15 Apple Macbook Pro Retina- 28 I7- 16gb Ram- 512gb Ssd- Mid 2014 Review

Verdict

Pros

• Gorgeous, unrivalled IPS screen
• Superb, class-leading connectivity
• Sleek, attractive design
• Relatively slim and light
• Powerful, counterbalanced specifications

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not upgradeable
• No Gigabit Ethernet
• Not-standard screen resolution

Key Specifications

• Review Price: £1799.00
• 15.4in glass-fronted 2,880 x i,800 IPS screen
• Aluminium unibody chassis, relatively slim and low-cal
• Quad-core Core i7 'Ivy Bridge', 8GB RAM, 768GB SSD
• Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of RAM
• Twin Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0

Updated: at present with Diablo three results, the get-go game optimised for Retina.

Retina MacBook Pro Intro
Until now, Apple tree laptops have been gorgeous and well-built options, merely they certainly weren't e'er at the cutting edge. In fact, you could usually get machines that were just equally good if non meliorate for a lot less, as evinced by comparing the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 700Z5A to Apple tree's previous MacBook Pro 15in. However, now the maker of anybody's favourite tablet has caught upwards, and so some.

The MacBook Pro fifteen inch with Retina Brandish, as it's awkwardly called, is in some ways the best laptop money can buy, doing more than to justify its premium than whatever MacBook Pro earlier information technology. If you want to know exactly what, have a read of our MacBook Retina Ascension – is Apple's new MacBook Pro the Best Laptop Always? slice. However, while information technology may be unmatched in certain areas, how does information technology hold upwardly overall – especially when its rather steep £1,800 cost is taken into account?

Let'southward beginning off with what you go for that coin. The highlight, of form, is its Retina Display, which is a 15.4in IPS affair with a stunning resolution of two,880 x ane,800 – that's 220ppi. It'due south fitted in an anodised aluminium chassis that's slimmer than previous models, thanks in part to the omission of an optical drive. The backlit chiclet keyboard and glass touchpad remain much as before. Specs-wise you get a choice of Ivy Bridge Core i7 processors, 8GB of RAM as standard, up to 768GB of SSD storage and Nvidia GeForce GT 650M dedicated graphics. Meanwhile for connectivity Apple provides both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt.

SEE As well: All-time Laptops, Ultrabooks and Hybrids

Retina MacBook Pro Design
From a design indicate of view, Apple hasn't fixed what wasn't broken. Its unibody, milled aluminium chassis are nevertheless cutting edge (not literally, despite a few edges that are sharper than we would ideally like) for both aesthetics and the feeling of sublime build quality they convey. Anodised aluminium throughout, the latest MacBook Pro 15 inch looks and feels every bit a premium production.

What Apple tree has washed is slim things down significantly, while shaving quite a bit of weight off too. In fact, if you put the Air 13in and the MacBook Pro xv inch with Retina Display side by side, you'll discover they're the same summit at the Air's thickest point (thanks in part to slightly deeper feet on the Air, the chassis is actually 1mm thinner). As it's not a tapering design, the Pro is 1.8cm thick throughout.

It also weighs simply a plume over 2kg, compared to more than ii.5kg for its predecessor. Because you're getting more powerful internals that's a not unimpressive accomplishment, though those who like watching DVDs may lament the only way to do so at present is with an external bulldoze. Still, for anyone carrying one of these around all twenty-four hours, the weight reduction will exist a Godsend.

While nosotros're on the topic of design, Apple's modular power adapter deserves a mention of its ain. The fruity company is 1 of the simply ones that lets you choose between a two-part power cable with brick in the middle, or a sleek single solution terminating in the power brick – either way you become the kind of adapter yous prefer.

Nosotros also admire MagSafe, which is the easiest to plug in of any ability connector ever. And though nosotros're not sure information technology was necessary to update the standard, the slimmer MagSafe 2 is a thing of elegant beauty that tin be used with older attachments through an adapter.

Retina MacBook Pro Connectivity
As mentioned in our MacBook Retina Rise – is Apple'southward new MacBook Pro the Best Laptop Ever? slice, the latest Pro's connectivity is unrivalled, cheers to no fewer than two Thunderbolt ports in addition to its USB 3.0 ones.

To read all about Thunderbolt and its potential, accept a read hither, merely suffice to say it can act as a high-bandwidth interconnect for fast external storage and graphics cards, or as a DisplayPort video output. Y'all'll find two of these 'magical' ports on the left, along with the slimmer MagSafe power connector. There'due south as well a single USB iii.0 port (in white rather than the usual blue), finally bringing Apple's professional laptop range upwards to speed for devices similar fast memory sticks. Last only non least is a combined headphone/microphone jack.

On the right, meanwhile, y'all'll find the second USB 3.0 port, a full-size SDXC carte reader, and yet another offset on an Apple tree laptop: an eminently applied HDMI video output. Finally, HDMI and USB 3.0 – ubiquitous on practically every premium not-Apple laptop known to man – take made it into the MacBook range. Better belatedly than never…

The only common connector the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display doesn't accept is the skilful old Ethernet jack. Apple would probably argue that this is not a necessity on whatever laptop anymore, what with Wi-Fi being a superior wireless replacement. However, while this absence may be adequate on the Air due to thinness considerations, on a 'Pro' laptop we would really expect it to be included past default, rather than requiring a Thunderbolt or USB adapter. Mind y'all, at least using Thunderbolt ensures you lot should see no performance penalty compared to actual integrated Gigabit Ethernet.

On the wireless front end, in that location'southward still no integrated 3G option, but at least Bluetooth is up to the latest version four.0 and Wi-Fi is North.

Retina MacBook Pro Usability
As you would expect from a company that has equally much feel building desirable laptops as Apple tree and given previous Pros were dandy to use, usability on the MacBook Pro fifteen inch with Retina Brandish remains superb. The matt blackness chiclet keyboard offers nicely-spaced keys with a decent corporeality of travel, and it's fully backlit in white.

If we have any complaints, it's that at that place's not quite plenty feedback to a key press, without that distinctive click y'all'll find on the likes of the Lenovo ThinkPad X220. Yet, while it's not the best typing experience on a laptop, it'south still expert enough to type on all twenty-four hour period without issue.

Getting to the glass touchpad, meanwhile, it'due south still the best nosotros've used, rivalled but past the cream of the Windows laptop crop. A large, smoothen surface and great action on the subconscious buttons leaves us with no negatives whatever, and information technology must exist said that Mac Os X still makes more elegant employ of multi-touch gestures than Windows vii by a very long stretch. Of class, Windows 8 may presently fifty-fifty the field in this regard.

For video chatting, the MacBook Pro fifteen inch with Retina Brandish sports the same 720p 'FaceTime' webcam nosotros've come beyond before, which rivals the solutions constitute on many other laptops.

MacBook Pro Retina Display
Its Retina Display is undoubtedly the newest MacBook Pro's slice de resistance. It's not even but about the resolution increment from the previous MacBook Pro xv.4in's 1,680 x 1,050 pixels to a whopping 2,880 ten one,800, the actual panel technology itself is now IPS rather than its predecessors' junior TN. This means meliorate viewing angles and potentially more than authentic colours. Indeed, for the first time in a MacBook, viewing angles are as good as they get. You tin view material from as far to any side equally y'all similar, without noticeable dissimilarity or colour shift.

Apple tree has as well washed away with the glass comprehend that created the bezel-gratuitous wait on older MacBooks, instead using simply two layers compared to the previous three. This brings the bodily display closer than ever and significantly lowers reflections, all without losing any of the artful benefits of a drinking glass front (though it is likely to be a lilliputian more delicate than screens that do sport the extra layer). It's one of many lilliputian touches that elevate the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display above the competition and previous generations.

As you would promise, the image characteristics of the Retina panel are pretty skilful. Already vibrant colours are further perceptually enhanced by the glass finish, as are inky blacks. Nighttime detailing isn't the best nosotros've come up beyond though, with a few of the subtlest shades getting lost.

Backlighting is beautifully fifty-fifty. At that place'south but a hint of bleed along the left bottom and top edges, but this isn't noticeable in normal use and doesn't even distract in a dark surroundings. In that location's no banding and near no sign of other artefacts either.

MacBook Pro Retina Display resolution
Sharpness is, of course, unmatched. With its insane 2,880 x ane,800 resolution giving the latest MacBook Pro 15 inch a ppi of 220 (compared to 264ppi for the iPad iii, only you lot hold that closer to your eyes), it's virtually impossible to distinguish individual pixels and even the tiniest fonts become legible. Pretty much everything looks better, and though the effect can exist subtle, going back to a 'normal' screen y'all'll definitely notice the difference.

Just to put things into perspective, this 15in laptop manages to cram in more pixels than your boilerplate 30in monitor, most of which count 2,560 x i,600. Overall then at that place is no question most it: the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display sports by far the best screen nosotros've always seen on a laptop. Best. Always. In fact, the only surface area where it's junior to many desktop displays is in its color accuracy and gamut coverage.

MacBook Pro Retina Brandish in use
Oh the irony; to run your desktop at this MacBook screen's native resolution, you lot'll actually need to install Windows. That's right, Apple has made yet another decision nearly what it volition allow its users to do with their own hardware.

Under MacOS' display settings you'll detect five resolution presets. The lowest of these is based on 1,024 x 640, and results in huge icons and text. This is a handy setting if you're visually impaired or sitting at a considerable distance when, for example, giving a presentation.

The middle ane is similar to that of the original MacBook Pro with a 1,440 ten 900 resolution, and since this doubles neatly into the new panel'due south two,880 x 1,800, Apple tree calls information technology "Best (Retina)". This alone gives away the fact that there's no native fashion.

The highest preset the fruity company gives you is 1,920 x 1,200. While this is still a very high resolution for a 15in console, it'due south nix outstanding and content is still being scaled, albeit superbly. Quite aside from losing desktop real manor, third-party software will demand to be programmed to specifically get the most out of the Retina Display – and so far only a few MacOS-specific programs are fully compatible, though giants similar Photoshop CS6 are soon to follow.

One fairly painless BootCamp Windows 7 install later, nonetheless, and we can admire our desktop in native 2,880 x 1,800. With Display set to 150 pct zoom for text and icons (the default using Apple tree's provided drivers) everything is perfectly legible, as long as you're sitting close to the laptop. This really does provide an experience like no other; it's but glorious to behold.

The aforementioned can be said for games. Blizzard's Diablo 3, for example, information technology also optimised for Retina and looks more than gorgeous than e'er on this screen – check out its performance on the side by side page.

Retina MacBook Pro Speakers
After the sheer impressiveness of its Retina Display, inevitably the audio performance of the latest MacBook Pro 15 inch disappoints. Listen y'all, it's not that the up-facing stereo speakers are bad – they're an improvement over this MacBook Pro's predecessor, for one matter – only rather that they're distinctly average in the premium 15in laptop market.

There'due south plenty of book, depth and clarity at the mid-range and loftier-end, but bass is lacking and a hint of distortion creeps in at maximum. They're certainly adequate for an aurally undemanding movie or light classical music, but for anything more than nosotros would still recommend external units or good headphones.

Retina MacBook Pro General Operation

PCMark 07
General: 4653
Entertainment: 4128

When information technology comes to performance, the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display is a very mixed bag. The base of operations spec is very proficient, only information technology'south arguably overpriced and non-upgradeable.

Naturally, your CPU pick is from a selection of Intel'due south latest-generation 'Ivy Bridge' Core i7 processors. On the £1,800 'base' model you become a 2.3GHz quad-cadre that Turbo Clocks up to 3.3GHz, while if you opt for the £2,300 model you tin become upwards to a ii.7GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Clocked).

Either way, information technology's backed by 8GB of RAM, which we feel is an excellent base-line for a laptop this powerful – and one that'south not upgradeable. If yous want to be super future-proof or y'all do a lot of paradigm/video editing, yous may want to consider going for the 16GB upgrade. Afterward all, what's another £160, and yous tin't add more afterwards.

For permanent storage, the base model has a 256GB SSD, which should be adequate for most users considering you lot tin hook upwardly fast external storage through USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt. If not, the £two,300 MacBook Pro xv inch with Retina Display comes with  512GB of internal flash storage, upgradeable to 768GB for a mere £400.

Retina MacBook Pro Gaming Performance
Graphics are handled by Intel's integrated Hard disk 4000 chip when non in performance mode. When it'south needed for 3D gaming and graphics dispatch, the Nvidia GeForce GT 650M that'south now found across Apple's MacBook Pro range kicks in.

Being of Nvidia's Keppler generation, this 600-serial card with 1GB of RAM gives enough leeway for some decent 3D gaming, although very few titles will run at the screen's native 2,880 ten ane,800 resolution. In our undemanding TrackMania Nations Forever test, the MacBook Pro xv inch with Retina Display managed a more than than playable 79.6fps boilerplate at native. Nonetheless, in a more demanding DirectX xi championship like Stalker Call of Pripyat, that average vicious to 28fps, and this was still simply at Medium detail.

On the other paw, in Diablo 3 we could run at native Retina with all settings turned up to max and anti-aliasing, and nosotros still got a perfectly playable experience, with an average that rarely dipped beneath the magical 30fps barrier.

While the latest Blizzard game is not exactly a graphical powerhouse, Diablo 3 does get to show that playing contempo, blockbuster titles at Retina resolutions is not simply possible merely very pretty indeed. And that's non fifty-fifty taking into account the possibility of adding even more powerful external graphics through Thunderbolt.

Retina MacBook Pro Performance Conclusions
So in a nutshell, Apple has significantly raised the base performance bar by giving every model of its MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Brandish 8GB or RAM, 256GB of Flash storage and relatively powerful defended graphics. However, unless they're a gamer any owner of a previous-generation model with like specifications certainly shouldn't upgrade for the performance difference, as it'southward quite small overall.

It'south also worth noting that the Retina MacBook Pro gets positively toasty nigh its hinge when under load, and gets just a tad noisy with the fan condign quite audible peculiarly when the GPU is in action. Mind you, this is quite common for lite and thin laptops packing these kind of components.

Our only real concern here is the lack of upgrade potential. Arguably just fine on a consumer machine, on a 'Professional' laptop this is a serious limitation and needs to be taken into business relationship when deciding what spec to buy. However, if you think of this laptop as essentially a gigantic Ultrabook, there's picayune reason for complaint.

Retina MacBook Pro Bombardment

MobileMark
(twoscore percent screen brightness, wireless radios disabled, mixed productivity)
344 minutes

Apple claims battery life of seven hours, which is identical to the previous, fatter MacBook Pro. Nosotros ran the same Windows 7-based criterion that we submit every laptop to on the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Display and achieved v hours and 44 minutes.

That's non nifty because this was light multi-tasking at 40 percent screen brightness and with wireless radios disabled. The similarly-sized Samsung Serial 7 Chronos, for example, managed 7 and a half hours in the aforementioned test, albeit with a 1,600 x 900 screen.

On the other manus, with lighter real-world use nosotros did accomplish just over Apple'southward claimed figure. In other words, if you employ the MacBook Pro 15 inch with Retina Brandish casually it will agree up to the claimed fourth dimension, otherwise if yous were to work on it throughout the 24-hour interval, you tin can expect under half-dozen hours.

Retina MacBook Pro Value
Undoubtedly the unmarried most divisive issue for potential buyers of the MacBook Pro fifteen inch with Retina Display will be its price, which at £i,800 is a very significant chunk of change.

Perhaps where we should start is with the not-Retina 15in MacBook Pro, which is still bachelor with the aforementioned CPU and GPU, but only 4GB of RAM and a regular difficult drive for £1,500. To upgrade this to specs matching the base Retina version would ready yous back £two,120, and that wouldn't net yous a gorgeous 2,880 x 1,800 IPS screen. So the only reasons to get for Apple's 'regular' MacBook Pro would be if you admittedly require an internal optical drive or, more likely, upgradeable specifications. Otherwise information technology's Retina all the style.

It'southward even more difficult to compare to Windows PC laptops. Remember that with Ivy Bridge only just being launched and Windows 8 drawing virtually, we're about to run across a veritable deluge of laptops from every major manufacturer. And at the premium end, many of these are likely to have high-resolution IPS/PLS displays – nosotros're already seeing that tendency manifesting with Ultrabooks like the Zenbook Prime, with its 1080p 13in IPS screen.

Maybe the closest configurable competitor at the moment is the 2012 Sony VAIO S15, which is a similarly-sized premium, metal-clad powerhouse sporting a backlit keyboard and 1,920 x ane,080 IPS screen. Specced with a quad-core Ivy Bridge Core i7, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and GT640 graphics, it comes to £1,624 – so everything considered the new Pro with Retina is not actually quite as overpriced equally it might at first appear.

Verdict
Quite simply, the MacBook Pro xv inch with Retina Display's two,880 x 1,800 IPS 'Retina' screen is amazing. And now that Apple finally offers USB iii.0 to go along with this laptop'southward twin Thunderbolt ports, connectivity is also unmatched. Though they're not upgradeable, specifications are powerful yet nicely counterbalanced, even allowing for some decent gaming. Given yous get all this goodness in a cute milled aluminium chassis that'due south thinner than ever earlier, the Retina MacBook Pro does a lot to justify its premium price.

How we test laptops

Unlike other sites, nosotros exam every laptop nosotros review thoroughly over an extended period of fourth dimension. Nosotros use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We'll always tell you what nosotros find. Nosotros never, ever, take money to review a product.

Find out more than well-nigh how nosotros test in our ethics policy.

Used equally our main laptop for the review period

Tested for at to the lowest degree a week

Used consequent benchmarks for fair comparisons with other laptops

Reviewed using respected industry benchmarks and existent globe use

Trusted Score

Score in detail

• Performance nine

• Design 10

• Screen Quality 10

• Value seven

• Features ix

• Battery Life 7

Processor, Memory & Storage

Processor	Intel Core i7
Memory (RAM) (Gigabyte)	8-16GB
Solid State Drive (SSD)	256-512
DVD Optical Bulldoze	No

Graphics & Audio

Graphics	GeForce 650M
Display (Inch)	15in
Display Finish	drinking glass

Software

Operating Organisation

Macintosh Bone

Other

Special Features	Retina Display, dual Thunderbolt
Type	Other Laptop

Data

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Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/apple-macbook-pro-15-inch-with-retina-display

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