First look: Apple's 2018 13" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited August 2020
Our new 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is already in for testing after orders for Apple's latest professional laptop went live on Thursday. Read on for our first look at each new feature, benchmarks for the new quad-core CPU and a comparison with a top-spec 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro.



Design

Since Apple didn't make any design changes to its top-level MacBook line, the exterior is completely unchanged. Inside, however, is an updated third-generation keyboard with "butterfly" mechanism keys that, while aesthetically identical to past iterations, are supposed to be more quiet.

The telltale clickety-clack of the 2018 MacBook Pro's keyboard is more muffled when compared to last year's 13-inch base model, which uses second-generation butterfly keys. Typing feel remains largely the same, with a good amount of key travel and a nice bounce back upon finger liftoff.

2018 MacBook Pro Keyboard


Whether the key design changes include reliability upgrades is unknown, and Apple isn't saying much about it. The company said the main complaint from customers was keyboard noise, not operating failures that spurred multiple class-action lawsuits. For its part, Apple maintains only a small percentage of users were impacted by the key issue.

In any case, we will have to wait and see whether the new keyboard is more reliable than past versions.

Moving on, our 2018 MacBook Pro comes with a Touch Bar and Touch ID, the latter of which is convenient for logging in and buying online items using Apple Pay. It also comes with Apple's T2 chip, which basically consolidates a few system controllers into one and for the first time brings "Hey Siri" to the new MacBook.

After a quick setup procedure that prompts a user to read a sentence, we tested out Hey Siri by asking her a few questions. Performance was similar to iOS, with excellent voice recognition and speedy results. Hey Siri will become even more powerful once macOS Mojave sees release, as the upcoming operating system integrates control over HomeKit devices via the Home app.

Hey Siri


Another brand new feature is True Tone, which measures ambient light to adjust onscreen colors. The 2018 MacBook Pro is the first Mac to get the feature and it works as advertised. When enabled, the white balance adjusts to make onscreen images look more natural against the laptop's surrounding environment. Typically, users will notice warmer display colors, though results may vary depending on your particular lighting arrangement.

Performance

This year's 13-inch MacBook Pro is the first to be powered by a quad-core CPU. Our test rig is a base model running Intel's 8th-generation Core i5 processor at 2.3GHz with boost speeds up to an impressive 3.8GHz.

In Geekbench 4, the laptop scored 4,602 for single core and 16,699 for multi-core, which is a huge upgrade over last year's models. For comparison, the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar put in single- and multi-core scores of 4,524 and 9,484, respectively. Perhaps more impressive, the new 13-inch outperforms a top-of-the-line 2016 MacBook Pro with Intel 2.9GHz Core i7, which turned in scores of 4,360 and 11,979.

2018 MacBook Pro Geekbench


Onto graphics performance, the GPU has been upgraded from an Intel Iris Plus 650 to a 655, and looking at the OpenCL test scores, there doesn't seem to be a very big difference between the two integrated chips. Running the same test on our 2017 base 13-inch model, which has the Iris Plus 640 chip, there is some improvement, but honestly not that much, with respective scores of 30,983 and 32,831. Our 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro's score of 48,081, however, was much higher than the new 13-inch model.

This new quad-core CPU is obviously more powerful than previous MacBook Pro processors, so it's going to be drawing more battery power. To ensure uniform battery life, Apple increased battery size by 18 percent over last year's Touch Bar model.

Using Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test, we found the new model's SSD, at least the 256GB version, writes at 680.8MB/s and reads at 2245.9MB/s, roughly equivalent to last year's base model.

Speakers are also upgraded, with definite improvements in bass and loudness.

2018 MacBook Pro

Stay tuned

Apple's new MacBook Pro is shaping up to be one of the biggest non-design upgrades in recent memory, but there is much more ground to cover. Stay tuned for an extensive review in the coming days, including a look at the new Blackmagic eGPU that Apple announced alongside the new MacBook Pro.

Where to buy

Apple authorized resellers Adorama and B&H Photo are currently accepting pre-orders for the new 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar with no tax collected outside New York and New Jersey (see here for details). For many shoppers, this can equate to $140 to $295 in savings on the 13-inch models with quad-core processors compared to buying from Apple directly. These are the exact same systems carried by the Apple Store and include Apple's standard 1-year limited warranty.

Looking for 2018 15-inch MacBook Pros? Check out our Price Guide for up-to-date prices and availability.

2018 13-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar

  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 256GB) Space Gray for $1,799.00 | B&H
    ($140 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 256GB) Space Gray for $1,799.00 | Adorama
    ($140 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 256GB) Silver for $1,799.00 | B&H
    ($140 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 256GB) Silver for $1,799.00 | Adorama
    ($140 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 512GB) Space Gray for $1,999.00 | B&H
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 512GB) Space Gray for $1,999.00 | Adorama
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 512GB) Silver for $1,999.00 | B&H
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 512GB) Silver for $1,999.00 | Adorama
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 1TB) Space Gray for $2,399.00 | B&H
    ($190 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 1TB) Silver for $2,399.00 | B&H
    ($190 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 2TB) Space Gray for $3,199.00 | B&H
    ($255 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 8GB 2TB) Silver for $3,199.00 | B&H
    ($255 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 256GB) Space Gray for $1,999.00 | B&H
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 256GB) Silver for $1,999.00 | B&H
    ($160 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 512GB) Space Gray for $2,199.00 | B&H
    ($175 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 512GB) Silver for $2,199.00 | B&H
    ($175 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 1TB) Space Gray for $2,599.00 | B&H
    ($205 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 1TB) Silver for $2,599.00 | B&H
    ($205 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 2TB) Space Gray for $3,399.00 | B&H
    ($270 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.3GHz 16GB 2TB) Silver for $3,399.00 | B&H
    ($270 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 256GB) Space Gray for $2,099.00 | B&H
    ($165 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 256GB) Silver for $2,099.00 | B&H
    ($165 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 512GB) Space Gray for $2,299.00 | B&H
    ($180 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 512GB) Silver for $2,299.00 | B&H
    ($180 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 1TB) Space Gray for $2,699.00 | B&H
    ($215 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 1TB) Silver for $2,699.00 | B&H
    ($215 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 2TB) Space Gray for $3,499.00 | B&H
    ($280 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 8GB 2TB) Silver for $3,499.00 | B&H
    ($280 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 256GB) Space Gray for $2,299.00 | B&H
    ($180 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 256GB) Silver for $2,299.00 | B&H
    ($180 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 512GB) Space Gray for $2,499.00 | B&H
    ($200 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 512GB) Silver for $2,499.00 | B&H
    ($200 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 1TB) Space Gray for $2,899.00 | B&H
    ($230 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 1TB) Silver for $2,899.00 | B&H
    ($230 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 2TB) Space Gray for $3,699.00 | B&H
    ($295 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
  • 13" (2.7GHz 16GB 2TB) Silver for $3,699.00 | B&H
    ($295 off in tax outside NY & NJ*)
    *Adorama and B&H will not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside NY & NJ*.
    See 2018 15" MacBook Pro availability in our Price Guide...
cincymac
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 55
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    I could hear the speaker difference even through YouTube, nice! Those CPUs though. Is amazing what a little competition from AMD can make Intel do.
    Avieshek
  • Reply 2 of 55
    KITAKITA Posts: 392member
    It would be great if you could test the thermals and sustained performance.
    Avieshekavon b7cgWerkstipoo
  • Reply 3 of 55
    KITA said:
    It would be great if you could test the thermals and sustained performance.
    already on it!
    mike54pscooter63KITAtipoo
  • Reply 4 of 55
    Is there a story coming re: ifixit’s teardown, and the silicon dust protector in the keyboard?
  • Reply 5 of 55
    I always thought that Apple intentionally puts in a smaller battery in its laptops than what the chassis can actually fit. This 18% increase in size of the battery (at least in terms of watt-hours) proves my point. Sure some components could have been decreased, but there must have been some dead space in the previous iteration of the MacBook Pro line.
    Avieshekavon b7williamlondontipoo
  • Reply 6 of 55
    Our new 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is already in for testing after orders for Apple's latest professional laptop went live on Thursday. Read on for our 

    Performance

    This year's 13-inch MacBook Pro is the first to be powered by a quad-core CPU. Our test rig is a base model running Intel's 8th-generation Core i5 processor at 2.3GHz with boost speeds up to an impressive 3.8GHz.

    In Geekbench 4, the laptop scored 4,602 for single core and 16,699 for multi-core, which is a huge upgrade over last year's models. For comparison, the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar put in single- and multi-core scores of 4,524 and 9,484, respectively. Perhaps more impressive, the new 13-inch outperforms a top-of-the-line 2016 MacBook Pro with Intel 2.9GHz Core i7, which turned in scores of 4,360 and 11,979.

    2018 MacBook Pro Geekbench

    This new quad-core CPU is obviously more powerful than previous MacBook Pro processors, so it's going to be drawing more battery power. To ensure uniform battery life, Apple increased battery size by 18 percent over last year's Touch Bar model.

    Using Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test, we found the new model's SSD, at least the 256GB version, writes at 680.8MB/s and reads at 2245.9MB/s, roughly equivalent to last year's base model.
      https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/2018-macbook-pro-benchmarks

      "

      Geekbench 4

      This test measures overall performance on laptops, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro is tops. Apple’s laptop scored 18,055 on the multi-core test. That obliterates the 9,930 premium laptop average. The next closest system was the Core i7-powered Dell XPS 13, and that hit 14,180. The HP Spectre 13 and Huawei MateBook X Pro were further behind with 13,090 and 12,913, respectively."

      ^so, so much hyperbole in Apple reporting by seemingly all the tech sites, same can be said for the PCworld review of the xps 13.  Fastest SSD "ever"...until next month, lol.

      As I had guessed, all just a 'silent' or 'quiet' update, like Apple has done before...when there isn't all that much to be slamming the media with hyperbole about the newest, fastest, etc, etc.

      Now we can start the threads on guessing when Apple will update to the newest Intel cpus, after Dell has already done it on theirs, 3-9mo sooner. I will bet on this current minimal update(as far as amount of R&D needed to get it out the door) that Apple did not improve cooling at all, same cooling tech as last year, unlike PC side where they are trying to gain performance by better cooling to reduce throttling. in the xps, the lesser i5 beat the same gen i7 quad core in the XPS, because of major cooling changes, which results in more fan noise<<<how many complaints would Apple get if their laptops have fans blasting away like a PC laptop?

      "Dell outfitted the New XPS 13 with dual fans and dual heat pipes (the previous model uses just a single-fan and single-heat pipe)...We used Intel’s XTU CPU stress test on the New XPS 13 for 45 minutes, and the XPS 13 ran between 3GHz and 3.3GHz. The previous XPS 13 stuck to 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz for the same run. XTU also shows that Dell has the New XPS 13’s chip set to run basically at 25 watts for most of the time, while the previous model had a limit of 15 to 17 watts.
      The tradeoff, though, is noise"

      Hmm, a quad core i7 in the 2017 xps 13, wasn't running at full power because it gets too hot, too fast? Shocking...or not :p
      ^ https://www.pcworld.com/article/3263913/laptop-computers/dell-new-xps-13-review.html

      Someone needs to read/fact check these AI articles...almost as bad as MSNBC 'fact checking'. Comparing the base 'non'-touchbar MBP 13" with an a different CPU that has a spec'd TDP of 15w, compared to the TB models that run 28wTDP, is an apples and oranges. Moreover, the TB version is the same 28W for either 2 core 2017 or 4 core 2018...so being more "powerful" does not mean it will consume more energy...all else being equal.

      I expect Apple will not use it, but Dell will upgrade one version of the xps 13 to use Wiskey Lake, which is now in limited production on Lenovo. Let's take a look at what a quad core 15W i7 Whiskey lake's numbers are...whoa, dood, that's "ISNANE!!!" <says the Apple rumor sites' excited teenagers?

      https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/search?q=8565U
      GB4 being the standard masserbating tech profile, that's supposed to approx 'gen running conditions'- except for Lisa Simpson types like me that only do email/Word/net browsing and *require* 32GB or more of ram to run just a few stoopid tabs in Safari or FF, even running less than 1/2 doz tabs at same time. 

      SC scores: 5000-5400, MC:14k-15.6k <hey wtf, that "destroys, obliterates, and terminates" the MBP 2.9Ghz (base freq) 15" 2016...or was that MBP 15 2017 that was promised ---as long as you don't need anything more than a whimpiest Intel 620 IG

      https://wccftech.com/intel-whiskey-lake-u-8th-gen-core-i7-8565u-core-i5-8265u-cpu-leak/

      Say, if DDR4 in the MBP15 only requires a slight battery capacity increase to maintain similar runtime, then the Whiskey Lake 15w i7, which supports DD4 would mean? that Apple could(not going to happen, unless snowballs freeze in hell) have 32GB DDR4 in the MBP13? Yeah, they probably could, and they surely won't even in a faux "pro" 13inch model.

      Until next year or so, when Apple puts the Axx into the MB, we can expect limited options from Intel, so another silent update for the MB using same 4.5w TDP, Amber lake-Y series:

      https://www.anandtech.com/show/12878/intel-discuss-whiskey-lake-amber-lake-and-cascade-lake

      All this is so boring, I'll just wait for the 'full' revised versions using Cannonlake & LPPDR4x @2X the bandwidth of DDR4 & much lower power consumption  compared to was is currently being used in the MBP & PC laptops> both charging a pretty penny @$400 to get 32GB. DDR4-2400,,,damn, why doesn't Apple just use the slowest memory they can get for the lowest price, and then pad the profit margins...same ol, same ol for the last few decades...anyone remember Netscape & running out of Mem with massive 32MB of Dimm? Having to use RamDoubler to keep OS8/9 from crashing on the full release versions of Netscape, which were in reality non-stop beta, w/alpha being passed off as beta, mid 90's? Apple gouged on mem back then too, never gave high enough capacity, never...same ol same ol. same ppl on forums claiming only VM, video editors, blah, blah, need more than 32megabytes of RAM?

      Apple ip8+ &ipX both use LPDDR4X, but because it's more expensive, I'll bet Apple doesn't use the newest/fastest LPDDR4X in the ip. Question for you all, Phil says they didn't use 32GB DDR4 because of reduced runtime...and yet, all it took was a larger capacity battery, which Apple could have done all along. Phil is a marketing BS'er, needs to be terminated. If you double the capacity of RAM, does it not double the amount of energy consumed by that RAM? It should, so how much Apple; for transparency purposes, in milliwatts, does 16GB of DDR4 vs 16GB of LPDDR3 use? If we use LPDDR4X, even if 40% more efficient than DDR4; logically it is going to end up using some X amount of energy more than 16GB. But how much more, apparently it is not all that much, and we know Apple's DNA won't let them have less runtimes. Alright Apple post up the specs when you make those claims, give us the lab test results, lol.< They won't, like the DOJ, they will obfuscate before embarrassing themselves with the actual numbers.

      https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dram/lpddr4x/

      BTW, for the noobs that post, there is no LPDDR6 from Samsung, nor has JEDEC finalized a standard for LPDDR5. Also, it is not only Intel that does not support LPDDR4 with their cpu's (outside of already noted early low power cannonlake i3), AMD likewise doesn't yet support LPDDR4...so, ya do what you have to do, get a custom controller from 3rd party, messy, but doable...but those Apple corporate beancounters, it's about supply chain availability in quantities needed, for acceptable profit margins, which we know are higher than other's so...that can lead to less than latest/best/greatest available technology, otherwise everyone would use HBM2

      http://samsungtech24.blogspot.com/2018/04/samsung-started-producing-lpddr6-ram.html
      ^this is what you might call, faux news, click bait, no lpddr6, it's about GDDR6 which is now in latest higher-end (s00n)shipping Nvidia cards.

      FN is defined by Collins dictionary, if I think about it, I'm sure I can come up with an old substitute...not sure TeamAI would be any happier...seeing as virtually no new members even bother to read the 'writing style guide' here.
      https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/fake-news
      It will be in the next edition of websters I'm sure:

      cgWerks
    • Reply 7 of 55
      palegolaspalegolas Posts: 1,361member
      Blackmagic eGPU!? Wow! I’m wondering what sort of acceleration is hidden inside! Any hope for a blazing fast dedicated 4K HEVC encoder? Would be cool if it affected FCPX and Apple Compressor.
    • Reply 8 of 55
      Impressive, been thinking of getting a MBP since a lot of years, I guess this one could be the one.
    • Reply 9 of 55
      AF_HittAF_Hitt Posts: 143member
      mindwaves said:
      I always thought that Apple intentionally puts in a smaller battery in its laptops than what the chassis can actually fit. This 18% increase in size of the battery (at least in terms of watt-hours) proves my point. Sure some components could have been decreased, but there must have been some dead space in the previous iteration of the MacBook Pro line.
      It is also possible that Apple shipped the best solution it could at the time, while still developing more efficient designs. It's also possible that battery density, and thus capacity, improved that much year-over-year. It's an age-old engineering dilemma. Things can always be improved upon with enough time, but at a certain point, you have to ship something.
      williamlondondewmeredgeminipapscooter63lamboaudi4bb-15StrangeDaysmike1jony0
    • Reply 10 of 55
      dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
      AF_Hitt said:
      mindwaves said:
      I always thought that Apple intentionally puts in a smaller battery in its laptops than what the chassis can actually fit. This 18% increase in size of the battery (at least in terms of watt-hours) proves my point. Sure some components could have been decreased, but there must have been some dead space in the previous iteration of the MacBook Pro line.
      It is also possible that Apple shipped the best solution it could at the time, while still developing more efficient designs. It's also possible that battery density, and thus capacity, improved that much year-over-year. It's an age-old engineering dilemma. Things can always be improved upon with enough time, but at a certain point, you have to ship something.
      Did Apple increase the battery size or the battery capacity? They could have changed the battery formulation to obtain greater capacity for the same physical size. I've often seen size and capacity used interchangeably in product specs and reviews which can be confusing. Look at AA sized rechargeable batteries and you'll see a wide range of capacities measured in milliamp hours.
      edited July 2018 Avieshek
    • Reply 11 of 55
      boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,139member
      ...I wish quad cores were available without the cost of the touchbar, even as a BTO...
      edited July 2018 cgWerkscropr
    • Reply 12 of 55
      wandersowanderso Posts: 116member
      I would like to see Apple fix the non-touch bar model with 2 things: 4 thunderbolt ports instead of 2, and the keyboard upgrade. 

      It probably would cost Apple $10 tops in build of materials cost (maybe even <$2) to add the 2 ports for example.  $500 more for a touchbar that I don't need and 2 ports that I do is crazy if one is content with the processor speed of the base MacBook Pro. 

      Personally, I can't see buying one with 2 ports.  Yes, I know that you can use an external dock/replicator that has added legacy ports, hdmi, etc., but I shouldn't have to. I drive a 3 monitor setup (internal + 2 external 1920x1080) monitors on a 3.5 year old Dell ultrabook / MacBook Air sized laptop at work with an HDMI and display port cable connected to 2 built in ports on the laptop. I still have 3 3.0 USB and 1 power supply port left over on the dell after doing so. I wouldn't be able to charge the laptop in an Apple configuration of the base MacBook "Pro" model without significant added expense via an external port replicator. 

      (Have owned Macs since 1990, upgrading regularly, 4 @ home presently. New dell laptops for my team at work have USB 3, thunderbolt 3 and an hdmi port) 
      edited July 2018
    • Reply 13 of 55
      boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
      I’ve been a Touchbar MacBook Pro owner since they came out, and can’t wait for the refresh when Apple admits the Touchbar concept was a failed experiment. It’s so bad. The only time I ever use the Touchbar intentionally is to change the volume, but I’m accidentally activating things all the time and really miss physical function keys. Does anyone actually find that thing useful??
      aknabicgWerks
    • Reply 14 of 55
      KITAKITA Posts: 392member
      Impressive, been thinking of getting a MBP since a lot of years, I guess this one could be the one.
      Just as long as your work flow won't benefit from a dGPU.

      While the new MBP 13 has impressive CPU and SSD performance, its iGPU performance is really lacking. Some laptops in that class, like the MateBook X Pro, use an NVIDIA MX150 2GB which allows for much higher performance than the Iris Plus 655 in the MBP. That gap would extend even further if an application can benefit from CUDA.
    • Reply 15 of 55
      Hey,
      Another test had write speed on the 1TB SSD version at 2500+
      https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/13/2018-macbook-pro-fastest-laptop-ssd-ever/

      You had under 700 for the 256GB SSD internal, did you confirm this?

      Thanks
      GeorgeBMac
    • Reply 16 of 55
      Hey,
      Another test had write speed on the 1TB SSD version at 2500+
      https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/13/2018-macbook-pro-fastest-laptop-ssd-ever/

      You had under 700 for the 256GB SSD internal, did you confirm this?

      Thanks
      That's last years 2017 non-touch bar.

      Our 2018 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD got 1151 Write speed.
      The reason it's faster on the 1TB is because it probably uses 2x 512GB SSD's in RAID 0 to double the speed. (Not 100% sure though)

      Edit: They actually duplicated the files, so that crazy speed is actually due to the APFS file system.
      edited July 2018 cgWerksAvieshekGeorgeBMac
    • Reply 17 of 55
      That's last years 2017 non-touch bar. 

      Our 2018 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD got 1151 Write speed.
      The reason it's faster on the 1TB is because it probably uses 2x 512GB SSD's in RAID 0 to double the speed. (Not 100% sure though)

      Edit: They actually duplicated the files, so that crazy speed is actually due to the APFS file system.
      Thanks Vadimyuryev,

      2000+ is nearly equal to the iMac SSD now.
    • Reply 18 of 55
      s.metcalfs.metcalf Posts: 972member
      The 13" didn't get DDR4? I wonder why. Can you invoke Siri with an expression other than "Hey Siri!"?
      edited July 2018
    • Reply 19 of 55
      tipootipoo Posts: 1,141member
      Wait that multicore score of the 15" is whack, my 2015 15" gets 16K. The top end 2016 shouldn't be getting 11K. 

      But the 13" does beat my 15" by a bit on both CPU and GPU now, tempted, very tempted....
    • Reply 20 of 55
      netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
      Hey,
      Another test had write speed on the 1TB SSD version at 2500+
      https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/13/2018-macbook-pro-fastest-laptop-ssd-ever/

      You had under 700 for the 256GB SSD internal, did you confirm this?

      Thanks
      That's last years 2017 non-touch bar.

      Our 2018 13" Touch Bar MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD got 1151 Write speed.
      The reason it's faster on the 1TB is because it probably uses 2x 512GB SSD's in RAID 0 to double the speed. (Not 100% sure though)

      Edit: They actually duplicated the files, so that crazy speed is actually due to the APFS file system.

      I am not sure how much is due to APFS but I do see some SSDs from 2015 promoting that speed as well. From 2015, "The drive has a sequential read/write speed of up to 5,000MBps (5Gbps) and 3,000MBps (3Gbps), respectively." Could they be using their improved SSDs? 

      https://www.computerworld.com/article/2987956/solid-state-drives/intel-samsung-launch-their-fastest-ssds-with-up-to-5gbps-speeds.html

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