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Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555) Laptop Review

Competitive thanks to Kaby Lake. The updated Apple MacBook Pro 15 gets a modern Kaby Lake processor from Intel and a more powerful GPU by default. Otherwise, however, not a lot has changed. Update: The review is now complete

For the original German review, see here.

Apple announced an update for the MacBook Pro 15 at this year's WWDC in June. The Skylake processors were still up to date when the previous model launched last autumn, but the competition started shipping models with new and faster Kaby Lake chips soon after that. Apple now reacts with an unusually early update after just 8 months – we originally expected an update this autumn.

Besides the new processors, Apple now also ships slightly more powerful GPUs by default. The entry-level spec is equipped with the AMD Radeon Pro 555, which is the direct (and basically similarly powerful) successor to the old Radeon Pro 455. There is no successor to the Radeon Pro 450, but there is an option for the more powerful Radeon Pro 560. Apple once again uses up to 16 GB of LPDDR3-RAM (2133 MHz), but the maximum SSD storage has been doubled to 2 TB.

The following table shows Apple's current line-up for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Unlike the smaller 13-inch system, the manufacturer still sells the old MacBook Pro Retina 15 with the 2015 design.

MacBook Pro 15 Mid 2017 MacBook Pro 15 Mid 2017 MacBook Pro 15 (old model)
Processor Core i7 2.8 GHz (Kaby Lake, 45 W)
Core i7 3.1 GHz (Kaby Lake, 45 W)
Core i7 2.9 GHz (Kaby Lake, 45 W)
Core i7 3.1 GHz (Kaby Lake, 45 W)
Core i7 2.2 GHz (Haswell, 45 W)
Core i7 2.5 GHz (Haswell, 45 W)
Core i7 2.8 GHz (Haswell, 45 W)
GPU AMD Radeon Pro 555
AMD Radeon Pro 560
AMD Radeon Pro 560 Intel Iris Pro Graphics
RAM 16 GB LPDDR3-2133 16 GB LPDDR3-2133 16 GB DDR3L-1600
SSD 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB 512 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB
Display 15.4 inch IPS 2880x1800 pixels 15.4 inch IPS 2880x1800 pixels 15.4 inch IPS 2880x1800 pixels
Ports 4x Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C
3.5 mm Headset
4x Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C
3.5 mm Headset
2x Thunderbolt 2
2x USB 3.0
MagSafe
HDMI
SD-card reader
3.5 mm Headset
Price starting at $2399 starting at $2799 starting at $1999

We purchased the test model from Apple's online store. It is the entry-level model with the Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD storage as well as the AMD Radeon Pro 555 for $2399. Not a lot has changed except for the small performance bump, so we will not cover all the test sections once again. The corresponding information is available in our reviews of the 2016 models. The following pictures were also taken from the 2016 MacBook Pro 15 review.

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555) (MacBook Pro 15 2017 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon Pro 555 - 2048 MB VRAM, GDDR5, 17.1
Memory
16 GB 
, LPDDR3-2133, Dual-Channel
Display
15.40 inch 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixel 221 PPI, APPA031, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Sunrise Point, Intel Kaby Lake-H
Storage
Apple SSD SM0256L
Soundcard
Cirrus Logic CS42L63A @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH
Connections
4 USB 3.1 Gen2, 4 Thunderbolt, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm Audio, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Broadcom BCM15700A2 802.11ac (ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16 x 349 x 241 ( = 0.63 x 13.74 x 9.49 in)
Battery
76 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Apple OS X 10.11 El Capitan
Camera
Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD Kamera
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 87 watt USB-C PSU, USB-C cable, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.83 kg ( = 64.55 oz / 4.03 pounds), Power Supply: 369 g ( = 13.02 oz / 0.81 pounds)
Price
2799 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

357 mm / 14.1 inch 253 mm / 9.96 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs358.9 mm / 14.1 inch 247.1 mm / 9.73 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 2 kg4.5 lbs357 mm / 14.1 inch 235 mm / 9.25 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 2.1 kg4.56 lbs349 mm / 13.7 inch 241 mm / 9.49 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.8 kg4.03 lbs304 mm / 12 inch 212 mm / 8.35 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 1.4 kg3.02 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Communication

The transfer rates of the MacBook Pro 15 Bar are once again excellent. However, we can still notice the Wi-Fi problem with 2.4 GHz networks when USB-C devices are attached – similar to the smaller 13-inch model. However, the issue was limited to certain constellations. We noticed connection problems with the Anker Premium USB-C Hub, for example, as well as a maximum configuration with Kensington USB-C Hub, SanDisk 900 USB-C SSD, DisplayPort monitor, USB thumb drive, and other peripherals running Windows (Bootcamp). However, we could not always reproduce the problem, and both the Kensington hub as well as the USB-C SSD worked without problems. The Razer Stealth (Kaby Lake) is not affected. The latter does not support Power Delivery via USB-C though, so this might be the issue.

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with connection issues when a lot of high-speed USB-C hardware is attached (here the MBP 13 running on Windows 10, but it also happened with macOS).
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with connection issues when a lot of high-speed USB-C hardware is attached (here the MBP 13 running on Windows 10, but it also happened with macOS).
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016 (2.9 GHz)
Broadcom BCM15700A2 802.11ac
949 MBit/s +12%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Broadcom BCM15700A2 802.11ac
845 MBit/s
Dell XPS 13 9360 QHD+ i5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
680 MBit/s -20%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Klaus I211)
653 MBit/s -23%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
589 MBit/s -30%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016 (2.9 GHz)
Broadcom BCM15700A2 802.11ac
950 MBit/s 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Broadcom BCM15700A2 802.11ac
949 MBit/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (Klaus I211)
682 MBit/s -28%
Dell XPS 13 9360 QHD+ i5
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
676 MBit/s -29%
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i7 Iris
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
634 MBit/s -33%

Input Devices

Apple is using second generation Butterfly keys for the MacBook Pro 15 similar to the smaller 13-inch system. However, the teardown from iFixit shows a slightly adjusted underlying construction. There have been reports about problems with keystrokes and our 2016 model in the editorial office also had some problem with the "S" key for a short while where strokes were not registered at all or they were registered twice. Subjectively, we cannot notice a difference between the two keyboards in a direct comparison. You still have to get used to the limited travel of the individual buttons, but the advantage is the even and precise pressure point.

Display

Last year we saw different panels in the 2016 Apple MacBook Pro 15 test models, so the measurement results can differ between two otherwise identical systems. The basic features obviously have not changed (2880x1800 pixels, IPS). Our test model of the 2017 version manages a very good average luminance of 523 nits, but the black value (0.44) is comparatively high this time. This means that the contrast ratio is lower, but more than 1200:1 is still a very good result.

539
cd/m²
555
cd/m²
525
cd/m²
529
cd/m²
545
cd/m²
508
cd/m²
509
cd/m²
515
cd/m²
480
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
APPA031 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 555 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 522.8 cd/m² Minimum: 5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 545 cd/m²
Contrast: 1239:1 (Black: 0.44 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
85.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.9% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.26
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
APPA031, , 2880x1800, 15.40
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
2880x1800, 15.40
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
APPA031, , 2880x1800, 15.40
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple APPA030, , 2880x1800, 15.40
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
3840x2160, 15.60
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
BOE NV156QUM-N44, , 3840x2160, 15.60
Display
1%
1%
3%
-20%
Display P3 Coverage
97.9
98.5
1%
99
1%
89.7
-8%
69.7
-29%
sRGB Coverage
99.9
99.9
0%
100
0%
100
0%
91.2
-9%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
85.9
86.4
1%
87.3
2%
100
16%
66.8
-22%
Response Times
2%
-7%
-21%
-45%
-17%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
48 ?(23.6, 24.4)
47.3 ?(22.1, 25.2)
1%
46.4 ?(18.8, 27.6)
3%
46 ?(18, 28)
4%
57.2 ?(27.2, 30)
-19%
38.4 ?(20.4, 18)
20%
Response Time Black / White *
33.8 ?(19.6, 14.2)
31.2 ?(16.7, 14.5)
8%
39.2 ?(7.6, 31.6)
-16%
56 ?(11, 45)
-66%
39.2 ?(23.6, 15.6)
-16%
24.8 ?(13.6, 11.2)
27%
PWM Frequency
119000 ?(80, 210)
117000 ?(80, 200)
-2%
119000 ?(80)
0%
962
-99%
980 ?(90)
-99%
Screen
10%
14%
-23%
-75%
-50%
Brightness middle
545
483
-11%
568
4%
420
-23%
370.1
-32%
317
-42%
Brightness
523
465
-11%
532
2%
401
-23%
356
-32%
290
-45%
Brightness Distribution
86
92
7%
83
-3%
90
5%
87
1%
85
-1%
Black Level *
0.44
0.33
25%
0.297
32%
0.3
32%
0.37
16%
0.32
27%
Contrast
1239
1464
18%
1912
54%
1400
13%
1000
-19%
991
-20%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.6
1.4
12%
1.4
12%
3.33
-108%
5.3
-231%
3.6
-125%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.8
3
21%
2.7
29%
5.11
-34%
9.9
-161%
6.6
-74%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.9
1.5
21%
2.3
-21%
2.73
-44%
4.6
-142%
4.2
-121%
Gamma
2.26 97%
2.34 94%
2.29 96%
2.48 89%
2.31 95%
2.24 98%
CCT
6834 95%
6650 98%
7165 91%
6457 101%
6284 103%
6740 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
77.4
78.09
88.3
59.5
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.9
99.97
100
91.1
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / 8%
3% / 8%
-14% / -17%
-39% / -52%
-29% / -37%

* ... smaller is better

This is also the case for the average DeltaE-2000 deviations that we determined with the X-Rite i1Pro2 spectrophotometer and the professional CalMAN software. The results for the grayscale (1.6) and the colors (1.9) compared to the P3 reference color space are already within the target range before calibration. Only the color temperature is a little bit on the cool side at 6834 K. The calibration (via i1Profiler) reduces the ColorChecker value to 0.5 on average and up to 1.34 (DeltaE 2000). Both results are excellent.

CalMAN Grayscale (target color space P3)
CalMAN Grayscale (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space P3)
CalMAN ColorChecker (target color space P3)
ColorChecker calibrated
ColorChecker calibrated

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
33.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 14.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.6 ms rise
↘ 24.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

We have been using a more sensitive measuring device since the beginning of this year, which can detect higher frequencies. There are brightness fluctuations at 119 kHz when the brightness drops to 80% and lower. We also repeated the measurement for the 2016 model and got similar results. However, the frequency is very high, so even sensitive users should not have problems.

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 119000 Hz ≤ 80 % brightness setting
≤ 210 cd/m² brightness

The display backlight flickers at 119000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 80 % (210 cd/m²) and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 119000 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

Flickering occurs even at high brightness setting and may have an effect on the user during everyday use.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

The Apple MacBook Pro 15 is a very powerful multimedia notebook thanks to the mobile quad-core processors and discrete graphics cards from AMD. Apple offers three different CPU and two GPU options. All SKUs feature 16 GB of RAM (LPDDR3-2133), which cannot be upgraded. The maximum storage size has been doubled to 2 TB.

LatnecyMon web browsing (YouTube)
LatnecyMon web browsing (YouTube)
LatencyMon idle
LatencyMon idle
 

Processor

The entry-level processor of the new Apple MacBook Pro 15 has the designation Intel Core i7-7700HQ. The quad-core is currently a very popular choice for virtually every powerful multimedia and gaming laptop. The four cores have a base frequency of 2.8 GHz with a maximum Turbo Boost of 3.8 GHz. The architecture has not changed compared to the old Skylake chips, so the additional performance is a result of higher clocks.

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Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

The entry-level i7 performs as expected and is almost on par with the i7-6920HQ, which was still an expensive upgrade on the MBP 15 just a few weeks ago. The performance is also very steady in macOS, which is supported by our Cinebench R15 Multi loop, while we can see bigger fluctuations running on Windows. The CPU performance is not reduced on battery power.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
163 Points +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
156 Points -2%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
163 Points +2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Intel Core i7-7600U
162 Points +1%
Dell Precision 3520
Intel Core i7-7820HQ
160 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159.9 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points -2%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
157 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Intel Core i7-6820HQ
154 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
144 Points -10%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
143 Points -11%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
141 Points -12%
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
814 Points +11%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
740 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Intel Core i7-6920HQ
729 Points 0%
Dell Precision 3520
Intel Core i7-7820HQ
736 Points +1%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
735 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
732 (729min - 733max) Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
727 (704.77min - 731.97max) Points -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Intel Core i7-6820HQ
704 Points -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
666 Points -9%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
594 Points -19%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Intel Core i7-4870HQ
589 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Intel Core i7-7600U
379 Points -48%
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
732 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
156 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
78.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.5 %
Help

System Performance

We performed the synthetic PCMarks while running on Windows (Boot Camp). You should note that Apple's drivers can always influence the performance. The new MacBook Pro 15 performs really well though, and the Dell XPS 15 is beaten in both tests (Home, Work). Subjectively, there are no problems whatsoever; the handling is very responsive and applications are launched quite quickly.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Radeon Pro 460, 6920HQ, Apple SSD SM1024L
4066 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
4054 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Iris Plus Graphics 650, i5-7267U, Apple SSD AP0256
3829 Points -6%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Radeon R9 M370X, 4870HQ, Apple SSD SM0512G
3821 Points -6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
3728 Points -8%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
3637 Points -10%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
3588 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Quadro M520, i7-7600U, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
3232 Points -20%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Radeon Pro 460, 6920HQ, Apple SSD SM1024L
4755 Points +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
4648 Points
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Radeon R9 M370X, 4870HQ, Apple SSD SM0512G
4638 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
4522 Points -3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
4426 Points -5%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
4422 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Quadro M520, i7-7600U, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
4193 Points -10%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Iris Plus Graphics 650, i5-7267U, Apple SSD AP0256
4081 Points -12%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4054 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4914 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4648 points
PCMark 10 Score
4122 points
Help

Storage Devices

AS SSD (BootCamp)
AS SSD (BootCamp)

The 2017 entry-level model of the MacBook Pro 15 is – despite the high price – once again equipped with only a 256 GB PCIe SSD. Apple still charges hefty premiums for bigger drives. The upgrade to 512 GB costs $200, 1 TB $600, and the 2 TB drive is an additional $1400. For comparison: The Samsung SSD 960 Pro with 2 TB (M.2) is available for ~$1200 in online shops.

The benchmarks put the drive with the designation AP0256 on par with the predecessor as well as the smaller MacBook Pro 13. More benchmarks and comparisons are available in our SSD/HDD list.

Performance Rating - Percent
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
91.3 pt
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
81 pt
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
79.8 pt
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
70.4 pt
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
65 pt
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
56 pt
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
55 pt
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
52.7 pt
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
51.9 pt
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
51.5 pt
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
50.1 pt
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
48.7 pt
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
48.3 pt
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
Write 4k QD32
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
562 MB/s +20%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
560 MB/s +20%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
549 MB/s +17%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
512 MB/s +9%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
506 MB/s +8%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
499 MB/s +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
468.4 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
443 MB/s -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
403.8 MB/s -14%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
398.1 MB/s -15%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
396.1 MB/s -15%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
353.2 MB/s -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
319.2 MB/s -32%
Read 4k QD32
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
679 MB/s +8%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
664 MB/s +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
642 MB/s +2%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
635 MB/s +1%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
633 MB/s 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
631 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
630 MB/s 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
619 MB/s -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
618 MB/s -2%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
552 MB/s -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
530 MB/s -16%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
509 MB/s -19%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
403.1 MB/s -36%
Write 4k
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
176 MB/s +1268%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
169.4 MB/s +1216%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
161.4 MB/s +1154%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
138.9 MB/s +979%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
134.1 MB/s +942%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
128 MB/s +895%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
123.4 MB/s +859%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
30.98 MB/s +141%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
13.2 MB/s +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
13 MB/s +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
12.87 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
10.9 MB/s -15%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
10.74 MB/s -17%
Read 4k
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
61.3 MB/s +470%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
56.1 MB/s +421%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
54.8 MB/s +409%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
45.14 MB/s +320%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
40.84 MB/s +280%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
35.2 MB/s +227%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
34.3 MB/s +219%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
19.27 MB/s +79%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
10.76 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
9.92 MB/s -8%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
9.8 MB/s -9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
9.786 MB/s -9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
9.65 MB/s -10%
Write 512
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
1788 MB/s +59%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
1611 MB/s +43%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
1430 MB/s +27%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
1157 MB/s +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
1124 MB/s
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
1119 MB/s 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
1058 MB/s -6%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
959 MB/s -15%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
953 MB/s -15%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
945 MB/s -16%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
698 MB/s -38%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
456.1 MB/s -59%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
414 MB/s -63%
Read 512
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
1774 MB/s +83%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
1038 MB/s +7%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
977 MB/s +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
968 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
926 MB/s -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
914 MB/s -6%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
897 MB/s -7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
842 MB/s -13%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
829 MB/s -14%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
817 MB/s -16%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
782 MB/s -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
759 MB/s -22%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
459.1 MB/s -53%
Write Seq
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
2149 MB/s +43%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
1662 MB/s +10%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
1558 MB/s +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
1541 MB/s +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
1505 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
1440 MB/s -4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
1425 MB/s -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
1353 MB/s -10%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
1343 MB/s -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
1138 MB/s -24%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
1106 MB/s -27%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
476.3 MB/s -68%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
468.1 MB/s -69%
Read Seq
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
3045 MB/s +96%
Dell Precision 5520 UHD
Samsung SM961 MZVKW512HMJP m.2 PCI-e
2253 MB/s +45%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
1705 MB/s +10%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
1684 MB/s +8%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Apple SSD SM0256L
1557 MB/s
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Apple SSD AP0256
1540 MB/s -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Apple SSD SM1024L
1458 MB/s -6%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
Apple SSD SM0512G
1442 MB/s -7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Apple SSD SM0512L
1405 MB/s -10%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Apple SSD SM0256L
1298 MB/s -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
1189 MB/s -24%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
1140 MB/s -27%
Dell Precision 3520
Toshiba XG4 NVMe (THNSN5512GPUK)
1096 MB/s -30%
Apple SSD SM0256L
Sequential Read: 1557 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1505 MB/s
512K Read: 968 MB/s
512K Write: 1124 MB/s
4K Read: 10.76 MB/s
4K Write: 12.87 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 631 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 468.4 MB/s

GPU Performance

GPU-Z: AMD Radeon Pro 555
GPU-Z: AMD Radeon Pro 555
GPU-Z: Load
GPU-Z: Load

The graphics card of the current MacBook Pro carries the designation AMD Radeon Pro 555 and is the direct successor to the old Radeon Pro 455. This means that the entry-level SKU has had a speed bump since there is no successor to the slower Radeon Pro 450. The Radeon Pro 555 uses the smaller Polaris 21 chip, which is manufactured in an improved process (14 nm FinFET LPP). However, the technical specifications have not changed: 768 shaders clocked at up to 855 MHz, supported by 2 GB of GDDR5-VRAM. More information about the Radeon Pro 555 is available in our Tech section; more information about the Polaris architecture is available in our dedicated article.

It is not surprising that the Radeon Pro 555 is on par with the old Radeon Pro 455 as well as the old Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M in the synthetic benchmarks. The current GeForce GTX 1050 on the other hand, is much faster. The suitable rival based on the Pascal architecture is the brand-new GeForce MX150 (laptop version of the GT 1030). You can also utilize the full GPU performance on battery power. We did not notice any throttling in “The Witcher 3” (Bootcamp) or the Unigine Valley benchmark (macOS). The frame rates were steady, even after prolong periods.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
10270 Points +98%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
6749 Points +30%
HP Pavilion 15 UHD T9Y85AV
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5452 Points +5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
5388 Points +4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5185 Points
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
4685 Points -10%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4502 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
4243 Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
2658 Points -49%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
50683 Points +124%
Lenovo Yoga 720-15IKB-80X7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
37388 Points +65%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
31274 Points +38%
HP Pavilion 15 UHD T9Y85AV
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
27162 Points +20%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
27064 Points +20%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
23434 Points +4%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
22624 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
21835 Points -3%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21594 Points -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
21533 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
13394 Points -41%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
7883 Points +112%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
6074 Points +63%
Lenovo Yoga 720-15IKB-80X7
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5885 Points +58%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
4584 Points +23%
HP Pavilion 15 UHD T9Y85AV
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4249 Points +14%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
3759 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
3721 Points
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
3673 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad E570-20H6S00000
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M, Intel Core i5-7200U
3545 Points -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
3252 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
2342 Points -37%
01234567891011121314Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
3DMark 06 Standard Score
26389 points
3DMark 11 Performance
5566 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
15337 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3430 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1207 points
Help

Besides the pure performance, the efficiency is another important aspect, especially for slim devices. We check it with the game “The Witcher 3” (ultra) running on an external monitor to eliminate the integrated panel as a consumer. The results are very interesting. Our first comparison device is the smaller MacBook Pro 13 Touch Bar. Its integrated graphics card is – for an iGPU – very powerful, but it is not particularly efficient in this performance range. The performance is much lower compared to the Radeon Pro 555, but both systems basically consume the same amount of power.

This is also the case for the new GeForce MX150 in the MSI PL62 (also i7-7700HQ), where both the performance and the power consumption are on par. On the other hand, the Asus FX553 (i7-7700HQ) with the more powerful GeForce GTX 1050 consumes almost twice as much power and obviously creates more heat as well.

Power Consumption - 1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor)
Acer Aspire VX5-591G-D0DD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ (25 fps, Idle: 11.2 W)
103 Watt * -98%
Asus FX553VD-DM249T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
99 (98min - 99max) Watt * -90%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ (12 fps, Idle: 10.8 W)
53.1 Watt * -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ (13 fps, Idle: 13.2 W)
52.1 Watt *
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650, Intel Core i5-7267U (4.8 fps, Idle: 7.5 W)
51.4 Watt * +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ (13.3 fps, Idle: 16.6 W)
48.3 Watt * +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ (11 fps, Idle: 16.2 W)
44.5 Watt * +15%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U (7.6 fps)
43.4 Watt * +17%

* ... smaller is better

Gaming Performance

The gaming performance is roughly on par with the old Radeon Pro 455 in the 2016 MacBook Pro 15. Similar to the synthetic tests, the direct rival from Nvidia is the new GeForce MX150 (Pascal). This means that you can play some games with the MBP 15, but you are limited to low/medium details in demanding titles. However, some modern games like “Prey” or “Dirt 4” also run smoothly at high settings. We recommend our gaming list for more benchmarks. As well as the results for the new Radeon Pro 555, you can also check the frame rates for the previous Radeon Pro 455.

The Witcher 3 - 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
20 fps +44%
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
19.8 fps +42%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
17.4 fps +25%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
14.2 (12min - 16max) fps +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
13.9 (11min - 16max) fps
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
12.8 (10min - 15max) fps -8%
Dell Precision 3520
NVIDIA Quadro M620, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
10 fps -28%
Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2015-05
AMD Radeon R9 M370X, Intel Core i7-4870HQ
7.8 fps -44%
Farming Simulator 17 - 1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:4xMS AF:4x
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
50.4 (47min - 64max) fps +94%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
34.7 fps +33%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
32.1 fps +23%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
26 (24min - 32max) fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
25.8 (23min - 32max) fps -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
24.7 (22min - 31max) fps -5%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650, Intel Core i5-7267U
19.9 (18min - 27max) fps -23%
Battlefield 1 - 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
40.9 fps +35%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
33 fps +9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
30.2 (27min - 33max) fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
28.9 (26min - 31max) fps -4%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
27.6 (25min - 29max) fps -9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
24.2 (22min - 26max) fps -20%
Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 1920x1080 High Preset AF:4x
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
25 fps +17%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
21.5 (18min - 27max) fps +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21.3 (12min - 27max) fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
18.3 (15min - 23max) fps -14%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
17.4 (9min - 22max) fps -18%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
16.6 (14min - 21max) fps -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
11.6 fps -46%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650, Intel Core i5-7267U
8.2 (6.6min - 10.4max) fps -62%
Rainbow Six Siege - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
AMD Radeon Pro 460, Intel Core i7-6920HQ
45 fps +24%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
36.2 (24min - 50max) fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
34.1 (18min - 51max) fps -6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
AMD Radeon Pro 455, Intel Core i7-6820HQ
33.7 (12min) fps -7%
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
31.3 (18min - 45max) fps -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
22.8 fps -37%
Ghost Recon Wildlands - 1280x720 Low Preset
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
54 (43min - 65max) fps +10%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
49.2 (37min - 56max) fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
48.2 (36min - 56max) fps -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
38.1 fps -23%
Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650, Intel Core i5-7267U
17.6 (10min - 24max) fps -64%
For Honor - 1920x1080 High Preset AA:T AF:8x
Lenovo ThinkPad P51 20HH0016GE
NVIDIA Quadro M2200, Intel Xeon E3-1505M v6
51.9 fps +59%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
AMD Radeon Pro 555, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
32.6 (26min - 38max) fps
MSI PL62 MX150 7700HQ
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
30.7 (24min - 37max) fps -6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
AMD Radeon Pro 450, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
27.9 (22min - 34max) fps -14%
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
NVIDIA Quadro M520, Intel Core i7-7600U
21.9 fps -33%
low med. high ultra4K
Crysis 3 (2013) 17.9
BioShock Infinite (2013) 37.6
Sims 4 (2014) 53.9
GTA V (2015) 80 38.5 19.2
The Witcher 3 (2015) 66.7 23.2 13.9
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 56.5
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 48.5 36.2
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 73.6 23.5
Far Cry Primal (2016) 76 31 28
The Division (2016) 88 24.8
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 38.1 22.8
Doom (2016) 63.5 19.5
Overwatch (2016) 63.6 30.5
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 59.7 21.3 8.7
FIFA 17 (2016) 99
Battlefield 1 (2016) 113 30.2 25.9
Civilization VI (2016) 30.2 23.3
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 70.2 26 22.6
Titanfall 2 (2016) 59.2 43
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare (2016) 40.6
Dishonored 2 (2016) 46.5 19.4 18.3
Watch Dogs 2 (2016) 53.9 19.8
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 142 56.8
For Honor (2017) 96.8 34.1 32.6 22.8
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 49.2 25.5
Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) 75 31.5 18.4
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 31.2
Prey (2017) 42.3 34.5 29.8
Rocket League (2017) 65.6
Dirt 4 (2017) 61.4 33.8 16.8 8.3
Team Fortress 2 (2017) 110 58 75 ()
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 74 24.3 21.2 13.4
F1 2017 (2017) 110 47 38
Ark Survival Evolved (2017) 47.1 14
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 74 29 20 9
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 45 24 20
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 24.4
Fortnite (2018) 82 28.8 22.9
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 35.5 16.7 3.7
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 63 25.7 20.5 14.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 47 33.9 30 14.1
Far Cry 5 (2018) 57 26 24 22
The Crew 2 (2018) 60 31.5 28.3 26 6.7
F1 2018 (2018) 80 41.9 32 19.9 12
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 60 21
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 58 31 26 18
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 37 20 16
Call of Duty Black Ops 4 (2018) 81 32.1 28.2 24.6

Emissions

System Noise

As per usual for Apple, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Kaby Lake is conveniently quiet. Subjectively, the fan behavior does not differ from the old model. Both fans are still running continuously, but you can only hear them a few centimeters from the device in very quiet environments. The MacBook stays quiet for a long time under load – especially under macOS. Apple prefers CPU temperatures above 90 °C (~194 °F) in favor of loud fans. We can only assume the long-term effects, but you benefit from quiet fans and you can usually not hear them in practice. When you hear the fans, the noise is quite pleasant and there are no annoying frequencies.

Apple has also improved the fan control for Windows over time. While the system noise running Windows (Bootcamp) was often noticeably higher, the current MacBook Pro 15 is conveniently quiet during normal workloads and there is no difference between the two operating systems.

Noise Level

Idle
31.3 / 31.3 / 31.7 dB(A)
Load
39.7 / 48.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.9 dB(A)
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
Radeon Pro 450, 6700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
Radeon Pro 460, 6920HQ, Apple SSD SM1024L
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Lite-On CX2-8B512-Q11
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
Quadro M520, i7-7600U, Samsung SSD PM961 1TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe (MZVLW1T0)
Noise
5%
2%
6%
-6%
8%
off / environment *
30.9
30.4
2%
30.4
2%
29
6%
28.4
8%
29.2
6%
Idle Minimum *
31.3
30.6
2%
30.8
2%
30.3
3%
29
7%
29.2
7%
Idle Average *
31.3
30.6
2%
30.8
2%
30.3
3%
29
7%
29.2
7%
Idle Maximum *
31.7
30.6
3%
30.8
3%
30.3
4%
32.2
-2%
31.1
2%
Load Average *
39.7
34.7
13%
38.7
3%
35.1
12%
47.1
-19%
36.7
8%
Witcher 3 ultra *
35.5
52
-46%
Load Maximum *
48.6
46.3
5%
48.8
-0%
46
5%
47.1
3%
39.4
19%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Stress test (Windows Bootcamp)
Stress test (Windows Bootcamp)

The MacBook Pro hardly warms up while idling, despite the quiet fans. Apple uses the aluminum chassis to dissipate the heat under load. We can measure up to 44 °C (~111 °F) above the keyboard, but this is a spot you rarely touch. The palm rests and the individual keys stay conveniently cool.

We stress the two components with the tools Prime95 and FurMark (Windows Bootcamp). The processor quickly reaches temperatures of above 90 °C (~194 °F) and reduces its clock. We can see fluctuations between 2.2 and 2.4 GHz over the course of the test. The graphics card also runs at a slightly lower clock (693 MHz), but the GPU is cooler at 78 °C (~172 °F). The very demanding 3DMark Time Spy stress test was passed, so there should not be any limitations in practice, even when you are running Windows.

Max. Load
 42 °C
108 F
44 °C
111 F
41 °C
106 F
 
 37 °C
99 F
43 °C
109 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 28 °C
82 F
29 °C
84 F
28 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
39 °C
102 F
41 °C
106 F
40 °C
104 F
37 °C
99 F
41 °C
106 F
37 °C
99 F
30 °C
86 F
32 °C
90 F
30 °C
86 F
Maximum: 41 °C = 106 F
Average: 36.3 °C = 97 F
Power Supply (max.)  43 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 20.8 °C = 69 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.8 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.6 °C / 98 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30 °C / 86 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-1.2 °C / -2.2 F).
45 minutes Witcher 3 (Bootcamp) - The aluminum case distributes the heat
45 minutes Witcher 3 (Bootcamp) - The aluminum case distributes the heat
Bottom with visible heat dissipation
Bottom with visible heat dissipation

Speakers

The two stereo speakers are convincing, despite the slim construction of the MBP 15. The 2016 model shows a very similar result with slightly weaker high tones. It is hard to say whether this is a result of driver improvements, hardware, or normal variation. Compared to the smaller MacBook 12 and MacBook Pro 13, we can even see better results for the high and low tones in the frequency diagram. The direct competitor Dell XPS 15 9560 is beaten in all measured factors.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.638.12532.233.33132.633.84033.739.55034.339.66329.448.88028.652.210027.35912527.968.116026.458.920025.46725023.967.931522.666.140023.374.950022.875.763021.573.48002069.6100020.174.7125019.476.6160018.779.820001873.3250018.173.2315017.874.7400017.871.8500017.874.3630018.177800018.3701000018.272.31250018.268.31600018.572.1SPL31.587N1.676.6median 19.4median 73.2Delta2.93.735.335.330.733.931.732.731.735.630.13927.745.626.447.726.450.326.262.125.753.3246323.562.62263.221.671.420.675.719.277.719.275.818.678.418.174.417.776.817.675.417.375.517.267.517.368.917.372.617.269.417.671.117.668.417.462.817.56430.486.21.470.5median 18.1median 70.52.66.240.938.634.735.83434.833.632.833.331.73534.831.83531.742.53049.628.657.127.152.626.949.426.65425.857.525.456.624.466.12469.224.162.223.861.523.565.123.265.323.463.823.270.923.370.723.263.123.263.823.265.423.163.823.165.523.26735.978.62.643.3median 23.8median 63.80.84.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMBP 15 2017MBP 13 2017XPS 15 9560
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555) audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (7.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 1% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook Pro 13 2017 Touchbar i5 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 10% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 86% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 6% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD) audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.5% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 21% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkboxes select/deselectable!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of our test model is higher than that of the 2016 models in some scenarios, which is interesting. We measure 3.4 watts at the lowest luminance, while the 2016 models consume between 2.9 and 4 watts – so the 2017 model is average. However, the new 2017 MacBook consumes 3 watts more on average while idling compared to the 2016 systems. One aspect is the increased maximum luminance of the display, so the additional consumption is justified. We cannot see a big difference under load though. The 3DMark 06 value is on par with the old high-end model, but this is once again a result of the bright display. All tested models are similar under maximum load at 88 to 91 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.33 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.4 / 13.9 / 17.6 Watt
Load midlight 71.1 / 88.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The battery capacity of 76 Wh has not changed. Unlike the smaller MacBook Pro 13 however, we can determine slightly longer battery runtimes compared to the previous models. The battery lasts for one hour under load, but the realistic Wi-Fi test (luminance ~150 nits) runs for almost 11 hours, so the advertised runtime from Apple (10 hours) is slightly exceeded. A 1080p video loop (H.264, no Wi-Fi, 150 nits) stopped at around 8:30 hours – once again comparable to the 2016 model with the Radeon Pro 455.

Our new game test “The Witcher 3” (Bootcamp) revealed a slightly longer runtime of almost 1:30 hours. You can utilize the full performance, so the short runtime is no surprise. We once again check the Wi-Fi runtime in combination with Windows, where the Radeon Pro 555 is always running. The battery dropped to 5% after 5:20 hours and Windows 10 shut down (default setting, the battery capacity drops further on macOS). This is a significant difference to macOS.

Battery Runtime
Witcher 3 ultra 150cd
1h 27min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 44min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
8h 31min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 00min
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
i7-7700HQ, Radeon Pro 555, 76 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.6 GHz, 450)
6700HQ, Radeon Pro 450, 76 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
6820HQ, Radeon Pro 455, 76 Wh
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.9 GHz, 460)
6920HQ, Radeon Pro 460, 76 Wh
Dell Precision 3520
i7-7820HQ, Quadro M620, 68 Wh
Dell XPS 15 9560 (i7-7700HQ, UHD)
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 97 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad P51s 20HB000SGE
i7-7600U, Quadro M520, 104 Wh
Battery Runtime
-5%
-6%
-3%
-1%
20%
162%
H.264
511
516
1%
547
7%
483
-5%
700
37%
WiFi v1.3
644
602
-7%
637
-1%
619
-4%
455
-29%
434
-33%
712
11%
Witcher 3 ultra
87
Load
60
55
-8%
54
-10%
52
-13%
79
32%
103
72%
323
438%
Reader / Idle
996
831
1581

Verdict

Pros

+ excellent chassis
+ very good display
+ huge trackpad with great precision
+ quiet and good cooling
+ high WLAN transfer rates
+ good speakers

Cons

- neither USB-A nor HDMI-out
- 2.4 GHz WLAN issue with attached USB-C device
- fans are (slightly) audible while idling
- very expensive – especially the upgrades
In review: Apple MacBook Pro 15 Mid 2017
In review: Apple MacBook Pro 15 Mid 2017

Apple's multimedia notebook MacBook Pro 15 is back on par with the rivals in terms of processor performance thanks to the Kaby Lake update. The new models are therefore more attractive, especially for power users in need of as much CPU performance as possible. Apple also ships the new entry-level model with a slightly more powerful GPU. Its strength is definitely the efficiency and the low heat development.

However, it is hard to find any other reasons that would justify an upgrade. The construction of the keyboard has been slightly reworked, but we cannot evaluate the long-term effects at this point. The screen is still excellent, just like the case and the emissions. The two biggest issues are once again the port selection as well as the price and the hefty premiums for hardware options. Four Thunderbolt 3 ports usually require adapters or hubs, but there can still be issues with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. As with the previous model, we deduct two percent from the final rating. The entry-level price tag is still high, but the SSD upgrades extremely expensive. However, this does not change the fact that the Apple MacBook Pro 15 is still one of the best multimedia laptops.

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555) - 07/07/2017 v6(old)
Klaus Hinum, Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
93 / 98 → 95%
Keyboard
90%
Pointing Device
100%
Connectivity
51 / 81 → 63%
Weight
65 / 20-67 → 96%
Battery
92%
Display
91%
Games Performance
78 / 85 → 92%
Application Performance
91 / 92 → 99%
Temperature
90%
Noise
82 / 95 → 86%
Audio
91%
Camera
53 / 85 → 62%
Add Points
-2%
Average
76%
88%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555) Laptop Review
Klaus Hinum, Andreas Osthoff, 2017-07-10 (Update: 2018-05-15)