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2016 MacBook Pro: Test Results vs 2015 MacBook Pro and 13" 2016 MacBook Pro + a Big Surprise

2017-01-01 • SEND FEEDBACK |

Related: 2015 MacBook Pro, 2016 MacBook Pro, laptop, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Photoshop

Mac wish list • all 2016 MacBook pro models at B&H Photo • all 15" Apple MacBook Pro 2016 models • all 13" Apple MacBook Pro 2016 models. MPG gets credit if you buy through those links.

Deal on top-spec 2015 MacBook Pro at OWC.

I encountered a stunning surprise when testing: the 13" 2016 MacBook Pro dual-core 2.4 GHz beat out all but one of the other Macs on my #1 most important Photoshop task. And I had to give the other Macs several tries to get better times; the times usually were slower.

That’s insane! But I ran and re-ran the test—same deal. So to paraphrase Mark Twain, there are lies, damn lies, and benchmarks. All that matters is how well a computer works for one’s own particular workflow.

2016 MacBook Pro: Adobe Photoshop Create Size Variants
2016 MacBook Pro: Photoshop Filters
2016 MacBook Pro: diglloyd Adobe Photoshop Benchmarks
2016 MacBook Pro: 15" Model Cannot Sustain Performance (updated with 13" model info)

This amazing performance is from the 13" 2.4 GHz / 16GB / 512GB non-touchbar model, whose Turbo Boost mode hits 3.4 GHz, which is only 0.1 GHz slower than the fastest processor Apple offers in the 13" model. But those faster base-clock-speed models require the touchbar, and the touchbar is a non-starter for me and others. Plus, the touchbar model has a significantly smaller battery and slotted (not soldered-on) SSD. I also found that the 13" model has the least trouble cooling itself, as judged by fan noise (not much even under load). Plus the 13" model does not slow down under some loads like the 15" model does.

While all of the machines showed some variability in test results (laptops in particular), multiple runs confirm the dominance of the 13" 2016 MacBook Pro in this real-world workflow challenge. The graph below takes the fastest time from each machine. Other tests show the 13" model to be be slower, but quite a feisty ankle biter on many tests. If anything, it shows that software plays a huge role in using or not using CPU cores efficiently.

2016 MacBook Pro vs other Macs: Photoshop filters

CLICK TO VIEW: 2016 MacBook Pro