I'm probably going to grab a XPS 15 over a rMBP. I just can't decide if I want 1080P or 4k...
Edit: ordered the XPS.
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If 4k is an option, I'd definitely do 4k. You already ordered though, so hopefully you're happy with your choice either way. My usage case is different from gaming though. Screen real-estate matters much more to me than "getting 60fps in every game", since, well, I don't really game.

Resolution is really useful for Photoshop and video editing. 1080p is just not enough anymore. I can "deal" with it, but the great preference is to have at least 2560x1440. 4-5k is much better.
 
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UnknownSouljer said:
If 4k is an option, I'd definitely do 4k. You already ordered though, so hopefully you're happy with your choice either way. My usage case is different from gaming though. Screen real-estate matters much more to me than "getting 60fps in every game", since, well, I don't really game.

Resolution is really useful for Photoshop and video editing. 1080p is just not enough anymore. I can "deal" with it, but the great preference is to have at least 2560x1440. 4-5k is much better.
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I use a 34" for productivity purposes. I can't work on a 15".

But yup, gaming for the kids and some casual photo editing for the wife. Cool, quiet, long battery life are the most important. I got a box with a 970 setup in the basement this morning. Going to stream steam games to the laptop. :). I tried it on the desktop and the streaming works great IMO. This way it'll keep cool and long battery life even when gaming.
 
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maxiedaniels said:
A note about the M370X - as of right now, Apple hasn't sorted out major throttling issues with the card. I'm going to take mine in to see if it's there's something faulty, but if you google 'm370x throttling', you can see plenty of people talking about it.

Everything I've read seems to say the 2014 MBPr is the better buy.
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Not until the firmware update from Yosemite, GT 750M is throttled hard when you pass 75c, and NO WAY even with MSI afterburner to make it stable speed. It wasn't like this before the firmware update. It seems Apple purposely throttle it down.

M370X you can use Afterburner to prevent throttle. I had both machine, and M370X is the only one that capable of doing that so far. The only downside is you have NO DRIVER update from AMD.....since AMD doesn't provide drivers directly to this particular chips for some reason.
 
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