Performance
Like other systems we've tested with the Intel Core i7-620M processor, the MacBook Pro returned superb results, especially considering it was paired with 4GB of RAM. After installing Windows 7, we ran PCMark Vantage in Boot Camp, and saw a score of 6,699; that's nearly double the mainstream average of 3,885, not to mention the previous 15-inch MacBook Pro's score of 3,285 (which used a 2.66-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM). The HP Envy 15, which uses a 1.6-GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor and 6GB of RAM, came in about 500 points lower, at 6,173. However, the Sony Vaio Z, which had a 2.4-GHz Core i5-520M processor, scored a much higher 9,936 (though that system had dual SSDs).
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Multitasking on this MacBook Pro was a breeze; we had about a dozen windows open in Safari, including Google Docs and streaming music from Pandora, and were able to easily pan around lower Manhattan in Google Earth. 3D Buildings rendered in about 5 seconds, and flying around the city was smooth.
Booting into Mac OS X 10.6 took the 500GB hard drive a speedy 44 seconds, but loading Windows 7 was a somewhat slower 1 minute and 25 seconds. We saw the same difference when duplicating a 4.97GB folder of multimedia: in the Mac OS, it took 2:45 (30.8 MBps), whereas in Windows it took 4:20 (19.6 MBps). Still, there are some benefits to operating in Boot Camp; we transcoded a 114MB MPEG-4 to AVI using Oxelon Media Encoder in just 47 seconds, a new record.
Compare LAPTOP File Transfer Test results with similar laptops
Graphics
Like the previous generation of MacBook Pros, this model also features switchable graphics with the integrated Intel GMA HD and discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 330M chip. The older MacBook Pro had an Nvidia GeForce 9400M as its integrated card, and a GeForce 9600M GT (with 256MB of memory) as its discrete GPU.
However, users no longer have to log out or suffer through a few seconds delay while the notebook switches chips; the changeover is now seamless and instantaneous. Unlike Nvidia's Optimus technology, which routes everything through the integrated GPU (but produces the same result), Apple's method shuts off the GPU that's not in use. In this manner, Apple claims better battery life while still delivering more horsepower when needed. When software senses that an application is using graphics frameworks such as Core Graphics, OpenGL, or Quartz Composer, it will turn on the discrete GPU. Users can also disable automatic switchable graphics in the Energy Saver control panel, but doing so will cause the discrete GPU to stay on at all times.
On 3DMark06 (running in Boot Camp), the discrete Nvidia GPU scored 6,746, double the category average and 800 points above the older 15-inch MacBook Pro. However, it was outperformed by the HP Envy 15 (7,236), which uses an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4830 GPU and 1GB of video memory, and the Acer Aspire 5740G (7,166), which has an ATI Radeon HD 5650 GPU and 1GB of VRAM. The ASUS U30Jc-1A, which has similar switchable graphics but a less powerful Nvidia 310M graphics chip, notched just 3,711.
Compare 3DMark06 results with similar laptops
Of course, with a 3DMark06 score exceeding 6,500, the MacBook Pro's gaming performance is nothing to sneeze at. With graphics set to maximum and the screen resolution at native, the machine notched 69 frames per second in World of Warcraft; similar settings in Far Cry 2 produced a somewhat lackluster 24 fps. While that's about 10 fps higher than the previous MacBook Pro, it's about 10 fps below that of the Acer Aspire 5740G. It should be noted that both tests were run in Boot Camp, and that gamers should experience better performance in a Mac environment.
In a few anecdotal tests, we didn't see much difference between the new and old MacBook Pros. It took both systems just 6 seconds to open a 417.8MB TIF file in Photoshop CS4. We then used the same liquefy filter on the image, and timed how long it took for the notebooks to apply the change. The newer MacBook Pro finished the job in 2 minutes and 38 seconds, while the older MacBook Pro took just 16 seconds longer. We then imported a 1.66GB MPEG-4 into iMovie; the newer MacBook Pro took 10 minutes and 11 seconds to complete this task, and the older MacBook Pro was just 18 seconds behind it.
Battery Life and Wireless
We never expect stellar battery life out of 15-inch notebooks, yet that's where the MacBook Pro really stands out. On our LAPTOP Battery Test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi) the notebook lasted 7 hours and 54 minutes, more than double the category average (3:40), and akin to endurance you'd see on an ultraportable or thin-and-light. Even then, comparable notebooks were found wanting: The Sony Vaio Z lasted just 5:21 on stamina mode, and the ASUS U30Jc gave out after 7:07. While the older MacBook Pro managed 8:06, the endurance on the newer model is all the more impressive when you consider its increased power.
