The AMD graphics card included in the more expensive MacBook Pro configuration is helpful for high-end photo and video editing. And all of the above are significantly faster than the fifth-generation Core i5 CPU in the 2015 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's also difficult to directly compare the the 20 configurations we tested, as our 2014 15-inch MacBook Pro had only Intel's integrated Iris graphics, while our 2015 configuration has a discrete graphics card from AMD, the Radeon R9 M370X.Ĭompared with premium midsize Windows laptops running Core i7 processors, both the 20 15-inch MacBook Pros were closely matched with the Razer Blade, and a bit faster than a new Dell XPS 15 with Nvidia graphics and a 4K display.
That said, this model does not upgrade its CPU from the previous fourth-generation Intel Core i-series to the current fifth-generation chips (as seen in the 13-inch Pro and Air), so the year-over-year gain is minimal. This is a premium laptop, and you can rightly expect premium performance scores from it. In 2015, every Apple laptop, save for the two Air models and the lone "classic" MacBook Pro that is surprisingly still available, has a better-than-1080p display.
The Retina screen has a 2,880x1,800-pixel resolution, and is best demonstrated when displaying text or professional high-res photography. Still, it remains a main selling point here, and it looks as clear, bright and sharp as any high-end laptop. The 15-inch Retina Display was forward-looking when first introduced, but now better-than-HD screen resolutions are common in laptops across many sizes and prices. On the other hand, it's so seamlessly done, you might never notice the difference. On one hand, it's a brilliant bit of engineering that will help future laptops be thinner, with fewer moving parts. That deep click feels to the finger and brain like the trackpad has a stepped physical mechanism, but in fact, the movement you feel is a small tactile haptic tap, which, even when fully explained, still feels like you're depressing the trackpad two levels. Please visit their site for more information and to order directly or through their resellers.The four sensors make it so you can "click" anywhere on the pad's surface with identical results, and the Force Click effect, which combines the sensors with haptic (or "taptic") feedback, allows you to have two levels of perceived clicking within an app or task. Source: The sample for this review was provided by Startech. It’s a bit pricey at over $200 at the time of this writing, but if you want a nice expansion and you already invested in some displays, then give this a go.
If you are looking to expand your desktop, and only have a laptop, then this is definitely something worthy to invest in. It’s a nice and slim about 1.3 in x 10.6 in x 3.2 in, so you can fit it under a hutch or stand. There are five USB connections, so you can use everything you normally use on a desktop. With the Startech dock, there was no lag or flickering with all three monitors connected!įor practical purposes since my desk is small, I left only two displays open for the rest of the weeks that I’ve used this one 4K monitor, and one HDMI monitor. Normally when I connect my 4K display to my Macbook Pro, I get some flickering. I was pretty impressed with how everything ran so smooth. Every display was crisp and looked great.
I set them up just as a proof of concept, since sadly, my desk isn’t big enough to lay out my three monitors! In the middle sits my 4K monitor, and on either side of that are full HD 1920 x 1080 monitors. I really wanted to test out my 4K monitor along with my 2 HDMI monitors, so I decide to purchase a DisplayPort to HDMI converter. Then my displays were all connected and ready to go.
It was super easy to install and required a reboot.
Since I’m running OS X 10.11 El Capitan, at the time of this review I downloaded the available beta drivers from the Startech website. The Startech triple video docking station supports Windows 10, 8, and 7 (all either 32-bit or 64-bit) and Here are some closer pics of the connections.Īll I had to connect was the USB 3.0 cable to a port on my Macbook Pro.
This didn’t affect my setup, but it’s something to note if you are expecting full support for two or three 4K monitors. So basically, I can connect my main 4K display, and if I had a second 4K display, it wouldn’t be the full resolution.