Notebookcheck Logo

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz i9, Vega 20) Laptop Review

Are the i9 and Vega 20 good upgrades? Besides the regular Radeon Pro chips, Apple also offers its MacBook Pro 15 with the professional AMD Pro Vega graphics adapters. We review the top model with the Intel Core i9 and the Radeon Vega 20 Pro.

In a somewhat surprising move, Apple announced two new GPUs for the MacBook Pro 15 in the end of last year. They are completely new Vega GPUs from AMD. While the two regular Radeon Pro chips (555X & 560X) are still based on the older GCN4 architecture, the two Radeon Pro Vega GPUs are based on the GCN5 architecture. However, the thermal output is most likely similar (35 watts), so we will have to wait for the benchmark results to see how big the performance advantage really is. Apple only offers the two new GPUs as upgrades for the more expensive SKU, so you have to pay another 300 Euros (~$338/Radeon Pro Vega 16) or 420 Euros (~$473/Radeon Pro Vega 20) in addition to the base price of 3299 Euros (~$3715).

Our test sample is equipped with all the expensive options: Intel Core i9 processor (+340 Euros/~$383), 32 GB RAM (+480 Euros/~$541) and massive 4 TB SSD storage, which costs an insane amount of 3840 Euros (~$4324). This results in a total price of 8379 Euros (~$9435).

We will have a look at different aspects in this review, but the main focus is the performance of the two new components. We are particularly eager to see whether the new Vega GPU is more efficient than the previous Radeon Pro GPUs or whether the thermal capabilities limit the performance. We have already reviewed the Apple MacBook Pro 15, so we won't cover all sections in this article. Please see our previous reviews for more information on the case, the ports, the input devices, and the display:

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20) (MacBook Pro 15 2018 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i9-8950HK 6 x 2.9 - 4.8 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 - 4 GB VRAM, HBM2, Enduro
Memory
32 GB 
, DDR4-2400, soldered, up to 32 GB
Display
15.60 inch 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixel 218 PPI, APPA040, IPS, TrueTone, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake HM370
Storage
Apple SSD AP1024, 1024 GB 
Connections
4 USB 3.1 Gen2, 4 Thunderbolt, 4 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm stereo jack, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Broadcom 802.11ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 15.5 x 349.3 x 240.7 ( = 0.61 x 13.75 x 9.48 in)
Battery
83 Wh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Apple macOS 10.14 Mojave
Camera
Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD Kamera
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Butterfly, Keyboard Light: yes, 87 Watt USB-C power adapter, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
1.83 kg ( = 64.55 oz / 4.03 pounds), Power Supply: 369 g ( = 13.02 oz / 0.81 pounds)
Price
8349 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Performance

When Apple offered the mobile Core i9 processor for the first time in mid 2018, there were numerous reports about Apple users disappointed by the low performance of the Core i9. We initially had problems with the Core i7 as well, but Apple eventually improved the situation with comprehensive software updates.

We were obviously eager to find out how the Core i9-8950HK in the MacBook Pro 15 performs after the updates and whether the additional charge of 340 Euros or 480 Euros (~$383 or ~$541/depending on the base configuration), respectively, is worth paying. The answer is definitely no, because the expensive Core i9 only has a small advantage in single-core scenarios thanks to its higher Turbo clock (even though it does not reach the max. 4.8 GHz, either).

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK
  (185 - 206, n=14)
195.9 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Intel Core i9-8950HK
192 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
190 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
187 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H
177 Points
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
177 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H
176 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Intel Core i7-7820HQ (macOS)
160 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H (Undervolting)
1251 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
Intel Core i7-8750H
1215 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1230 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK
  (1051 - 1391, n=14)
1220 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H (Undervolting)
1218 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
Intel Core i7-8750H
1135 Points
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
1131 Points
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Intel Core i7-8750H
1127 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Intel Xeon E-2176M
1118 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H (macOS Software Update)
1064 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H (macOS Software Update 2)
1057 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H (macOS Catalina 10.15.5)
971 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Intel Core i7-8850H (macOS)
953 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Intel Core i9-8950HK (macOS)
1051 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Intel Core i7-7820HQ (macOS)
757 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Intel Core i7-7820HQ (Win10)
630 Points

Once you start to stress more cores, however, the Core i9-8950HK is slightly slower or on par with the Core i7-8850H, even during the first Cinebench run, which does not even last 30 seconds with fast CPUs.

A look at the competition does not paint a great picture for the Apple MacBook pro, either. All the rivals from Dell, HP, and Lenovo with Core i7 or Core i9 CPUs are faster. However, other manufacturers have problems with the i9 as well. Dell's XPS 15 with the i9, for example, is not much faster than the i7 SKU, and the mobile Xeon processor in the ThinkPad P1 cannot utilize its potential, either.

We use our Cinebench R15 Multi loop to check the performance under sustained workloads. You could say the performance does not drop a lot after the initial run if you want to say something positive, but the competition is still faster overall, despite higher percentage losses. Even the MacBook Pro 15 with the i7 processor manages a higher average result (1031 vs. 1007 points).

065130195260325390455520585650715780845910975104011051170Tooltip
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20) Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024; macOS: Ø1007 (985.83-1051.33)
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X) Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H: Ø1031 (1009-1058)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR; Undervolting: Ø1218 (1194.56-1224.81)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR: Ø1065 (1052.44-1126.79)
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR: Ø1095 (1008.45-1230.43)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G; Undervolting: Ø1168 (1123.47-1219.85)
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G: Ø1012 (980.27-1215.12)
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB: Ø1026 (1012.5-1120.61)
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ: Ø1018 (1008.9-1100.84)
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04: Ø1015 (972-1114)

We had a closer look at the behavior of the processor during the Cinebench loop. The consumption jumps up to 90 watts at the beginning, but immediately levels off at 47-52W. This is enough for a clock of 6x 3.0-3.2 GHz – pretty far away from the maximum 4.3 GHz (for all six cores). It is not surprising that mobile chips cannot sustain their maximum Turbo clocks, but the Core i9 in the MacBook Pro 15 is operating just barely above its base frequency of 2.9 GHz.

Cinebench R15 Multi loop
Cinebench R15 Multi loop

You obviously have to consider the current development of mobile processors, because Intel increased the number of cores, but without significant efficiency improvements. The cooling solution of the MacBook Pro (which has been around for a few years) was designed for 45W quad-cores and after our tests we can say that the cooling can handle about 50W. The new Intel 6-core CPUs consume much more power at high clocks and therefore produce more heat, which cannot be dissipated by the cooling.

Still, we have to criticize Apple for even offering the i9 in the MBP 15. The manufacturer certainly noticed that the i9 only has a small performance advantage in certain scenarios during testing. If you expect more performance, especially when the task takes longer than a couple of seconds (the device is targeted at pro users after all), you will be disappointed by the i9. This also gives us a good idea how the two new Core i9 CPUs with eight CPU cores will perform. The multi-core performance will be a bit higher, even under sustained workloads (lower clocks, but four more threads), but a lot of the Turbo potential will be untouched. Only a review will show how big (or if there is any significant) performance advantage. We assume the clock for 8 active cores will hover around or slightly above the base frequency of 2.3 GHz, which should be sufficient for about 1300-1350 points in Cinebench R15 Multi. The optional 8-core (up to 5.0 GHz) for 220 Euros (~$248) is probably not much faster.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
12230
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
96.1 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1051 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
124.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
192 Points
Help

System Performance

We also list the results of the synthetic PCMark benchmarks to give you the full picture, but please note that we performed the benchmarks with Windows via Bootcamp. This means the performance depends on the quality of Apple's Bootcamp drivers. We did not notice any major issues though, and it is no problem to use Windows on a MacBook Pro if you want that.

But back to macOS: It does not matter which SKU you get, all version of the current MacBook Pro 15 are very responsive and powerful systems thanks to SSD storage and fast components.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=82, last 2 years)
6552 Points +44%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5059 Points +11%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4966 Points +9%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4805 Points +6%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4785 Points +5%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4666 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
4618 Points +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
4545 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
4545 Points 0%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4462 Points -2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
4345 (4330min - 4370max) Points -4%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=82, last 2 years)
10417 Points +25%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
9087 Points +9%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
8951 Points +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
8894 Points +6%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
8429 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
8363 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
8363 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
8321 Points -1%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
8281 Points -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
8053 (7988min - 8068max) Points -4%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
7739 Points -7%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=82, last 2 years)
8685 Points +35%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
7569 Points +18%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
7212 Points +12%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
7037 Points +10%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
6824 Points +6%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
6770 Points +5%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
6716 (6701min - 6814max) Points +5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
6671 Points +4%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6573 Points +2%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
6422 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
6422 Points 0%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=82, last 2 years)
8566 Points +80%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5605 Points +18%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
5444 Points +14%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4920 Points +3%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4908 Points +3%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
4762 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
4762 Points 0%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4741 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
4709 Points -1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4473 Points -6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
4117 (4109min - 4130max) Points -14%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +33%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3840 Points +1%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
3819 (3816min - 3827max) Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
3816 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
3816 Points 0%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
3735 Points -2%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
3631 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
3611 Points -5%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
3536 Points -7%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
3433 Points -10%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3433 Points -10%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
5939 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
5939 Points 0%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
5284 Points -11%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
4893 (4885min - 4914max) Points -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
4832 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4725 Points -20%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
3836 Points -35%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +28%
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5-P KXG50PNV2T04
4643 Points +12%
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i9-8950HK, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4620 Points +12%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
Radeon Pro 560X, i7-8850H, Apple SSD AP0512
4575 Points +11%
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
Quadro P1000, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4453 Points +8%
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba XG5 KXG50ZNV512G
4418 Points +7%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
Radeon Pro 560, i7-7820HQ
4412 (4384min - 4412max) Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
Quadro P2000 Max-Q, E-2176M, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB2T0HMLB
4404 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB1T0HALR
4381 Points +6%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
Radeon Pro Vega 20, i9-8950HK, Apple SSD AP1024
4130 Points
Average Intel Core i9-8950HK, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
 
4130 Points 0%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3816 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5939 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4130 points
PCMark 10 Score
4545 points
Help

GPU Performance

The optional AMD Vega GOUs are interesting upgrades for the Apple MacBook Pro 15, so we compared the performance with the previous Radeon Pro chips as well as the Windows-based competition in multiple categories. Most of the following benchmarks were performed with Windows; we used the Adrenalin software 19.1.2.

AMD Adrenalin
AMD Adrenalin
GPU-Z Vega 20
GPU-Z Vega 20
GPU-Z 560X
GPU-Z 560X

Architecture and Efficiency

Apple currently offers four different graphics cards for the MacBook Pro 15: The two familiar models Radeon Pro 555X and 560X as well as the two newer GPUs, the Radeon Pro Vega 16 and Vega 20. The latter two are not available for the entry-level model though, but only as upgrades for the more expensive SKU with a starting price of 3299 Euros (~$3715). The Vega 16 is a 300-Euro upgrade, while Apple charges 420 Euros (~$473) for the Vega 20.

But what are the differences between the Radeon Pro and the Radeon pro Vega? The manufacturing process is still 14nm (FinFET), but it is now a new architecture. The Radeon Pro models are still based on the GCN4 architecture and the two Vega GPUs on GCN5. The memory configuration is another important difference; only the Vega GPUs are equipped with HBM2 memory, which supports a higher memory bandwidth.

Apple limits the performance of the MacBook Pro 15 a bit with the 87W power adapter as we have seen in previous reviews, so we checked the efficiency of the MBP 15 i9/Vega 20 compared to the MBP 15 i7/560X with the Unigine Valley benchmark running on macOS. We listed the exact results in the table below. Considering some headroom for the CPU, we are talking about an efficiency improvement of around 30% for the Vega 20 compared to the Radeon Pro 560X.

Performance & power consumption in Unigine Valley (4 minutes)
MBP 15 i9/Vega 20 MBP 15 i7/560X
ø Performance 34 FPS 21.1 FPS
ø Power Consumption 82.6 Watt 69.3 Watt
FPS/Watt 0.412 0.304

OpenGL Performance

The benchmarks from the Unigine series (Heaven & Valley) are well suited to compare the OpenGL performance and are also available for macOS. A direct comparison with the Bootcamp result also shows a significant performance advantage in favor of macOS. Otherwise, the Vega 20 is comparable to the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q in the Dell XPS 15 and between the two mobile workstation GPUs Quadro P2000 and Quadro P3000. The two mobile workstations from Dell (Precision 5530) and Lenovo (ThinkPad P1) are only available with the Quadro P2000 or P2000 Max-Q, respectively, so the Apple laptop has an advantage in this respect.

Unigine Valley 1.0 - 1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
40.5 fps
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
34.9 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK (macOS)
34 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK (Win10)
25.7 fps
Average AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
  (25.7 - 34.9, n=3)
31.5 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
29.5 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H (macOS 10.15.1)
21.4 (12.5min - 34max) fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (last 2 years)
16.8 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
7 fps
Unigine Heaven 4.0 - Extreme Preset OpenGL
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
53.8 fps
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
44.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK (Win10)
38.5 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK (macOS)
37.7 fps
Average AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20
  (37.7 - 38.5, n=2)
38.1 fps
Average of class Multimedia
  (24.9 - 47.8, n=2, last 2 years)
36.4 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
27.4 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
19.4 fps

In addition to the Unigine tests, we also have a look at the benchmark suite SPECviewperf 12 & 13, which consist of CAD, CAM, MRI and geology applications. The performance can vary quite a bit depending on the scenario and the Vega 20 in the Apple MacBook Pro 15 is between the two Quadro GPUs P2000 and P3000 in the best case, but can also fall behind the smaller Quadro P1000 in some tests.

SPECviewperf 13
Solidworks (sw-04)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
110.6 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
96.1 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
76.6 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
72.8 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
68.3 fps
Siemens NX (snx-03)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
204.4 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
121.9 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
102.9 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
102.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
36.27 fps
Showcase (showcase-02)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
58.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
44.48 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
30.26 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
29.94 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
27.23 fps
Medical (medical-02)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
37.93 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
18.47 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
16.21 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
15.87 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
13.58 fps
Maya (maya-05)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
148.2 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
120.2 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
89.3 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
81.4 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
71 fps
Energy (energy-02)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
25.15 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
11.82 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
5.28 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
4.97 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
3.28 fps
Creo (creo-02)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
154.8 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
82.1 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
74.1 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
74.1 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
66.9 fps
Catia (catia-05)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
180.8 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
111 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
104 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
96.4 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
78.1 fps
3ds Max (3dsmax-06)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
108 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
71.7 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
69.1 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
63.8 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
50.7 fps
SPECviewperf 12
1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03)
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
107.3 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
104 fps
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
102 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
75.2 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
71.3 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
70.7 fps
1900x1060 Siemens NX (snx-02)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
108.4 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
73.3 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
67.6 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
57 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
55.7 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
19.47 fps
1900x1060 Showcase (showcase-01)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
58.7 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
54 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
44.59 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
30.42 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
30.01 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
27.42 fps
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
43.68 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
29.32 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
26.61 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
23.11 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
20.71 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
14.89 fps
1900x1060 Maya (maya-04)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
64.9 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
64.6 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
60.6 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
60.3 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
47.2 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
36.99 fps
1900x1060 Energy (energy-01)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
10.25 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
7.6 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
6.43 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
5.62 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
5.49 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
3.66 fps
1900x1060 Creo (creo-01)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
105.7 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
85.6 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
65.2 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
55.7 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
51.2 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
49.2 fps
1900x1060 Catia (catia-04)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
105.1 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
92.3 fps
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
78.4 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
70.8 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
64.5 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
54 fps
1900x1060 3ds Max (3dsmax-05)
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
110.3 fps
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
71.9 fps
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
50.8 fps

OpenCL Performance

We use the two benchmarks LuxMark and SiSoft Sandra for the OpenCL performance, but the latter did not run properly on the MacBook Pro with Bootcamp Windows, so we can only compare the LuxMark 2.0 scores. The most important GPU for comparison is the Radeon Pro 560X, and the new Vega 20 is almost 60% faster. The comparison with the GeForce competition on the other hand is a bit sobering: The Quadro P1000 is beaten, but both the P2000 and the P2000 Max-Q are between 20-25% faster.

LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
2206 Samples/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
1824 Samples/s
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
1280 Samples/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
1277 Samples/s
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
1167 Samples/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
1091 Samples/s
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
712 Samples/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
686 Samples/s
Sala GPUs-only
Dell Precision 7730
NVIDIA Quadro P3200, Intel Core i7-8850H
4369 Samples/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
3386 Samples/s
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
2636 Samples/s
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
2617 Samples/s
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
2100 Samples/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
2081 Samples/s
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
1323 Samples/s
HP ZBook Studio G5-4QH10EA
NVIDIA Quadro P1000, Intel Core i7-8750H
1260 Samples/s

DirectX Performance

The AMD Radeon pro Vega 20 is surprisingly good in the synthetic 3DMarks and is just behind the current GeForce GTX 1650. Even the Quadro P3000 is in reach or is even beaten, which is obviously the case for the smaller Quadro models as well. We are also happy to report that the performance is steady and the MBP 15 has no problems to pass the 3DMark Time Spy stress test (98.7%). This was not the case for the MBP 15 i7/560X before Apple released the major software updates last year. The Vega 20 is once again almost 60% faster than the Radeon Pro 560X.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
20196 Points
Schenker Compact 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-9750H
18750 Points
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
13337 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
12104 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
11162 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
9079 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i9-8950HK
9032 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
8619 Points
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
8573 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
8148 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
7590 Points
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
6874 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
5305 (5279min - 6622max) Points
3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell G5 15 5590
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, Intel Core i7-8750H
15415 Points
Schenker Compact 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-9750H
14193 Points
Asus TUF FX705DT-AU068T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
9274 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P71-20HK0004GE
NVIDIA Quadro P3000, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
9022 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20)
AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20, Intel Core i9-8950HK
8979 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 i7 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7428 Points
Dell XPS 15 9570 Core i9 UHD
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i9-8950HK
7374 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme-20MF000XGE
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
7199 Points
Fujitsu Celsius H780
NVIDIA Quadro P2000, Intel Core i7-8850H
6953 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad P1-20MD002LUS
NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q, Intel Xeon E-2176M
6742 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.6 GHz, 560X)
AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel Core i7-8850H
5699 Points
HP EliteBook 1050 G1-4QY20EA
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q, Intel Core i7-8750H
5677 Points
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.9 GHz, 560)
AMD Radeon Pro 560, Intel Core i7-7820HQ
3892 (3869min - 3895max) Points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
32864 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
33590 points
3DMark 11 Performance
11353 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
21984 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
7558 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
2732 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The Apple MacBook Pro 15 with the Radeon Pro Vega 20 handles gaming very well if you are willing to use Windows. Titles from the App Store obviously run as well, but the choice is much more limited. We only had problems with benchmarks in the resolution 1366 x 768 pixels, which is not supported. Otherwise, our benchmarks did not cause any problems. You can pretty much play most games in 1080p and high details – not a bad result.

low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 119 49.6 31.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 120.4 87.3 74.6
For Honor (2017) 179.3 64.9 61.3 49.1
Rocket League (2017) 236.8 190.7 122.4
Far Cry 5 (2018) 59 40 37 37
F1 2018 (2018) 142 76 65 44
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 111 47 41 35
Hitman 2 (2018) 64.2 52.7 48.5 45.2
Battlefield V (2018) 127.1 73.7 62.6 59.6
Darksiders III (2018) 161.9 52.6 44.2 37.1
Just Cause 4 (2018) 76.1 50.7 47.2 43.9

Pros

+ Vega 20 with significant performance advantage
+ excellent case
+ very good screen
+ huge trackpad with great precision
+ usually quiet cooling solution
+ high Wi-Fi transfer rates & Bluetooth 5.0
+ good speakers
+ Titan Ridge Thunderbolt 3 with DisplayPort 1.4 (AMD GPU)

Cons

- Core i9-8950HK is slower than the Core i7-8850H
- insufficient power adapter
- fans running while idling and loud under maximum stress
- neither USB-A, HDMI, nor SD-reader
- very expensive - especially the upgrades

Verdict

In review: Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018. Test sample courtesy of Apple Germany.
In review: Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018. Test sample courtesy of Apple Germany.

The introduction of the new AMD Radeon Pro Vega GPUs was a bit of a surprise, but the new GPU leaves a very good impression and turns out to be a good upgrade. You can expect about 20% less performance when you select the Vega 16 (20 vs. 16 compute units), but the smaller Vega would still have a comfortable lead over the Radeon Pro 560X.

The situation is easy for the processor, because the cooling solution is still the limiting factor. Apple did not change the latter for quite a while and Intel just increases the Turbo speeds or adds cores without major changes on the architecture, so the optional Core i9 CPUs are hardly worth the money. We could not review the MBP 15 with the brand-new 8-core i9 CPUs. We expect lower clocks for all active cores, but there should still be a performance advantage even under sustained workloads thanks to four additional threads. Still, don't expect much more than the base frequency of 2.3 GHz (~1300-1350 points CB R15 Multi), so the verdict is still the same: The MacBook Pro 15 is not the best choice when you need the maximum amount of CPU performance.

Avoid the CPU upgrade, but the optional GPUs are interesting options depending on the usage scenario.

This leaves us with the question whether the MacBook Pro 15 with the Radeon pro Vega is still a multimedia device or more of a mobile workstation. There will certainly be users for both cases, and this also affects the choice of rivals from the major brands Dell (either XPS 15 or Precision 5530), HP (EliteBook 1050 G1 or ZBook Studio G5) as well as Lenovo (ThinkPad X1 Extreme or ThinkPad P1). All these models offer slightly more CPU performance, but cannot keep up with optional Vega 20 GPU in most cases. We still think the MBP 15 is primarily a multimedia device, and the final result of 91% benefits from the increase in GPU performance. The rating would be different for a mobile workstation (Our Rating Criteria) and the specific workstation benchmarks (which were performed with Bootcamp Windows) would have a much bigger impact. The final score would still be good at 87%.

Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz, Vega 20) - 06/03/2019 v6(old)
Andreas Osthoff

Chassis
93 / 98 → 95%
Keyboard
90%
Pointing Device
100%
Connectivity
63 / 81 → 78%
Weight
65 / 20-67 → 96%
Battery
93%
Display
92%
Games Performance
88 / 85 → 100%
Application Performance
90 / 92 → 98%
Temperature
89%
Noise
81 / 95 → 85%
Audio
91%
Camera
53 / 85 → 62%
Add Points
-1%
Average
77%
91%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 15 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Apple MacBook Pro 15 2018 (2.9 GHz i9, Vega 20) Laptop Review
Andreas Osthoff, 2019-06- 4 (Update: 2019-06- 5)