
There are many ways to improve the cooling system. We can see that the heatsink is very small and not adequate for a 45W CPU (65W with Turbo Boost). The 4980HQ has a TDP of 45W and a cTDP (or configurable TDP) of 65W (extra CPU speed if the extra heat is manageable by the cooling system).įirst things first: Let’s see how fast the CPU core temperature increases when under load (stress testing with CineBench R15, monitoring with Intel Power Gadget). TDP (thermal design power) is the maximum amount of heat that can be generated by a chip (CPU or GPU). Copper is often used in heatsinks instead of aluminum because it has better thermal conductance, but is also more expensive.
#Mac book pro mid 2015 good for games? pro
The Core i7 used in the Mid-2015 15-inch MacBook Pro is of the Haswell architecture and has a T-junction temperature of 105☌.In my case, the 4980HQ can run upto 3.8 GHz (Turbo Boost for 4 cores), but only achieves 3.2 GHz due to the thermal throttling. Turbo Boost is the name given by Intel to its CPUs’ capability to increase their operating frequencies in case demanding tasks are present.There are some basic notions you need to know before we start: The reason behind this was that it saddened me to see the lower performance I was getting vs. To remedy the situation, I investigated my 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina’s (Mid-2015) cooling system and tried to find a solution. My MacBook, for instance, has the best Core i7 processor (4980HQ) that was available at the time of purchase, but performs more or less the same as the other slower options.

It is funny how Apple gives you the option to choose faster CPUs for a higher price tag, yet are bottlenecked by the MacBook’s flawed cooling system. This not only shortens the computer’s lifespan, but also thermal throttles its performance. The fans are clearly not the only culprit here (yes, I’m looking at you, Mr.
#Mac book pro mid 2015 good for games? full
And even when the fans are on full blast, the system still overheats. For instance, Apple products’ cooling fans run at lower RPMs so that they are quieter for the user’s comfort, but which also causes the system to overheat. One of the biggest ones is the design of the thermal cooling system. Unfortunately, this approach also comes with many caveats. For instance, the infamous MacBook recalls due to black screens caused by failing GPUs are one example that a lot of people may remember (even though this is also Nvidia’s fault).Īs you may know, Apple has engineered the latest MacBook Pros to be as thin as possible. Personally, their devices have always been pleasing despite the numerous design flaws that came with them.

Their philosophy and ecosystem were always based on the user experience, how we perceive their products and how we interact with them. For years, they have been influencing the industry by incorporating new ideas to their products, which a lot of them were eventually used by other corporations as well (of course, the market is complex and every company exchanges (or steals) ideas from one another).

Use this guide at your own risk.Īpple’s ingenious business model made them what they are today: the first trillion-dollar company in the world. If you have zero experience in this matter, you WILL break your stuff. Disclaimer: We assume no responsibility for any damage caused to your personal goods.
